Page 42 of Forbidden: Claude

She couldn’t get enough of him. She met him over and over in the throes of passion, feeling the vibrations of love bringing her to a precipice that she had never climbed before. Then Claude released his seed with a shout, and the excitement of it brought her to climax as well.

She had never felt so hot in her entire life. Neither had she ever felt so sated and satisfied as she did now.

Claude collapsed next to her on the pallet, holding her up against his chest and kissing her behind the ear.

“That was beyond words,” she told him.

“You are the girl I have been waiting for my entire life,” said Claude.

“Really?” Her heart beat faster. Mayhap, she had found a husband and wouldn’t have to marry the wretched Lord Onfroi after all.

“I think I am falling in love with you, Evelina.” His eyes closed partially, and he looked drained. “Why do I always fall in love with the wrong women?”

“Wrong?” She didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

“You know we can’t be together forever because I am a noble and you – you are forbidden to me.”

That was it. The time had come when she could finally tell him she was a lady and that they could be together after all. “It’s not true,” she said, staring at the ceiling. Claude’s actions stilled, and his breathing slowed. “I tried to tell you before when I wore the gown, but you didn’t give me a chance.” He said nothing, and so she continued. “Claude, my real name is Lady Evelina du Pont. I am from the southern regions of France near Toulouse. My father is a count, and I ran away because I was betrothed to a man I didn’t want to marry. But now that I found you, we can be married. I will talk to my father and convince him to break the betrothal. I love you, Claude and I want to be together forever. Don’t you want that, too?”

He didn’t answer. She started wondering if she’d divulged too much information too soon. Perhaps, she should have sprinkled in the truth little by little until he could accept it.

“Claude? Please don’t be angry.” Still, he didn’t answer. “Claude?” She sat up to look at him just as he released a loud snore. He was sound asleep and hadn’t heard a word she said.

Rain pounded down on the roof, and the winds continued to whistle through the cracks in the walls. The heat that had encompassed her suddenly left. Now, she felt chilled and frightened. What if Claude didn’t want to marry her, even if he knew she was a lady? She hadn’t considered that. If he turned her away, then she had doomed herself by giving her virginity to a man she couldn’t have.

No man would want her if she weren’t a virgin. And when her father found out that she’d acted like a strumpet instead of a lady, he would be so angry with her that he would probably put her in a nunnery for the rest of her life.

A tear dripped from her eye as thoughts filled her head that there was a life worse than marrying just for alliances. If she were in a convent, she would never feel love between her and a man ever again. Then again, if Claude turned her away, she wasn’t sure she would ever want another man, because he was the one she loved.