Page 75 of The Earl’s Hoyden

He stepped tentatively toward her as if he was worried that he might frighten her, and shifted over her once more. But he still didn’t immediately attempt to shove inside her. No, he nuzzled against her, kissing first her neck and under her ear, and then capturing her lips until she was squirming beneath him with eager longing.

His hard heat pressed against her sex, and she cried out in anticipation.

Now, finally, he would fulfill what she had been longing for. Now, she would fully be his wife.

Lucien hovered over Hannah for what felt like an eternity. His prick was so swollen that it bordered on painful. Never had he realized he could be brought to the point of such need.

No matter how insistently his desire urged him to claim her hard and fast, he continued to glide his hands over her smooth skin to coax her body into an extreme state of arousal. He ought to have stopped earlier before her climax, so her longing was at its peak.

Except when he felt that telltale tensing of her muscles, he had known he couldn’t draw away. And he was glad he didn’t—the huskiness of her cries still echoed sweetly in his ears. He had brought her great pleasure, and he would never regret that.

Only now, he hoped he did not bring her great pain.

Hannah’s fingers roamed over him as they kissed and teased one another. Her touch traced over the lines of his body with an appreciation that made him proud of the efforts with his body. He had studied philosophy for a good part of his life, and a healthy body was always touted in tandem with a healthy mind. The rigorous routine of daily calisthenics had always been to keep his health in good standing, but now, seeing Hannah’s reaction to him, his efforts would continue in the goal of pleasing his wife as well.

The pitch of her panting told him she was primed once more. He propped himself on his right arm to keep from resting his body weight on her and angled his arousal against her entrance. Even the mere brush of the swollen head of his prick against her slick center was exquisite torment.

He flexed his hips forward, slowly, nudging inside her one careful thrust at a time. The pain and pleasure warred on Hannah’s lovely face. He tried to stop, but she shook her head and arched up against him, ever the one to charge ahead.

His fingers shifted between them to find the little bud of her sex, rolling his fingertip around it. She gasped, and the tension squeezing his cock in an almost painful grip relaxed somewhat.

The next time he gently pushed into her, her lashes fluttered with pleasure. Yes, this was precisely what he had wanted.

She arched up to meet him on his next thrust, and he moved slightly faster. Her breathing shifted, becoming faster, shallower with her delight.

He continued to let his finger work over the sensitive nub while he drove harder into her. Hannah grabbed his shoulders, clinging on, and he knew she was close to her release.

The tightening of his ballocks told him she was not the only one.

It was all he could do to ensure she reached her climax first. But he refused to allow himself to be pleased if she had not been.

He entered her with quick, deep strokes, and she moaned in pleasure against his ear until at last, her body went tight, and her sex squeezed at him, drawing him to orgasm as they both cried out. The power of his release tore through him like something savage, and he yielded to its force, riding the waves that took him higher than ever before and then finally collapsing beside Hannah.

She lay there for a moment, gazing up at the ceiling, her breasts rising and falling as her breathing calmed. As an edge of worry crept over him, she turned her head toward him as a slow smile eased the corner of her mouth upward.

“That was…” She sighed and gave a long, slow blink. “The most remarkable thing in the world.”

He pulled her into his arms, and she rested her head against his chest as if she were made to fit perfectly against him. “I was afraid I would hurt you.”

“I expected something far worse based on my mother’s discussion with me.” Hannah giggled. “But then, she has always been one to overreact.”

“I’m so glad you found it so pleasurable.” Lucien traced his fingertips over Hannah’s silky skin, awed by how smooth and soft she was. “There are so many more ways to share our bodies, and we have a lifetime to explore them together.”

She nestled closer against him. “I eagerly anticipate trying them all.”

And that was exactly how they spent a good amount of their time in the country. During the day, they rode through the countryside in bundled clothes against the chilly summer, warmed by companionship and love. But at night, he taught her about the stars in the night sky and together, they learned each other’s bodies amid a tangle of sheets.

Never had anything in Lucien’s life been more ideal. Never had he dreamed marriage could be like this. And he realized that through all the books on philosophy and the study of life, he’d finally learned the true meaning of happiness through Hannah.

Epilogue

February 1817

London

* * *

Hannah rested one hand on her newly rounded stomach and reached for a tea cake with the other.