Page 51 of A Wallflower to Win the Viscount

He scrambled at the buttons of his trousers, pushing them off his legs. His body fully covered hers, and she relished the weight of him on her. With one hand he quickly lifted her hips off the ground, the other pulling down her drawers and tossing them away.

Primrose tried not to give thought to the expertise with which he had done that or to consider how many other women had lain beneath him just as she was doing now, waiting in expectation for the pleasure he was about to give her.

He nudged her legs farther apart with his knee, then positioned his hard arousal at her opening.

‘Yes,’ she murmured again.

This was what she wanted. All other thoughts left her mind as she once again gave herself over to the powerful throbbing of her body, a body that was calling out to him.

He hesitated, so she bent up her knees and pushed herself against him, letting him know she was ready for him, that she wanted this as much as he did. He entered her slightly, and she cried out in sensual bliss, hardly able to believe that anything could feel this good.

He hesitated once again, as if fearing he had hurt her. Nothing he could do would hurt her, unless he stopped before her body once again experienced that rapturous gratification.

Her hands cupped his firm bottom as her legs wrapped themselves around his hips, and she encouraged him towards her.

He growled with pleasure as he entered her more deeply and she responded with her own moan of relief.

Wasn’t it supposed to hurt the first time? She was sure she had heard that somewhere. But this did not hurt, not in any way that was unpleasant, as pain always was. This felt deliriously wonderful, as if he was joining with her, as if they were becoming one.

She gripped his buttocks tighter, her fingers digging into the firm muscles, letting him know that she wanted more of him, much more. He obliged, pushing himself farther inside her, pulling out and thrusting in again, each time harder, faster, deeper.

‘Oh, yes,’ she thought or said, whichever it was she did not know or care. ‘Yes!’ she repeated, as he pushed himself inside her, again and again, her throbbing desire mounting with each thrust.

As her desire reached a crescendo, she was almost shouting out that one simple word, a word that described all she was feeling, until one last thrust sent her tumbling over the precipice of ecstasy, and with the word still on her lips, she collapsed back onto the floor, residual waves of bliss still rippling through her.

He groaned loudly, his lips close to her ear, and she felt him withdraw from her body just as his pounding heartbeat quickened even more, hammering hard against her chest.

They lay in each other’s arms, both still breathing heavily. Primrose could hardly believe the intensity of what she had just experienced, could hardly believe that such pleasure existed.

His head resting on her shoulder, his body still covering hers, she lightly kissed the top of his head, as if in thanks for what they had just shared. Something she hoped they would share again and again, as often as was humanly possible.

When their breathing settled he lifted himself off her and lightly pushed back a lock of hair from her face. She smiled up at him.

‘I’ll make the arrangements immediately,’ he whispered.

Arrangements? What arrangements?

‘It should take place as soon as possible, don’t you think?’

She lifted herself up on to one elbow. ‘What should take place as soon as possible?’ More lovemaking, she hoped.

‘Our marriage. After what we’ve just done, I will honour my promise and marry you,’ he said, reaching over to retrieve her drawers, which were lying unceremoniously beside her legs. ‘And it should happen soon.’

‘What?’ she asked, looking at the drawers in his hands as if unsure what they were or what she was supposed to do with them.

As swiftly as he had removed them, he pulled them up her legs, lifted up her hips and covered up her exposed parts. Then just as efficiently he pulled up her chemise and did up her buttons, as if all that they had just shared had now been put to rights.

‘I’ll make immediate arrangements to secure a special licence, and we can marry within the week,’ he said as he donned his trousers and did up the buttons.

‘You want to marry me?’ Primrose’s heartbeat raced. He was proposing. This was everything she could possibly want. She would be married to this wonderful, glorious man that she loved so intensely, and he would make love to her every day for the rest of her life.

It was beyond heavenly.

‘Of course. We shouldn’t have done what we did, but what’s done is done, and I will not abandon you.’

‘Abandon me?’ she asked, suddenly unsure of what he was talking about.

That did not sound like a romantic proposal. Nor could it be seen as anything akin to a declaration of love.