The three of them hauled him away and Benedick could hear the man’s grunts and complaints. No doubt the three were probably inflicting their own harm on him.
With a smile, and then a wince because it hurt, Benedick returned to the chamber he had been assigned to find Victoria waiting for him.
“Sit!” She pointed to the side of the bed, next to where she had bandages sitting, and he quickly obliged.
She took a wet cloth and wiped his face, rinsing the blood from the cloth before returning to her task.
“I would like to scold you, but it wouldn’t do any good, and you also did not have much of a choice.”
He said nothing, just stared at her creamy breasts, which were almost fully on display as Victoria leaned over to treat his wounds.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “I shudder to think what could have happened had I succeeded in sending you away.”
“Do not think on it because you would have never succeeded in getting me to leave.”
“That is because you are stubborn.”
Benedick snorted. “Not nearly as stubborn as you.”
“Yes, well, you may be correct.”
She then sat beside him and bandaged his hands. His knuckles were bloodied and bruised, but again, he did not care. He had saved Victoria and that was all that mattered.
“Well, then,” she said and stood when finished.
“Do I not at least deserve a kiss for my valiant efforts and saving you from the fiend?” he asked.
Victoria chuckled. “I suppose you do.”
She then bent forward and placed her lips against his.
If Benedick didn’t know what it was like to truly kiss her, maybe he would have been satisfied with the light, chaste kiss, but he wanted more. As she started to pull away, Benedick wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him.
“What are you doing?”
He did not answer, but placed a hand behind her head, pressed his lips to hers. Victoria smiled but was soon kissing him back. When she sighed, he delved and Victoria welcomed him. Her arms going around his neck as her fingers feathered through his hair. He wanted to lay her on the bed right now and do all the things that they had enjoyed before, but this time he wouldn’t stop until she was his. He wanted to feel the weight of her breast in his hands again, to trail his fingers up her thigh and bring her the pleasure that at one time had him swallowing her cries of release so that they would not be heard and discovered, but it was not time for that again.
As difficult as it was to do, especially being already achy with need, Benedick pulled away before he stood.
She blinked at him in confusion when he walked to the end of the bed and started for the door.
Her plump lips were parted in shock, disappointment in her blue eyes and he was hard pressed not to chuckle.
“Good night, Benedick.”
Ah, he recognized that determined tone. She may want him to stay but would not ask because he had literally just set her aside.
Victoria crawled under the coverlet, pulled it up to her chin, then turned on her side, back to him.
Did she really think he would leave her now?
Benedick grinned as he turned down the lamp, closed the still open bedchamber door.
Victoria sighed with disappointment into the darkness right before he crawled into the bed beside her.
“What are you doing?”
“I am not leaving until I have my answer.”
