She clenched around him in waves, quivering and shaking. Arabella dared a look up to him. He was watching her just as intensely, as though every small movement she made only drove him further.
His jaw tightened. For a moment, he closed his eyes, a low, rough sound escaping him. His body tensed.
“Bella,” he growled.
He drove into her one last time as he reached his own climax. Arabella studied him, mesmerized, seeing him like this, losing control completely, making her body swell in ecstasy.
He fell on her, spent, careful not to crush her with his weight. He kissed her shoulder softly, and his thumb made circles where he was still gripping her by the waist.
She realized with dread that she could get used to this.
CHAPTER 19
Engagement Party
It was just the next day, and the London sky seemed to be in a celebratory mood, the clouds having shed their usual grey for a light white color. Not that it would make any difference to Arabella’s mood, even if there was a storm raging outside. She would still have the same soft smile on her face.
Of course, it really improved the already elevated spirits to come down to breakfast and see the room bathed in sunlight. The sunlight was spilling through the tall windows in golden stripes of warmth. The smell of tea and freshly baked biscuits wafted in the air, and the flowers in the vases added to the exquisite scent.
Arabella sat down at the perfectly made table to enjoy her breakfast. Everything seemed better this morning. Thesilverware was shining under the light, and the linen was soft and so delicately embroidered. She poured herself some tea and was perusing the sandwiches.
She was quite famished. The last thing she had eaten was some cold dishes at the Opera. And after last night…
Her cheeks turned pink at the thought. Her heart fluttered, and her stomach tightened in the most delicious way at remembering how it felt to be in his arms.
“Good morning, Your Grace,” Gerald’s voice filled the air, low and husky.
Her body reacted to him even more, her thighs tightening and her breasts getting heavier. She knew that there would never be a time when she wouldn’t react to him the same way.
She was, at the same time, quite surprised to see him in the breakfast room, since he mostly took those in his room, gracing her with his presence only during dinners.
“A good morning indeed,” she replied.
She was trying hard not to linger on how good he looked in this light. In any light, for that matter, but he was particularly striking this morning. He had that impossible combination of informal ease and a gentleman’s appearance.
He sat down and opened the ledger he had brought with him. Arabella was getting used to seeing him use his business as a means to retreat from things around him. She had come to understand that his obsessive devotion to his finances was not a pursuit for money or greed. It was another one of his walls.
She studied him as they quietly had their breakfast. After a while, he looked up from his ledger.
“I would like to remind you that my sister’s engagement party is soon,” Gerald said.
“I have made a note of it on my calendar. After all, it is one of my obligations to make sure everything goes smoothly there as well,” Arabella said.
“I must admit you did excellently with the Pembletons,” Gerald said, and then his voice dropped lower. “I think I made my appreciation quite clear, haven’t I?”
Arabella felt her cheeks inflamed. She had not expected him to refer to the previous night so openly. Whenever they seemed to draw closer, Gerald usually found some way to retreat behind his composure. But this time he was almost… amused.
“I think there has been some mention of my excellent performance last night.”
“Oh, you did perform excellently, Your Grace.”
Her blush went bright red, and she could feel it up to her ears. He chuckled cruelly at seeing her like this.
“You seem to be quite refreshed this morning, Your Grace,” she said with a succoring smile.
“You sound almost dejected by that.”
“I am merely surprised. I was under the impression that certain exertions demanded longer recovery.”
