NFH 04 Truce (Historic) (25 page)

“Don’t stop,” she said, reaching up and fisting her hands in his hair and yanking him down for a kiss.

He went willing as he reached down and cupped the back of her knee and pulled her leg up, opening her wider and allowing him to sink further inside her. It was heaven.

It was hell.

“We have to stop,” he said, struggling to pull out, but it seemed that he no longer had control of his body.

“Don’t make me kill you!” Elizabeth growled against his lips, making him moan even as he groaned in frustration.

“If we don’t stop now, the servants will walk in on us,” he said, not really caring if he was caught having sex, but he didn’t want to embarrass his wife or risk anyone else seeing the beautiful body that was meant for his eyes only.

“Good,” she said, surprising him.

“Good?” he asked, leaning down to kiss her simply because he couldn’t help himself.

“Because I plan on keeping you,” Elizabeth said against his lips, taking him by surprise.

“Are you sure?” he asked, deciding once again not to argue with her since he wasn’t an idiot. There really was no need to remind her that James was probably the better choice. She’d figure it out eventually and by the time that she did, it would be too late.

“Yes,” she hissed, panting hard as she wrapped her legs around him and arched her back to take him deeper.

“I’m never letting you go, minx,” he swore against her lips as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him.

“Good.”

“Do you need help getting dressed, my-
Oh, my God
!” he heard a maid scream seconds before the door slammed shut.

“I guess you’re stuck with me, Mr. Bradford,” Elizabeth said, smiling against his lips and giving him no choice but to smile back.

“I guess I am, Mrs. Bradford,” he said, chuckling when he heard the commotion out in the hallway, guaranteeing that no one was ever going to be able to take her away from him.

“Your brother left again.”

“I wasn’t aware that he’d returned,” Robert murmured absently, barely sparing his mother a glance as he continued to pace the foyer.

“He returned yesterday afternoon after your father sent for him,” his mother explained with a huff as she gave up the hope that he’d stop pacing and sat down on the chair by the breakfast room.

“He came immediately?” he asked, shooting another glare towards the back hall.

No doubt his brother had been able to come so quickly because he’d been staying with his mistress, but he didn’t bother pointing that out to his mother since it would probably earn him a glare and a whole new lecture.

“Yes,” his mother said as she smoothed down her skirt, “you knew that he was eager to marry Elizabeth.”

“And get her fortune,” Robert pointed out, wondering why it was taking so long for the cook to make the peppermint tea she’d promised would settle his wife’s stomach.

“It’s how things are done,” she said with a resigned sigh.

“Things change,” he said, glancing at the clock by the door before returning his attention to the back hall. If they didn’t have her tea ready for her in five minutes, he was going back there and making the damn tea himself.

“It would have been a safe match,” his mother said quietly, drawing his attention momentarily from the hallway.

“I’d never hurt her,” he said tightly, sick of the bullshit assumptions that he’d ever hurt Elizabeth.

“Not on purpose,” she hedged carefully, “but with your history, I doubt that it will be very long before the two of you are at each other’s throats.”

“We’re getting along just fine,” he said evenly, shooting another glance at the clock.

They were getting along more than just fine. After they’d made love this morning to put an end to any more suggestions that they should annul the marriage, they’d fallen back asleep in each other’s arms. Not too long ago he’d woken up with Elizabeth straddling his lap as she once again tried to ride him. Apparently once his minx got an idea into her head, she couldn’t let it go.

Thank God for that!

It had probably been the most difficult thing that he’d ever done in his life, but he’d managed to force himself to lie there and let Elizabeth have her fun. He’d loved the way she smiled, laughed and made fun of herself as she did her best to figure out the mechanics of riding him.

She’d made him smile and laugh even as he’d been forced to fold his hands behind his head to stop himself from grabbing her and slamming her down on his cock. God, she’d been so wet, dripping on his hungry cock as she rubbed on him, desperate to put it inside her. When she started grinding her wet mound against him as she moaned and panted his name, he’d lost the battle and reached down and gripped himself.

By that time his cock had been completely coated in her juices. His hand slid down his length and he’d moaned. It had felt so good, so unbelievably good. His hand moved on its own as his eyes devoured the sight of her. Watching her watch him stroke himself had nearly undone him so he’d slowed down, teasing them both.

He’d loved the way her eyes became hooded, her breathing quickened, her nipples hardened as though they were reaching for him, but nothing compared to the way that her hips had started to shift as though she was imagining his cock inside her. Just watching her get excited was enough to have his balls draw up tight.

Just as he slid his hand down to the base and held it up in offering she did something that he’d never expected and had never seen another woman do before. She reached down and cupped herself between her legs and released a moan so sweet that he’d honestly been surprised that he hadn’t instantly exploded.

His hand started to move again, his eyes locked on her hand as she slowly massaged her mound. His breathing had become labored as she explored herself, her fingers sliding between her slit, glistening with her arousal and, when she tentatively slid a finger inside of herself, he’d been forced to grip his cock tightly to stop himself from coming.

For several agonizing minutes he watched as his wife learned to pleasure herself. Her expression had been one of pleasure mixed with disbelief and wonder. She’d been so goddamn beautiful and when he told her so, she’d blushed prettily, but didn’t stop.

No, not his minx.

She’d loved the way that he reacted to her, enjoyed it to the point that she started to tease
him
. She’d caressed her breast with her free hand, slid her fingers slowly inside her core and he’d lost control of his tongue. He told her in detail how much he loved watching her, how badly he wanted to suck on her fingers, lick her clean and fuck her. He swore, used words that no man of his class would use in front of his wife and hadn’t cared, especially since it made her lose control.

When she found her moment, he’d simply watched her, loving the way her skin flushed with excitement, her breasts bounced, and the way she moaned and whimpered with every thrust of her fingers. The moment that she’d finished, she found herself on her back and his cock ramming inside her still quivering sheath.

He hadn’t lasted long, but he’d taken her with everything he had, not holding back until she was screaming his name and he was spilling inside of her. Moments after he’d come, he was still slowly thrusting his softening cock inside of her, wanting nothing more than to take her again, but his minx it seemed had other plans.

With a muttered cry of distress, she’d pushed him away, slapped a hand over her mouth and ran to the chamber pot and proceeded to get sick. Feeling like a bastard for taking her so soon after she’d lost the baby, he got up to go comfort her, but she wasn’t having that. Anytime he came close enough to fuss over her, she would shake her head and let out a pitiful moan that left his chest aching.

He hated seeing her like this and wanted to take care of her, but the damn woman was being stubborn. The only thing that she would allow him to do was to have a bath drawn for her so that she could soak and to come downstairs and inquire about the peppermint tea that the cook had suggested would ease her stomach.

“Robert? Did you hear anything that I just said,” his mother snapped in frustration.

“Yes, of course,” he lied, ramming his fingers through his hair. Where the hell was her tea?

“No, you didn’t,” she said, sighing softly, but didn’t seem all that upset over the matter.

“Sorry,” he said, shooting her a forced smile before he returned his attention to the hallway.

“I don’t want to see you hurt, Robert,” his mother said as she came to her feet and walked towards him, stepping in his path and giving him no choice but to stop pacing.

“I’m not going to get hurt,” he murmured, shifting his attention past his mother and towards the kitchen.

“I hoped that one day you’d make a good match, Robert,” she started to explain, but he was in no mood for a lecture this morning.

“This is a good match,” he said quietly, giving her a smile as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to his mother’s cheek. “Better than good.”

“I know that Elizabeth is beautiful and exciting, but that doesn’t make for a good match, Robert. These feelings won’t last forever and when they’re gone you’ll be left with a wife that you don’t want, who makes you unhappy and I don’t want that for you.”

“What feelings are these?” he found himself asking, wondering if his mother realized that he was in love with Elizabeth.

She cleared her throat uncomfortably as she shifted her gaze away from him. “The feelings men have for beautiful women, Robert. I may be your mother, but I know that men often allow their
attentions
to take control of their lives and I’m afraid that’s what you’ve done, Robert. You’ve married a woman that you hate simply because she’s beautiful.”

“That’s not why I married her,” Robert said, trying to reassure his mother that everything would be okay.

“I know that you married her to do the right thing. That’s how you were raised and I would expect nothing less from you, Robert, but with the baby gone you can fix this mistake. You can end this marriage before anyone gets hurt,” she said, her tone pleading as she reached out and took both his hands into hers.

“You and I both know that an annulment is no longer an option. Not after this morning. By now everyone will know that this is a marriage in truth.”

“Your father and Lord Norwood have taken care of that,” his mother said tightly, looking anywhere but at him and not sounding pleased to have this conversation any more than he was.

“And what exactly did they take care of?” he demanded, pulling his hands away.

“They’ve made sure that none of the servants will talk,” she said, looking up at him. “As you can see, there’s still time to fix this, Robert.”

“There’s nothing to fix,” he said evenly, done with this conversation. “We’re not getting this marriage annulled so you can save your efforts, because they’re not wanted.”

“Would you please listen to reason and-”

“I love her!” he snapped, realizing his mistake only too late. He shook his head in frustration. “Just forget that I said-”

“You love her?” she asked, looking stunned.

“Yes,” he said, realizing there was no point in lying about it. The words were already out and knowing his mother, she would never be able to pretend otherwise.

“Truly?” she asked, her eyes narrowing on him as she waited for an answer.

“Truly,” he said, preparing himself for the tears of joy and mushy sentiments that were no doubt about to follow.

Women were silly creatures when it came to declarations of love, but at least it would gain his mother’s support, he realized. He hadn’t planned on telling her how he felt, but it was probably for the best. She’d put an end to this annulment bullshit and he could focus on more important matters like his investments. It had been several days since he’d been able to get any work done and now that Elizabeth was on the mend he could-

“Bloody hell!” he shouted, moving to yank his hand away from the vicious woman, but apparently he hadn’t moved fast enough, because his mother struck his knuckles with her fan, again.

“That’s for swearing in front of your mother!” she snapped, propping her fists on her hips as she scowled at him, making her attentions for another attack clear if he stepped out of line.

“And the first one?” he bit out, rubbing the back of his stinging hand as he glared down at his mother, but he wasn’t stupid enough to raise his voice at her. She was still gripping her fan after all.

“For lying to me!”

“I never lied to you,” he said, frowning in confusion as he thought over their conversation, wondering what she was talking about.

“If you think that you’re going to manipulate me into taking your side and looking the other way while you continue with this mistake of a marriage, then you have another thing coming, young man!” she said, jabbing that damn fan, that he was going to have to steal, in his chest as she made her point.

“I didn’t-”

“What’s going on?” his father asked, probably saving him from another rap on the-

“Ow!”

“That’s for trying to lie to me again!” she explained before he could ask.

She swiftly turned her attention on his father, who had the good sense to get the hell out of her way as she turned to storm out of the foyer. “You fix this!” she snapped at his father with a glare that clearly said there would be hell to pay if he didn’t.

“Of course, my dear,” his father muttered obediently as he watched his wife storm off.

“Where are you going?” Robert asked, watching as his father practically ran to the door seconds later.

“To my club where it’s safe,” his father said, barely sparing him a glance as he made his escape.

For a moment, he considered following his father, not really caring that it was the cowardly thing to do, but he had a sick wife that he needed to take care of first. After he made sure that Elizabeth was settled, he would consider escaping this madhouse until everyone came to their damn senses.

“What are you doing?”

Elizabeth chewed on her bottom lip as she dropped her hairpin and picked up the small nail she’d found lying on the floor near where Robert’s jacket hung and proceeded to stick it in the keyhole, uncaring that the owner of the chest was now standing over her, looking amused.