“Did she survive?” Tears pricked at the backs of Charlotte’s lashes.
“Yes, she did. But with scars as a result of it.” He pushed a curl behind Charlotte’s ear. “Scars much more visible than yours.”
“I don’t have any scars.”
“Yes, you do.”
A sob welled up within her. “That’s why you haven’t fucked me. Because you think I’m broken?”
He tried to pull her into his chest. She shoved hard against him but he didn’t relent. “The girl,” he said. “The girl nearly died. He nearly killed her.” He took a deep breath. “And then I killed him.”
Charlotte’s world stopped spinning. Her heart stopped beating. “What?” she whispered.
“I was the first one to get inside the locked room. He was frantic and he pulled a knife from his boot. I dodged it, and he stumbled forward. He fell on his knife. It was my fault.”
“Why did you come to me?” Charlotte whispered.
“I tried to stay away. I really did.” His voice grated like gravel, thicker than a swallow could dislodge.
“I needed to be certain you were all right.” He pulled her hand forward and laid it flat over his heart. “And then I looked into your eyes and it was like I’d found home.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she scoffed. But she didn’t pull her hand back. His heart was beating like mad beneath her palm.
“But I needed to tell you. I couldn’t bed you until I did. Because when I bed you, I’ll be making you a promise.”
“What promise?” she whispered.
“A promise that I’ll love you forever.”
“You killed my husband.” Her heart filled with gratitude. Gratitude she couldn’t show him. Or could she? His face grew pale.
“I know you can’t forgive me…”
Charlotte laughed, her heart feeling lighter than it had since the sadistic old bastard’s death. “Forgive you,” she scoffed. “I want to give you a blasted medal.” She got up on her knees and lifted her skirts so she could climb over his lap and rain kisses upon his face. “A medal, damn you,” she whispered as he kissed him. Tears ran from her eyes. Tears of joy. The remnants of fear. Hope for a new start. “You didn’t kill him. He killed himself with his hatred. You just happened to be the unfortunate person in the room when it happened.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “I’m so sorry it had to be you and that you’ve carried this for so long.”
“My intentions with you were honorable, I swear it.” He grabbed her bottom and pulled her closer to him.
***
God, she felt good in his arms. Trent had never felt quite so lighthearted. He didn’t remember feeling this lighthearted when he was younger. He couldn’t remember a time he’d felt this overwhelming sense of peace. He tugged her even closer. He would draw her into himself, if he could.
Or onto himself. His cock strained against his trousers, as though trying to get closer to her on its own. God, he wanted her. But he hadn’t felt like he could have her, not until he revealed the truth to her.
He began to pull the pins from her hair. “What are you doing?” she gasped.
“Taking your hair down,” he said, cupping her face between her hands and tilting his mouth across hers. He licked across the seam of her lips and she melted for him. God, she always melted. Despite that arrogant ass of a husband. Or perhaps because of him. Who knew? But he wouldn’t throw it away. Not a chance. “Then I’m going to take off all your clothes.”
“Why?” she whispered against his lips. “You’ve yet to fuck me. I have just about given up hope.”
“I’m going to court you, my lady. I’m going to take you for rides in the park. I’m going to come over and eat those horrid little sandwiches and drink tea with all your friends in attendance. I’m going to waltz every waltz with you at the next ball. I’m going to court you and then I’m going to marry you.”
Charlotte began to tug at his cravat. “I’m going to accept your courtship. I’m going to ride with you in the park. I’m going to feed you little sandwiches, perhaps from atop my naked body.” He groaned from beneath her as she shoved his coat from his shoulders, unbuttoned his waistcoat, and bared his chest with her hands. “I’m going to rub my breasts against your chest as we waltz. And I’m going to make you so hard you can’t stand.”
“Like now?” he murmured against her lips. She reached between them after she tugged his shirt over his head and unlaced his trousers. She pulled his cock out with no assistance and ran her thumb around the drop of fluid at the tip. “You will unman me,” he murmured.
“I will ride you,” she said as she pulled his cock away from his body and lifted her bottom so that he pushed against her wetness. “I will ride you until you can’t stand it.”
Trent lowered his hand to where their bodies were nearly joined and strummed across her clit. She cried out. “I’m going to take you inside me.”
Her voice hitched as he probed at her entrance. “Take me inside you,” he urged. “Let me have you, now that there’s nothing between us.”
“Oh, there’s something between us,” she said as she slowly lowered herself on his cock. He growled into the side of her neck.
There was something between them. There had been since the day he’d met her. “I’ve never done this before,” she cried as her legs tentatively began to make her rise and fall on his cock. She took him in shallow plunges, just enough to wet the head of his cock with her desire.
“I’m happy to take over, if you prefer.” He slid lower against the squabs, and she adjusted her body so that her palms lay flat on his chest. She pushed against them as she found a rhythm to her short strokes.
“Let me do this,” she breathed.
She could do it all night, if she wanted. “You have on too many clothes,” he complained, tugging at her bodice. But she was laced too tightly. He’d have to move her to get her clothes off. Thank God for split drawers. He pinched her nipple through the fabric of her dress. Her eyes closed.
“Next time,” she breathed. “Next time, we’ll do this better.”
Trent doubted it could get any better than being inside her. But he was willing to try anything.
She rose and fell on his cock, her legs growing stronger with each plunge. Trent reached between them and drew some of her slickened desire forward, and began to rub her clitoris. Her legs trembled. “I’m going to flip you over,” he warned.
He spun quickly, dropping her onto her back in front of him. Her legs rose to circle his waist. He could take more of her this way. She pulled his head down and breathed against his lips, “I think you were made for me.”
She was certainly made for him. He spread her legs wide, anxious to see her in the dim lights of the carriage. But it was too dark. “When we get home, I’m going to lick your pussy until you come on my face.”
“Promises, promises,” she twittered.
“Witch,” he ground out, as he tilted her hips so she could take more of him. “I’m going to fuck you all night long.”
His cock swelled inside her and he knew he was about to come. He needed to pull out. But he didn’t want to. He didn’t ever want to pull out of her. Never. Ever. He wanted to stay one with her for the rest of his life. He rubbed her clitoris in smaller circles, and she began to pant beneath him. “I’m going to come inside you,” he said.
“Yes,” she cried as her sheath began to flutter around his cock. He grew harder and longer and she suddenly grew wetter. The scent of their lovemaking took over the carriage, and sweat formed on Trent’s lip and slid down the center of his naked back. She accepted every inch of him, her heels tapping his buttocks, encouraging him to go deeper. Deeper than he’d ever been. And deeper within himself at the same time. He gave her everything he had as he took her lips with his and pumped his seed deep inside her.
It was like dying a small death, giving himself to Charlotte this way. He suddenly felt exposed. And he liked it. He liked it a lot. “I’m going to come inside you every time I can. Until I g
et you with child.”
Sadness clouded her face. “I’m barren.”
“No,” he said gently as he pulled himself from her depths and wiped her quickly with his handkerchief, then cleaned himself off. “He was. He never got any of his mistresses with child. Ever.”
“Are you certain?” she asked, her chin quivering slightly as she sat up and began to right her clothing.
“Positive.” He kissed the tip of her nose quickly and sat back, drawing her up to rest in the crook of his arm. “If we never have any children, we’ll find some orphans or urchins or something. Or we can just grow old looking at each other.” He laughed. It felt good to laugh with her. “It’s you I want. The rest we can worry about later.”
The carriage drew to a halt and Trent began to right his clothing. He didn’t bother to tuck his shirt into his breeches. He carried his jacket and waistcoat in his hands. He looked thoroughly debauched. And she didn’t look much better.
They opened the door to find Mary and Trent in the entryway. Beyond them was the local vicar. “What’s going on?” Trent asked.
“I am tired of seeing you two tippy toeing around one another,” Mary said with a laugh. “So, I had Charles send for a special license for you.” Then she arched a brow at them. “From the look of the two of you, you’ve put the cart before the horse.” She snapped her fingers at the vicar and said, “Do your duty sir.”
“We are gathered here today…” the man began. Charlotte took a deep breath as Trent squeezed her hand. Nothing had ever felt so right.
***
Nine months later
Trent paced back and forth in front of the window and the duke of Charburton refilled his glass with brandy. They’d been waiting for hours, and still no progress. “What if she’s not well?” he asked of Charles.
“She’s fine,” Charles reassured him. “Mary would have come and told us if she wasn’t.”
“They sent for the doctor?”
“He arrived a half hour ago, Trent.” Charles squeezed his shoulder.
She’d come to mean everything to him in the past nine months. Nine months exactly from the day they’d married. From the day he’d said, “I’m going to come inside you.” The day he’d hoped to get her with child.
“Do you think it’ll be a boy?” Trent asked, gnawing on his fingernail.
A cough from the doorway stopped Trent’s frantic pacing. Trent looked up to find Mary beaming and motioning him toward the bedroom. “Is she all right?” he asked frantically. She turned and he had no choice but to follow.
Trent heard the noise of a newborn baby as he rounded the corner. Tears pressed against the backs of his lashes. He looked into the room to find the love of his life with a babe pressed to her breast. He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at the two of them. “That’s mine, little one,” he murmured as the baby pecked around Charlotte’s nipple. “At least I can still have the other one.”
Mary coughed into her fist and said, “I sincerely doubt it.”
Trent’s head shot up as Mary placed a wrapped bundle in his arms. “Two?”
“Two,” Charlotte said with a soft smile. She laid her head back against the bolster and looked happier than he’d ever seen her. “The next time you tell me you’re going to come inside me and get me with child, I’ll believe you.”
He laughed, because if he didn’t, he’d have to cry.
Want to read more from Laurel Bennett?
The Headmaster’s Fall (Regency Erotica Couples’ Fantasy)
Confessions of a Naughty Headmaster (Regency Erotica Couples’ Fantasy)
A Governess Tempted (Regency Erotica Couples’ Fantasy)
Lady Laugherty’s Loves (Regency Ménage)
Fulfillment (Regency Ménage)
And Miss Julianna Makes Three (Regency Ménage)
Too Good to Be Bad (Contemporary Erotica)
Satisfying Audrey (Contemporary Erotica)
His Turn (Contemporary Erotica)
Dirty Talk (Contemporary Erotica)
Her Gift - Bundle Pack Page 6
