The command in his voice added heat to the already burning fire inside her. She drew a shuddering breath and slowly pulled the delicate fabric up and over her head, leaving her utterly bare for his perusal, save for the stockings, garters, and shoes she still wore.
He stared at her as if she were an angel descended from heaven. “Christ, Emily.” His gaze slid over her body, from her face to the tips of her toes and back up again. Contrary to what she’d expected, she didn’t feel shy or inadequate, but rather empowered. Especially when she caught the look of pleasure in his eyes. “You’re even more stunning than I imagined.”
“You make me feel beautiful,” she told him sincerely. Because it was true. Standing before him right now, she felt like a goddess about to be worshiped.
He reached for her, dragged her against him and grasped her firmly so he could kiss her again. The abrasion of his clothes against her skin, the juxtaposition of him still dressed while she wore almost nothing at all, made her want in a way she’d never wanted before. And she knew that he wanted too, for she could feel him pressing against her with greater insistence the more they kissed.
Without warning, he lifted her off her feet and carried her to the bed. Swallowing her gasp of surprise, he laid her down carefully, then straightened himself. His hair was ruffled from where her fingers had disturbed it, adding an untamed look to his appearance that only made her crave him more.
Panting slightly as if he’d just run up a long flight of stairs, he began untying his cravat. Emily stared, enthralled by his every movement, by the veins pulsing slightly in his neck when he drew the long piece of fabric away, by the smoothness of his shoulders and abdomen once his waistcoat and shirt had been tossed aside, and by the dusting of hair on his legs when he’d finishing shucking his trousers, smalls, and hose.
Mostly, however, she was captivated by the part of him that made him so different from her. Though she realized she probably ought to, she simply couldn’t look away. “That is…” She wasn’t sure what to say or if saying anything would even be proper but—
“What?” he asked with a note of curiosity. When she didn’t reply immediately, he lowered himself to the bed and proceeded to kiss his way up her leg. “Don’t stop being honest and bold with me now, Emily. I want to know your thoughts.” He licked her and she responded with a groan. “I also want to know what you like. So…” He lifted his head so he could look her in the eye. “I believe you were going to tell me something about my manhood. That it is…”
“Bigger than I expected.” She knit her brow in thought and then added, “Very impressive and rather daunting, to be perfectly frank.”
He grinned and pressed a kiss to her hip. “You cannot imagine how pleased I am to hear you say that.” He slid between her thighs and settled more firmly against her. “We’re going to fit together perfectly, you and I.”
“You’re sure?” Now that the moment of truth was upon her, she was starting to live in her head again rather than in the moment.
“There may be a little discomfort at first, but after that, it will be like it was in the carriage.” Heat rose to the surface once more as she thought back on that incredible experience. “Except this time, we’ll leap off the cliff together.”
The love she saw in his eyes allowed her to relax, as did the kisses and caresses that followed. So by the time Griffin joined his body with hers, she hardly noticed the brief discomfort it caused. Especially since her husband was quite determined to distract her from it in every way possible. And just as he’d promised, they flew toward the horizon together, until they collapsed side by side with exhaustion.
“I love you, Lady Griffin,” Griffin told her after rolling to his side and pulling her against him.
“And I love you, my lord.”
He kissed the side of her neck. “How do you feel?”
“Like I’ve just had the best experience of my life,” she said with a sigh as his hand trailed over her waist.
“I see.” He sounded immensely satisfied. “So then I take it you may want to do it again sometime?”
Turning more fully toward him, she moved her mouth closer to his. “Most assuredly,” she whispered, upon which she kissed him, conveying without words, the love and devotion that was in her heart.
Epilogue
The temperature was finally risingand with the sun shining today from a clear blue sky, it was possible to enjoy the outdoors as long as one was properly dressed. Making her way along a flagstone path lined by bright yellow daffodils, Emily carried a tea tray toward the garden table where Griffin sat. Bird song filled the air and a breeze stirred a nearby birch, rustling its leaves.
Griffin raised his gaze when he heard her approach and smiled as he always did whenever he saw her. His hair might be grey now instead of brown, there might be more creases around his eyes, and his scar might be more pronounced than it had once been, but to Emily, he was still the handsomest man she had ever known. During their marriage, he’d given her the three children she’d dreamed of having. Two sons (Finnegan and Douglas), and a daughter named Lara.
“Is that what I think it is?” he asked as he cleared a spot for her on the table. He’d been working on a mechanical butterfly for Lara’s daughter, Rose. It was to be a gift for her tenth birthday, and Griffin was determined to finish it on time, even though the precision required was more challenging now on account of his trembling fingers.
Emily set down the tray. “Scones. Just as you like them.”
He helped her arrange the plates and teacups. “You spoil me more than I deserve.”
“Not nearly enough,” she argued with a deliberate smirk.
Grinning, he patted his lap. “Come sit with me, Lady Griffin.”
She accepted his invitation with a chuckle. Her figure was plumper now than it had been when they’d met, but that hadn’t changed anything. The love she saw in Griffin’s eyes had only deepened over the years. And although there had been moments where doubt had gripped him, where she’d had to remind him that nothing would ever tempt her to leave him, their life together had been filled with joy and happiness.
Emily leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed with contentment. Close to her feet lay Rupert, the fourth cocker spaniel Griffin had given her. She closed her eyes and breathed in the man who meant everything to her and savored the scent of sandalwood clinging to his clothes.
“We ought to respond to Douglas and Lillian,” Griffin murmured against her forehead. His breath was warm on her skin and a comfort to her soul.
