Theo nodded and smiled, offering encouragement. “Understandable. I remember when I first allowed Stone to take control in the bedroom, I was petrified. But I have found that with each encounter, we have grown closer. Our understanding of each other increases, which offers us greater intimacy in all aspects of our marriage. I know I can turn to him, and without question, he will be there.”
Emily sighed again. If only she could share such intimacy with Cooper. It might make marriage not only bearable, but pleasurable.
She needed ideas, not merely hugs and platitudes. “What do I do?”
“I’d say you’ve taken the first step.” Marie smiled kindly from across the tea service. “You have trusted us with your problems.”
A small kernel of hope bloomed deep inside Emily’s heart. Marie was right. It was the first step, and if she were honest, it felt good to share her burden with the others.
“Now, it sounds as though sex is not the issue here, but that doesn’t mean it can’t help mend your fences. If you are most comfortable with him in an intimate moment, then you must use that to begin to build trust between you two. What you do in the bedroom with your husband is nobody’s concern but your own. If you enjoy the things you do together, then you should relish the joy of finding someone to share those activities with. It is a rare thing in our oh-so-civilized society for two people to find such common ground.”
Theo and Lizzy both nodded in agreement.
“And if I do not wish to do something he requests—or demands?” Emily was quite sure she knew the answer, but desired the reassurance all the same.
Theo’s gaze turned resolute. “Then you tell him no. You state that you are not comfortable with whatever it might be, and you do not relent. A special word might be of use. Something you would not normally say in the course of such amorous activities.”
Emily thought perhaps a weight had been lifted by sharing her burden with her friends, and there was no question in her mind now. They were, in fact, friends. Yet, she still could not share her deepest, darkest secret. The one only Cooper knew. Why was it that his knowledge of that secret did not bother her in the least?
Chapter 20
Earlier that morning, Cooper had requested they stay home for dinner. Despite her misgivings, she had agreed. Now they sat, just the two of them, in the small parlor at the rear of the house.
He held the newspaper up, appearing to read some article or another. She sat with a book open on her lap. Considering she had not turned a page in nearly a quarter of an hour, she wondered what her husband thought. Certainly he knew she was no dimwit. But the problem was, with all the guidance she had received from Theo, Marie, and Lizzy, her head was spinning, trying to decide what to do, if anything.
“Book not to your liking, wife?” Cooper had lowered his paper to his lap.
Surprised she had not heard the rustling, she looked up. “Oh…no, I suppose not.”
She closed the book and set it aside.
He folded his paper back up. “Well, I can’t say that today’s news is all that interesting. Tell me, what did you do today after distributing the new livery to the servants?”
One brow rose as a spark of humor lit his deep brown eyes.
“About that…” Emily gathered her wits and took a slow breath to calm her racing heart. “I’m afraid I ordered the new livery right after the wedding while I was still…”
“I am not concerned over the livery. While an expense, it is not one I cannot afford.” He set the paper aside. “I am more interested in what you did with the rest of your day. You were gone for quite a while, and it makes me curious about what adventures you managed to find.”
“Oh.” She blinked at her husband. “Well, I visited with Lady Stonemere and a couple of others of her circle. I’m afraid it was not a terribly exciting adventure. Just tea with the ladies.”
Cooper’s eyes held more than a few questions, and a touch of concern. “That cannot be all?”
Surely he did not wish details of their conversation? She bit her lip in consternation. She certainly could not tell him that they had discussed the challenges of dealing with such dominant men, how to manage them both in and out of the bedroom, and how to learn to enjoy the specific pleasures they brought to the bedroom.
“Just tea, and hats. We discussed the latest trend in hats from Paris. Some of them are quite outrageous.”
“Hats?” He looked confused, possibly even disappointed.
“Perhaps I should go check on supper.” She rose to leave, but Cooper reached out and placed a hand on her wrist. Her heart skipped a beat as her skin tingled beneath the warmth of his hand.
“Please wait, I wanted to speak to you…” He released her wrist and motioned toward the seat she’d just risen from. He cleared his throat. “I wanted to discuss last night.”
Her entire body flashed from cold to hot and back again as she wavered between arousal and pure embarrassment. “O-of course.”
Were his cheeks turning pink? She stood there frozen by the random thoughts that continued to pop into her head, as well as her own uncertainty about all that had happened. She tried to focus on Marie’s advice. If she enjoyed what they did together, it was nobody’s business.
“Here.” He grabbed her wrist again and tugged her toward him. “This might be easier for both of us if you sat in my lap.”
Before she could object for all the obvious reasons—what if a maid walked in?—she found herself perched atop his strong thighs.
“I—” He licked his lips as though he might be nervous. “I wanted to be sure that I did not…well. That I didn’t scare you last night.”
“Scare me?” Confusion sliced through the jumble of her thoughts.
He swung her legs up over the arm of his chair. “Yes, scare you. We didn’t precisely discuss things before we started. Typically, the kinds of things we did are agreed to beforehand to ensure everyone wants the same thing. I got rather carried away with things and failed to speak with you before the spanking.”
A tremor ran through her frame as his voice grew deeper, huskier. Clearly, he found their activities as stimulating as she did. “And so now you wish to discuss this with me?”
“Well, yes.” He looked unsure.
Her breath caught in her chest. “You did not scare me.”
“I am glad to hear that. And if we were to possibly explore such things again, would you be opposed?” He still looked nervous.
“I rather enjoyed what we did last night, so no. I would not be opposed.” She smiled even as her heartbeat continued to race.
“And if I were to demand a kiss from you now?” he asked, though there was a thread of steel to the question.
Her core grew warmer at his words, her thighs clenching together. “I would do as you wished.”
Strong hands reached up to cup her face and draw her down to meet his lips. But instead of mashing their mouths together, he slid his tongue out and traced the seam of hers. “Open to me.”
So she did. And he slipped inside to sip from her all too briefly. Her eyes flicked open when he retreated, only to find him studying her. Then he closed his own eyes and claimed her mouth in a fierce kiss that utterly melted her bones and muscles into a puddle of goo. All the while, his tongue tangled with hers as they slipped and twined around each other. One of his hands slipped from her jaw to slide around her back and pull her closer into his hard chest.
Beneath her, his shaft grew hard, creating a noticeable ridge against her bottom despite all her petticoats. Her own hands wrapped around his shoulders so that they were inseparable as he continued to kiss her as though his next breath depended upon it.
But then he drew back, breaking the kiss slowly with licks and nibbles. “We should stop this before it is too late.”
Emily found herself summarily scooted off his lap. “Too late?”
“Um, yes. Too late to stop.”
She looked down at his apparent problem. “It would seem it already has reached that po
int, if I may note the obvious.”
“While accurate, your observation is not helpful.” Cooper’s mouth slanted down at one corner.
“My assistance was not requested. But if it were desired, I might be convinced to offer it.”
Emily couldn’t help but look down at his hardening cock and consider what it might be like to take him in her mouth. She had considered it on their wedding night but had opted for her own gratification, as she was also looking to make a point. The previous night, not unlike their other interludes, his focus had been on her pleasure.
Cooper stood as he inhaled deeply. “Woman, you test my measure.”
Feeling curious about what might happen, she turned and walked over to the door of the salon. There she turned the lock before returning to where her husband stood as stiffly as his cock had become. “Perhaps a little testing is good for a man?”
He reached out and snagged the back of her neck. Then he hauled her in for another desire-soaked kiss. Though it was a short-lived kiss, he let her know without any doubt that she had succeeded in rousing his carnal instincts. As he pulled back from her, a wicked glint in his eye was all the warning she received. “On your knees, wife.”
With her lower lip caught between her teeth, she did as she was told. Then he unfastened his trousers and revealed his steely shaft. Her heart lurched with her own excitement over the way their night in was unfolding.
“Take it in your mouth, hellion.” There was no question the words were a demand; however, his voice was so low and gravelly, she could barely hear him.
As she shifted her weight forward to better accommodate him, her pebbled nipples scraped against the stiffness of her corset, and even with the fine linen, a shiver coursed through her. Taking the root of his length in her hand, she placed the tip of his cock against her lips. Going on instinct and curiosity, she swiped her tongue over the wet tip and discovered he bore a taste that was earthy, yet distinctly salty. Then she took the tip in her mouth and pushed forward a bit.
Above her, he groaned. “Bloody hell.”
Taking that as a good sign, she pulled back and repeated the whole series of movements, only this time, she took more of him. With each successive insertion of his cock in her mouth, she managed more of his length until she had swallowed almost all of him. With a moan and the bucking of his hips, he pumped into her mouth a few times and then drew back again. “Yes, don’t stop.”
His encouragement got her moving again, and she set a pace that seemed to feel good to him as she worked up and down his length. “God. That’s it. Suck my cock.”
His dirty words had her pussy melting with need as her lips grew swollen and a bit numb from sliding up and down his erection. Still fully clothed, she could do little for herself, so focused on ensuring he reached his orgasm.
And as she continued to work his cock in and out of her mouth, occasionally swirling over the tip with her tongue, she felt his body shudder.
“Release me before I come.” He half groaned the warning.
But she refused to stop before he climaxed. So she continued to suck him until his hips took over, pumping into her mouth. Once. Twice. And then one last time, as he sank as deep as he could, his hot load erupting over her tongue. “I’m coming! Oh, God! Yes!”
The salty musk from before was back in full force, and she swallowed it all as he shook and moaned above her.
Satisfied with her performance, she released him as he drew away from her and collapsed in the nearby chair. “Thank you, wife. That was…” He blinked a few times and wiped his face. “That was quite helpful.”
She stood up, smoothing out any wrinkles in her gown. Her own cheeks were warm with exertion and desire as she stood there, unsure what to do next. What did one say to their husband after sucking his cock? “Perhaps I should—”
“Do not be so quick to run, wife.” Cooper reached out and snagged her wrist again. “Are you not affected by what you just did?”
Heat suffused her cheeks. “Affected?”
“Yes. Affected. Did sucking my cock make your pussy wet?” He reeled her in closer to where he sat with his trousers still open. “If I reached under your skirts and touched you, would you be hot and wet?”
Her pulse soared as desire turned to thick lava in her veins. Of course she was wet. “Y-yes.”
“Good. Let me see.” His demand came out in husky tones once more.
“Cooper. Supper will be ready soon. And if you keep this up, you will be back in the same predicament as before.”
She strove for an imperious tone, but it all spilled out in a panicked whisper.
Her husband had a determined glint in his eye. “Lift your skirts and show me.”
Reaching down with trembling hands, Emily grabbed a fistful of material and drew her skirts up. With her other fist, she reached lower down and drew up more fabric until her thighs and undergarments were exposed.
“Mmmm…” He reached between her thighs and through the slit in her pantalets to find her hot, wet center. “Indeed, you are quite wet.” He drew his fingers through her dampness and then brought them to his lips. After licking them clean, he smiled at her. “A fitting appetizer.” A huge but very naughty smile appeared on his lips. “And I believe I’ve worked up quite an appetite.”
Need quivered through her while she lowered her skirts and stepped back from her husband. When her thighs rubbed together, she groaned, drawing his notice.
A look she’d never seen before came into his fathomless brown eyes. “Do not think to slip away and relieve yourself, wife. I promise after dinner, I will show you the power of anticipation when I make you scream as you come on my cock.”
Chapter 21
September 1861
By the time she escaped another fitting at Madam Le Fleur’s, it was early afternoon. All the while, she had stood in front of the mirror being poked and prodded, her mind had turned over her problem. She had ten days, no way to secure more money to settle Arthur’s debt, and she did not have the full thirty-five hundred pounds that was outstanding. Her final foray as a jewel thief had been less than successful. Having scrounged through her own meager jewelry collection as well as a few household items she’d hoped to avoid pawning due to sentimental attachment, she’d managed to scrape together a few hundred pounds.
With the meager wad of bills in her reticule, she settled into the coach and headed toward Lucifer’s. After all the ruckus of her being ruined, her rather rushed wedding, and her marital struggles, she had damn near forgotten about the debt her brother owed. Stopping up the street near a little shop, she bid her driver to stay nearby while she got out.
Once more before the door of the notorious gambling hell she knocked. This time, when the big brute who manned the door saw her, he grunted and then opened it to admit her to the foyer. He simply pointed at the chair she had sat in previously and then plodded up the stairs. He was a large man and proved remarkably cumbersome, even for someone his size.
After a few minutes, he returned. “Mr. Lucifer will see you.”
She crossed the long gallery above the hall and entered through the double doors of Frank Lucifer’s office. And like every other time, she was worried about the outcome. This time, things seemed even more dire than during her other visits.
She strode into his office and found the man sitting behind his oversized desk. “Lady Emmaline, to what do I owe the pleasure of a visit so soon on the heels of your previous one?”
“Mr. Lucifer, I am afraid I have had a turn of bad luck, to put it in terms you might be familiar with.” Emily’s gut hardened into stone. If the man didn’t see fit to give her more time—and he hadn’t been willing to in the past—she had no hope of satisfying Arthur’s debt. God only knew what he would do to her brother.
He looked genuinely surprised by her sally. “Please, do not tell me you have fallen victim to the same malady as your brother.”
The man always seemed to stir her desire to throttle someone, namely him. “Mr. Lucifer, d
id you fall from your bed and knock your head this morning?”
Bemused, the man rubbed his hair. “Not that I recall, my lady.”
“Then why do you insist on saying such ridiculous things? No, I have not taken to gambling. But I have unfortunately seen an end come to my ability to raise the funds required to settle Arthur’s debt. I have a mere three hundred pounds in my possession and no hope of expanding that further.” She pulled the wad of money from her purse and set it on his desk. “I am afraid I can make no further payments on what is owed you.”
The man had the nerve to grin at her. It was as though he enjoyed toying with her. Could it be that he so rarely had ladies of her caliber in his presence? Did she fascinate him? She pushed that silly notion aside. No, he was a dangerous man. He simply liked playing with those he deemed weaker than himself, and she clearly fell into that category.
“Rumor has it that you were recently married.” He looked at her in expectation, both his brows rising toward his hairline.
Stunned, Emily hesitated. “I-I…” She fumbled for a moment more. “Why yes, it seems I was. How in the world did you hear such information?”
Lucifer rose from his desk and walked around to where she stood. “Ah, you see, information can be as valuable as money. I trade in both when appropriate.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t sure she understood, and frankly wondered if this wasn’t him still toying with her. “Well, I suppose I could find something of interest for you if you’d take information in lieu of money.”
He laughed. “My dear, it would need to be more than the latest on-dit gathered from the ton’s ballrooms. The knowledge of your hasty nuptials was merely something I heard in passing recently. But it did make me think that perhaps you should speak to your new husband about the money.”
The rock in her gut plummeted to her toes. There was no way she could explain her brother’s failings to her husband. It would shame Arthur, and likely infuriate Cooper. No, that would never work. “I’m afraid that is not possible.”
Taming His Hellion Countess (The Lustful Lords Series Book 2) Page 15
