Asher cursed, his fingers threading into her hair, continuing to guide her motions.
“Evelyn,” he groaned. “Your mouth feels incredible.”
The raw masculine sounds spilling from him sent heat lancing through her core. She loved that she could reduce this powerful man to a trembling mess with just her mouth.
Hollowing her cheeks, Evelyn increased her efforts, driven by an instinctive need to please him. Over and over she worked him, urged on by his rough groans and breathless praise.
"Evelyn, I’m close... I'm going to..." The words choked off into a groan as Asher went rigid. Hot liquid spurted across her tongue as he pulsed in her mouth, hips rocking helplessly as he spent himself.
Finally exhausted, Asher collapsed back on the bed, chest heaving. He tugged Evelyn up and into his arms, burying his face in her hair. "You are... extraordinary," he murmured reverently.
Evelyn glowed with feminine satisfaction, thrilled that she had pleased him so thoroughly. She nuzzled into his neck, basking in his warmth and solidity.
They lay entwined for long moments, heartbeats slowing as sweat cooled on their skin. Asher's hands roamed her back in soothing patterns.
While she had enjoyed what they had done together, the pleasure she had given and received, this intimacy — lying together after, telling one another how they felt — was what truly thrilled her, more than anything else they had done.
And she knew with great certainty that this wasn’t just a bit of fun.
She had growing feelings for him.
Which meant it would hurt all the more if she was ever not enough for him, if he didn’t return the feelings.
She had no idea just what she was going to do about it.
But she also had no wish to be anywhere else. At least not right now.
She would deal with the consequences later.
19
Asher smiled from his place on the sofa in the sitting room, watching his wife flit about the room, tapping her quill pen against her lips as she mouthed words silently.
He loved watching her work. He could practically see her mind spinning, placing clues together. His favorite part of her solving a mystery was when the answer came to her. Light filled her eyes as she lifted her pen into the air triumphantly.
It took far less time than it would for most people, that was for certain.
Last night had been a revelation.
Tonight, he would show her what it truly meant to come together as husband and wife.
He could hardly wait.
In fact, part of him wanted to pick her up and carry her to one of their bedrooms right now.
Yesterday after their lovemaking, he had eventually, very reluctantly, agreed she should cross through the dressing room connecting their bedrooms and get dressed before heading down to dinner.
She hadn’t come to his bedroom later that night, and he didn’t visit her either, giving her time to adjust to all that had changed between them.
They had all the time in the world to continue exploring one another.
At least, he assumed they did. They hadn’t exactly discussed their thoughts on how this marriage was to continue. Asher’s current focus was to take the physical joining but still keep his heart guarded, to not allow it to be hurt again.
Although he could admit that part of him simply wanted to hold her in his arms for the entire night, though she probably wouldn’t believe him if he told her so.
“Your grace?” the butler said from the doorway, having snuck up on him as he usually did.
“Yes, Lloyd?”
