Page 24 of Read To Me, Lyon

Oliver didn’t need any more prompting from her. He quickened his pace—thrusting over and over again. Her whimpers grew more frantic, and she gripped onto his back. Oliver kept up the tempo, wanting to see her come apart. He plunged one more time, and Kitty grabbed him, holding him in place as she climaxed. She let out a breathless laugh.

His shaft pulsated within her heat, demanding more. Kitty released her tight grip on Oliver, rocking into him. He claimed her mouth as his strokes began again. He thrust over and over. Kitty’s hips met his with each motion. She slid her hands down his back and grasped his ass, pulling him deeper. His head and body screamed in satisfaction at this new type of touch from her, and with one more plunge, he found his release with a strangled moan. He rocked into her before letting himself collapse on top of her. Their hearts pounded against their chests and each other as she ran her fingers lightly over his back.

Oliver lifted his head so that their eyes connected; he read so many intense but happy emotions flaring in her gaze, emotions he was sure he shared. He brushed a kiss across his wife’s lips and rolled them to their side, so they were spooning. They lay there quietly. Eventually, Kitty said, “I think I will be thankful every day it was you I picked.”

He kissed her neck and her shoulder. “It was the best choice, my love.”

Chapter Ten

Kitty laughed as she and Oliver walked down the stairs leading into the expansive foyer of the Everly Townhouse. Oliver had shown her every nook and cranny of the place. She smiled, realizing this was the first time in forever that she had felt so carefree. Kitty had been in full defense and protector mode for her family’s business and her sisters since her parents’ death.

She felt safe with Oliver.

Now, he guided them into the drawing room and stopped before a wall with portraits of dozens of people. He grinned at her, making her heart flutter. He was the Marquess of Everly and commanded any room he walked into, but she loved him like this, at home, when it was just the two of them—he was less formal. Love. She felt her cheeks flush with heat that she’d used the word “love” even silently.

Yet, it felt true…

He threw his hand out with a flourish, taking Kitty away from her thoughts. “This is the wall of the Everly ancestors.”

Her stomach clenched as her gaze roamed over the various ladies and gentlemen of the Everly line. They all looked impeccable and were probably rolling in their graves now that Oliver had wed not only a commoner but also a woman who published illicit books. Tell him, her conscience suggested.

He moved to the left side of the wall and pointed at a woman. “This is the first Lady Everly. She was a princess from the Ottoman Empire who married my ancestor to unite the families. Rumor suggests she hated England and, until her dying day, dreamed of returning home.”

Kitty stepped closer to the painting. The woman exuded a regalness, but Kitty swore sadness lurked in her eyes. Did she love her husband, she wondered?

“The paintings go from oldest to newest. I’m not sure, honestly, where our portraits will go. It might be time to move all of this to a different space, maybe the hallway?”

She stepped back and studied his entire lineage. He was correct. The wall was bursting with portraits. It was slightly overwhelming.

Oliver moved on, pointing to another portrait, this one of a man. “This is the Marquess of Everly, the Sixth. This one isn’t speculative gossip but a true scandal. After his son was born, he ran off to the Continent and spent his remaining years with his mistress.”

Another sad story—she pondered if all nobility followed similar paths. “Were most marriages for practical reasons instead of love?”

Oliver stiffened, and Kitty said, “I shouldn’t have asked.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “You are allowed to ask me anything. I think that was the case centuries ago, but my parents wed for love and continued to adore each other throughout their marriage. We may not have started our union in such a romantic fashion, but there is no reason why we can’t have a loving marriage.”

Kitty leaned further into him. She wanted that. Her eyes flicked over the wall. “Tell me a love story about your ancestors.”

Oliver released her and walked to two portraits, tapping them. “These two will suffice. Eighty years ago, my great-grandfather fell in love with a thief. The future Lord Everly married her, and his father kicked him out. He even tried to have his heir declared insane so his second son could inherit the title. But that all ended when his first son’s wife, Lady Bessie Everly, gave birth to a son, an heir to the Everly line. After his birth, they accepted her begrudgingly, and she became the perfect lady.”

She walked closer and saw some of Oliver’s features in her, including his golden locks. Kitty wondered if Lady Bessie gave up all she was to be the type of lady society deemed acceptable, or if mischief had still lurked somewhere in her.

If she had given up everything, would Kitty have to do the same?

Her uncle had suggested Oliver would make her give up the underground book business. Would he? The books she sold to women did so much good, whether for enjoyment or, especially, for knowledge. Like the book she and Oliver had used—if she hadn’t had access to that knowledge, would she be as in love with her husband as she thought she might be now? Or would they still be dancing around one another, never enjoying their marriage as it could be? There were so many other women who had no idea how wonderful it was to be intimate with their husbands. It was a sad thought, for sure. For those women, Kitty vowed, there was no way she could give up that part of the business.

Oliver tapped on his mother’s portrait. “This lady even has a secret.”

Nothing like mine. Even if her business helped others, it was still illegal. The stern stares of all the Everlys who had come before her felt heavy and accusatory. This long family line would become one of scandal because of her…she turned her head but could still feel the weight of those painted stares. She looped her arm through Oliver’s and began leading him from the room. “Tell me later. I want you to show me your bedchamber.” It was a distraction, but it was also the truth.

He brushed a kiss across her lips. “My lady, you woke up in my room this morning.”

“Yet, I still have so much to learn about the space,” she said, giving him what she hoped was an impish wink.

It seemed to work because a warm smile spread across her husband’s handsome face, and his blue eyes twinkled in a way that made that delicious heat spread through her body. “Well, we should head that way. We wouldn’t want your education to be incomplete.” He pressed her arm to his side.

Kitty needed to make some tough decisions, but not today. No, right now, she wanted to enjoy this time with Oliver. Yes, she was avoiding so many things, but would a few days really harm anything? As Oliver slid the tip of his tongue over his lips in a promising way, she forced the worrisome thoughts from her mind.