“You’re doing so well,” he whispered seductively. He kept his eyes fixed on her, and then pushed deeper inside her, inch by inch, until his pelvic bone touched her sex. She was stretched and opened beneath him and she inhaled and exhaled heavy gasps to quell the flames of her body. And then he pulled back as if he was about to exit her, but this time, thrust inside her all at once. She gasped and hissed at the sudden pain but he continued to whisper comforting words against her earlobe.
He was trying to be careful not to hurt her. His hips moved slowly and rhythmically, allowing for her to predict when he would thrust inside her again and it helped for her body to get used to the largeness of him. He claimed her mouth, swamping her jaw and neck with kisses, until his thrusts grew harder and more frenzied with each motion, bringing to her a painful pleasure and furthering her closer to her climax.
“Ethan,” her voice came out as a whisper, and with his member still resting inside her, he hesitated, looking at her with a questioning gaze, “I… I…” She knew the words on the tip of her tongue but could not bring herself to say them. In their place, she whispered, “I want you.”
He responded by leaning down and pressing his forehead against hers while gently pushing deeper into her. She felt the pressure building up inside and knew that if he kept this up, hot pleasure would soon claim both of them.
“I want you too,” he whispered back, gradually increasing the pace of his thrusts once more.
Meredith’s head fell back to the featherbed and her legs wrapped around his torso with her nails digging into his back like ferocious claws. Soon, a deep lust-filled moan escaped her, and she was brought to her edge, her legs trembling and her heart pounding beneath her ribcage. Ethan thrust one final time inside of her, hard, and she felt him shudder above her while her own body shattered with the release of a warmth that filled her core.
He collapsed on top of her, his heartbeat synchronizing with hers in perfect unison. And then, she wrapped her arms around him, shutting her eyes and stroking his hair. Meredith had not wanted for many things in her life, but one thing she knew she wanted for certain was to stay like this forever.
CHAPTER10
Golden rays of sunlight speckled the chamber, casting a warm orange glow, and Ethan stretched his limbs, savoring its sensation. His roaming hands unexpectedly brushed against the velvety softness of Meredith’s arm beside him and her eyelids fluttered shut as she remained still for a moment. A faint sigh escaped her lips, a soft whisper of her body's subtle response to his tender caress.
With a mix of reluctance, Ethan rose from the bed, his muscles protesting the sudden movement. He was accustomed to remaining in bed until noon, given his habit of spending entire nights at Hartley’s, and so adjusting to early mornings proved frustratingly difficult. He reached for his shirt, its fine fabric a pale contrast to the vibrant hues of Meredith’s bedchamber. As he draped the garment over his bare form, he couldn't resist stealing one last lingering glance at Meredith, the bedsheets revealing tantalizing inches of her enchanting figure.
“Is it morning already?” Meredith asked, her voice heavy, as she rolled to her side to face him.
“It is,” he said, nonchalantly. “Late morning.”
Meredith immediately stiffened and lifted herself a little. “Should we not go down to break our fast? It seems inappropriate to oversleep,” she noted. Her breasts were now almost exposed by the shifting sheets, and he found himself unable to resist a furtive glance as blood rushed to his groin. It felt strange to lust over a woman in this manner, especially one to whom he was wed, but he couldn’t deny it any longer. It was clear he was developing feelings for her, and the thought of her departing soon evoked a sense of discomfort and longing in him.
“I doubt the household staff would give it much thought,” Ethan remarked. “Besides, what use is there in the title of a Duchess if it does not afford one the liberty to act as one desires?" he smirked.
As Ethan was getting dressed, something caught his eye and he walked to the other side of the room near a sturdy writing table that rested against the back wall. There, on it, lay a sheet of paper with a quill positioned carefully atop it, accompanied by a red rose likely plucked from the gardens. He couldn’t make out the contents from afar, but the feminine handwriting was unmistakably Meredith’s.
Succumbing to the pull of his curiosity, Ethan took deliberate steps toward the letter. Gently, he grasped it in his hands. He shuffled to the side, positioning himself near the window where the sunlight streamed in. His gaze drifted to a random small passage.
Thirdly: Partake in a romantic picnic in the Park.
“No, do not read that!” Meredith yelled out, rising from the bed at once with the sheets wrapped around her.
That was all Ethan could read before it was snatched away from him, leaving him staring blankly at his hands.
“Well,nowyou’ve piqued my interest. I thought it was nothing before, but your reaction suggests otherwise,” he teased. “What are you hiding?”
Meredith held the letter securely against her chest, turning the other way. “...It is nothing! I assure you.”
“Is that why you are so adamant in hiding it? Is it a list of some sort?” he asked. He strode closer. But she simply stepped back.
“I have my ways of finding out,” he said. “It mentioned something about having a picnic in—”
“Fine, I’ll tell you,” Meredith quickly said. And then she sighed. “I don't know how far you read, but it's a list of things I've always dreamed of doing if I were ever to get married.”
Ethan nodded in bewilderment. Certainly not what he expected to hear. He couldn’t relate completely to her motives, but he could understand having a wish or goal toward achieving something. He shared a similar aspiration in acquiring Hartley’s den, after all, though he had certainly not been as studious about his methods.
If anything, this only served to increase his guilt and sympathy towards her, thinking how any choice in the matter of her marriage was stripped away from her by her father.
And by myself,he reminded himself bluntly.
As per their arrangement, they would soon move on to live their own separate lives. Ethan did not want to be the one to renege on that agreement, especially since for all he knew, Meredith had already made her plans. First pressuring her to wed and then insisting on her staying was far beyond the supposedly altruistic motives he entered their relationship with.
But now, a sliver of dread threaded its way into his heart as he finally acknowledged the fleeting nature of their time together. He silently chastised himself for taking so long in accepting her – they could have shared so much more memories together in the days past.
An idea struck him then.
