Drake kissed his way back up the length of her as the wondrous feeling ebbed but still vibrated through her, leaving in its wake a delicious sense of completeness. Well, almost complete. Even though he had sated her ache with expertise and delightful finesse, there was more she needed. She needed him to join with her, unite them, makethem one rather than two.
“More,” she whispered against his mouth while arching up to meet him. “Show me more. Make me yours.”
He smiled down at her. “As I am yours, so are you mine.” With a shift of his hips, he nudged against her, easing his way inside. As he tenderly kissed her, a groan rumbled free of him, and he pressed his forehead to hers. “Gads alive. You are so very tight.”
“Is that bad?” she asked, a little more than breathless with each passing moment.
“No, my love.” He pushed in deeper still, then paused again. “I simply do not wish to hurt you.”
She smoothed her legs up and down his sides, unable to keep from wiggling beneath him. She needed more and needed it now. “My sisters said it’s just a little sting and well worth it.” Beyond the point of worrying about being brazen, she raked her fingers down his back and squeezed his buttocks. “More, my love. Take me fully. Please—I beg you.”
With a quick thrust, he rocked into her, making her gasp at a sudden tearing sensation that was as bearable as her sisters had described. Immediately, he halted and stared down at her, his eyes filled with worry. “Are you all right, my love? Shall I stop and leave you be?”
“Do not dare leave me be, or I shall never forgive you.”
“I could not bear to be unforgiven by you.” He settled into a slow rhythm that promised the return of the earlier ecstasy.
A most unladylike moan escaped her, but she didn’t care as she arched to meet him with every thrust. Yes, that wondrous bliss was well within reach, and this storm of passion promised to be even more satisfying than before. Much to her delight, the rhythm of the ancient dance moved faster, harder. Euphoria exploded, crashing through her like the waves of a stormy sea.
With a roaring bellow, Drake buried deep and held fast, shuddering with every muscle tensed. Then he collapsed on top of her,catching himself on his forearms to keep from crushing her. She pulled him down the rest of the way, reveling in the heat of his flesh sliding against hers. Now, she fully understood why mamas kept their daughters closely chaperoned and away from rogues and rakes.
He pressed a slow, tender kiss to her forehead. “Gads alive, woman. I love you more than you will ever know.”
“Was I all right, then?” She knew it had been wonderful to her, but would a man of experience find the same pleasure?
He rose and stared down at her, slowly shaking his head. “You were perfection itself, my love. Not merelyall right.” He idly smoothed a stray curl out of her face, then traced his thumb across her cheek. “Never before have I experienced such a wondrous completeness, my love, all because of you.”
She smoothed her hands up and down his sides, unable to get enough of touching him. “And to think, all this started with coddled eggs and soldiers.”
He laughed and kissed her heartily enough to stir and reawaken that lovely ache at her core that he seemed to control. “To coddled eggs and soldiers, my love, the supper of lovers.”
Epilogue
En route to Lady Joy’s annual Yule celebration at Winterstone Estate
England’s Lake District
December 1825
“We must turnaround and return home. Immediately.” Drake held Felicity steady as she cast up her accounts in the snow beside the carriage. “You are not well at all.”
“The festive season will not be complete if we miss Joy’s Yule celebration.” Felicity sagged against him, breathing as hard as if she had run alongside the carriage rather than ridden inside it. “Oh dear. Hold fast.” She doubled over and retched again with such force that Drake flinched.
“I forbid it,” he said. “You are unwell and should be home in bed, allowing Mrs. Pepperhill, Mrs. Bean, and me to care for you. We are turning the carriage around.”
“We are not!” Felicity burst into tears and vomited some more.
Gads alive.Not more tears. She had been so weepy of late. Drake felt the worst sort of lout for making his beloved angel so unhappy. “Felicity, please. I am so concerned for you. Please do not cry. It will only make you worse.”
“I cannot help it!” She stamped her foot and glared at him. “All of this is because I am with child.” She poked him in the chest. “But I didn’t wish to tell you until Christmas Eve, and now, you have ruined my surprise for you!”
He stared at her, uncertain he had heard her correctly.
“Well?” She covered her mouth with her handkerchief, her glare sharpening with a distinct glimmer of murder in her eyes. “Say something.”
“Our child?”
“Yes. Our child.”
