He took a finger and brought it to his mouth, sucking hard. Her eyes widened as she realized what he was doing, then she clenched them tight.
“You taste exquisite,” he rasped as he kissed her earlobe. “I cannot wait for more. You are a delight.”
When she could finally breathe again, when the world had stopped spinning, she opened her eyes to find him watching her with an expression of such tender satisfaction that it made her chest ache.
“That was… Well, I…” She couldn’t find the words. “I didn’t know it could feel like that.”
“That was just the beginning, darling.” He kissed her again, deep and thorough, letting her taste herself on his lips. “I’m not going to rush this. We have the rest of our lives.”
Still dazed from pleasure, Eliza felt a new kind of boldness rise in her at his words, at her resounding pleasure. She could feel himagainst her hip, hard and wanting, and instinctively, she shifted, grinding against him with her legs parted. Morgan groaned, his hands tightening on her waist. For a moment, he responded, his hips moving against hers in a rhythm that made them both moan. Then, with visible effort, he stopped.
“Eliza,” he said, his voice strained. “Wait.”
“Why?” She looked up at him, confused.
Did I do something wrong?!
“Because tonight is about you.” He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his expression tender despite the obvious desire darkening his eyes. “I want to take this slowly. I meant hat. I want you to be ready, completely ready, before we… before we go further.”
“But what about you?” She glanced down, then quickly away, her cheeks burning. “Isn’t there something I can do to relieve… to help you.”
“I am a big boy, Eliza. Another time,” he promised, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll show you another time. Tonight, I just want to focus on making you feel good. On showing you, what pleasure can be.”
Before she could protest, he’d moved down her body again, his mouth and hands trailing her thighs until he planted his lips on the soft part of her. He stuck his tongue in, savoring eachmovement as if she were the lemon tart. This time, when she finally shattered, it was even more intense. She cried out his name, her fingers tangling in his dark hair, her body arching into his touch.
Morgan worked her through it not stopping until she couldn’t take it anymore. Then gathered, he her into his arms, holding her close as she trembled with aftershocks.
“Sleep, darling,” he murmured into her hair. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
“Shouldn’t I go to my quarters?”
“No. You sleep here, darling.”
Exhausted, overwhelmed, and more content than she’d ever been in her life, Eliza nodded and let herself drift. The last thing she felt before sleep claimed her was Morgan’s arms around her, solid and sure. And the last thought she had was that maybe, just maybe, this marriage might turn out to be more than just survival after all.
This might actually be something wonderful.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Close your eyes,” Morgan said, his hand warm in hers.
Eliza laughed. “Why?”
“Because I want to show you something, and I want it to be a surprise.”
Three days had passed since their wedding and now they were standing in a corridor on the third floor of Kirkhammer Hall, one she’d rarely ventured into during her time as a maid. The morning sun streamed through the tall windows, casting patterns of light across the polished floors.
“All right,” she agreed, closing her eyes. “But if you let me walk into a wall, I’ll never forgive you.”
“I would never risk that beautiful face.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “Come on.”
He guided her forward, his hand steady on hers. She heard the sound of a door opening, the creak of old hinges. Then they were moving again, and the air changed. It was cooler, with a hint of mustiness that spoke of a room rarely opened.
“Can I look now?”
“Almost. Just a few more steps. There. That’s my darling. Now.”
Eliza opened her eyes.
