He traced his lips down her jaw and pressed against her so that she was pinned between the table and his body, with nowhere to turn. His kiss deepened, and he was already erect—something he could not control in her presence—and he was only getting harder with each sound that escaped Meredith’s lips. His hands roamed along every single curve of hers, squeezing each inch of her enchanting body, from her beautiful breasts to her round buttocks. He reached the ribbons that held them captive, and untangled them, allowing her gown to slip smoothly from her shoulders until she was left only in her chemise. Parts of her bare skin were exposed to him and he gazed at her form in carnal lust, needing to feel all of her. She belonged to him.Only him.
His hand reached down to the hems of her chemise and he drew it up, quick and without hesitance, until he could feel her pale upper thigh against his skin. Then, he allowed his fingers to drift in between her thighs teasingly, but once they reached their destination, he kept them still. He waited. He waited until she trembled, until she held his arm and proved to him how desperate she was to feel him there, until she proved to him that she wanted this as much as he did. He felt Meredith arch herself into his touch and he almost groaned at the sensation.
“P-please…” she moaned as he kissed her throat.
With her seductive gasp, it was all the confirmation he needed, and his fingers grazed over from her thigh to her slit. He drew her lips apart until he could feel her sensitive pulsing flesh. She shuddered beneath him and he smirked. She was already so wet for him, he could feel it. In one sudden movement, he spun her around until her stomach lay on the pool table and her beautiful rear, with legs apart, fell almost fully exposed before him. She wiggled her body slightly but didn’t dare move. He seized her buttocks so firmly, they turned red from his touch.
He could feel her trembling with anticipation. He could hear her breath shudder as he pressed his hardness against her bare bottom. His hands reached down to the shackles of his breeches and he released himself from them until his erection was free and ready for her. She appeared so seductive in this position. So alluring.
He pressed harder against her and his bulge touched against her wetness. He moved back and forth, rubbing himself against her slit, but never entering her, not until he heard her say the words he desired to hear. With one hand, he reached around her snatched waist and cupped her breasts, pinching and teasing her hard nipples. And with the other, he grasped her buttocks firmly, rubbing and slapping them playfully.
He leaned over her, grinding his hardness against her sex, and whispered against her neck, “You drive me mad, Meredith.”
She gasped at this sudden movement. “Ethan, please…” she whispered, her voice growing weak.
He released his hold over her breasts, and instead, took both of her wrists into his hand, holding them behind her back. “What do you want? Tell me,” he commanded her with a smirk.
Meredith sucked in a breath once more. “I want…this.”
“Tell me precisely what you want, and I’ll give it to you. Use your words.”
Meredith’s hands clenched and unclenched behind her, and she paused for a moment, as if embarrassed to speak her thoughts. “I want…I want to feel you inside me.”
“Good girl.” Ethan obeyed, his body pushing up against her with purpose and his member sliding into her wetness. Meredith gasped at the sudden pressure and her back arched, inviting him deeper. With one hand still holding her wrists, he used his other to loosely encircle her throat, and his breath grew weak at the sound of her seductive moans after each thrust. She truly was driving him mad. Mad with desire and animalistic need, and he couldn’t help himself but give in to it, wanting more of everything she offered and everything she could offer.How a mere bluestocking could unleash such a passion-crazed side of him, he was unsure.
His arm wrapped around her stomach and lowered to her sex as he rubbed circles, heightening her pleasure with each thrust.
“Ethan, I…God…please…” she whimpered between breaths, only exhilarating his passion.
And then, with one final thrust, they both found release and he finished inside her. He could feel her knees growing weak and he held her up and steady, kissing the back of her neck in comfort.
His arms went about her legs and her back, and he lifted her and carried her over to the chaise longue beside them. He held her close in his embrace, refusing to let go, afraid she would disappear before his eyes. And Meredith did the same, with her head buried against his chest in desire and longing.
It was perfection.
She was a Goddess in his arms, and if he never had to let her go again, it would still be too soon.
CHAPTER12
Meredith stretched out her arm, searching for the lingering warmth on the other side of the bed as her body stirred. She had just experienced the most thrilling evening of her life, and a delicate smile graced her lips as she thought back to it. Deep down, she wanted to get back to creating more experiences like that already. If Ethan desired it too, of course.
Ethan.
Her eyes fluttered open as they struggled to adapt to the dimly lit chamber and she shivered from the cold air that had seeped into the room through an open window. She wrapped her damask coverlet closer about her.
"Ethan?" she murmured, her voice soft and barely audible. As her eyes properly adjusted, she realized that his side of the bed was empty.
Meredith's heart raced as she sat up. The dying embers of a hearth cast a ghoulish ballet of shadows throughout the room, yet there was no sign of her husband.
"Ethan?" she called again, her voice firmer this time. There was no response, save for the distant howling of the wind outside, and suddenly, she felt alone. Her thoughts raced as she struggled to make sense of his absence.
Perhaps he has just left for a nightcap, she thought, trying to quell the rising unease in her chest. He often sought the comfort of a glass of port when he couldn't sleep, or so she had been told.
She hesitated for a moment before slipping out of bed, her feet finding the cold embrace of the wooden floorboards. As if on cue, a soft breeze wafted through the room, drawing Meredith’s attention to the rustling curtains. The faint sound of horses neighing and a carriage being prepared reached her ears. Curiosity now piqued, she cautiously moved to the window and peered out into the darkness.
It was difficult to make out much and she was forced to squint against the minimal source of light surrounding the path of the front garden. A lantern nearby lit the surroundings of a carriage and its driver who waited patiently with a cigar between his lips. It was then that she spotted Ethan, through the silvery moonlight, stepping into the carriage bearing the distinct Allerton crest. Her heart plummeted.
"Ethan!" she called out, but her voice was swallowed by the wind. The driver followed suit and the carriage pulled away, leaving her with a sinking feeling in her chest. Was he leaving her on purpose? What of his promise to stay with her for their final days together?
