Ezra’s eyes locked onto hers. “I do not say things that are not true, Lady Elizabeth. You are braver than you can imagine, but I will let it be for now, for I have no desire to argue with you tonight.”
For some absurd reason, his words made her want to cry. His belief in her was too much, yet not enough. If only he believed her capable of deciding who she was allowed to love and be with. In that way, he was really no different than Driscoll or her brother. They all believed they knew what was best for her and paid little regard to what her heart desired.
And if she kept thinking along those lines she would only become sad and angry and end up ruining this last night with Ezra.
“I am sorry I missed Aisling’s ceremony. I trust it was lovely?”
“Quite,” Ezra answered. “The tiny Lady Aisling reminds me of her mother a great deal. She already knows how to work a crowd. She had the whole room ooh-ing and ahh-ing over her little baby noises and big, round cheeks.” He placed his tea on the table in front of them, brushing her leg with his arm as he leaned over. Tingles erupted from the place of contact to the very top of Bits’s head. “Jack was quite enamored with the mobile you made for her. The faeries were a nice touch, and Vani was thrilled with the inclusion of Arawn and Neit.”
“It was my pleasure.” She felt as if she should say more, maybe again express her regret at not having been there for the official ceremony, but then she’d waited too long, and the remark would have sounded forced. So she remained silent, nibbling on her cucumber sandwich, and pondered whether or not it was possible to die from the stress that came from not knowing the right thing to do or say.
“I never thanked you for saving my life,” Ezra finally said, breaking the silence.
A pang of remembered panic stabbed her heart. There had been a moment when she thought she wasn’t going to be able to save him. Garroway’s curse had left her too weak, and she had trouble thinking through the haze. She didn’t know where the strength came from to wrench Garroway’s iron hand from Ezra’s throat, but she would go to her grave thanking whatever god had given it to her.
“If I recall correctly, you saved my life both first and second. I believe I am still indebted to you.”
Ezra’s smile was so wicked it would have made the devil blush. “Oh no. My motives were purely selfish,” he said, his gaze lingering on the buttons of her night rail. “I told you, I refuse to live in a world without those breasts.”
Bits closed her eyes, trying to shut out the way he made her feel. “Please.” Her voice was part plea, part whisper. “Please don’t say such things. Don’t make me care for you even more than I already do.”
With her eyes closed, she was even more aware of the heat of his body next to her. She could hear the rustle of his clothes as he changed positions. Her heart leapt when his fingers found hers and lifted them to his soft lips. “You were engaged.” The heat of his breath against her fingers would have made Arawn jealous.
“Technically, I suppose, but I had never agreed to marry him.”
“Why didn’t you?” He still held her hand and was taking his time kissing each knuckle individually. It made it incredibly difficult to think.
“I had never met him before. I was afraid he would be someone terrifying or cruel.”
His nose grazed the back of her hand as he shook his head. Bits had never considered the back of hands or noses erogenous areas of a body before, but she was obviously wrong.
“No, why didn’t you agree to marry him tonight? He didn’t seem very terrifying or cruel. He was a handsome man of obvious fortune and genteel birth. He was offering you the world on a silver platter, yet you refused. Why?”
Bits finally lifted her lids. He was staring at her with those eyes that always saw her, even when no one else did. “You know why.”
“I need to hear you say it.”
“Ezra—”
“I need to hear it, because I’m in love with you. I don’t know when it happened. I think it grew, little by little, with every moment I spent with you. It’s still growing. Sometimes I worry my heart will eventually burst open from my love for you. And then tonight you almost died in front of me. I’ve never felt so helpless and scared in all my life. I promised myself that if you survived, I wouldn’t let you walk away from me again without you knowing how I truly feel, but I didn’t realize how hard it would be to lay myself bare. So I need to hear you say it, Bits. Please.”
Hot tears streamed down her face, but she didn’t care. “I have loved you since the moment I first met you, and I will love you until I take my last breath.”
This kiss was unlike any of the ones before it. There was no desperation or anger to mar its perfection. His tongue plunged into her mouth, mimicking the most intimate of acts. She grew wet and ready in record time. His thumbs grazed her nipples and she nearly came apart.
“Ezra,” she groaned as his mouth journeyed over her jaw and down her neck. “Regarding our earlier conversation.” He made some sound in his throat that she interpreted as a signal to continue. “There is a bed, and Sidhe has provided us with a great many candles. I would very much like my gentle seduction now.”
Chapter 41
A gentle seduction. Yes. Right. That was a good idea.
Ezra took a deep breath, trying to rein in his lust enough to slow things down. It wasn’t easy with her sitting so close, her hair loose around her shoulders. She wore a night rail and nothing else. Through the fine material he could see the outline of her breasts. Her nipples were already hard, ready for his fingers and mouth. It took all his willpower to not reach out for them. He already knew how they would feel as he caressed and molded them, but her request stayed his hand. She wanted a gentle, loving seduction. She deserved a gentle, loving seduction. And by the gods, he would give it to her.
“A bed, you say?” His voice was a growl. Bits registered the desperation in it, her breasts rising and falling more quickly at the sound. Her lips curled and he couldn’t help but kiss her again. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known, and she was his.
“Wait,” she said, pulling back after what might have been seconds, minutes, or days for all he knew. “If we keep this up, we’ll never make it to the bed.”
Ezra fisted his hand against his thigh to keep from reaching for her as she rose. Through the night rail he could see the swell of her hips and the dark mass of curls between them. Her skin was flushed, and he knew if he was to reach out and test those curls with his finger he would find them damp with her liquid heat. He followed her slowly, painfully aware of the state of his own arousal. At the bed, he lit more candles, allowing her the ability to see all she desired. He would disrobe in the garden under the midday sun if she asked.
He still didn’t believe he deserved her, but after meeting Driscoll, he realized no man ever would. At least he recognized the treasure she was and would spend the rest of his life ensuring she was loved and adored instead of hiding her in some lonely country estate.
Once the bed was bathed in light, he turned to her. Her fingers knotted into the cloth of her night rail, and her teeth worried her full bottom lip. He reached up and freed the swollen flesh, soothing away the grooves her teeth had made with his thumb.
“Have I mentioned how much I adore these lips?” he asked her.
Her cheeks warmed from pink to red. “They don’t match.”
“Ah, but they do.” His thumb danced over the thin upper lip. “This one is the quiet, timid lady who avoids balls and dances and all Society has to offer.” She shivered, and he moved his caress to the lower lip. “And this one is the self-assured Velchan. The lady who knows what type of seduction she desires and has no problem demanding it.”
“Oh, I’m having problems. Believe me.”
Ezra laughed. Always so honest, his lady. He would never have to worry about where he stood with her. “I never would have guessed it,” he said. “You’re doing quite marvelously.” She was marvelous. He rained tiny kisses along her lower lip, and
then the upper one, giving them both the attention they deserved. He pulled back before he got too carried away and raked his gaze down her body. “That night rail is lovely, but I think it’s more than served its purpose here. Take it off for me.”
Bits merely blinked back at him for a long moment.
She had changed her mind. He didn’t know what prompted it, but he would honor her request. First, however, she was going to have to request it. He may have been a gentleman, but he wasn’t a martyr.
“No,” she said, and he nearly doubled over with disappointment.
“I—”
“You go first.”
Ezra’s eyebrows shot up. “Pardon?”
Bits pulled herself up to her full height and threw back her shoulders, looking down her nose at him like the aristocratic lady she was. “You go first,” she repeated. “I’m no fool. I may not be experienced, but I am well read and have overheard more conversations between my brothers’ friends than you will ever get me to admit. I know what will happen if I take off my night rail before you rid yourself of your clothes, and that isn’t what is going to happen this time. I want to see you, so you go first.” She wiggled her fingers at him, like the mistress of the house sending a servant on an errand. He might have laughed again if he wasn’t growing quickly frustrated at how difficult it had suddenly become to unknot his cravat. His fingers fumbled with the strip of cloth and then the buttons of his waistcoat.
Once he’d finally freed himself from his clothes, he reached for her, but she stepped back. “Bits…” he warned. He was fully bared, and now he wished to see her similarly attired.
“Still my turn.” She no longer sounded like a frightened miss. Her eyes were glazed over with desire as they roamed over his body, eventually coming to rest on the part of him that was aching with want. At her frank perusal, he grew even harder.
“I thought you wished to be seduced?”
One corner of her mouth curled up. Mischief and lust shone in her eyes. “Trust me, I am being seduced. Now, on the bed,” she commanded. “I want to touch you.” Willing do anything she asked when she was looking at him like that, Ezra climbed atop the mattress and lay back against the pillows. “Hands above you head.” He complied, thrilled by this new, forceful Bits. Jack had given her the nicest of his guest rooms, the same he would have offered to the Queen should she ever be allowed into Corrigan. The headboard was a series of intricate knots made from pure silver. Ezra grabbed onto it with both hands, surprised by its warmth, and then even more surprised as ropes of metal began encircling his wrists.
Bits climbed onto the bed beside him, the gold fading from her eyes. “I was afraid you wouldn’t let me finish,” she explained. “I’ll let you go once I’m done.”
If she wasn’t careful, he was going to be done quite soon. He’d been bound during intercourse before, but had never cared for it until now. His entire body was taut, both craving her touch and terrified he would unman himself the moment she laid a finger on him. As if sensing how on the edge he was, she started with his hand, lightly tracing the length of his fingers and lines of his palm with a single finger. He trembled as she worked her way over the sensitive skin of his wrist and up his arm. Her entire hand joined in on the journey at his shoulder. She explored the contours of his chest, paying extra attention to his nipples before sliding down his stomach and to his manhood. Her thumb swept over the tip, smearing the bead of moisture there around the head. He jerked in her hand and groaned. With a knowing smile, she did it again.
“You’ve tortured me enough, minx,” he said. “Release me. It’s my turn.”
She was wanting to be touched as much as he wanted to feel her beneath his hands, otherwise the metal around his wrists would have stayed firmly put. As soon as he was free, he sat up and gathered her night rail in his hands, pulling it over her head. One of her arms immediately covered her breasts while her other hand crossed over her round stomach. Locking his eyes on hers, he took her hands in his and gently removed the barriers to her body.
“There you are,” he said, finally seeing her completely naked before him. Her breasts were flushed, the pink nipples standing at attention. “You’re even more magnificent than I remember.” If anything, he thought he’d romanticized her breasts, that they would never live up to his memory. He was pleased to discover that wasn’t the case.
Her hands were still in his, and he guided them to her waist and then up her chest until she was lifting her breasts up to him as an offering. “Feel how soft and perfect they are,” he said, rubbing one thumb over a nipple and then sending his tongue on the same path. “Keep them right here for me, love. Can you do that?” She nodded as if in a daze and he rewarded her with a kiss before returning his mouth to her nipple. While he tongued, sucked, and nibbled on the raised flesh one hand made its way to the juncture of her thighs. She was as wet as he imagined she would be, his finger easily sliding into the slick moisture of her folds. He found the bundle of nerves designed for a woman’s pleasure and circled it, causing her to moan deep in her throat.
“Ezra, please. More.”
More. Gods, yes. More. Except… “You wanted slow.”
“I changed my mind. I need you. Now.”
Next time they would take more time to tease and explore, but for now he was more than willing to honor her request. She whimpered as he removed his mouth and hands from her. He took her mouth again as he moved her into position, swallowing her cry as he slid into her. He started slow, letting her grow accustomed to having him inside her, but when her hands found his buttocks and began urging him on, all sense of control evaporated. He wanted to watch those magnificent breasts of hers as he thrust into her, but her mouth was like a drug he couldn’t give up. They traded breaths as he took her to the edge. When her cries became more urgent he fitted his hand between them and brought her to ecstasy with his fingers. As she clamped around him, he too came, filling her with his seed.
Once he was completely spent, he pulled out of her and slid off the bed.
“You’re leaving me? Now?”
He was surprised by how quickly the confident Velchan was replaced by the timid lady, although he shouldn’t have been. They were, after all, the same person. Without one, the other wouldn’t have been wholly Bits.
“Not until you force me to leave,” he said, brushing a kiss against her forehead. “I’m merely going to get a cloth to clean you up.” She watched him as he located a towel and pitcher of water. He added a bit of tea tree oil to the cloth before returning to the bed. She tried to take the cloth from him, but he didn’t let her. This was his task, his right as her lover.
As her future husband.
He wondered if he should mention his intentions. He wanted to. He wanted to tell her about the workshop he planned to build her and the girl he planned to hire as her maid. He wanted to speculate on the children they would have and argue over the number. He wanted at least a dozen, all girls with red hair and changeable eyes.
His task complete, he tossed the cloth aside and crawled back into the bed, pulling her body against his.
“Ezra,” she said against his chest, her finger tracing pattern along his arm. “What happens if I never force you to leave? What happens if I want you forever?”
“Forever is quite a long time.”
“It won’t be long enough for me to tire of you.”
He pressed a kiss onto the top of her head, agreeing to her sentiment more than she could ever imagine. “Does that mean you will be willing to accept my proposal?”
She tilted her her head back so he was able to see her face. “If that proposal means I get to spend the rest of my life with you, then there is nothing on this earth that can stop me from accepting.”
“Well, then, my love, I have something very important to ask you.”
Chapter 42
Bits watched with no small amount of awe as Demir lifted a trunk onto Henrick’s carriage with only one hand.
“Not that one,” Nellie called ou
t, descending the steps of Breena Manor like a queen. “It stays.”
The large and severe-looking guard turned with a scowl. “What do you mean, ‘It stays?’”
“It stays. English phrase meaning something does not leave.” She stopped in front of Demir, her head barely reaching his wide chest. “As in, ‘Could you please get my trunk down, because it stays.’”
Demir’s glare was enough to have a full grown man in tears, yet Nellie just glared back. She reminded Bits of Lord Fluffy, her niece’s terrier. Despite being small enough Bits often worried about stepping on him, Lord Fluffy was always challenging dogs three times his size in Hyde Park, nipping at their heels and barking up at them as if they might actually become terrified at such a small ball of fur simply because it made such a racket.
Demir silently sought Bits’s assistance, but she could only shrug. She hadn’t had much of a chance to speak with Nellie despite the fact they were leaving two days later than they intended. Hopefully they would rectify the situation on their way back to London. Their nonstop chatter would annoy Henrick, which was yet another excellent reason to save up all their conversation for the carriage ride.
“Why does your trunk need to stay?” Demir asked, arms crossed over his chest.
“Because it would be silly to carry it all the way back to London, just to turn around and bring it all the way back here. It can be transferred to my lodgings until I return.”
Bits’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re staying?” she asked, certain she couldn’t have understood her friend correctly.
Nellie adjusted the hat on her head. It was the type of elaborate creation that was all the rage these days. Tiny flowers, satin ribbons, and lace, all in the exact same shade of pale pink, decorated every spare surface. If Bits had attempted wearing it, she would have looked as if she had strapped a rose garden to her head, but it was lovely on Nellie. Everything was lovely on Nellie. If Bits didn’t love her so dearly she would have hated her on principle alone.
A Dance Like Flame (Of Magic & Machine Book 1) Page 27
