Ellie’s eyes widened, but her gaze was incendiary. “Like this?”
Henry moaned as she shifted, taking his tip into her, bathing him in her warmth. “Like this,” he echoed, bringing her hips down until he was fully seated, marveling at her astonished expression.
She adjusted her position and he slid deeper, drawing a gasp from both of them. “Have you done this before?” she asked, her voice full of wonder.
“Not precisely like this.” Suddenly, all of his previous experiences were meaningless, like he had regained his virginity and was learning anew with Ellie. Everything was different with Ellie.
A low moan sounded in her chest as she took him completely. “Henry, you—you’re—”
“I’m what?” he managed between clenched teeth, trying to hold himself together with his name on her lips.
“You’re everything,” she whispered.
Henry paused for a moment as the words washed over him, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. “I’m—I’m what?”
She buried her cheek under his chin, as though shy to make eye contact. “You’re everything I wanted. Everything. You make me whole.”
With those words, Henry was done for. The piece of his heart he had held back, that he had kept in reserve under the cover of his darkness broke free, claimed the light and took hold of Ellie’s words, her body and soul and every part of her she had given to him. He was lost to her, and he could never be the same, neverwantedto be the same.
Henry guided her hips up and then down again, the muscles in her thighs quivering as she took up the rhythm for herself. He arched his pelvis to meet her, reveling in her soft cries and moans, soaking up the image of him taking her, joining with her, fully exposed to only themselves.
“Henry,” she whimpered, and he growled in satisfaction.
“Say my name again,” he said, nipping at her ear and groaning as she pulsed around him. “Who makes you feel like this, Ellie?”
“You,” she cried, reaching one arm behind her to catch his head, pulling his face to capture his lips in a furious kiss. “Only you, Henry.”
Soon their rhythm became sloppy, unsynchronized as their building tension took over. Henry dropped his fingers between her legs, worrying her center of nerves as her body trembled around him. Ellie gripped his thigh and groaned, throwing her head back. “Henry, I’m going to—”
Her words were lost to the ages as she cried out, convulsing and milking him mercilessly. He held on for just a few moments longer, wanting this to never end but desperate to find release. With a guttural cry, he lifted Ellie from his lap, stood and turned, his seed spilling into his hand as his chest heaved with exertion. Shame hit him, hot and heavy in his chest. This seemed like such a crude ending to the luminous interlude, as though their actions were dirty and sordid.
With a start, he realized Ellie was no longer by his side, but looked up to watch her emerging from the washroom, gloriously nude and carrying a length of damp linen, a shy smile on her face. Wordlessly she took his hand and cleaned him, then pressed a kiss to his chest, snuggling against him.
The intimacy of the gesture pushed the air from his lungs, and hope bloomed in his chest, a tiny bud of possibility. Could she care for him beyond what he offered her physically? What Ellie had said gave him hope, a reason to try harder, to fight his demons.
Henry scooped her into her arms, lifting her off the ground as she cried out in surprise. “We have a big day of travel tomorrow,” he said, kissing the tip of her nose. “We should get to bed.”
Ellie grinned, her eyes sparkling as he carried her towards her room and laid her on the bed, spreading himself long beside her. “And I suppose you intend to do lots of resting?” she teased.
“You are a demanding lover, my dear.” He cupped her breast as he kissed her lips, a brief contact that took on more heat. “I think I’ll need a nap before werestany further.”
Ellie grabbed the cashmere blanket from the base of the bed and threw it over them, pushing his shoulder so his back was flat. “Nap quickly,” she chided. “I intend to be demanding several more times this evening.”
Chapter 25
Milesclappedhishandinto Henry’s, giving it a firm shake. “Safe travels, friend. I hope our paths will cross again.”
Henry gave him a half-smile, holding up one hand to shield his eyes from the early-morning light flooding the Plaza Navonna. In an unusual moment of maturity, Henry had learned from his past mistakes and hired two footmen and a carriage to transport their bags to the port where their ship awaited. The ship that would carry them back to London, and back to the uncertain future awaiting them.
The glow from the previous night, their half-spoken and physical declarations for each other, had faded in the light of day. Henry would not regret telling Ellie how she affected him—frankly, she deserved those words years ago. But, as always seemed to be the case for Henry, his timing was horrific.
“I’m sure they will. But if you would,” he leaned in closer and dropped his voice, “will you keep Ellie’s name out of any discussion of our travels, especially when you’re in London?”
Nodding in understanding, Miles furrowed his brow. “I’ll be discreet, but consider what you’re doing with her. It’s clear how you feel about her—”
“Just please don’t use her name,” Henry interrupted, ignoring the disappointment in Miles’s expression. Henry was accustomed to seeing that look.
He glanced over towards where Ellie stood with a wide smile, squeezing Alice’s hands. A pang of longing struck him square in the chest. What he wouldn’t give to stop the passage of time and reverse it, go back and undo all the impulsive, foolish decisions he had made as he dug his own grave. Now he was falling into it head first.
