“Please. I trust you to tell me.”
He rolled onto his back, groaning, as he willed his raging cock into obedience, an order his prick refused outright. She’d not relent till he supplied her with an answer, and the trouble was, a man did not describe such things, a man simplydidthem.
He ought to have ravished her the first night he’d spirited her away, for then he’d not now find himself in the unbearableposition of being married to a temptress, legally entitled to a temptress, yet honor bound not to enjoy said temptress.
He cursed Jasper Audrey as he tried to wriggle his way out of this godforsaken moment. For if there were a God, the Rotten Bugger was testing Harris’s willpower like never before.
“Arthur.” Bella’s fingers lightly brushed his chest, then immediately withdrew. “Why won’t you tell me?”
“You wantthis,miss?” He roughly placed her hand at his groin, that she might know what she did to him and understand how unbearable it was.
“Oh…”She slowly exhaled, her hand frozen upon his poor cock, which twitched enthusiastically beneath her touch.
And then the witch began to pet him.
Harris choked, unable to speak.
“Please, Arthur, I shan’t do more. I wish only to explore.”
So he let her, sight unseen, fondle him through his smalls. Only his wretched body responded with need so intense, he died without the least bit of warning, shuddering his release.
She froze; Harris sighed with abject disgust.
“Goodness, I—” She removed her hand from the situation, but he trapped it atop his poor prick, insisting she witness its diminishment.
“Y’ wished to know what it’s like.” He remained cross. “Well, now y’ do.”
“Mr. Harris, I hope you do not think me?—”
“I think you nothing short of remarkable, miss.” He meant it. “Y’ made me spill in me smalls like some virgin yob. Quite the feat.”
“Like a virgin?” She stilled. “Do you mean the first time you laid with a woman you also?—?”
“Spent too fast?” His laugh hurt. “Somethin’ I’ve not done in years. That’s how little I can control myself with yer ladyship, which is why I begged you not to tease me with yer?—”
“But Arthur, I never meant—that is, I did not always mean to flirt. I did not realize it might be difficult for a man to?—”
“Withstand a woman’s charms? Well, ’tis. Damned difficult.”
Silence ensued. Something profound had changed between them.
“Arthur, I am sorry I frustrate, but I am not sorry for what just occurred.”
Not sorry?Harris was further stunned, for the only sort of educating a lady of her breeding ought to get was from her?—
He groaned, for he nowwasher husband. Who better to show her what she could expect in marriage, nay, demand of her true husband one day?
Suddenly the situation took on an all new cast, because Mrs. Harris might benefit from a partial education in carnal relations. As, he realized, might he.
“Then you’ll not be sorry for what I teach you next, Bella.” He slid his hand up her leg as the whites of her eyes flashed at him in the dark.
Harris grinned. Mayhap he was just the man to shed light.
Elizabeth slept fitfully, but when there was still no word from Milton by morning, no indication that he’d returned at all last night, anger spiked her breast. She wasn’t jealous, for how could she be when her husband had bedded half of London already? Yet he’d bedded those womenbeforehe’d married her, not since. Had he sought one of Li’s girls last night? Or Miss Li herself?
She stewed through breakfast, Mutton’s head heavy on her lap. The dear fellow would not quit her side. His behavior was as out of character as her husband’s, especially with Annabelle absconded and the threat of Finch still looming large. Especiallyafter they’d made peace of sorts with one another. Milton had revealed more of himself to Elizabeth in the last two days than he had in their week of stormy courtship, or in the weeks since they had wed. Why vanish now?
Something was off.
