The wedding breakfast was sumptuous, again thanks to Tommy, but Ben could barely eat a thing. He glanced over at Dinah, who was laughing at some joke Tommy was trying to tell, and was, as ever, getting the punch line utterly wrong. It didn’t seem to matter as Tommy’s confusion was far funnier than the joke.
Dinah laughed so hard that when she turned to Ben, her eyes were sparkling with mirth, and Ben caught his breath.
“I want to leave now,” he said, his voice rather rough. He didn’t think he could bear to sit here for another moment. “My patience ran out sometime during the ceremony,” he admitted, leaning in to whisper the words in her ear, pleased by the shiver that ran over her skin. “I can’t wait for you any longer, love, I’ll run mad.”
Dinah blushed a little but looked up him with such anticipation shining in her eyes that any guilt he felt over cutting the meal short quickly dispersed.
Tommy and Owen sniggered a little and gave him knowing looks as he stood to make their apologies. He rolled his eyes at them as Dinah blushed a deeper shade and Joe glowered a little, avoiding Ben’s eye.
“Thank you so much, Tommy,” Ben said, moving to shake his friend’s hand. “For everything you did.”
Tommy shrugged but looked proud enough to burst at the compliment. Ben knew well enough that the man looked up to him somewhat and found himself surprised to realise how much he depended on Tommy. He looked to the world like a rather shallow, frippery fellow, but he was solid and dependable and good-hearted. Owen, for all his diffidence in the beginning, had also come around. He shook Ben’s hand and kissed Dinah’s cheek, wishing them well with genuine pleasure.
Turning to Joe was harder in the circumstances, but they both endured it. Joe cleared his throat and shook Ben’s hand.
“Just you mind you treat ‘er right,” he said, the words rather terse. “Or else …” The sentence hung in the air, unfinished, but he didn’t need to say anything more; given the dark glint in his eyes, it was obvious to all concerned.
“You need never doubt it, Joe,” Ben replied, meaning every word. “I would rather endure another pounding at your fists than ever hurt her.”
Joe grunted and looked up at him then. “You can be sure I’ll be ‘appy to oblige.”
At last, they were in the carriage, alone, and making the short trip to Ben’s own home. He had shared the large, grand accommodations that Tommy used when in town until recently. A disagreement with the rather obnoxious landlady had forced his hand and made him seek a place of his own not long ago. A fact he was grateful for now. Bachelor accommodations would not suit his wife at all, no matter how luxurious.
“No regrets?” he asked as Joe and his friends disappeared out of sight and they turned the corner.
Dinah looked up at him, her face incredulous. “Of course not,” she said, smiling at him as he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “Not for me, at least,” she added, as doubt flickered in her eyes.
“Don’t even think about it,” Ben replied, his words forceful. “I’m not giving much up at all, love. My family and I have never been close, and I’ve never cared overly much what the rest of the world thought of me. They can disapprove all they like, I don’t give a damn.”
“But your inheritance, Ben,” she began as Ben laughed.
“Darling girl, you’re rich enough to buy an abbey, you’ll just have to keep me in the style to which I’ve become accustomed.”
“Oh!” she huffed at him, knowing he was teasing, though it was true enough.
In all honesty, Ben felt a tremor of doubt about the future, about what he would be, what he would do. He’d made a career out of being a wastrel, a gentleman for whom even the notion of work was beneath him. Suddenly, though, he discovered that he wanted more from life. However, he noticed the delicate pink tongue that swept out as Dinah wet her lips, and thoughts of their life to come fled. The immediate future was far more pressing.
Chapter 26
“Wherein a love scene … at last.”
Dinah squealed as Ben lifted her at the threshold of his home and carried her inside. She was introduced, very briefly, to his butler and valet - the broadly smiling Mr Frost, his house keeper, and the few servants he kept on - before she was practically dragged up the stairs. Refusing to glance back at the startled staff, she was certain she could hear the maids giggling until the bedroom door slammed behind them.
“Thank the Lord,” Ben said, sounding rather breathless. “Alone at last.”
Dinah smiled at him, suddenly feeling rather shy. His bedroom was large and dark and masculine, heavy with dark wood panelling and rich fabrics. A fire blazed in the hearth and it was warm, despite the chill of the autumn day outside the windows. He looked every bit the predator they reputed him to be in this setting, and with desire burning in his eyes. All at once the room didn’t feel so very large.
Sucking in a breath to steady herself, Dinah turned away from him, looking about the room and feeling the weight of his gaze upon her as she moved. Had it only been this morning she had decided to sell up and move away? So much had happened in the space of the past few hours, it seemed unreal, like some bizarre and wonderful dream. She had gone from the depths of despair to such dizzying heights that she felt quite dazed. Pretending to look about the room, she sucked in a breath, hoping to steady herself.
“You can’t escape me now, love,” Ben said with a chuckle, and she glanced back to see him removing his coat, tugging at his cravat with impatient fingers. Dinah bit her lip and turned away again.
“It’s you that ran away, not me,” she retorted, moving around the room until she found herself in front of a vast four-poster bed. For a moment, she wondered how many of his lovers had been entertained here, before scolding herself for thinking such a thing at this moment.
“It’s new,” Ben remarked, as if he’d read her mind. “I bought it for this house when I moved in. I’ve been dying to christen it with you,” he said, a warm sound to his voice as he soothed her jealousy away and assured her that no one had been here but her. “And I can promise you … I won’t be running anywhere today, or ever again.”
Dinah felt the smile that curved over her mouth echo in her heart, and she turned to tell him how she felt, only to have the words die in her throat. The only time they’d ever been intimate, Ben had remained clothed, so her inexperienced imagination had been forced to fill in the blanks as best she could. Not so now. She sucked in a breath as he threw his small clothes on top of the pile he’d tossed carelessly to the ground.
He was naked, nothing left to the imagination now, all blanks very completely filled. The shoulders that had always seemed so broad beneath his coat were far more powerful than she had imagined. His arms and torso, likewise, were heavily quilted with muscle, dark hair scattering over the broad expanse of his chest and trailing down. Despite the rather smug smile that was tugging at his lips, Dinah could not help but stare.
“Heavens,” she murmured, a little daunted as he moved closer to her.
“You’re not frightened, now, are you?” he asked, concern in his eyes, though she could still hear a note of amusement behind the words.
“Of course not,” she replied, not wanting to be thought a foolish female even if she was feeling something close to trepidation at seeing him at close quarters for the first time.
“Of course not,” he repeated, the words murmured as he stepped closer still. “You’ve never been frightened of anything, have you, my bold Dinah?” He just stood there, watching her, not moving, and Dinah realised he was waiting for her to make the first move, when she was ready. There was perhaps a foot of space between them now, and Dinah took a breath, closing the distance until they almost touched. Reaching out a tentative hand, she touched her fingers to the coarse hair on his chest. Curiously, she allowed her fingers to slide through it and over his warm skin, which was silky beneath her hand, until she reached the flat disc of his nipple. With a little frown of concentration, Dinah circled it with one, d
elicate fingertip. The skin pebbled and grew taut at her touch, goose bumps shivering over his skin. Looking up, Dinah found him watching her still, his expression intent, those dark blue eyes almost black now.
Curiosity burning, Dinah held his gaze as she moved closer, lowering her head a little to touch the taut little nub of flesh with her tongue. The sound he made went directly to the core of her, a liquid heat pooling low, low down, that ached with desire.
“Touch me,” he said, one hand moving to the back of her hair, caressing with gentle strokes. “Please,” he added, a touch of desperation given to the demand now.
Dinah was only too pleased to comply, wanting to continue her explorations and thoroughly enjoying the exhilarating rush of power she was experiencing. She put both hands on him now, flat against his skin, as she skimmed over the hard muscle of his chest and abdomen. Turning to the side a little, she watched as her right hand moved over his belly, across to his hip, discovering the change in texture from silky stomach to the finer hair that covered his thighs and the thicker, coarser texture of that which trailed down to his erection. As she touched him here, he sucked in a breath, but Dinah was too absorbed in her discovery to pay him much mind. If she had thought his skin fine and silky before, this part of him was a revelation. Curling her fingers around him, she found herself fascinated by the satin quality of him, the warmth and the rigidity. Her thumb moved over the head, discovering the moisture gathered at the slit as she caressed him.
“Oh God,” Ben murmured, his fingers tightening in her hair. Dinah looked up, continuing her caressing explorations, but studying his face this time. His eyes were closed now, his head bowed, an expression of intense concentration on his face as his breathing became heavier and somewhat ragged. “Yes,” he murmured. “Yes, like that.”
“You like that?” she asked, feeling a little smug now, as the answer was blatantly obvious and written all over his face.
Ben made a slightly strangled sound before his free hand cupped her face and he kissed her. He kissed like he was starving, and she was the feast, like he would devour her if he could, and Dinah felt heat prickling over her skin. He was hot and heavy and increasingly slick in her hand, and now her dress was nothing but an irritation. Her own skin was too hot, too sensitive, yet she did not want to stop. With a rush of desire, she remembered the pleasure he had brought her the one night they had been together in such a way. Could she do that to him? The idea made her feel slightly giddy with anticipation, or perhaps it was the kiss, but either way, the power of having his pleasure at her hands had gone to her head, making her bolder than she could have imagined.
When he broke the kiss at last, he moved to take her hand, as though he would take her to the bed, but Dinah held his gaze and dropped to her knees. Ben released her hand as she moved, his chest heaving as he realised her intent. Dinah smiled, relishing this newfound influence over him as he stared down at her, bewitched, utterly in her thrall.
Placing one hand on each, heavy thigh, she moved closer, kissing the soft skin at the apex of his thigh and his torso. Ben reached out, grasping the bedpost, his knuckles white as he steadied himself. He looked a little desperate now. The first taste of him was surprising, somewhat salty. Unsure what she felt about this, Dinah tried again, licking with a little more surety now as Ben made a tortured sound. She looked up, finding his body rigid with tension, every muscle locked down tight.
“Is this right?” she asked, a little unsure if that was the right response, as she remembered how she had writhed in pleasure beneath him. Perhaps she was doing it wrong.
“Yes,” he said, sounding rather like he was gritting his teeth. “Yes, yes, yes, very right, but …” He moved, pulling her to her feet so fast she almost stumbled. He turned her about, pulling and tugging at the ties fastening her dress with little finesse and a good deal of desperation.
Once the ties were loosed, he turned her again, pulling the dress from her and tugging at her underclothes with such intensity that Dinah could not help the giggle that escaped her. He looked positively unhinged.
“It’s not funny,” he muttered, as he wrestled with the last fastening on her stays. “I need to make love to you right now or I won’t be responsible for the consequences.”
For some reason she couldn’t quite fathom, his impatience amused her greatly and she laughed as he tugged the last of her clothes from her with a crow of triumph.
“Saucy baggage,” he said, sweeping her up and tumbling her onto the bed with him scrambling over her. “You think it’s amusing to torment your poor husband so, do you?”
“A little, yes,” she admitted, though the breath left her all in a rush as he fastened his mouth onto her breast and sucked. “Oh!”
Ben made a rather masculine sound of contentment as her laughter was abruptly brought to an end and he found his place between her legs. His hand, insinuated between them, slid down to part her curls and his breath hitched as his fingers slid easily over her slick skin. Dinah held her breath, her body leaping beneath his touch but clamouring for more. There was a hollow ache inside her, an emptiness, that she instinctively knew he could fill. Ben lifted his head, satisfaction glinting in his eyes at finding her just as eager for him, and she caught her breath as he nudged himself into position. Dinah gripped his shoulders, knowing roughly the mechanics of what came next; Dot had served some purpose during her time, at least, but she was still not sure of what to expect. Ben’s face softened, and he leaned down, kissing her gently now.
“Are you all right?” he asked, the words full of concern for her.
Dinah nodded, smiling. “Perfectly,” she said, reaching up to touch his face. He turned his face into her hand, kissing the palm.
“You’re mine now, Lady Lancaster.”
Dinah’s eyebrows went up and she gave a startled laugh, not having heard herself addressed so before, but the laugh became a gasp as Ben moved, easing into her with sure, firm strokes. Her breath caught again and held as the strangeness of it made her body grow still and immobile.
“Relax, darling,” he murmured against her skin, slowing his movements, though his breathing was harsh still.
It was astonishing and shocking, the intimacy, the fullness, and yet as he moved, her body seemed to change, to accommodate him, to welcome him, and all at once, it was the most natural thing in the world.
She ran her hands down his back, enjoying the sensation of muscle moving beneath his skin, wondering at the pure bulk of this large man and his powerful body loving hers so tenderly. His eyes had been closed, but they opened now, a startling flash of vivid blue against the wide black pupil, and Dinah could not help the smile that curved over her mouth. It was joy and wonder and adoration all combined, and Ben laughed, a slightly helpless sound as his arms slid beneath her, pulling her closer still.
“My God, Dinah,” he said, the words quiet and reverent. “I never realised … never understood …” He seemed unable to finish the sentence, lowering his mouth to hers and kissing her instead, his lips caressing and tender. “It’s never felt like this before, love.” The words were a little broken, spoken softly against her mouth. “Not like this, I … I can’t …”
Dinah’s heart leapt, pleasure and happiness combining, overwhelming her as she realised this was as special to him as it was to her. All at once, she was overcome with gratitude for him, for running from her as he had, for not taking what he had forced her to keep safe for him, for this moment.
His obvious desire, the sounds he made as he lost control, losing himself in her, and the perfection of this was enough to take her with him. The sensation of anticipation, the tightening of her body as she waited on the edge of pleasure washed over her until Ben cried out, clutching at her as his own body convulsed. It was more than enough to tip her over, following him down the path he had given her a glimpse of once before. This time, however, it was so much more, so startling in its intensity for she was not alone this time. Ben was with her, and she felt certain now, that he always wo
uld be.
Chapter 27
“Wherein nothing is ever quite perfect, but almost …’
Ben’s stomach growled, a rather prosaic sound on a day which even to an unimaginative chap like him had been utterly magical. He was damned if he would move though. It was likely they’d both starve to death, in fact. A stupid grin dawned at his lips at the idea. There would be a terrible scandal when everyone discovered that they’d been so insatiable and mad for each other they hadn’t even left the bed to eat and had faded away in each other’s arms. It seemed a rather wonderful way to go. Ben snorted at the idea. Good God, when had he become so damned sappy? This was clearly what love did to you. It made you not give a damn that you made the rest of the world sick to their stomachs because you were too deliriously happy to care.
Dinah sighed, the warmth of her breath fluttering over his chest and making him shiver. He ought to let her sleep, of course, only …
He moved, turning her gently onto her side and lying beside her so they were face to face. She stirred, sighing and stretching, her eyelids heavy as they blinked, taking a moment to focus on him. As she did, a smile curved over her mouth that made Ben’s heart lurch in his chest. What he could have done to have deserved this, to have deserved her, he could not fathom. He’d behaved like the devil on a spree for most of his life, so he must be the reincarnation of a long dead saint. It was the only possible explanation.
“Hello,” he said, watching her as she woke. “I’m sorry, love, are you tired? I know I ought to let you sleep, only … I missed you.” He waited for the part of him that was the sophisticated, urbane man he’d always been to cringe at his words, yet he found nothing to regret or feel embarrassed for. Yes, he truly was nauseatingly in love as it was nothing but the truth. “Did you miss me?” he added, needing to know he wasn’t alone in this fathomless sea of love and desire.
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