The Story of a Baron (The Sisters of the Aristocracy) (29 page)

“I should hope so,” she replied with widened eyes.

Jeffrey stilled himself and stepped back. “I love you,” he said as he quickly moved to the chair and sat down to remove his boots and stockings.

Still leaning against the door, Evangeline took a deep breath and nodded. Letting it out in a long sigh, she said, “I know, and I love you, too,” she managed to get out as she pulled down the corset, shimmying her hips until the offending garment was past her thighs and could join the puddle of fabric below.

“Oh,” Jeffrey complained. “I was going to do that,” he said as he rejoined her at the door, stepping out of the breeches and tossing them so they joined the shirt. His manhood was so engorged, it poked nearly straight out from his smalls.

“You can do it tomorrow night,” Evangeline replied, arching her back when his hands moved to claim her breasts through the silk of her chemise.

“Promise?” he responded, his lips moving to capture one of her nipples.

Evangeline had to suppress a giggle, and then had to steady herself by placing her hands on either side of his head. “My maid will not mind,” she whispered, her eyes closing as the now familiar sensations returned to her breasts, to her very core. The heat between her thighs had become nearly unbearable, the moistness at the top of her thighs so hot she thought she might be burned. Slipping her hands beneath the edge of his smalls, she slid them down until they could go no further, his manhood preventing their descent.

“Just ... tug,” he murmured as he moved his attention to her other nipple.

Evangeline had to suppress a smile as she did as she was told. Freed from their mooring, the smalls fell to the floor. Free from the confines of the smalls, his manhood was suddenly pressed into her soft belly. Jeffrey straightened, flattening his body against the front of hers as he gathered up the hem of her chemise and slowly worked it up her body. His hands, warm and firm against her skin, pushed the garment up and over her head. Once it was free of her body, it joined the rest of the puddle of fabric below.

Jeffrey took a quick glance at her as she leaned against the door. Clad only in her stockings and slippers, and with one leg slightly bent, she seemed positively wanton. She was everything he imagined and more since that night he had nearly ruined her in the Rosemount House parlor.

Her silken skin, rosy from his ministrations and warmer than should be possible of a gently bred lady, had one of his hands skimming over it just to feel its softness. Although not nearly as well endowed as his mistress had been, Evangeline’s breasts were firm and slightly mounded, their ruched nipples perfectly placed. They wouldn’t slide to her sides when he was atop her, he realized, a thought that had him wanting her on her back right then.

As Jeffrey seemed to drink in the sight of her nakedness, Evangeline did the same of him, her gaze moving from the lean muscles of his arms to the light dusting of hair on his chest to the line of crisp curls that led down to where his manhood pressed into her. One of her hands slid down from his silken hair to his neck and over the long line of his shoulder and down his chest, her fingertips barely brushing over the nipple there.

Jeffrey’s slight gasp had her moving her hand across the front of his chest to the other one, one finger circling the bud. At his slight inhalation of breath, Evangeline lowered her face so that she could reach it with the tip of her tongue. Jeffrey’s sudden jerk and gasp had her smiling until he suddenly lowered his head to do the same to her nipple.

In only a moment, it seemed as if he had her entire breast in his mouth, his tongue doing delicious things to her nipple and skin. A wave of pleasure coursed through her, and suddenly, she was cast adrift, no longer anchored to the floor. Unable to hold herself up, Evangeline started to slide down the door. She had a passing thought that she might faint, but the next thought, that she would miss out on whatever came next if she did faint, had her slowing her breaths.

Jeffrey pulled his attention away from her breast and lifted her into his arms. “I believe we’ll be more comfortable in the bed,” he murmured, secretly glad the housekeeper had seen to turning down the dark velvet counterpane that usually covered the bed.

The servants probably hadn’t thought the newly wed couple would retire so soon, but he couldn’t imagine having to wait until nightfall to claim his wife. He – and his body – had been pining for her since that day they had started reading his damned book.

“You forgot to carry me over the threshold,” Evangeline managed to say, although she didn’t know from where the thought had come just then. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed his neck, his collarbone, the top of his arm.

“This, my love, is the threshold,” he said as he placed her as near to the middle of the bed as he could given the height of the mattress. The bed linens, cool and smooth, enveloped him as he joined her on the downy mattress. He slid his body alongside hers until he could reach her earlobes with his lips.

“Oh,” Evangeline sighed. “Is the bed in the mistress suite as comfortable as this one?” she wondered, trying not to stare too much at Jeffrey’s naked body next to hers.

Jeffrey stilled his kisses. “You’ll only find out if I’m there with you,” he warned with a grin.

Evangeline gave him a smile as she reached down and wrapped one hand around his manhood. Reveling at how he jerked and moaned in response, she began sliding her hand up and down the silken shaft, her thumb occasionally brushing over the top before sliding back down to where his balls rested against his thighs.

Groaning his pleasure, Jeffrey thought she might bring him to completion, much as she had that night in the parlor, except he hadn’t expected her ministrations then and had been unprepared. Tonight, he was determined to wait until he was deep inside her before releasing his seed.

As one of his hands slid down her body and moved to part her thighs, he lifted himself so he was nearly atop her. The hot wetness against his hand made him pause and he stared down at her. “I love you,” he said before moving his body between her spreading legs. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I hear ...”

“Ssh!” Evangeline managed as she lifted her thighs and pressed them against the side of his hips. Reaching down with one hand, she found the tip of his manhood and positioned it near her opening, not quite sure of what she was doing.

“Jesus, Eva,” he moaned as he found her silken opening and slid in. He paused a moment, his eyes opening to find hers, aware that her hands had taken purchase on the sides of his body and had moved down until they were firmly pressed into his buttocks, pulling him into her. If she felt any pain, he didn’t see it in her eyes as he watched her until he had to close his own. Her tight sheath, warm and wet and pulsing as he began to pull out of her nearly had him in the throes of an orgasm. He had to slow his movements even as Evangeline tried to pull him back into her, a quiet whimper making him stop.

“Don’t stop,” she whispered, pulling hard on him.

He gave into her plea, thrusting deep into her so that she gasped, her entire torso rising from the bed as her head sunk deeper into the pillow. Her breast suddenly within reach of his mouth, Jeffrey lowered his lips to one nipple, kissing it and suckling it until he felt a shiver pass through her body. He slowly pulled himself out, nearly to her opening and then thrust in again, his own moan nearly drowning the sound of her gasp. When she said his name in a whisper, he thrust one more time and allowed his own release. Burying his head into her shoulder, his groan of pleasure filled the bedchamber. His strength drained, his settled onto her body as he felt her arms wrap around his shoulders.

“I ... I couldn’t ...”
Jesus
, had he really just taken his own pleasure before seeing to hers? he wondered in disgust.

Evangeline placed a finger against his lips. “I didn’t want you to,” she whispered with a shake of her head.

Jeffrey relaxed as sleep suddenly took hold, his entire body satiated and warm and comfortable.

Smiling in the growing darkness of the room, Evangeline held her husband against the top her body. Had the mattress not been as soft as this one was, she might have felt squished or trapped by her husband’s body. But the comfortable cloud enveloped her, keeping her warm everywhere Jeffrey’s body didn’t cover her. She slowly allowed her legs to slide down his legs until they rested on either side of his. She thought she could still feel his manhood inside of her, but soon, it slipped out, leaving her feeling a bit bereft.

As she lay staring up at the coffered ceiling, the last thing she noticed before falling asleep were the cobwebs strung across the coffers.

Chapter 55

The Finale

“Did my brother see to getting you my dowry?” Evangeline wondered when she realized Jeffrey was awake. He had rolled onto his back, but his arms had wrapped around her shoulders so that part of her body ended up atop his. “He has already departed for Wapping,” she added, a bit disappointed the earl would take is leave of London so soon after arriving. At least this trip to the island of Minorca would be short. Harry mentioned wanting to study some monolithic stone structures and collect butterflies, a task he thought might take a month.

Jeffrey nodded. “He did,” he replied carefully. “Although he didn’t have to, I hope you know.”

Evangeline lifted her head from his shoulder, intrigued by his words. “So ... you are not as broke as Baron Ballantine?” she ventured, hoping she hadn’t offended her groom with talk of her dowry.

Shaking his head from side to side, Jeffrey allowed a grin. “My coffers are no longer as empty as Matthew’s,” he said with a hint of pride. “Seems
The Story of a Baron
is selling quite well. My publisher has even asked for a second book, which I have yet to start writing,” he added with a sigh.

Evangeline’s eyes widened. “That’s ... that’s wonderful,” she said with a widening smile. “Will you? Write the book, I mean?” she asked before planting a kiss on his cheek.

Jeffrey grinned and simply shrugged. “What would I write next?” he countered, not at all sure he was interested in pursuing the craft of writing. His success with his first book might be a fluke; what if his second proved a total failure? He thought he should just quit while he was ahead.

“
The Story of an Earl,
” his new wife replied, as if it were an obvious choice. “Lord Afterly returns from his latest trip to court Lady Geraldine’s best friend.”

Frowning, Jeffrey wondered to whom she referred. “But, Geraldine doesn’t have a best friend, other than Daisy,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “And she is already married to Lord Brotherly, the viscount,” he added, hoping he had the details right. He might have written the story and even read it just the week before, but for some reason, certain details didn’t come easily to him.

Evangeline shrugged. “You’ll have to create her, of course,” she responded. “Brunette, brown eyes, orphaned at a young age and being raised by her aunt and uncle. Her uncle is an earl, of course,” she described, one hand in the air as if she were drawing the character for him to envision.

Jeffrey regarded his wife for a moment. “That sounds an awful lot like Lady Samantha,” he hedged, wondering if Evangeline was merely teasing him.

“Exactly!” she replied with a nod. “And she’s secretly been in the love with Earl Afterly, but he has no clue about her feelings for him,” she went on as if he hadn’t interrupted her.

“Does the earl have feelings for this Lady ...
Lady Georgina?
” he guessed, thinking up the name that would have been bestowed on a baby expected to be a male heir.

Evangelina’s eyes widened. “Oh, of course. But he doesn’t know it yet,” she replied with a shake of her head.

Jeffrey frowned. “He doesn’t?”

“No. They never do.”

Jeffrey’s brows furrowed so that a fold of skin appeared between them. “Well. How am I supposed to get the earl to fall in love with Lady Georgina?” he wondered suddenly, his face still showing concern. At the rate they were going and with some plot points and a bit of conflict, he could have an entire book written in a month’s time!

Evangeline stared at him for a moment. “Well, I don’t know,” she replied with a shake of her head. “You’re the writer. I’m sure you can invent something that will make the earl fall heels over head in love with her,” she said with a wave of her hand. “You did with me, didn’t you?” she wondered suddenly. She regarded him as he lay with his head deep in the feather pillow. “In fact, why
did
you fall in love with me?” she wondered, lifting herself up from his shoulder with her elbow and regarding him with an arched eyebrow.

Jeffrey stared at his wife for a moment. “Well, it wouldn’t be the same in this book,” he said, shaking his head in the pillow.

“Why ever not?”

“Because ... I was jealous when I realized I was in love with you,” he replied then, sounding ever so annoyed. At Evangeline’s look of confusion, he went on. “I couldn’t abide the palm tree attempting to ensnare you with its greasy palm frond,” he explained with another shake of his head. “Damn thing looked as if it wanted a private dance with you. And if anyone was going to have a dance with you, it was going to be
me
, but the damned ball was over. The orchestra was already finished for the night, so there was nothing I could do, short of chopping down the damned palm tree and whisking you off in my carriage to ravish you ... ”

Evangeline snorted, her sudden giggles suppressed by a hand over her mouth. When her husband gave her an arched eyebrow showing his annoyance, she tried to appear sober but couldn’t. “I suppose now is not the time to tell you I took that palm frond home with me that night,” she said as tears from her laughter streamed down her cheeks. “My brother asked me to get it for him,” she added when she saw his sudden look of horror.

Jeffrey blinked. “Whatever for?” he replied, suddenly sitting up in the bed. He could imagine it now. Him, in Wimbledon Commons, having challenged the palm tree to a duel. He imagined they would have to use swords since he rather doubted the tree could pull the trigger on a dueling pistol. His second would be Everly, of course, but who would be the palm tree’s second? Another palm from the Weatherstone’s ballroom?

Who would win such a duel?
he wondered then, his grin no longer under his control.
Could the tree fence with any kind of skill?
He knew he could if he had to. A few whacks with his sword, and the tree would be kindling!

He came out of his reverie to find Evangeline staring at him, an amused expression on her face. “Where
were
you just then?” she whispered, her smile full of teasing. “Writing another book?

“In a duel with the damned palm tree, I’ll have you know,” he replied. “I vanquished it, though,” he proudly added. “It’s kindling. Probably already burned up.”

Evangeline rolled onto her back, her honey blonde locks spilling over the pillow as she began to giggle.

Chuckling out loud, Jeffrey pulled his wife back into a hug before he considered the story she proposed.

Maybe he could figure out a plot point that could see the earl married to Lady Georgina. Perhaps he would be on an archeological expedition, and Lady Georgina would just happen upon his dig and be involved in some kind of intrigue involving stolen artifacts from a nearby ruin and require his help in solving the mystery of who stole the crystal crowns!

“Promise me you’ll be my muse forever,” he whispered, nipping one of her ears with his tongue and teeth.

Evangeline giggled at the sensation. “Of course, I will,” she whispered, once again settling her head into his shoulder and wrapping one of her legs over his.

“Forever?” he murmured, just as he finally drifted off to sleep.

Evangeline smiled, remembering the last line of
The Story of a Baron
. “Yes, my love. Forever.”