“Edward, this is so delicious,” she cried. “Can you do it faster, can you do it harder?”
“I can, but I will choose the pace and power,” he said with a husky rasp to his voice.
The comment sent a fresh thrill through her body, though she wasn’t sure why, and as he continued to slowly pump her pussy and massage her clit, she could feel the shadow of the hoped-for eruption.
“That thing that happened last night, the orgasm, I can feel it brewing,” she gasped.
“Remain completely still,” he said in a harsh whisper. “If you move, I shall slap your bottom.”
“Ooh, sir, I shall try,” she groaned, clutching the sheets.
Being blindfolded seemed to heighten everything he did, and she was lost in the scintillating sensations coursing through every part of her. He began slowly withdrawing, then plunging forward, the entire time worrying his finger against her magic button, but out of nowhere, she unexpectedly had an overwhelming desire to test him, and feel his hot hand smack her already tender skin, so she wriggled. It wasn’t a gyration, or even a squirm, it was a simple, small, subtle wriggle.
No words were spoken as his hand kissed her bottom with a sound swat, followed by a second on the opposite cheek. She didn’t wail, but gasped in air as the sting rattled through her sex.
“Now, Charlotte, I shall ravage you,” he growled.
She felt his hands tighten around her hips, preventing any movement, and moments later his cock began to pummel her. Stunned by the unexpected onslaught, she could scarcely breathe, but then she felt it; the shadow of the eruption was no longer a shadow, but a bubble rising up, threatening to explode.
“Edward,” she wailed, “the thing, it is upon me.”
“I know. Ride it. Ride it to its end.”
His voice was a hiss. On the edge of his own release, he’d been holding back until she was at her apex, and as her body grew taut and her head flew backwards, he plunged forward with a loud groan.
Her piercing cry echoed through the room, and grasping her cheeks, he stroked forcefully until, spent and drained, he fell from her depths and collapsed at her side. Seconds later, breathing heavily, she dropped to her stomach, and shuffling against him, nestled her head in the crook of his shoulder.
“It is such an amazing thing,” she said breathlessly.
“The famous orgasm,” he panted, placing his arm around her and gently lifting off her blindfold.
“I read about it in one of my uncle’s hidden books,” she murmured, still trying to catch her breath. “It’s like magic.”
“It is magic,” he agreed. “It is magic when it is shared with love, as we share it. Did you enjoy having your eyes covered?”
“Very much,” she said softly. “It made everything sort of, more. It’s hard to put into words.”
“You don’t have to, you just described it perfectly.”
“It’s all so wonderful,” she mumbled, letting out a long sigh, then feeling the need to nap, she closed her eyes and let the blissful afterglow engulf her. They drifted until a chill in the air caused Edward to reach to the foot of the bed and pull the blankets over them.
“Thank you,” she said, snuggling against him. “Strange, I feel so relaxed, but not tired anymore.”
“I neglected to mention something at dinner tonight,” he said softly. “When we leave for Brighton tomorrow, Helen and Reese will not be joining us.”
“They won’t? How will I dress?”
“I want to be completely alone with you, Charlotte. I will help you, and you will help me. I’m sure we can manage.”
“You certainly are very adept at taking clothes off,” she giggled. “No doubt you can put them on me just as well.”
“You are such a cheeky girl,” he grinned. “I seem to say that all the time. What am I to do with you?”
“Anything you wish,” she said, looking up at him.
“Anything?”
“Anything,” she nodded.
“I will be doing some rather wicked things to you in Brighton, and even more when we return to my country home. My apologies, our country home, so remember you said that.”
“Our country home. How wonderful that sounds,” she sighed, then after a pause, she asked, “What sort of wicked things?”
“You’ll find out,” he said mysteriously.
“Will Helen and Reese be going back to the country at the same time we leave for Brighton?”
“Yes, and that will give Helen time to settle in. Reese will help her. It’s a large home, and has many hallways and staircases. Helen needs to learn her way around.”
“I thought it was smaller than Kimberwick Hall.”
“It is, but Kimberwick Hall is a grand home. Just about any residence will be smaller by comparison.”
“My father’s home was like Kimberwick Hall. I remember him chasing me up and down all kinds of stairways, and along endless corridors.”
“I’m sorry you lost your parents at such a young age,” he said tenderly.
“It was very difficult,” she replied. “Very difficult and very sad. I cried for weeks.”
“What happened to the family home?”
“My father’s will was very complicated,” she sighed. “As it turned out, the house and its contents went to my cousin, Lord Danby. I used to call him Wally, but his name is Walter. He is the oldest son of my father’s other brother, Digby. Poor man died ages ago. As I said, it’s all very complicated. Wally is quite a bit older than me. As you know my inheritance was placed in a trust and it was all money, except for my mother’s jewelry of course. Since I had no brothers, and Uncle Hugo and Aunt Mildred are sadly childless, Wally was the next in line, and thank goodness the estate will stay in the family. I remember him being very kind to me. When he visited, he would always bring me sweets.”
“Why didn’t you go and stay with him when your parents died?”
“I don’t know. It was decided that I should go to Uncle Hugo and Aunt Mildred. Perhaps because they had no children, or maybe because Lord Danby was unmarried at the time, and not in a position to take on a young girl.”
“We must make a point to invite him when we return to the country, or even when we’re at the house in London.”
“I would like that very much,” Charlotte said wistfully. “I think of him often. We exchange cards at Christmas, but he never did visit me at Kimberwick. I got the feeling there might have been some bad blood between him and my aunt and uncle.”
“Ah, well, that often happens in families.”
“Yes, I’m sure,” she yawned.
“Sleepy girl now,” he said warmly, kissing her forehead. “Time to rest. We have a journey in front of us tomorrow, and being with you in Brighton is something I’m eager to enjoy.”
“Yes, it will be wonderful,” she said, yawning again.
“Good night, Princess Charlotte.”
“Good night, Prince Edward.”
As Charlotte closed her eyes and felt the sublime darkness fall upon her, she did so with a deep calm in her soul. She was loved and safe. Edward had appeared as if by some strange ethereal spell, and her life had been forever changed.
Chapter Thirteen
Charlotte was thrilled to discover that Edward had booked them into the brand new, and somewhat controversial, Metropole Hotel. The largest hotel outside London, it had caused raised eyebrows as it was being built. Rather than following the traditional cream elegance of the other establishments along the seafront, the developers chose to use red brick, but they had guessed well. The hotel quickly became the social hub of the fashionable and elite.
Arriving at the end of the season afforded Edward the opportunity to book one of the larger and more luxurious suites, and the heavy crowds had disappeared, but there was a downside to their late September arrival. The weather. The heat of the summer had passed, and though he knew it might be too chilly to venture into the water, Edward had not dissuaded Charlotte from buying a swimming costume. There was alwa
ys the chance of one last warm day.
The train journey from London had been uneventful, except for Charlotte’s curiosity about a locked black bag that Edward had kept with him. The remainder of their luggage had been taken by a porter, and Charlotte was completely intrigued by the mysterious carryon.
“Why won’t you tell me what’s in it?” she begged.
“I have my reasons,” he replied with a devilish grin.
“Will you show me when we reach the hotel?”
“Believe me, you’ll find out soon enough,” he said patiently. “No more questions.”
They were met at the station by a carriage Harding had made sure would be waiting. It carried them to Kings Road, the ocean front street of the famous resort town, and as the water came into view, Charlotte bubbled over with excitement.
“I want to go in, I do. I know it’s cold, but I want to.”
“You may change your mind when you feel that water on your toes,” Edward chuckled.
“I dare you,” she laughed. “I dare you to go in with me.”
“Be careful, I might take you up on that,” he said, raising his eyebrows. “Did you ever go to the seaside with your parents?”
“I did, and I loved it, but it feels like a lifetime ago. I remember my mother holding my hand at the water’s edge,” she said wistfully.
“Look, Charlotte, the hotel,” Edward said, pointing out the carriage window, hoping to pull her from the unexpectedly melancholy moment.
“Oh, my goodness, it’s so…”
“Unattractive?” Edward suggested.
“Um, different, I’d say different, and I can understand why it caused such talk. Look, Edward, there’s a trolley, or is it a tram?”
“I think it could be described as either,” Edward replied.
The small streetcar glided by as they climbed from the carriage, and taking Charlotte by the elbow, still clutching the black bag with his free hand, he led her into the immense lobby of the seven-hundred-room hotel.
“This is so grand,” she whispered as they moved across to the check-in desk. “The first thing I want to do is try out their Turkish bath; no, the first thing I want to do is go down to the water.”
“The first thing we’re going to do is settle into our room,” Edward said with a smile, “then we can decide.”
“I understand why you wanted Helen and Reese to remain behind, but I miss her already.”
“You don’t miss her, you miss her service.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Think about it,” Edward said softly as they approached the desk.
The registration process was efficient and fast, and a porter was soon showing them into their luxurious suite. Captivated by the view, Charlotte swiftly moved to the window to gaze out at the ocean.
“Edward, this is marvelous,” she exclaimed.
“It is,” Edward agreed as he locked the door behind the porter as he left. “The bathroom is excellent too. Look, Charlotte, you have your choice of regular hot and cold water, or hot and cold sea water.”
“Sea water? Why would we want sea water?”
“I understand it’s quite invigorating and healthful,” he replied. “I’m going to unpack my clothes. I suggest you do the same before the wrinkles set in.”
“Oh, yes,” she sighed. “Now I really do miss Helen, I miss both her and her service.”
Never having unpacked a suitcase, the process took Charlotte longer than Edward, and he helped her with her gowns and cloaks, the latter necessitated by the possibility of an early fall chill, but the mysterious black bag remained locked.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” she asked, still bursting with curiosity.
“Not just yet,” he said as he placed it at the back of the wardrobe.
“Are you trying to hide it? Does it contain valuables?”
“I’m simply making it less visible. As far as containing valuables, yes, of a sort,” he winked.
By the time they’d finished, Charlotte wanted neither the Turkish baths nor the shore, but a cup of tea with cakes and finger sandwiches.
“You do love your tea,” he remarked with a smile as they made their way down to one of the several dining rooms the hotel offered.
“I do. If I don’t have my tea I get a dreadful headache. I suppose I must be addicted.”
“You and thousands of others, including me,” he nodded.
“I think I’ve become addicted to you as well,” she whispered.
“Are you indeed? I am a lucky man,” he whispered back.
They entered the dining room, and were immediately escorted to a table that overlooked the seafront. Gazing out the window, Charlotte noticed the wind was starting to pick up.
“It’s looking blustery,” she frowned. “It wasn’t windy when we arrived.”
“It comes up quickly here, especially in the afternoon. Good, here comes our waitress. I’m craving a cup of tea just as you are.”
Edward placed their order, and darting her eyes around the room, she noticed there were very few patrons. As she was about move her attention back to Edward, she spotted an extremely attractive man staring at her, and to her chagrin, he wasn’t attempting to hide his admiration; his look was blatant and direct.
“Charlotte? Is something the matter?” Edward asked, seeing her look of concern.
“There’s a man at a table near the door, and he’s staring at me,” she said, quickly shifting her eyes back to Edward.
“I’m not surprised, you are very beautiful,” Edward said with a smile. “If he’s making you uncomfortable, I’ll go and have a quiet word, but it’s better to ignore unwanted attention. He’s probably a bounder.”
“How peculiar that a man should be so overt,” she frowned. “I have had admirers look at me at balls and parties, but not like that, not like…”
“Like what?” Edward asked.
“Like he was intent on me.”
“Where is he?”
Turning her head to glance back in the stranger’s direction, she was surprised to see he had disappeared.
“Oh, he’s gone! How did he vanish so quickly? I should have gone over there and told him off before he had a chance to escape,” she declared.
“You most certainly should not have,” Edward scolded. “That is my department!”
“Sorry,” Charlotte said sheepishly.
“He probably left in a hurry when he realized you were on to him. No doubt he didn’t want me marching over there,” Edward remarked, then wanting to change the subject, he added, “Would you like to go to the Royal Pavilion tomorrow after breakfast?”
“I most certainly would,” she said eagerly. “I hear Queen Victoria has recently returned some furnishings and artwork she’d had removed.”
“I believe that’s true. It’s a shame the property was stripped of so much, but selling it to Brighton has enabled everyone to enjoy it, which is marvelous. I suspect even more of the fixtures and interior decorations will find their way back. The wheels of the palace move slowly.”
The tea was served, but as they enjoyed their sandwiches and cakes, they noticed the wind was growing even stronger, making the ocean turbulent with white-capped waves.
“It appears a pleasant walk on the promenade wouldn’t be quite so pleasant,” Edward said as he studied the gusts tossing objects in the air, “but I must confess, I rather fancy being locked in our suite through the rest of the day. There are certain, rather wicked things I’d like to share with you.”
“There are?” Charlotte asked, her butterflies springing to life.
“Yes, my dearest, there are, and one thing in particular is on my mind.”
“My goodness. When you say things like that, it makes me feel all twittery.”
“As it should,” he said with a glint in his gaze. “Are you quite finished?”
“I am.”
“We shall return to our room, and you will have a warm scented bath to refresh yourself while I prepare.
”
“Prepare?” she said breathlessly.
“Prepare,” he repeated as he rose from his chair and extended his hand.
“Oh, my goodness.”
“Come along.”
Wrapping her fingers around his, she rose to her feet, then looping her arm through his elbow, she walked with him from the room.
“Can you give me a hint?” she asked as they made their way to their suite.
“Not even a little one,” he said with a wink.
A short time later, soaking in the warm bath scented with rose oil, Charlotte tried to relax, but she could hear her new husband moving around the bedroom.
Wicked? You said you have something wicked to show me, or did you say share with me? Yes, share with me, that was it. I wonder if it has anything to do with that black bag. What could be wicked, I wonder?
“I’m ready for you, Charlotte. Please come into the bedroom.”
His voice was soft through the door, and lifting herself from the water, she grabbed a towel and began to dry off.
“I’m coming,” she called.
Hurriedly rubbing the towel across her back, she lifted her robe off the chair and slipped it on, then apprehensively opened the door.
“You smell divine,” Edward said sweetly, taking her hand and leading her to the bed.
“Edward, what is this?”
Leather straps with attached cuffs were secured to each of the four bedposts.
“Those are your restraints,” he said with a smile.
“You’re going to restrain me?”
“I am, and you will be helpless.”
His eyes were sparkling down at her, and she let out a small gasp.
“Why does that make my tummy turn?” she whispered.
“Because it’s supposed to,” he said, planting a soft kiss on her lips.
“And why are those pillows in the middle of the bed?”
His Willful Bride (Victorian Brides Book 1) Page 12
