Page 44 of Yule Be Mine

“Yule! You don’t mean to…It’s not decent. We’re in my father’s house!”

He disregarded her outrage as he stalked back to the bed. “That only means we’ll have to be very quiet, love.”

She gazed at him, a sudden hunger in her eyes as she reached out to him.

He held up a finger, then headed to the far side of the bed and picked up the little doll from the floor where he’d spied it earlier. “I see Mrs. Phillpotts has continued to be company for you.” The odor of freshly scorched linen wafted up to his nose and he raised an eyebrow at Penelope, who looked away. “She seems to have had a rough day already.” He set the doll on Penelope’s dressing table facing the wall. “Poor lady. Let’s make certain she doesn’t have another shock today.”

Penelope giggled as Yule doffed his coat and slid onto the bed. “I dare not undress further, so we shall do things a little differently this time.”

“We always do,” she whispered, running her hand over his chest.

“I’m going to lie back, like this.” He shifted so his head was on the pillow and he lay looking up at her. “And I’m going to unbutton my trousers, like this.” Swiftly he loosed them, then opened the slit in his drawers. His cock sprang forward eagerly. “Now if you’ll just raise your nightgown and climb on top of me…”

With one glance toward the door, Penelope lifted her gown, positioned herself carefully over him. Yule helped guide his member until he entered her, then slowly she slid down him, impaling herself inch by inch until he was fully seated inside her.

Penelope’s face lit up with wonder. The sensation must be as incredible for her as it was for him. Oh, but he wished they could make noise. “Now rise up over me, then come back down, sweetheart. Like you’re riding a horse.”

“Riding a stallion, you mean.” Smiling broadly, she rose up and slid down, the most exquisite sensation.

“That’s right. Oh, yes.” He thrust upward as she came down, reaching deeper into her tightness than he’d done before. Yule groaned, trying to keep his voice down, but wanting to moan with the ecstasy of possessing Penelope once more. With a finger, he stroked her nub, making her gasp and close her eyes, her face transfixed with passion. A guttural growl emerged from her lips, and she ground her hips against him.

As her tight sheath began to grasp him, she threw her head back, and he feared she was going to shriek, as much as he wanted to as he erupted deep inside her. They both shuddered, moaning low, as they reached the pinnacle together.

Panting deeply, Penelope collapsed onto his chest. Yule wrapped his arms around her, too spent to move any more. Slowly, they relaxed into one another, Penelope pillowing her cheek on his shoulder. “Can we stay just like this forever?”

“I suspect you will be summoned at some point, my love. And I doubt your parents will be pleased to discover me in your bed.” He chuckled and ran his hand along her arm. “Although I believe they will be happy at our reconciliation.”

“How will we tell them we’ve reconciled when you haven’t been able to see me?” She rose up and looked him in the eyes. “Won’t they be suspicious?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“On whether or not they remember I used to scale the wall to visit Victor.”

*

Half an hourlater, picking her way gingerly downstairs—her secret tryst with Yule in her bed had left her much more sore than usual—Penelope hoped she’d been able to repair her appearance so that Mama and Papa wouldn’t suspect what they’d been up to. It hadn’t been easy without calling in her maid, but no one could know of Yule’s presence in her bedchamber, so she’d had to manage by herself. Putting on her best smile, she entered the family drawing room.

“Penelope, my dear.” Mama jumped up from where she’d been pouring tea for her father and Charlotte. “I’m so pleased you’ve decided to join us.” Her mother glanced at her father and whispered fiercely, “James, say something.”

“You’re looking very well, my dear.” Dear Papa. That was his standard compliment, no matter the situation. Her face could be blotched with tears and he’d still say she looked very well.

“Thank you, Papa. I am feeling better, so I thought I should join you.” Penelope sat carefully on the sofa and accepted a cup of tea.

“Have you thought any more about Yule, my dear?” Mama asked as delicately as she could. “He truly does love you, you know. He was quite inconsolable when you turned him away.”

Penelope sipped her tea, trying to look as though she was thinking that statement over. “I have given it quite a bit of thought, Mama. And perhaps I was over hasty in judging Yule. At the very least, I feel now that I need to give him a chance to explain himself and that awful wager.”

“Thank goodness, Penelope.” Charlotte’s face lit up. “I hated having to tell him to go away.”

Mama’s sigh of relief was rather loud, but truly heartfelt “I think that is very sensible of you, Penelope. I did think your dismissing Yule out of hand was childish. You are a young lady now, and need to act with more maturity.” She turned to Papa, putting an insistent hand on his. “James, can you send a footman with a note to Welwyn Manor this instant asking Yule to return? I am certain he will wish to know of Penelope’s change of heart.”

“Very sensible, my dear.” Papa gave her hand a pat, a smile touching his lips. “Let me ring for Stokes.”

Before Papa could rise, as if already summoned, Stokes opened the door to the drawing room. “Mr. Ulysses Quartermain.”

Penelope sat up very straight, trying to look surprised.