Charlotte had never experienced sitting on him this way, but suddenly she was obsessed with being completely in control over him. Her body trembled from her release. She lowered herself excruciatingly slowly onto him, needing time to adjust to his size. Perry sucked in a breath as he slid inside her to the hilt. She paused only to savor the sweetness of how their bodies fit so perfectly together.
Eager to feel him, she pushed his coat off his shoulders. Tugging his shirt out of his breeches, her hands roamed the damp skin waiting to be touched. The heat of his abdominals contracting beneath her fingers as she moved propelled her to take more. She tugged her teeth on his bottom lip, his cock twitching inside her at the mixture of pleasure and pain.
Perry dug his fingers in her hair, kissing her hungrily, savoring her taste as she began to lift herself off him and then lower back down again. She knew he was close, judging by his rapid breathingand the way he moved his hands to her hips to help guide her—or stop her from going too fast. Bringing her hands up to stroke his hair, she tossed her head back as she rode him, a familiar ache building inside her once again.
Perry’s hand moved between them, teasing her throbbing bundle of nerves and sending shocks of pleasure within her. His mouth teased and suckled at her breasts, which he had released from the confines of her gown. She had never felt so wanton, so free as when she had her husband completely at her mercy. Her passage tightened around him, and she was overcome as a sudden cry tore from her mouth, her release crashing into her unexpectedly, wave after exquisite wave throbbing around his length.
“Yes,” Perry said in triumph as he lifted his hips to drive into her harder than he had before, seeking the honeyed heat for himself. She cried out at the depth, realizing he had been holding back until now. A low growl came from him as he savored the last waves of her orgasm, squeezing every ounce of control from him. His release filled her as he groaned in her ear, the sound only increasing her pleasure. There was nothing more satisfying than watching him come undone as he had made her so many times.
Pulling her close, Perry held her as their frantic breaths grew calmer. Cupping her hands around his face, she stole a gentle kiss from his lips.
She gave a soft laugh. “How am I supposed to walk back now?”
“Like a lady who is well satisfied,” Perry answered with a teasing grin. “I will carry you if your legs fail you.”
Flushed and tingling, she rose, tearing their bodies apart and arranging her skirts to hide the mess they had made. The mixture of their releases ran down her leg, leaving her oddly satisfied. His essence would bring her more than pleasure one day, if they were so blessed. The future she envisioned with Perry was pure bliss, especially once they rid themselves of those who would wish them harm. The vision of a future where they grew their family andspent their years rediscovering all the facets that had drawn them together in the past made her eyes misty.
Their hearts were connected.
Even when torn apart from each other, their hearts remained true. Biding their time.
Their love had a patience she wished she could understand.
“Thank you for showing me the garden,” she said, reaching for his hand. “It would give me great pleasure to bring a little more order to this lush, enchanting place.”
“Great pleasure, indeed,” Perry agreed, raising his brows teasingly. He tugged her into his body and placed a kiss on her head.
Charlotte turned to admire the place she was suddenly drawn to. It was enchanting and wild, begging to be controlled and yet…she dared not change too much about it.
Making love to Perry only solidified the need to keep some things in life untamed.
She breathed in the intoxicating scents once more as she made her way carefully to the gate, dodging the stray branches and wildly growing plants tangling across the path.
“I shall inform the gardeners about your project. They will see to everything you need. It is up to you to decide what you want help with and what you want to do yourself, of course.” He tipped his head in her direction.
It secretly pleased her that he understood the part of her that needed to feel the earth and be a part of something bigger than herself. Having a project gave her life meaning and gave her a goal. They walked in silence back to the house, where Perry left her to return to his study and continue going over the estate accounts he had long ignored. She walked primly back to her bedroom, closing the door behind her and leaning back against it. A shiver ran through her body, a sudden chill suffusing her body once they came apart.
Chapter Forty-Six
His new passion was going to hinder his productivity—of that Perry was sure. Having spent a glorious morning exploring his wife’s silken curves, it was easy to see that he had developed a new obsession. Kissing Lottie goodbye was an impossibility.
He tried.
Truly, he tried to leave in a proper manner, but the way her tousled hair swept across her breast, the way her nightgown parted seductively revealing a tempting morsel of skin, proved too much for him to bear.
When arranging this appointment with the solicitor, he hadn’t anticipated how long it would take for him to depart. Tearing himself away involved leaving the home more disheveled than he would have liked, but he endured.
The sooner he left, the sooner he could return to his exploration of all the benefits of family life. Perry realized how starved he was for the love and affection only his wife and daughter could give him. Somehow, he had fallen in love twice.
Aurelia had him wrapped around her littlefinger with her ballgown twirls, objections to certain fairy tale plots, and addiction to sugar plum tarts, which he managed to steal from the kitchen for her every single day after teatime. His daughter was a gift he could never be worthy of, yet she bestowed her love onto him so freely. There would be changes coming to her life in time, a new governess to be hired, and all the tutors necessary for a young lady with her newfound status.
His goal was to ensure his daughter had the best possible introduction into society, and as such, Perry needed to deal with the dangerous situation that was plaguing him at present. His brother and his family had been attacked, and he had been shot. Surely, there was a chance the events weren’t related, but assumptions were not a risk he was willing to take when his family was in danger.
The carriage rolled along the cobbles toward the neighborhood of Temple, where his family solicitor’s offices were located. He loathed being away from his family for too long, but discovering new suspects was necessary. The fact that he hired extra guards to follow Charlotte and Aurelia around the home was the only way he could risk leaving them.
Taking a bracing breath as he opened the door to the office, Perry entered the place he dreaded seeing again. Inside, he prayed to find answers, or even a hint as to why this all might be happening. The truth of why someone would want him dead was a mystery. The attack on Beauregard was a stark reminder that none of these threats were imagined. His enemy had followed him from the country to finish the job. The lingering ache in his shoulder was a reminder of how close he had come to never finding happiness with Lottie again. He would turn over every stone and follow every possible clue if it meant protecting that which he held so dear. He embraced this new life he had found and held on to it fiercely.
Nothing but death would take it from him.
