Sacrifice (Fashionably Impure Book 3) (5 page)

He
thrust into her, rocking her body, shaking the bed with the force of that
swift, hungry possession.

She
gasped with the suddenness of being filled, stretched.

His
weight held her down.

She
thrilled to feel his power and strength like this.

His blue
gaze burned hers as he lowered his mouth closer. Closer. “You consume me.”

“Consume
me
…” she begged, lifting her mouth to his.

He took
her offered lips in a scorching kiss, sucking the breath from her even as he
began to move within her.

Her
inner walls clenched him, hugged him, and begged him even more avidly than she
could with her voice.

She
opened one eye, part way, and covertly watched his lean-muscled, elegantly
masculine body, fucking her. She wrapped her legs about his waist, driving him
deeper inside.

But,
God, could it ever be deep enough?

Would
she, could she possibly ever get enough of him? Of his magnificent body? Of his
huge cock?

He took
her by the wrists and pinned her to the mattress and moved within her harder,
faster.

She
threw back her head, moaning stridently, glorying in his fierce strokes.

“Take
me, take me,” she chanted. “Take everything, all I have to give. Consume me!”

“God…
God… God.” He spoke the words harshly between pants. Between savage, hungry
thrusts. “God.” He transferred her wrists to one large hand and then he gripped
her chin, holding her still as he took her lips in a fearsome kiss, his tongue
thrusting into her mouth, taking her breath.

He would
kill her with this. With his savage, almost angry kiss, with his raw, primal
fucking. But she offered herself up to him willingly. Let him do what he would
do. Let him take everything that she had to give, even her last breath. She
arched her pelvis at him, absorbing thrust after thrust.

Piercing,
shattering pleasure caught her by surprise, her body convulsed with the almost
painful spasms, deep, soul shuddering spasms that went deeper and deeper into
her womb, sensation radiating down her thighs to her toes, until she lay
panting and panting, her raw throat telling her that she’d been screaming. The
wetness on her face letting her know that she was crying with the intensity of
sensation.

She
opened her eyes and found her wrists freed.

He was
cupping her buttocks, still pounding into her, as his thick length caressed her
inner walls again and again, his body quaking now, his cock shuddering within
her, spilling his seed.

Maybe
giving her a child…

“Yes,
yes,” she said, breathlessly. “Come in me!”

He
groaned, his body still shuddering, his cock still furiously pumping seed into
her.

“Fill me
to overflowing—”

“Miranda.”
He put his head into the crook of her neck and the slight bite of his teeth
sent another fury of shivers through her, the hard, body jerking spasms of a
second orgasm.

Then she
was falling, falling, falling into an abyss of soft, warm darkness.

****

“Wedding
night,” Adrian said in a musing tone.

“More
like wedding noon,” Miranda said, laughing, for the hairs on his leg tickled
hers as he shifted his body in the bed.

“Not
quite noon…” Adrian said, stroking his fingertips over her breast.

Her
nipple sprang into instant attention. She laughed, softly then rolled herself
until she was part way atop him. She ran a hand down his abdomen then caught his
rearing erection.

He
watched her as she encircled that thick, throbbing shaft and gave him a
squeeze. He groaned, softly. “Christ, woman.”

“What?”

“I never
knew I could stay so hard, so long…” He groaned as she slid her hand up and
down. “So often.”

“It’s
our wedding night, remember?”

“Our
wedding noon, remember?”

She
laughed, letting a little of her former practiced, wicked laugh bleed through
for she knew it to be seductive to men.

She
wanted to seduce him this time.

She
wanted him helpless to her in desire.

She
moved to mount him.

He held
her arms, preventing her.

“Adrian…”
The intensity of her need, both physical and emotional made her voice breathy.

“No.”

“But
Adrian—”

“No, not
like that.”

“I am
good
at it,” she said, urgency creeping into her tone. “You would love it. I know
you would.”

His
whole body had gone rigid against hers a second before he turned away.

Her
heart beat hard against her chest wall. She wanted to do that with him.

She
wanted it so badly.

He would
never let it happen.

No, this
time she would persuade him. She would
seduce
him.

She
rolled towards him and pressed her breasts into his back, knowing that her
nipples were rigid and that he would feel that.

Knowing
that it normally drove him wild.

“I really
am
good at it.”
She gave her best husky, woman-of-the-world whisper.

“I don’t
doubt it, love.” His tone was cold. “You were trained for it.” There was a
touch of almost sardonic amusement in his voice.

She
chewed her lip, uncertain what to do next. This was a need for her. She wanted
to be able to drive him insane with pleasure, the same way he always did her.

Hot
tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She blinked them back.

He took
complete charge of her in their bed. He gave her incredible pleasure when he
did so. And she was grateful to have such a sensually appealing and sexually
skilled man to love her.

Was that
really so wrong of her to want a little sexual power over him in return?

“There’s
no time,” he said, in a stern voice, the one he used when Davey refused to eat
all of his serving of carrots.

Shame
burnt into her.

Adrian
rolled from the bed and stood.

Her eyes
riveted to his huge erection. She bounded from the bed and stepped sprightly
into his path.

He
looked annoyed.

She
offered her best, brightest smile.

“What?”
he asked.

“Maybe I
could…” But already her throat choked off the words.

“You
could what?”

“You
know…” She let her eyes drift down to his cock. It jerked under her gaze.

“No.”

“But—”

“Do not
remember what happened the last time we attempted to do that?”

She
sucked in her breath and swallowed back a lurch of hot bile. A mix of shame and
self-disgust washed over her, more hotly than before.

“I don’t
expect that from you.” His tone held finality.

Yes, he
knew her past. He knew what she’d witnessed Winterton forcing upon her mother.

“But
don’t all men—”

“I am
not all men, Miranda, I am your husband. I would never place such a demand upon
you.”

His
sharp tone made her flinch.

His
expression softened. “My love.” He took her by the shoulders then leaned closer
and placed a kiss on her forehead. A soft kiss full of affection. “I don’t need
that from you.”

“Yes,
Carrville had others for—”

“Miranda,
stop. I don’t expect or need a full demonstration of courtesan’s tricks from
you and I certainly have no taste for any other woman.”

He drew
her into the circle of his embrace. “I just want to give you pleasure. I just
want to possess and subdue your body. It is enough for me.”

But it
wasn’t enough for her.

Yet, she
held her tongue as he kissed her, long, lingering and tender. Then she watched
him move away from her and pull on his trousers. Then he laid his shaving gear
out on the washstand. “I should have mentioned this before, but I didn’t want
to spoil last night.”

Something
in his tone sent currents of dread through her belly.

“I must
leave for the coast tonight,” he finished.

Chapter
Three

Miranda gaped at Adrian. “You’re going to
the coast? Today?”

The powerful muscles in his arms flexed
as he leaned to pull the bell cord. “This evening.”

He didn’t meet her eyes but instead had returned
to the mirror, his attention fixed on inspecting his heavy stubble. He rubbed
his cheeks. “I am leaving on a Plymouth ship for America.”

“But you said that your cousin was going
to see you trained in the details of shipbuilding. You said that would take a
month or two.”

“I have found an expert who will travel
with me and tutor me whilst we are at sea.”

Her mouth dropped open. Her legs went
weak. She sat on the bed. “I don’t understand the haste… Ruel is pressuring you
to hurry?”

He turned and came to sit beside her. He
took her hands. “Miranda, the sooner I leave, the sooner I shall return and we
shall begin our life together without this necessary trip hanging over our
heads.”

“This necessary trip?” She shook her
head. “I have never been convinced it was a particularly necessary thing.”

“Don’t you want us to have some wealth?”

“Not at this price.”

“We mustn’t be short-sighted, love.
Think, what if we have daughters—several daughters? How would we dower them
properly?”

She didn’t have an answer for that.

“If I am to be a proper husband to you
and father to our children, I cannot be haunting gaming hells to all hours,
earning our way.”

“No, I know that.” Her shoulders sagged.

There was a knock on the door. She drew
the sheet over herself as he pulled his dressing gown over his naked torso then
he answered the door. She remained downcast as she listened to him requesting
hot water, enough for her bath and his shaving and a hearty breakfast.

Then when he closed the door and returned
to her, she brightened. “But surely if your cousin has a job for you in
America, there must be other jobs for you here that you could take to earn the
money?”

He sat on the bed again. “No one else
will pay me as well for such time-limited work. No one else will want to train
me. And I would just as soon the work be done abroad. Aside from a military
commission or clergy, society doesn’t look favorably upon those who work for
their keep. I would shield my sons from that kind of shadow on the Sutherland
reputation if I could.”

“Nothing is going to shield them from the
scandal of our marriage.”

He frowned. “Then having a father who
works would only make that stigma worse, can’t you see that? We need to build
wealth in order to provide a cushion for this scandal of our marriage. If we
gain wealth, I will be able to use the power of my ancient name and title all
the better.” He drew her hand to his cheek and pressed it. “It is part of how I
would protect you.”

“I suppose you must do this for Davey and
Brentwood.”

“And for you.” He leaned forwards and
gave her a quick kiss. “Let us dress, my love. We must make a day of it with
Davey to soften the blow of my leaving.”

She hadn’t even thought of that. Davey
would have to be told. With a heavy heart, she pulled herself from the bed and
began the hard task of preparing herself mentally for this to be the last day
with her love.

****

Propped against the heavy wood headboard
of Miranda’s bed, Adrian watched the firelight play in wavering orange and red
tones upon her hair and her lush ivory curves as she lay with her head on the
pillow. God, she was the loveliest thing that he had ever seen and he couldn’t
help but run a caressing hand over her pink-tipped breasts. Though her eyes
were closed and bore purple shadows, her lovely berry-pink mouth curved into a
smile.

She turned and curled into him.

It had been a long day, spent with Davey.
Bundled against the chill in the air, they had taken a ride to the park then
played several children’s games with him then enjoyed a meal of cold roasted
duck, apples, bread and cheese spread on a blanket.

“You said that you had to leave this
afternoon,” she said, sleepily.

“I will have to travel without stopping
on the morrow.” He had delayed. He hadn’t been able to find the will to shorten
the day or to spoil Davey’s obvious happiness by breaking the news of his
leaving.

He had also wanted just one more night
with Miranda. The thought of leaving her was becoming unbearable.