“I will do so.” With a nod, Thompson turned and went down the stairs.
In the private quarters connecting to Devin’s bedroom, the bath was ready in short order. Aggie sank into the steaming liquid, the lavender-scented water invading her pores and soothing her wound. She soaked in the tub, eyes closed, for an extended time. Washing her hair and scrubbing her body was next in line, and just as she finished scrubbing the toes on her left foot, freezing water ran onto her neck and shocked her into scrambling to her feet.
Feet slipping in the copper tub, she whipped around to find Devin, smirk on his face and a pitcher of water in his right hand.
Screeching, Aggie kicked water in his general vicinity. Devin jumped backward out of the spray. Aggie kicked harder, slipping and falling straight down into the tub, sending a splash that did get Devin—and a good portion of the room—wet.
Aggie laughed in victory and splashed some of the little water that was left at Devin.
“Hey, hey, truce, truce,” he said, as he made his way closer to the tub, hands up to block what little water he could. “I do not want you to re-injure yourself. And since I am already soaked, how about I join you in your bath? The tub is big enough for two.”
Aggie splashed. “Do not even think of stalling anymore. I am getting out of this tub right now, and you are taking me on a tour of this colossal place.”
She stood up, dripping. “Will you get me a towel, please?”
“Gladly.” Devin snatched a towel from a short table by the fire and strode to Aggie, wrapping the towel around her slowly, kissing her moist neck. He lifted her out of the tub and turned her around.
Those grey eyes. They told her exactly what was on his mind. Aggie took a quick step back to avoid getting sucked into Devin’s assault. She was going to get out of these rooms, and making love to Devin would not get her any closer to the outside world.
Sensing defeat, Devin sighed, and went over to his wardrobe to replace the now sopping black pants and simple white shirt he wore. Holding the towel wrapped high on her chest, as un-enticing as she could manage, Aggie walked to her trunk, which had been delivered to Devin’s rooms several days ago. She pulled out a practical muslin dress for traipsing about the house and grounds.
After proper introductions to Thompson and the staff, and a rambling tour through the three levels of the south wing, Devin brought her back to the main structure through a low boxwood hedge maze that skirted the outside of the building. Back in the main entry, Devin veered to the right, and Aggie followed into the stone-walled, two-story dining hall.
Aged tapestries half the height of the walls hung in symmetrical increments high along opposing walls. Aggie looked across the enormous hall, noting the void of most furniture.
“That is odd,” she said.
“What?”
“The table.” Aggie pointed at the disproportionately small table at the end by the immense stone fireplace. A maximum of four people would fit around it, and even at that, elbows would be bumping.
“I put it in after my parents died. I like it better. The true dining sets are brought in when there are formal functions.”
He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to one of the long walls. “What you should really be noting in here are the tapestries.”
Aggie looked up at the wall, taking in the tapestries past the cursory glance she gave them when they entered. Eyes widened and her mouth slid open.
“What are those?”
“Shall I start on the left?”
Aggie nodded.
“That tapestry was done for my ancestor, the Earl of Fulton. He built the main structure—the main castle and the tapestry were both a gift from King Henry VII, for years of loyal service.”
Aggie tried to hold in a smile but didn’t succeed. “It is an interesting scene to watch while dining. Was it the King or the earl that liked orgies?”
Devin smirked. “My guess is both. But one does not hide away a gift from the king. One displays it for all to witness. We do tend to seat people according to their sensibilities, and an unmarried woman would never be seated across from it.”
“Smart. I am sure you have had a wrinkled nose or two, regardless.”
“One or two. It does tend to lead to a split of mostly men on one side of the table and women on the other.”
“I can imagine.” Aggie looked over her shoulder at the tapestries lining the other side of the wall. “Yes, very docile over there.”
She shifted back to the wall in front of her. “All right, how about the next one?” Goat after goat after goat filled the next tapestry over. Nothing but a large stew of goats.
“Yes, the goats. I do not know why, but I have always liked this one. This one is from the third Duke of Dunway. He widowed early, and in grief, took to goats for some reason. By the end of his life, thousands of goats were living inside of Stonewell. That tapestry was his contribution to the collection. Not a likeness of his wife, but of goats. I always wondered if he loved the goats more than the wife that sent him into grief in the first place.”
“That next one is creepy.” Aggie pointed at the third tapestry in line. The pinched face of a woman with crazy eyes, a half-story tall, was framed by wild black hair. “She looks like a giant witch.”
“She was. She lived here at the insistence of the Marchioness of Rivendale. Or at least that was story attached to her. The witch had some extraordinary power over the Marquess and his wife. They had no children, and after all three died—together within a week of each other—the title and land came to my direct ancestors.”
They continued down the hall, Devin describing each of the tapestries’ history in detail. One gore-filled warfare scene. One depicting childbirth. One a dance between two wart-filled feet.
Aggie found the collection both bizarre and fascinating.
At the end of the hall, she turned to Devin. “I am amazed that you leave them all displayed. They are not at all in common taste.”
“I suppose not. But I grew up with them, so they are normal to me. Plus, they are my ancestors, and I respect all of who they were. Even if they tip on the side of peculiar.”
Aggie looked at his smiling profile as he looked up at the wall. She wouldn’t have guessed, but it turned out her new husband had the ability to be quite amusing. That charm could be a dangerous thing she realized, for when he wanted something, she was not going to be any force not to give it to him. But what would she even want to deny him?
Deep down, she knew she would never want for anything as long as Devin was with her, and above all, she would be protected. He was a man that would let no harm come to his own.
And she was his own.
Devin turned around to face the other wall, sweeping his hand in the general direction. “The rest are all pleasant—or at least within the realm of not producing faints. They also do not have fun stories to accompany them.”
“Have you made a contribution to the collection, yet?”
“No.” He looked down at her. “I guess it remains to be seen whether I go a little crazy or not.”
“Let us hope for not. I like you just like this.” She slipped her arm under his. “And I am not looking to add another woman, or goats, into our current arrangement.”
“That is excellent news.”
Devin started walking back down the length of the room.
“How did you learn all this history? You said your father was not very vocal.”
“Thompson taught me most of it. He took it upon himself to learn every detail of the history of the place from my grandmother. Apparently, my father had little interest in history, yet my grandmother thought the history vital to the line. So she imparted as much as she could to Thompson before her death.”
Aggie took one more look up at what she had dubbed “the wall of strange” before they exited the hall. “Your lineage is both fascinating, and if I may admit, intimidating.”
Devin laughed. “To me, too. Many of them were great people. I have wor
ked very hard to honor the title.”
The rest of the tour took them into early evening. Aggie was overwhelmed with the size and history of Stonewell. Devin liked to call it a house. She liked to call it a castle, because that was exactly what it was. Apparently, his ancestors had big personalities and loved drama, so each successive generation attempted to outdo the previous. Hence the rambling wings and rooms for every conceivable occasion.
Aggie discovered that while Devin easily talked of ancestors of past, he never once, aside from in the dining hall, mentioned his father or mother, nor any impact either made on Stonewell.
Twilight approaching, Devin stopped at the door to the room adjoining his.
“This ends our tour for today—your chambers. It has been completely redone.” Devin bowed as he opened the door and Aggie entered the rooms. “I hope it is to your liking. If not, you can redirect the staff.”
Aggie stepped into the middle of the grand room. The staff had been very busy while she was recovering. Amazing, for she hadn’t heard a peep from these rooms. Aggie walked around, breathing in the light scent of lavender. Crisp linens and draperies hung, in shades of violet and creamy yellows, while the shined rosewood furniture added an elegance to counter the soft colors.
She turned to Devin. “It is beautiful.”
“You seem to have missed the gift specifically from me in here.” He walked over to the rosewood bureau, pointing at a hinged box on top of it.
Head tilted in curiosity, Aggie moved to stand next to him. She pulled open the cover of the box. Inside, a gleaming silver pistol sat tucked into red velvet.
Her eyes flew to Devin. “Truly?”
“My own arrogance got us into trouble the other day. This is my way of apology. If carrying this will set your mind at ease, then my pride needs to step out of the way. I know how good you are with a pistol, and I would be stupid to deny you extra defense.”
Wondering smile on her lips, Aggie closed the box. She looked up at him. “Devin, it—all of this—it is perfect. Thank you so much.”
She walked over to the bed, her hand trailing on the soft silk covering. “And the bed looks so comfortable.”
She gazed at her husband, not bothering to veil her wanton hint.
Devin laughed. “Do not even think that you will get a chance to try it out.”
“No?” Aggie’s eyebrow arched.
“No.” Devin walked to her, his arms enveloping her, and he lifted her far off her feet. She laughed as she wrapped her legs around his waist and he walked across the room.
“Because you will never have need to lie in it.” He opened the connecting door between her rooms and his. “There is only one bed that you will sleep in from now on.”
She moved her right arm around his neck, her face close to his as she kicked off her silk slippers. “I hope you mean yours, or this will be dreadfully disappointing for me.”
Devin’s rogue smile was all the answer needed. And he rarely looked rogue. He was a man that knew what he wanted, and took it, so she was flattered to see that he had the ability produce charm for her. Lascivious charm, but she would take it.
“I do not plan on disappointing you.” He stopped in the middle of his room, holding her, mouth almost touching her lips. “But I am not taking another step until I verify something. You seemed to have plenty of energy on the tour, but you also like to hide things from me. I am praying you are not overly fatigued.”
“Why?”
“Frankly, you have been driving me to madness.”
Aggie leaned back as much as his grip allowed. “What? I have? How is that?”
He pulled her tighter, his mouth near hers again. “Night after night, breathing you in. Touching you, but not touching you. Watching your chest rise and fall. I have been damning that wound more than you have. But I will not touch you until you can handle me. Until you can handle all that I want—need to do to your body. Handle every gasp, every tremor, every scream I elicit.”
His words settled into her chest, tightening it. Breath slowed. The tightness of her legs around him should have been answer enough, but Aggie wisped her lips onto his, holding back, letting their air mingle. “I am ready. Scream. Tremble. Gasp. Whatever. I can handle it.”
Devin started walking before the words finished, cocooning her as they crashed onto the bed. His lips came down on her hard, hungry, demanding all that had been denied him the past week.
He wasted no time in slipping his thumb under the top of her dress and chemise, pushing the fabric down, fingers finding her nipple, teasing it between the pads of his fingers.
Devin’s mouth left hers, then snaked downward along her neck, onto her chest, onto her breasts. He caressed the nipple with his tongue, gently at first, then with increasing intensity until it peaked with ripeness.
Aggie arched up into him, her body catching on fire and begging him to take her deeper into his mouth. He chuckled at her response and crossed to her other nipple. He sucked harshly and with greed, as if to drive her to a breaking point. Aggie didn’t break, her hands instead diving into the back of his hair, holding him to her, giving him no chance to interrupt the gasps he provoked.
Her core started to ache as the fire spread to her entire body. Reveling in the pleasure he produced, she realized she needed more. Much more. She dragged his head from her nipple, bringing herself up to kiss him.
Her tongue slipped through his lips, skimming his teeth, playing with his warring tongue. She could feel his smile as he bit her lip, taking the swollen skin and making it his own. Every touch on her body was meant to make her his, and she welcomed it.
Devin pushed their bodies back down, burying her deep into the bed. She could tell he still held back, gentle around her wound, but that didn’t stop him from thrusting his tongue repeatedly, deeply, into her mouth. At first, she let him overwhelm her with the waves, but she was soon matching his kisses with as much intensity, even more.
The hardness of him pushed into Aggie, straining against his pants and jutting into her thighs. Aggie’s hand went down, grabbing him through the fabric, her fingers sliding up and down, pulling him along her thigh.
He lifted from her mouth. “Blasted, Aggs, that is bloody exquisite.”
“It would be better without clothes, and I cannot move my left arm enough yet to get you out of yours.”
Devin laughed and pulled up, yanking off his shirt and pants. Aggie couldn’t hold in the gasp that came at having his naked body over her. Every beautiful morsel of his skin pulsated, muscles tight, ready for her. All of it was hers. She sat up.
“I don’t care how you get me out of these layers, just do it now.”
The dress was easy. The muslin tore without effort. But after getting a look at her short stays and chemise, he flipped her onto her stomach.
“Damn that I don’t have a knife handy.” His muttering didn’t slow his fingers from working down the laced ribbon, untying the stays, and sliding the chemise up her body. He left the silk stockings, and Aggie could have cared less. She was naked enough.
He slipped his right arm under her waist, pulling her up onto her knees. He kept his arm around her waist, his hand cupping her breast as he held her above the bed. His left hand went down past her belly, fingers slipping deep into the folds, searching and finding the hard nubbin that shocked Aggie out of her skin. He prodded and caressed, teasing her body into a pitching tremble.
“Oh, hell.” Her words came jagged between smoldering breaths. “Devin, you need to be in me now. Now.”
His hand pulled from her for a moment, and Aggie almost doubled over in torture from his fingers leaving her. But just as quick, he shoved her inner thigh outward, spreading her legs. His fingers were back in her, plunging, reaching deep nerves that exploded at touch. Her body convulsed, near collapsing at the pleasure, but Devin held her upright.
His mouth went to her neck, sucking, just as fingers, slick, moved out of her. He rammed into her, deep, full. Aggie curled over at the bittersweet f
erocity, scream escaping as he filled her. His arm latched solid around her body, and he moved her upward, just as he pulled out, only to plunge deep into her again, his grip keeping her solid against the onslaught.
Fingers stroking her pulsating folds, he squeezed and prodded in unison with his thrusts. Aggie’s feet wrapped up behind her, locking onto his backside, giving him no chance to escape her body. Frantic, her right arm went up and behind Devin’s neck, nails clawing into his skin, demanding satisfaction.
He responded instantly, speeding his thrusts into a pace that notched her closer to the desperate satisfaction she needed. Begging, incoherent screams ripped from her body, and he slammed into her, forcing her body to his fingers as she writhed. Control lost, she hit blinding white light and crashed back into him, her body releasing in core-crushing agony.
She wasn’t conscious of his final throes, her body convulsing around him, but the guttural roar in her ear told her he joined her.
Staying in her, Devin collapsed forward, landing half on her body, leaving her wounded shoulder untouched. Chests heaved as both of their bodies continued to spasm. Devin caught his breath first.
“God, Aggs,” he said, his warm breath behind her ear. “I never could have waited this full week had I known that was coming.”
Aggie laughed, and turned to kiss his bicep that was in front of her face. Salty. “So I was not crazy to want to rush my rest along. I thought as much.”
“Maybe, but this means that I am, apparently, the only one that can be trusted to have self-restraint. You needed to heal.”
“I did.”
Devin jerked up from her body, looking down at her face, sudden worry in his grey eyes. “Tell me I did not hurt you. And if I did—hell—tell me I didn’t anyway.”
“You did not.” Aggie spun in the bed to her back, looking up at him, smile curving her swollen lips. “I think the only hurting you did to me was the exact same hurting I was doing to you.”
He chuckled and flopped down onto the bed next to her. “I don’t think you know the half of my pain.”
“Can we stay like this the rest of the night?”
Hold Your Breath 01 - Stone Devil Duke Page 18
