The Countess (Madison Sisters #1)(15)
Author: Lynsay Sands

Richard stared at the pale globes briefly, unconsciously licking his lips, and then bent down to catch the edge of the bed coverings and draw them slowly down her body, revealing inch after pale inch of flesh. She was too thin and he would have to see about fattening her up, he decided, but she was stil mouthwatering and he found himself climbing onto the bed intent on tasting to see if she was as delicious as she looked. Christiana woke slowly, her body stretching and smal mewling moans slipping from her lips before she was even conscious of what was causing them. Al she was aware of at first was the pleasure coursing through her body, originating somewhere in her nether regions and sliding out to al points. Groaning aloud now as she came ful y awake, she found herself stretching again, her body arching on the bed and hands reaching blindly for Richard because surely he must be the source, for it was only with him she’d experienced this sweet torture before. It took her a moment to find him, however; the man was not directly atop her as expected and she had to open her eyes before she saw that he was further down her body. It took another moment for her mind to accept what he was doing. The man was not caressing her with his hands or his hardness as he had before, instead it was his head buried between her legs and while she wasn’t quite sure what he was doing, it was delicious.

Stil , it was also rather embarrassing. The man had his face buried between her legs as if searching for treasure. No one had ever even seen that part of her let alone at such close proximity and it just didn’t seem ladylike to recline there while a man examined her quite so thoroughly. Biting her lip, she reached for him, intending to urge him away, but her hands never made it to his head. Instead, they stopped and grabbed for the bedsheets to hang on as something, his tongue she thought, rasped over the center of her excitement. The shock of it had her h*ps bucking off the bed and a smal "ieeee" of startled pleasure slipping from her lips.

Richard chuckled softly at her reaction, the sound vibrating across her tender flesh and sending her scrabbling in an effort to escape the undignified and yet frighteningly exciting whatever it was he was doing. He didn’t al ow her escape however, but merely caught her thighs in his strong hands, urged them further apart and redoubled his efforts.

"No – Rich – Oh – " The words came out broken and gaspy as Christiana col apsed back on the bed and twisted her head, her fingers pul ing at the sheets so violently she feared she would rip them. That fear wasn’t enough to stop her tugging, however, as he did things to her Christiana had never even imagined.

Did al husbands do this? Was this what the marriage bed consisted of? Dear God, she’d been missing out on so much, Christiana thought dazedly, finding herself alternately grinding herself into his caress and stil struggling to escape it. The depth of passion he was pul ing from her was almost terrifying this time, perhaps because she didn’t have him to hold on to in this position and as much as her body responded, her mind was looking for an anchor in the storm.

There was no anchor to be had, however, and when he slid a finger inside her to join his tongue’s caresses, Christiana screeched and bucked like a wild thing, her body suddenly exploding as wave after hard wave of pleasure tried to pul her under. Much to her relief, Richard moved up her body after that, crawling to cover her.

Christiana immediately wrapped her arms around him, holding on for dear life as her body shivered and quaked beneath his. She groaned and held on even tighter when she felt him enter her, her legs instinctively wrapping around his hips, and her heels digging into his behind to urge him on as he began to build a new fire in her even before the last waves of the first had died. Spent as she was, al Christiana could manage at the start was to cling to him like seaweed, but as her excitement built anew, some of her energy returned and she began to move with him, shifting her h*ps to meet his thrusts, taking him as deep as she could manage.

While Christiana had been whol y uncertain she liked this part of the consummation when he’d entered her the first time, she now reveled in it, enjoying the way their bodies joined, how he fil ed her, how her body clung to him, trying to prevent his escape and then welcoming him back at each return. She thought they should do this al night and kept thinking that right up until they both found their release again, and even as she drifted off to sleep once more, satiated, spent and smiling.

Chapter Nine

Richard had been pacing Daniel’s parlor for several minutes when the other man finaly made his appearance. Before he could cry out the "Finaly!" that was trembling on his lips, Woodrow rushed forward, saying, "What is it? What’s happened? My valet said you told him it was an emergency and urgent that you speak with me."

Richard nodded. "Where is – " he paused to glance toward the stil open door and then almost whispered, " – the you know what? "

Daniel came to a shuddering halt, his face going blank for a minute before he asked, "You mean – " he too paused to glance toward the door, and then whispered,

" – the you know who?"

"Aye," Richard said impatiently.

"That is your emergency?" he asked with disbelief. "You had my valet roust me from a dead slumber to ask me that?"

"Wel you know who’s whereabouts is rather important to me," Richard said stiffly, and then pointed out, "And I wouldn’t have had to wake you from a dead slumber to find out where he is if you hadn’t left without me last night."

Daniel dropped into the nearest seat with disgust. "Wel what else was I to do?

Sit about in my carriage while you gave you know who’s wife a tumble?"

Richard stiffened. "She is my wife, thank you very much."

"My, we’ve certainly changed our tune this morning," Daniel said dryly. "Last night you weren’t sure you wanted to keep her."

"Yes, wel , I changed my mind." He paused to scowl at the man. "How the devil did you know I tumbled her?"

Woodrow’s eyebrows rose. "Was it supposed to be a secret? If so, you shouldn’t have done it in the front window for anyone on the street to see."

Richard’s eyes widened in horror as he realized they had been in front of the window at first. How much of Christiana had been on display? Good Lord, what had he been thinking? Richard knew the answer to that wel enough. He hadn’t been thinking at al , his manhood had been the one in charge last night, his presently very content, wel spent manhood.

Richard had woken this morning thinking that marriage to Christiana might be a very fine thing indeed, and he’d been reaching for her again when he’d realized sunlight was peeking through the bedroom curtains. Then, suddenly his brain had managed to speak loudly enough to drown out his manhood and remind him of certain problems that needed dealing with. His brother’s body, for instance. Recal ing his intent to hunt down Daniel this morning and find out what he’d done with George, Richard had leapt from the bed, found some clothes in the master with George, Richard had leapt from the bed, found some clothes in the master bedroom that his twin had obviously purchased, and reluctantly donned them.

George had always favored bright, flashy colors while Richard preferred more somber attire. He would have to see about a whole new wardrobe, he thought now.

"Wel ?"

Richard blinked his thoughts away and glanced to Daniel in question. "Wel , what?"

"Are you real y planning to keep her?"

"Yes, of course." He settled in a chair with a sigh, and then admitted, "She was a virgin until last night."

Daniel blew out a silent whistle. "That was very remiss of you know who."

Richard grunted, not bothering to mention that he’d heard a thing or two in the past that suggested it wasn’t so much that George was being remiss in not consummating the marriage, but that he was incapable of it. He hadn’t paid much attention to the gossip then, but now supposed it must be true.

"So after a year of misery with you know who, whom she thought was you, she just forgave al and fel into your arms last night?" Daniel asked quietly. Richard heard the reprimand in his friend’s voice and scrubbed his face guiltily.

Daniel had been there listening at the door when the women had gone past. He too knew about the drink and how it had affected Christiana, so knew exactly what state she’d been in. And while it hadn’t seemed that important last night when he’d thought her an experienced woman, now, in the bright light of day with his manhood final y quiet, it seemed rather shameful behavior.

Shaking his head, he muttered with self-disgust. "I took advantage of an inebriated virgin."

Woodrow did not let him off the hook, but left him to wal ow in his guilt for several moments before final y clearing his throat and saying, "Wel , at least you are going to do the right thing and stand by the marriage."

"Which isn’t even a legal one," Richard muttered, and then his eyes widened suddenly. "What if she is pregnant from last night’s tumblings? Technical y, the child would be il egitimate."

"Wel , one time isn’t likely to bring about a child," Daniel said soothingly.

Richard grimaced. "True, but it wasn’t one time."

"Wel even two . . ." He paused as he noted his expression and then said,

"Three?"

Richard merely stared back.

"Four?"

Richard remained silent.

"Oh," Daniel said, looking impressed. "Wel , she must be very . . . er . . .

inspiring. We must just hope she is not equal y fertile." When Richard’s shoulders slumped, he added, "Or you could marry her to ensure everything was legal."

"We are already supposed to be married," Richard pointed out dryly. "How the devil do I explain the need to marry again?"

Daniel opened his mouth, but then glanced to the door. In the next moment, he’d risen and crossed the room to close it. As he returned to his seat they exchanged a grimace at having said so much before thinking to close it, and then Daniel suggested, "Rather than present it as a need, perhaps you could suggest to Christiana that you want to do it again, as a sort of fresh start to the marriage to make up for this last very bad year. She wil think you are the most romantic bugger alive, and you wil be assured that any heirs are legal."

Richard raised his eyebrows. "That is actual y a good idea."

"I have been known to have a good idea or two on occasion," Daniel said dryly, no doubt a bit insulted by his surprised tone. Richard merely grunted, his thoughts on what exactly he would say to Christiana and how he could convince her.

"And then you could travel to Gretna Green with Suzette and me when we head off to do the deed."

"Yes, we could leave – " Richard paused and blinked. "You and Suzette?"

Daniel cleared his throat. "Er . . . yes."

"You’re marrying Suzette?" he asked, just to be certain he wasn’t misunderstanding.

"I haven’t quite made up my mind, though I am leaning that way," Daniel muttered, picking imaginary lint off his trousers. Richard considered him silently, his eyes narrowing as he recal ed the passionate embrace he’d stumbled upon and the fact that the man hadn’t rejoined him as he’d expected. Just how long had Daniel been in Suzette’s room in the end?

He tried to work it out, running through the events of the evening.

"I haven’t tumbled her," Daniel snapped, apparently reading his thoughts, and then he sighed and admitted, "But it was damned close, and only you know who’s presence prevented it in the end."

"You know who was in the carriage," Richard said at once.

"Yes, wel , so were Suzette and I," Daniel muttered.

"You had Suzette in the carriage with you know who?" he asked with horror. "Did she know you know who was there?"

she know you know who was there?"

Daniel grimaced. "Can we not think of another name for him? This is getting annoying."

"Answer the damned question."

"Wel , of course she didn’t know. Hel , I didn’t know until I got in. In fact it was my attempt to distract her from his presence that led to the ‘damned close’

bit." He sighed and added, "So it’s ironic that it was also his presence that brought an end to it."

Richard almost asked how that could be, but then decided he didn’t real y want to know. Running a hand through his hair, he asked, "If you haven’t bedded her, why consider marrying her? It’s rather sudden, isn’t it? You hardly know the chit."

"Wel , I know her as wel as you know Christiana and you’re marrying her."

"Christiana is a special woman and our situation is not a common one."

"Wel Suzette is just as special and our situation is not common either," he shot back, and then sighed. "She proposed to me at the bal , and then when she found me in her room thought I had come to tel her yes. Rather than explain my real purpose in her room I let her believe it because I couldn’t come up with an alternate explanation for my presence there. I am stil trying to come up with one. But I am also considering her proposal seriously in the meantime."

"Why the devil would she propose to you?" Richard asked with surprise. "She wants a husband in need of money who wil agree to her terms."

"Yes, wel , I may have misled her as to my financial status," Daniel muttered.

Richard raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"Because when she asked me about my income I assumed she was just another fortune seeking debutante and lied," he admitted wryly. "You can imagine my surprise when rather than scaring her off, it prompted a proposal."

No doubt he’d also been a little fascinated, Richard realized. They were both used to fortune seeking debutantes and their mothers chasing them about. Other than this last year and a half when he’d been absent, it had happened on a regular basis. A woman who wanted just the opposite would make an interesting change.

"So rather than just tel her that you have money – "

"I have no intention of tel ing her that, and you’d best not either," Daniel said grimly. "And don’t even think about offering to pay off the father’s gambling debts. I shal attend those myself whether I marry her or not."