His hands fumbled between their bodies at his waist, then he was up against her again, his shirt pulled up and trousers down. Now he was naked where she was, her nightrail still scrunched up around her ribcage.
He reached between them to line himself up then tugged her hip backward as he thrust forward. His cock speared into her, impaling her all the way to the root in one smooth motion. The crisp hairs at his groin rubbed the crease of her legs.
She wriggled, seating him a fraction deeper. She wanted more friction, his bollocks against her sensitive flesh. But no, the angle was wrong. She writhed again, still not ready to vocalize commands, enjoying this rare shift in their dynamic.
He groaned and squeezed her hip then grabbed her bent leg. Guiding it up to rest on his thigh, he let her foot fall behind his bent knees. With her thus spread for him, he snaked a hand forward over her hip to circle her nub.
Her hips snapped, her hand reaching blindly for his hip to help him piston in counterpoint. She bit her lip, humming a moan in her throat. This was the friction she’d wanted. They’d never done this before, but her puppy knew her well. Her stomach muscles clenched, her thighs working to brace against his more forceful thrusts now. Lud, she was so close, so close.
He shifted to change the angle, and she was gone. Her head and shoulders rolled forward as she tried to curl around the orgasm, everything in her tightening and reverberating. Her nub, hard as a pebble under his finger, shuddered against him and she milked him with her internal muscles, every plunge and withdrawal extending her pleasure. Ecstasy threaded through her limbs.
Before her climax had fully abated, he barked a short, muffled yell behind her and thrust hard twice.
The pulses of his orgasm extended her own pleasure, and a rush of heat bathed her inner walls.
Limp, she lay in a twisted heap as he rose. She stifled a giggle.
He had not removed any of their clothes, just shoved them out of the way. Her puppy had been more eager than his control had implied. Happy to see what he did next with his freedom to lead the way, she watched him.
He wet a cloth and cleaned her, as was their custom. Then he cleaned himself with it, and righted his crumpled clothes.
“Mistress.” He bowed. “Sadly, my duties as earl demand an early day tomorrow, so I shall see myself out the way I came. I will choose you again tomorrow.”
It took Charlotte a long time to go back to sleep after he climbed through the window. His visit had undone any healing she’d been attempting these past weeks. She wallowed, bereft without him to snuggle with, a circumstance she was certain he’d intended, to show her what she was resisting.
* * * *
The next night, Charlotte sat in a chair by the window, reading. Well, attempting to read. She remained in her day dress, determined to uphold her promise to Ruth and do the right thing, allowing William to find a mate who was more likely to bear him children. She had reinforced her resolve by once again limiting his point of entry.
Nonetheless, he arrived earlier than the night before, undaunted by her challenge of locked doors and windows below.
A soft knock on the window preceded his entry, accompanied by a smirk. “Good evening, Mistress. Lovely to see you. I thought I might find you at home.”
She shook her head at him. He was incorrigible. But she could not resist smiling despite her sarcastic retort. “Hello, William. Thank you for calling.”
He chuckled, stepping in to lean over and buss her cheek. Then he dropped to his knees before her, repeating his new mantra. “I choose you. How may I serve you tonight, Mistress?”
Her fingers itched to comb through his hair as she loved to do. Clenching her fist, she asked, “William, this cannot continue. Do you not have an earldom to manage?”
“By day, I play the earl. By night, I am your servant.” The puppy grin was out in full force, more confident than ever.
“Please, William, you know this is not tenable.” His verb choice was not lost on her, but whether or not he viewed it as playing, hewasthe earl.
“We’ve found a way to bridge the gap of funding, thankfully. I am ready to celebrate, especially as it means shorter workdays and more time with you.”
“A wife would solve that.”
“Agreed. Are you ready to choose me, then?” His reply was quick and eager.
She’d walked right into that. Sighing, she pressed her lips together and sent him a stern look to quell his puppy tendencies. Changing tack, she reminded him, “I am very happy for you and Ruth. I know that takes a weight off your shoulders, especially as you struggle with people’s livelihoods depending on you. But that does not eliminate the need for marriage and heirs, William.”
“I know your concerns, trust me. Please, I beg of you, may we take tonight to enjoy this boon without going over these arguments again? I promise tomorrow I will debate with you to your heart’s content.” Puppy eyes begged her better than words ever could.
Why am I so susceptible to this man? There are many other handsome intelligent gentlemen. Why must I be addicted to this one?
Mute, she stared at him, unwilling to voice her capitulation.
“Right, then. You know the rules from last night, Mistress. If you do not speak, I will serve you as I please.” William stood, and shucked his coat, shoes, waistcoat, and cravat.
