Page 55 of Broken

The way she moved against him convinced him that, given enough night hours, he could pleasure her again. But the night was passing. He had no idea of the time. They both needed to sleep and he needed to make an escape before dawn found him in her bed.

Regretfully, Giles turned Lilly, tucked his arm under her head and stretched the linen and counterpane to cover them both. Lilly sighed, pressing her lips to his wrist. Setting him alight with her simple gesture. He inched his hips back so they didn’t fit so snugly and pressed a kiss to her hair, waiting for his world to settle. “Time for sleep, little ghost.”

Lilly grumbled.

Capturing her hand, Giles threaded their fingers together and held them against her belly, savoring the companionable warmth between them. To his surprise, Lilly pushed his hand away and turned to face him. Laying her head on his arm, she placed her hand against his cheek. Lilly’s short nails scratched at his stubble once then grew still, breath turning even and deep.

Astounded by her sudden sleep, he listened to the sound of her breathing. He’d never remembered past lovers’ sleeping habits, but he would always remember this moment, sharing Lilly’s bed. A night beyond his expectations and an experience he wanted again. He only hoped that Lilly would say the same come morning.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Apparently, Lilly could consider herself just as wanton as half of the women in London. That was her first thought upon waking. When she rolled over and found her room devoid of Giles’ warm body, sadness trickled through her. Of course he would not stay. The man was built for dalliance and nothing further. But still, she missed him already.

Her second thought was less condemning and had more to do with his fingers on her skin. Oh, the things that man could do with his hands was incredible. Giles could make any woman relax with him. Not that she had ever feared him exactly, but she had known just how impossible it would be to form a tender for him and share his bed.

His skill at easing her injuries notwithstanding, he was wickedly insistent in his single-minded pursuit of pleasure. He made her throb. He made her want more.

Lilly stretched. Crisp sheets tangled around her legs as she tried to hold on to the memory of Giles’ lips and fingers on her body.

Her third thought was to wonder if he would want to share her bed again. Now that he’d had his wicked way with her, more or less, would he lay beside her tonight if she asked?

Considering how focused and tender he had been, she hoped he would. He combined the best of his healing hands with scandalous touches that inflamed her senses. And he had also aroused himself.

To her shame, Lilly could take no credit for his pleasure. She had not known how to touch him. When he had groaned into her neck from the slight friction against her leg, she had been embarrassed that she had not shown him more attention.

Lilly would ask him what to do next time. If there was a next time. She bit her lip. Given what she knew now, she couldn’t blame him for liking intimate relations so much. What they had shared had been intense. They had enjoyed great intimacy together.

Lilly pushed her arms beneath her and moved into a sitting position. Her body was still bare and her breasts rose high over the linens, surprising her with a thrill of cool air across her nipples. She had never slept naked before and as she wriggled against the thick cotton sheets, she decided she liked it.

Giles slept naked.

A blush crept up her cheeks. She’d sobbed Giles’ name when her passion peaked. Her world had gone dark and starry as his fingers pushed her over an edge she’d never expected to exist.

At the foot of the bed lay Lilly’s nightgown, ready to slip over her head for modesty’s sake. She reached for it, dragging the familiar material up the bed and then struggling into the loose garment. As she pulled her hair free and over her breast, she smiled.

Giles was so thoughtful, so determined to look after her needs, though if anyone suspected Lilly and Giles were lovers that might change.

Lilly snuggled beneath the blankets again, quite prepared to lose herself in the memory of making love with Giles, but the door creaked open and a white-capped head squeezed through the gap. “Good morning, Miss Winter. I’m sorry if I’ve woken you too soon.”

Lilly stretched. “I was dozing. How are you today, Mrs. Osprey?”

The housekeeper advanced in her usual rush, flicked open the drapes, and jiggled the window to let in the fresh air of morning. “Oh, nothing to complain of.” She checked the flowers, the hearth, and her night table, then fussed with the sheets around Lilly’s waist, tugging them up high. “Are you ready for your breakfast?”

“That would be lovely.”

Mrs. Osprey fluttered out the door but returned a short time later with a large, heavily laden tray. It might be her imagination, but the breakfast trays appeared to be getting fuller with every meal. Lilly picked her way through what she liked best, ignoring the suspicion that Giles monitored her eating habits even after telling him not to.

While Lilly finished her breakfast, Mrs. Osprey flittered in and out of the room, selecting clothing from Katarina’s bedchamber—dark blue muslin today–and organizing her bath. It was embarrassing just how much time Mrs. Osprey spent with her. Wouldn’t her duties as housekeeper be suffering?

Heavier treads signaled the arrival of the male servants with bath water. Snuggling under the linens, Lilly watched the fascinating interaction between Mrs. Osprey and the butler. Today, they both kept sneaking peeks at each other. Lilly hid her smile at how comical they appeared as one twisted away before the other caught them staring.

When Dithers was around, Mrs. Osprey became even ditherier. The absurdity was not lost on Lilly. As a result, Dithers took a firm hand with the staff—even though those matters were the housekeeper’s responsibility. When the bath was prepared to Dithers’ exacting standards, he bowed to her and excused himself, nodding to Mrs. Osprey as if reminding her of her task.

Usually the housekeeper ignored him, but today Mrs. Osprey blew out a heavy breath and dropped every appearance of forgetfulness. “I know what to do, you devil,” she complained just loud enough for Lilly to hear.

Puzzled, but unwilling to get involved, Lilly slid out of bed and hastened to bathe. Behind her, Mrs. Osprey stripped the bed in record time, wadded up the sheets, snatched her nightgown from the floor, then placed them at the door for laundering.

Lilly was surprised. They had only replaced the bedding with fresh sheets yesterday. They didn’t need to spoil her to this extent.