Penelope’s lips parted almost immediately to claim that she did trust him, but the weight of how much she would mean those words got stuck in her throat.
She really did trust him. And that was why she was here – why she had gone to him every time he had told her where to meet him.
“I do trust you,” she admitted slowly. “I would not be here if I didn’t.”
Her words seemed to satisfy him because he smirked, but it was not as playful as she knew it to be more often than not. His expression looked more honest, and she felt as though there was something about him that bore an air of seriousness tonight. Before Penelope could ponder it anymore, Cecil closed the distance between them, backing her against the door.
Before she could regain her bearings, his lips were on hers, kissing her rather insistently. It was easy to get swept up in his embrace and the pressure of his lips on hers. Especially when his hands came up to hold her cheeks, one straying to rest on her hip while the other slipped to hold her by her chin, tilting her head whichever way he needed to be able to deepen the kiss.
Penelope sighed against his lips, her hands coming up to clutch at his dressing gown as her knees weakened. His touch wasgentle and unhurried, but something about it felt heavy, as though he was trying to hold back. She pressed closer and shuddered as his tongue stroked hers, gasping when he pulled back slightly, only to lean in again to sink his teeth into the juncture of her neck.
It wasn’t hard enough to actually hurt, but rather startle her, and she felt lucid for a moment. That was when she realized she had pulled his dressing gown open and beneath it, he wore a pair of black breeches and a white shirt with the first few buttons undone. She could see his bare chest and his upper torso, and managed to catch sight of defined muscles that looked as though they were carved out of stone.
“Focus on me, angel,” he murmured against her jaw as his fingers tugged loose the knot that kept her own dressing gown close.
It soon ended up on the floor, pooling at her feet in a soft heap of silk. Cecil tapped her nose lightly with the tip of his finger, and when her eyes met his, he held her gaze as he gently tugged her nightdress up, slipping his hands beneath the fabric once it was above her hips. Then, with his hands pressed lightly to her skin, he pushed upward, caressing her torso up to her bosom, then the chest, the nightdress following along until he had rid her of it as well.
“Every time I see you, I am in awe of how beautiful you are,” he whispered, reaching behind her to tug at the bow that held her hair constrained, setting the dark curls free to cascade down herback. “I cannot believe such a marvel lay under my nose for as long as you did.”
Cecil pressed a thumb against her lower lip, grinning darkly when she opened her mouth slightly so her tongue could dart out and lick the tip of it.
“Oh, I suppose that is why,” he mumbled, caressing down her arm with his other hand, just barely grazing her breast. “You have always distracted me with this wicked tongue of yours. It is a wonder that we have found other, more suitable uses for it.”
He pressed closer, kissing her again deeply, stealing her moans right as she breathed them. She trembled beneath his touch, felt every inkling of a thought trying to form in her mind melt to oblivion, and she practically whined as he pulled away.
“Patience, angel. There is more to come, but if you cannot control yourself, I might be forced to punish you instead. Surely you do not want that?” he asked.
Penelope shook her head, doing her best to look as meek as possible. Her tactic seemed to work because something flashed across his eyes, and his fingers caressed her face, his voice thick with want as he said,
“Good. You are always so good for me, I’ve noticed. Remarkably different from the side of you that fights me at every chance you get. But I am not one to complain when I have a precious gift such as you within my grasp. I know that the purpose of these meetings was to expose you to the joys of pleasure – but oh howI would love to show you just how I arrive at my own pleasure. There are so many surfaces, so many places I could bend you over or set you upon as I take you over and over, until your voice is made hoarse by my name. I should like to see you on top as well, give you a chance to show off that fighting spirit within you. I wonder how long it would take you to shake with exertion, and how long after that before you beg me to help you fit all of me back inside you. I want to take you in my bed too, watch you writhe beneath me as your body is overcome with sensations until you are too fatigued to move.”
Penelope could not believe her ears, his words so shocking she was sure her face told tales of how affected she felt. But more than shock… she felt strangely excited by all that she had heard, and a part of her craved for him to uphold his declaration. She wondered how it would all feel, to have him like that.
“Hold out your hands, Angel,” Cecil instructed.
Penelope held out her hands, cheeks hot as his earlier statements continued to affect her. It had stopped being strange to her, how easily she gave in to him. But she thought perhaps she should be concerned, at the very least.
The silk felt soft against her skin as he wound it against her wrists and tied the ends into a bow, her heart skipping a beat as he nodded in approval, mumbling,
“Beautiful. Go sit on the bed. Right in the middle.”
Penelope’s legs moved before her mind thought to, and although there was a slight struggle, she managed to climb into the bed, settling in the middle as he had asked her to.
Cecil slipped his dressing gown off his shoulders as he walked to meet her, his expression focused as he settled on his knees between her legs.
“Lie back, Angel… put your hands up, slip your fingers through the groves in the headboard and see if you can hold – yes, good.” He nodded when she had put his instructions into action.
He shuffled closer on his knees, spreading her legs wider as he leaned forward to kiss her, ravaging her lips the moment they were connected.
“You might feel the urge to let go of the headboard. I will allow it, but I do not advise that you do. Because you are not allowed to hold anything else.” He whispered to her.
Before Penelope could speak up, he was settled on his knees again, lifting her legs by the underside of her thighs. And then he leaned down and licked her entrance.
Penelope nearly bit her tongue off.
“Y-Your Grace?”
It felt even more intense than it had in the garden. Cecil seemed enthusiastic tonight, mouthing at her eagerly like he had beenwandering across the desert for hours and had been told that a spring lay between her legs.
