A Bride for the Prizefighter: A Victorian Romance

by Alice Coldbreath

  Color flooding to her cheeks. “I only—”

  “I mean it,” he interrupted her rudely. “You’re to keep out of my business altogether.”

  Mina froze, setting the gravy boat back down with a thump. She took one breath, then another, then rose shakily from her chair.

  “Sit back down!” he ordered her.

  Mina glared at him. “There would be little point,” she said icily. “As I have completely lost my appetite.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her and they both stared a moment in silence. Nye’s hand on the table tightened into a fist. “Please sit back down,” he ground out. Seeing the effort, it cost him Mina lowered herself back into the chair, though she did not relax her affronted expression one bit. Her own hand trembled as she reached for her water glass.

  “Will you take wine?” he asked gruffly.

  “No, thank you,” Mina answered.

  He poured her a glass anyway, which Mina resolutely ignored.

  “Eat your dinner,” he bit out.

  Mina’s temper flared, but she picked up her fork and stabbed a green bean with it. She hated him. He was an impossible brute. No wonder Edna fled from him every chance she got.

  “I mean it for your own good,” he added in a surly voice. Mina gave no reaction. She swallowed a mouthful of potatoes only by sheer force of will. She did not want him to think his actions affected her in the slightest. He was nothing to her, nothing at all. She tasted little of the five mouthfuls she managed to force down and the atmosphere at table was oppressive to say the least.

  Nye ate a hearty meal in heavy silence, then at the end of it he flung down his napkin and gave her an accusatory look. Mina stared stonily at some point on the wall past his right ear. After a moment, he dragged his chair back and exited the room, slamming the door so hard that Mina clapped her hands over her ears. Mannerless lout, she seethed as she started stacking the bowls and plates.

  It seemed there was only one place she was welcome as far as Nye was concerned, and that was in his bed. Thinking of the return of that prizefighting rabble made her face flame. They would be the same crowd that watched the travesty that had played out the night she had arrived at The Merry Harlot. Only Effie had been kind. As for the rest of them, she was sure they were as bad as Nye himself. She carried the plates and bowls through to the kitchen, her ears craning to catch the murmur of voices in the bar but hearing nothing. She washed and dried and put away before returning to the parlor room and defiantly tossing down the glass of red wine she had shunned earlier. Hopefully, it would help her relax enough to fall asleep. After a hurried wash in the scullery alcove, she climbed the stairs, undressed, and pulled the covers over her head.

  When next she woke it was because Nye was climbing into the bed behind her with a whispered curse as he fought to untuck the sheets cocooned around her body. She sucked in a harsh breath when he dragged her against him. He was chilled to the bone. He wrestled with the uncooperative blankets a moment, before dropping onto his back and dragging her over him as if she were the quilt. He gave a loud satisfied groan when she was fully plastered over him.

  She puffed out an irritated breath. “You’re cold,” she grumbled. He had been out and about, though no decent body had cause to be at this time of night.

  “So warm me up.”

  She gasped when he grabbed her nightgown at the neck and tugged it aside to bury his face in her neck. “You’ll tear it!”

  “Best thing that could happen to the ugly thing,” he said rudely as he rubbed his stubble against her skin.

  “It’s draughty up here,” she pointed out. “And it keeps me warm.”

  “Take it off.”

  “It’s cold!”

  “Take it off,” he insisted gruffly. “I want to feel your breasts against me.”

  She tutted and rubbed her chest against his. “You can,” she pointed out crossly. He was naked, she realized and not drunk in the slightest. Her body was only covered in a thin layer of cotton.

  “Your bare tits,” he growled.

  “You’re such a pig,” she huffed. “It’s all tangled around my legs, Nye. I’m not—”

  “For God’s sake!” he growled, bouncing up and dislodging all their covers.

  “Nye!”

  He grabbed at the hem of her nightgown and dragged it up to her waist. “Sit up!”

  “It’s too cold to be naked!” she complained in a furious undertone as he hauled it over her head and flung it to the end of the bed. “You selfish brute!”

  He planted a hand against her breastbone and shoved her back against the pillows, before reaching behind him to grab the covers and drag them back up over them. “Open your legs,” he grunted as he dropped down on top of her.

  “I hate you!” she grumbled, even as she felt the familiar tingle through her limbs as he pressed all his hard, muscular flesh up against her between her legs. And he was hard. She nearly groaned aloud feeling his manhood bobbing against her thigh. He just grunted an acknowledgement as his hands sought out her breasts, cupping and making out their shape.

  “I hate you too,” he groaned then lent down to rub his face over her unbound breasts. “God,” he whispered against her nipple, then took it in his mouth and began sucking her.

  “Nye!” Mina whimpered. He gave a satisfied moan, then moved to her other nipple, wrapping his tongue around it, and drawing it into his hot mouth. With horror, Mina realized she was grinding her hips against him. Her conscious mind told her to stop it at once, but her flushed body wasn’t listening. “Nye,” she groaned again, arching her back up as she tried to press even closer.

  “Thought you didn’t like me,” he said with a husky laugh as he rocked his hips against hers, increasing the friction. His hardness rubbed against her, making her breath quicken.

  “I don’t,” she panted. “Not at all.”

  “That so?” he asked, sliding one hand down her belly. “You don’t want my fingers then?”

  Oh God, his fingers... she squeezed her eyes shut. “No?” she lied.

  His hand halted their slide through the curls between her legs, making her whine. “No?” he repeated. “You sure about that, sweetheart?”

  Mina’s eyes snapped open and she glared at him. “No,” she said stubbornly and to her horror, his hand dropped away.

  “Fine,” he said with a shrug. “You’re the one who’ll suffer for it.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “My cock won’t mind, but your little pussy’s used to me being more considerate.”

  Mina’s eyes widened with alarm.

  He cocked his head to one side. “Maybe you’d like my mouth instead?” he teased.

  Mina stared at him. Against her wishes, her eyes dropped to his mouth. Did he mean to kiss her or…?

  He gave a low laugh. “You’re such an innocent, Mina,” he mocked.

  “Not anymore,” she reminded him bitterly. “Thanks to you!”

  “Please, I’ve barely touched you,” he said with a low laugh, shifting down her body. “You liked this last time, so I don’t see why this time should be any different?”

  “Nye—what are you?” Suddenly she felt his hot breath between her legs and his big hands urging her thighs apart. Mina gave an alarmed squeal as she felt his tongue at her slit. “Nye - don’t!” She shuddered and tried to close her legs when he started lapping wetly, but his head was firmly wedged between her thighs. He gave a low rumble of approval in his chest and wrapped his arms around her thighs, holding her firmly in place as his lascivious hot mouth sucked and licked her with every evidence of indecent pleasure. Mina gave a strangled cry and fell back on the pillows. Oh my god, she had hoped that her reaction last time had been some kind of aberration. But no, it felt just as good this time. She crammed her fingers into her mouth in an attempt to stifle the broken cries trying to force their way out of her throat. Biting on her bottom lip so hard she tasted blood, she felt the same wetness between her legs as last time and Nye’s groan of
pleasure that greeted it. “Nye!” she panted. “Oh God, oh God, have mercy!”

  Her cheeks burned and the muscles in her thighs strained, but she was no longer sure they were working to escape that wicked mouth, but rather to her shame in collusion with it. “Nye, oh God!” she sobbed brokenly. He gave a growl and released one thigh to bring his fingers to gently spread her cleft. Mina’s cheeks flooded with color as she stared down to find his gaze intent on her glistening pink folds. Then he started tonguing her pearl and her body arched up, “Nye!” she gasped. “Nye! Oh! OH!” He groaned again, the vibration went right through her core and Mina’s soul fled with a heartfelt scream right out of her wanton body and flew straight through the ceiling and into the celestial sky above where it drifted weightlessly a moment among the stars, serene and blissful. When it drifted back down moments later into her sinful body, it found her collapsed and trembling against the sheets, tears rolling down her cheeks as Nye still lazily lapped at her with his strong, swirling tongue. Finally, he stopped, his breath heavy and rasping against her tender flesh. “Well, hell,” he said, smacking his lips. “I think I enjoyed that almost as much as you did.”

  Mina whimpered; her body boneless as he slid back up her body.

  “Ah, but you’re a hot piece, Mina,” he said, spreading her open with his thumbs as he thrust inside her with a grunt. He shut his eyes a moment and drew a ragged breath as Mina gasped in shock to find herself crammed full of his big, throbbing shaft. She was so wet; his cock was sliding home almost without resistance despite his girth. She opened her mouth to protest at such rude treatment, but to her shock, a low moan was all that came out. His eyes flickered open and he gave her a wicked grin that should have been infuriating, but for whatever reason, seeing it made her feel even more heated. “That’s it,” he said. “Get wet for me, Mina.” He licked his lips. “I almost wish I could taste it,” he groaned. “But it feels so good wrapped around my cock. Such a tight, wet, tight pussy. And I think it’s starting to realize who’s master here.”

  Mina’s eyes widened. “You obnoxious—” He flexed his hips to slide the last couple of inches home making her break off with a groan. “Oh Nye!”

  “That’s it,” he grunted. “I want to see those breasts jiggle when I take you.”

  Mina closed her eyes. “I wish you wouldn’t talk!” she groaned. “You’re so offensive!”

  He laughed softly against her ear. “Oh really? But your sweet cunt is grasping me so tightly.” He thrust against her and Mina bit her lip, resisting the impulse to shout.

  “Are you going to stay quiet?” he whispered in her ear. “I don’t mind, seeing as how you’ve already screamed for me tonight.”

  He thrust again and she nearly jolted up off the mattress at the sensation of pleasure coiling low in her belly. She shivered and her fingers tightened on the bedsheets as he loomed above her, his eyes half shut with pleasure as his hips pounded into her. “Oh God, Mina,” he groaned. “If you knew how good your silky cunt felt on my cock.”

  But she already knew. Her head tossed against the pillow as she tried to fight the rising tide of sensation. Her knees pressed into his sides as she squeezed her eyes shut against the pleasure. “Nye,” she gasped.

  “Come on Mina.” His voice throbbed. “I want you mindless again. I need it.”

  ‘Oh God, I - Nye - I—” Her hips shifted restlessly as he hammered into her, the slick sounds their bodies made as they moved together were shamefully exciting. She was so wet, her yielding pussy was giving his big cock barely any resistance as he pushed in and out, her suctioning flesh, pressing and gripping him as he ruthlessly plunged into her depths.

  He gave a low dirty groan. “If you don’t give it to me soon—” His gleaming eyes returned to her full bouncing breasts and he adjusted his position so he could take one of her nipples into his mouth again and give it a hard suck. She felt the tug of his hot mouth everywhere and with a startled cry she crashed over the edge.

  Five minutes later, when she surfaced groggily from mindlessness, Mina could not really bring herself to feel awkward about the fact she was naked and lying flush against Nye’s big, muscular body. He was a nasty beast, she thought as her eyes drifted shut. But he was warm, and after the physical intimacy they had just shared, it was oddly comforting having him there in the bed next to her. Why he would stay afterward when he couldn’t even sleep was beyond her but before she could ponder it for too long, she had slipped into a deep sleep.

  15

  At church the next morning, Mina was sure she had a lot more nods and cautious ‘good mornings’ thrown her way. She smiled and nodded in return and enjoyed the walk home in the fresh air with the sun breaking through the clouds and the sky very blue, although the air was still brisk. She and Edna worked side by side once more over the Sunday roast dinners and afterward took their meal together in the kitchen where they conversed easily over a wide range of topics from Edna’s aunt’s taste in curtains to Mina’s experience stitching samplers.

  It had been Mina’s intention to take a walk along the beach that afternoon, but she had forgotten how long it took to clear away after the meals and in the end, she and Edna bought their sewing into the kitchen and sat together companionably over their work. Mina did tentatively suggest retiring to the parlor for the afternoon, but Edna looked scandalized at the idea, so she quickly gave that idea up. Edna was making herself a new dress for her days out from a flowered calico and Mina had more mending to do.

  Many cups of tea were drunk, and Mina’s repairs were all mended by the end of their session and even a handkerchief embroidered with her new initials MN and a spray of flowers motif that Edna showed her using daisy stitches.

  “It’s very pretty,” Mina said, holding up the square of fabric and admiring the effect. “I believe I shall have to do my other handkerchiefs now to match.”

  “You could change up the color of the flowers for variety,” Edna suggested. “I’ve some spare colored thread if you have none.”

  “Thank you, but there’s a good quantity in the workbox Nye gave me,” Mina remembered. She set her small scissors aside after trimming off a bit of loose thread. “Has he mentioned yet that he is hosting another prizefight here this week?” she asked.

  Edna’s expression tightened. “Aye, he did.” She clicked her tongue. “I’m not saying they don’t bring a good deal of business to his door, for they do. But a more disorderly mob you’d be hard-pressed to find.” She shook her head. “No better than a pack of heathens.”

  “As bad as that?” Mina asked in some alarm.

  Edna tossed her head so hard she nearly lost her mob cap. “Cutthroats and guttersnipes and scarlet women,” she said, lowering her voice over the latter. “Ungodly lot, steeped in wickedness and sin.”

  Mina blinked, remembering Effie in her scarlet dress. “Some of them must have redeeming qualities,” she murmured, remembering she still had the redhead’s cream scarf which had been used for a makeshift bridal veil. If Effie was among their number, she could return it to her, she thought cheering up. “I remember one among them who did me a kindness.”

  Edna’s expression wavered. “Well,” she conceded reluctantly. “I suppose even wrongdoers have the occasional good impulse, just as the good flock do sometimes have wicked ones.”

  “It is not always as cut and dried as we would like,” Mina agreed, thinking of her suspicions about Nye and the smuggling trade. She wasn’t quite sure where her duty lay in that respect and it troubled her. Of course, she had no proof of her suspicions and a wife couldn’t testify against her husband in any case. Still, she felt uneasy whenever she did happen to think of it.

  It occurred to Mina that she had not seen Ivy for a couple of days, and she realized that since Nye had started sleeping in the attic, neither of the two maids came to her bedroom anymore. She tapped lightly on Ivy’s door before she went to bed. She had just started to turn away, thinking the maid must be behind the bar already, when the door opened, and a flush-
faced Ivy answered it.

  “Oh Mina—I mean, Mrs. Nye,” she corrected herself, looking around in a furtive manner.

  “Is everything alright, Ivy?”

  “Oh yes, I mean, Master Nye let me come up to my room with a headache. He said he’d tend bar tonight.”

  “Oh, I see and how are you feeling now, Ivy? You do look a little flushed.” To her surprise, she noticed Ivy was fully dressed in a warm wool dress with her hair pinned up and a hat pinned atop her blonde curls as if to go out.

  Ivy’s uneasy expression deepened. She hovered a moment, seemingly undecided on some score. Then she stood to one side and let her door fall fully open. “Come inside,” she urged Mina, catching her arm and drawing her into her attic bedroom.

  Mina looked about and was surprised to see the room looking a lot neater than when she’d seen it previously. On that occasion it had been strewn with Ivy’s things and every surface covered with bottles and beads and boxes of powder. Now, the room looked practically bare. Mina’s eye noticed two large bags to the side of the door, she caught her breath and turned to Ivy who was chewing her lip.

  “Ivy, are you going somewhere?”

  “It’s like this, Miss,” Ivy interrupted her in an agitated voice. She drew Mina to the bed and they both sat on the edge of the mattress. “There’s this man as said he’ll have me any time this past two year. Sam Rollins his name is. He knows I’m no better than I ought to be, but he said he don’t mind my past, it’s my future he’s looking to. He’s a quiet-spoken fellow and slow to smile, but well, when he do, it’s a sight worth seeing.”

  Ivy looked wistful a moment, before staring down at her hands. “Well, I’ve always had a fondness for Sam and well,” Ivy took a deep breath. “He’s been left some land up Yorkshire way and a cottage and he wants to make a go of it. Says he’ll marry me, Miss. And what I’m thinking is it’s now or never.”

  “Oh Ivy, that’s wonderful, but I don’t understand the need for secrecy?”