To Maxwell’s delight and relief, Thalia squeezed Lydia’s hand. “I’ve always wanted a sister,” she said, and he could hear no lie in her voice.
Then she looked up at him, lips curving in a polite smile, but her eyes heavy and heated.
“Why don’t you show me the rest of the house, Maxwell?” she asked.
They made it upstairs before he kissed her right on the landing. Fortunately, Lydia and Joyce had remained downstairs, and the servants knew enough to give them a wide berth.
“Which portrait is this?” she asked, looking above her at the large portrait of his grandmother. “You aredreadfulat giving tours, you know.”
“Forgive me. I find myself somewhat preoccupied.” He licked her ear. “I propose we stay at Marrowhurst Hall for a few weeks.”
“Yes.” She gasped the word, then frowned, her hands grasping at his shoulders. “But my sculpting… I have commissions, and I shouldn’t take that much time off.”
“Then sculpt there.” He kissed her neck, burying himself in the scent of her.
As always, she arched her back, giving him access to whatever he wanted, and he gripped her hips, trying to convince himself to wait for a bed.
He had waited this long.
“You would not object?” she panted.
He took her hand and hurried her along the corridor until he finally reached the master suite, dragging her through the dressing room to his bedchamber. “May I watch you work?”
“I doubt it would be very interesting.”
“That was not my question.” He took hold of the back of her dress and wrenched. Tiny buttons flew everywhere, and he tugged the gown free. It had been a masterpiece, but he could have another made. For now, he needed her. “May I watch you, Thalia?”
“Always.” Her voice was throaty and her eyes glistened with emotion as she turned to look at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his face down to hers. “You may do whatever you like so long as you have no objection to my sculpting.”
“If I objected, would you stop?”
She laughed against his mouth. “Never.”
“Then what would be the point of my preventing you?”
“Mm, an attempt to insert authority into my life?”
“I have other ways of doing that,” he said, his voice a growl, and pushed her to her knees before him.
His cock strained in his breeches, eager for the soft mouth that hung open in shock. Yet past the astonishment, he saw her desire and knew she would delight in this almost as much as he would.
In fact, if he had judged her correctly, this would work to prepare her for him almost as much as if he were touching her himself.
Of course, he still intended to touch her. Her pleasure was as important to him, if not more, than his own. He just wanted to ensure it happened on his terms.
She stared up at him, hungry and waiting, and he knew then she would do anything he asked of her, and more than that, she would enjoy it.
Ravenous, that was how she looked, and he liked it a great deal. More than he ought, perhaps, but he was beyond worrying about that now.
As she watched, silently awaiting his command, he unfastened his breeches and drew out his erection, running a hand up and down its length. The pleasure from that alone made him hiss between his teeth.
“Open your mouth,” he said, the words grating.
She did as she was told, and he was able to do the thing he had been secretly wanting to do for more time than he was willing to admit. Her lips closed around his turgid flesh, and it was blissful to see.
Knowing she had never done this before, and it was likely a lot for her to take, he was gentle. One hand tangled in her hair as he gave her time to accommodate him and accustom herself tothe sensation of him in her mouth. His hips jerked when she swallowed, and she let out a soft humming sound.
Heaven help him, he liked the sound of that.
