The teacup slipped in his grasp, and he drew in a sharp breath as hot liquid splashed onto his hand.
Devil’s breeches!He’d have to be more careful to suppress such notions, especially now Jacob was taking his meals with them in the main house.
The footman rushed over, and Charles waved him away, his cheeks warming with embarrassment. It was the same young man—Colin, his wife said his name was—who’d almost caught them outside when, after a morning of anticipation in which they’d circled eachother for almost an hour with lingering looks, almost-kisses, and a game of hide-and-seek, Charles found Olivia waiting in the garden wearing nothing but her chemise. Unable to contain the inferno of need, he’d torn the garment apart and taken her swiftly among the bushes, coming to shattering pleasure the moment he’d entered her while her body rippled and clenched around his cock as she sobbed with ecstasy.
What a fool he was to have believed that a coupling was a mere physical release to meet a man’s baser needs! Over the past weeks, since his wife had first taken pleasure from his newly acquired skills, she had encouraged him to hone those skills in almost every room in the house. And who was he to object?
Finally, he understood what all the fuss was about—why some men were driven mad with desire over a woman, driving themselves to ruination to meet a doxy’s increasing demands for coins and trinkets just to have a taste of her again. But rather than a grasping doxy, he had a willing wife who not only permitted him to indulge in her body, but actively relished the experience herself.
But it wasn’t merely the needs of his body that she satisfied. Each time he buried himself inside her warm, welcoming heat, her eyes flared with desire and deepened in color to reveal her soul…
Save for a tiny part of her that she kept from him. He’d not noticed at first, but as they continued to explore each other’s needs and desires, celebrating each other’s bodies, a shadow occasionally clouded her expression, and she turned from him as if she could not give herself fully.
As if she did not yet completely trust him.
She approached the side table, eyeing the dishes, then spooned some eggs onto her plate and returned to her seat.
“Lady Devereaux, may I serve you some kidneys?” Colin said. “Mrs. Groves ordered them in special for you. It would be a shame for them to go to waste, though Master Jacob is fond of them also.”
She shook her head and pushed her plate to one side.
“Some tea, perhaps?”
She nodded, then lifted her gaze to Charles and smiled. But the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, which still carried a flicker of pain.
Are you well?
She stared at Charles’s hand gestures, then nodded.
“Perfectly so, Charles, but I-I find I’m not hungry. I’m a little tired.”
And well she might be, given how little sleep they’d had last night. He’d brought her to pleasure three times, then woken her just before dawn to slip inside her once more while she writhed beneath him. Then he’d fallen asleep in her arms before rising the moment he heard his valet wandering about. Olivia had looked at peace when he left her in her bed. But now, she looked strained, lines creasing her forehead and a pale hue to her cheeks.
Will you join me for a ride today?
She frowned.
“Something about riding?” she said. “You’re going riding?”
He gestured to her.
“You wantmeto come?” she said. “I-I’ve arranged to take a walk with Nicola today.”
That harridan! Pretty enough, always trotting after Jacob with her tongue hanging out. But there was a look of cunning about her that made Charles uneasy.
Perhaps you should remain inside if you’re feeling tired.
He gestured, slowly and deliberately this time, and she smiled.
“I think a walk will do me good,” she said. “Dr. Cheam is an advocate for fresh air and exercise, and this is the only day that suits both myself and Nicola. Perhaps Jacob might accompany you? He’s a better rider than I.”
Charles suppressed a snort, and his wife’s smile slipped.
“You disapprove of my friend.”
The tone of her voice made it clear that it wasn’t a question.
“Or do you disapprove of your brother—the fact that he now dines with us? He’s your heir, is he not?”
