Georgiana’s head lolled back as Caroline’s hand slid up and into her hair, tugging it at the roots in the way Miss Darcy particularly liked. “If discovered, our reputations—”
“It is not as if we are being followed on the road.” Caroline continued to fight through the layers of fabric to reach her treasure; surely no pirate ever had so much difficulty. And ah, here was treasure indeed, driving all thoughts of brothers and husbands from her mind. Georgiana gasped as Caroline’s fingers made contact, sliding up a warm thigh to find a patch of skin already slippery with excitement. “Is this infelicitous?” Caroline murmured, drawing a slow circle through soft, slick heat.
“Yes,” came the strangled reply.
“Really? Ought I stop?”
“Please don’t.” Georgiana buried her face in Caroline’s neck and tugged her closer until their bodies were flush against each other. This position made it more difficult for Caroline to move her hand.Needs must when the devil drives, she thought, bearing the discomfort, and stroked faster. Her reward was a delicious whimper, followed by the scrape of Georgiana’s teeth against the place where her neck and shoulder joined.
“Careful,” she warned. “That sort of thing will indeed be noticeable to the hordes.”
“My apologies.” Georgiana didn’t sound sorry. She didn’t look sorry either; all parted, wet lips and glittering eyes. “We shall have to be very quiet, then.”
“I will be as quiet as a church mouse,” she promised.
Georgiana’s questing fingers squeezed Caroline’s thigh again, then moved to her calf, scooping the fabric of her dress out of the way. Caroline bit her lip hard enough to hurt when Georgiana’s fingers found the warm flesh of her knee and curled underneath, stroking the soft skin there. “Are church mice especially quiet? Quieter than other mice, would you say?”
“Why, certainly,” Caroline managed, as Georgiana’s hand skimmed over her knee and slid along her bare thigh. “One must always be quiet in a church, you see. Even a mouse must abide by the rules.”
“Is that so?” Georgiana ducked her head, grasping Caroline’s earlobe in her teeth. Her fingers found slick heat and dragged through it. Caroline bit back a gasp and focused on breathing rather than screaming, which was much easier said than done. “How very obedient of them.”
“Indeed, the clergy are always saying so. Mice are the most tractable of all the... small vermin,” Caroline babbled, hardly aware of what she was saying. She clutched at Georgiana’sshoulders, trying to pull her closer, but before she could manage anything of note, the carriage began to rumble over familiar ground. Hurriedly she smoothed down her dress and offered her handkerchief. Instead of taking it, Georgiana cast her a coy smile and began to lick her fingers clean, one by one.
Stunned, Caroline gaped at her.Is that a thing we can do?Why did she never mention it before?
Cursing the proximity of Pemberley, she staggered out after Georgiana, who smoothed down her gown and sashayed into the house as if nothing untoward had ever happened to her.
The housekeeper greeted them in the great hall, but Caroline barely heard what words were exchanged. She had no idea how Georgiana could utter anything even remotely sensible right now and had to settle for smiling tightly at Mrs Reynolds before marching off in the direction of the staircase. She wasn’t satiated by what had happened in the carriage. If anything, her inner fire blazed even more brightly. Georgiana followed closely behind her up the stairs, overtaking Caroline and turning left at the landing as if to make for her own room.
“And just where,” Caroline murmured, “do you think you’re going?”
“I was merely—”
Impish little whelp.“Don’t even think about it. If you dare run, I shall pursue you to the ends of the earth.”
Georgiana grinned.“Lead on, then.”
Safely behind the door of Georgiana’s bedchamber, where the fire crackled merrily in the grate, the first flush of lust from the carriage developed into a richer flavour, heady and wild. Caroline unbuttoned Georgiana’s dress as quickly as possible, clumsy fingers shaking as she unfastened dozens of tiny catches.She helped Georgiana out of her dress and dragged the petticoats over her head, revealing pale flesh bathed in firelight. Georgiana leaned backwards, aiming for the bed, but Caroline pulled her upright again. “In front of the fire. Your fingers are cold, and I need them warm for what I plan to do.”
Georgiana obeyed, grinning wickedly. “Don’t you want to take off your dress, too?” She lay down on the rug in front of the fire, hands wandering over her soft stomach and up to her considerable bosom.
“No time,” Caroline said breathlessly, kneeling astride Georgiana and hiking up the hem of her dress. “Georgie, it’s no good. I simply have to have you.”
Georgiana’s eyes widened. “What, fully? But your—” She halted, her hands stilling. Caroline knew she’d been about to sayyour future husband, and the unspoken words hung in the air between them like a bad smell.
“I need you,” she growled, grabbing Georgiana’s hand and pushing it under her dress until still-cool fingers brushed her entrance. “If I don’t have you right this moment, I feel like I’m going to expire.” It was hardly the most romantic sentiment, but she was far too afraid to voice all her new thoughts and conclusions. Half-mad with need, Caroline leaned forward and pulled Georgiana into a long kiss which she hoped spoke at least some of the feelings she did not dare to utter.
Georgiana still looked uncertain, although her body had relaxed. “You could always say it was from horse-riding,” she suggested, her voice trembling slightly. “Lots of girls accidentally break that way. But, Caroline, do you understand what it means to... to...”
To give myself to you, she thought.To give you everything youhaven’t even asked for.Wordlessly, she placed her own hand over Georgiana’s heart, feeling it thud rapidly against her palm. “I do.”
Miss Darcy stared up at her, dark eyes wide and wanton in the firelight. Her fingers curled, uncurled, and curled again, as if Georgiana was balancing on a knife-edge and could not decide which way to fall. Then they pressed against Caroline, asking a question she was desperate to answer. Feeling relief flood her, Caroline sank down onto Georgiana’s extended fingers, groaning as they slipped knuckle by knuckle into the deepest, darkest part of her body. Their gazes locked as Georgiana gasped, fully submerged inside, her eyes burning with the same desire Caroline felt.
Wincing, she rose a little as Georgiana pulled out.
“Am I hurting you?”
“No. God, no. It’s just all so much.” She wanted to laugh and sob and scream all at the same time. Georgiana inside her, Georgiana under her. Why did it feel like everything in the world suddenly made sense? “Please, don’t stop,” she begged, and bit down on her lip to keep the rest of her words from spilling out.Oh God, don’t ever stop. Use me always, just like this.
