Chapter Twenty-Two
Though Victoria triedto guard herself from completely falling for her husband, it was difficult when incidents such as their pleasant trip to town were becoming more commonplace. Not only was he so doting with the children, but he’d also become remarkably thoughtful and intensely passionate when it came to her. He’d made her view him in a new light; he’d revealed facets she hadn’t known existed in any man, let alone a former rake such as he.
She also learned that there were distinct advantages to being married to a man with a past like his.
Rafe put his wicked skills to brilliant use at every opportunity, teaching her new heights of pleasure whenever and wherever the opportunity presented itself—against the desk in the smoke-scented study, seated in a chair in the small library late at night, even while standing in an oversized wardrobe in the middle of the day.
On that occasion, she, Rafe, May, and Dominic had been playing a game of hide and seek. Dominic was on the hunt for that round. After helping May hide behind the curtains in the library, Victoria dashed off to find a new hiding place for herself, pausing in the entryway when she spotted the oversized wardrobe. It was an uncommon piece of furniture for the space, and it was also impressively large. It was tall enough so she could stand straight and still reach up until her palms barely pressedto the ceiling, and it was empty except for a cloak she kept there for when she stepped out with the children on breezy mornings. Victoria gathered her skirts, tested the base to ensure it could easily hold her weight, and climbed inside. It took her only a few seconds to settle into the corner and shut herself into darkness. She slowed her breathing and waited in the still silence to be found.
The minutes ticked by until, suddenly, a burst of sunlight filled the space. Her vision had grown used to the darkness, so she shielded her blinded eyes. Victoria laughed, believing she’d been discovered by Dominic, but a large hand closed over her mouth. She was pressed back into her hiding place until her spine collided with the wooden enclosure and the door being pulled shut thrust her into darkness once more. Her vision swam with flashing lights and rainbow fractals, further throwing her off kilter. She might have been frightened had she not been comforted by Rafe’s familiar scent, the low sound of his voice as he shushed her.
Then, his hand was replaced by his mouth, and he proceeded todevourher. Lips and teeth and tongue tasted and fed and teased, urging her heart into an even more frantic pace. Urgently, Rafe hiked up her skirts, ignoring her half-hearted protests, and pressed the heel of his palm against her mound. That pressure and the rubbing motion he employed left her helpless to resist parting her thighs for him.
“Rafe,” she gasped and breathed his name, throwing her arms around his neck. She leaned into his support so she didn’t collapse into a molten puddle at his feet.
His middle finger deftly located the slit in her drawers, and he began to stroke her slick folds. As he did so, he alternated between swallowing her tiny gasps and cries and reminding her that they must be very, very quiet.
“You mustn’t make a sound,” he murmured against her lips. “Even when I do this…” He stroked her faster until she writhed against his hand, rotating her hips to force more pressure on her needy little nub of pleasure. “Or this…” he said, leaving hot, open-mouthed kisses against her throat. “Or this…” Two fingers pressed deep inside her tight channel, stretching her and stroking her while his thumb caressed her swollen pearl. Victoria bit her lower lip so hard she feared it might bleed, but, even then, soft whimpers and moans escaped her throat. She felt the press of his hard length against her thigh, and the evidence that he was as affected by this interlude as she was nearly enough to send her over the edge.
Victoria whimpered, and he shushed her once again and covered her mouth with his palm once more. “If you cannot be quiet, then I shall be forced to do this.” He bent his head to her ear and added, “As much as I enjoy hearing you moan and scream, there is a time and place for that. Save it for later.” He propped her up as her legs began to give way. His hand between her thighs was stroking and thrusting, curling and caressing a spot that made her gasp against his palm. She clawed at his shoulders in her vain attempt to maintain control and stay as quiet as possible. The squelching of his plunging, rubbing fingers filled the enclosed space; the scent of sweat and arousal was intoxicating.
“Good,” Rafe purred as she trembled around him. “Such a good girl. Give yourself over to it. That’s it. I’m going to release your mouth…be good and stay quiet now.” His hand slid from her face to cup the back of her neck, bringing their foreheads together so their panting breaths mixed in the slight space between them. His skilled touch and erotic words of encouragement made her feel as if she was breaking apart. Her skin sizzled, her nerves sparked, and white light flashed behind her eyes.
And then, all at once, Victoria came apart.
Rafe slammed his mouth against hers, swallowing her cries of pleasure and relief. He continued his relentless onslaught of her body until she was a boneless mass of quaking, overwrought nerves.
When she was finally able to see straight, Victoria focused on the expression of pleasure and pride in Rafe’s dilated eyes illuminated by the sliver of light shining in through the seam of the door. His hand slid from between her legs, and his thumb, still slick with her nectar, caressed her bruised lower lip before he replaced it with his mouth for a tender kiss. The flavors of Rafe and her own arousal were a heady combination—one she enjoyed and wouldn’t have minded exploring further.
“I don’t believe I shall ever have my fill of you, Victoria,” he whispered against her lips and began straightening the layers of her clothing. She was still so weak and dazed from the encounter that her sluggish mind struggled to regain its bearings, comprehend what he’d said, and remember why they were hiding in a wardrobe.
She was still using the wall to prop herself up when she finally opened her mouth to speak. Just as she did so, however, the doors flew open wide, and the space was flooded with light.
“I found you!” Dominic crowed triumphantly. “Both of you?” He propped his fists on his hips. “That is rather poorly done. You made it too easy.”
She watched Rafe surreptitiously adjust the falls of his breeches before turning to face his nephew. “We shall keep that in mind for future rounds.” He stepped down from their hiding place and reached back in to assist Victoria. She was grateful for the strength of his touch, and she leaned into him. His smile told her he knew entirely too well the effect he had upon her.
Instead of embarrassing her, it made her heart flutter even harder.
Even the moments of silence she shared with Rafe were growing more comfortable. Some afternoons, while the girls slept and Dominic was with his tutor, her husband would step away from the study, and he would silently join her as she read or worked on her own correspondence. This quiet companionship was something entirely new to them both, but it was quickly becoming something they both enjoyed tremendously.
One afternoon, Victoria received a heavy envelope as elaborately engraved as any she’d received during her time in London. Slitting it open with her penknife, she unfolded and proceeded to read aloud the invitation to Rafe.
“A birthday celebration?” Rafe commented from where he reclined on the chaise beside her, one leg propped negligently on the back of the furniture.
“It would seem so. Lady Greenleigh did say she would send along an invitation when we saw her at the shops. I’d almost forgotten about it.” They’d encountered the woman while shopping in the village the week prior. Rafe had made the introduction and, while there had initially been some jealous curiosity on Victoria’s part about the nature of their acquaintance, it had quickly become apparent that Lady Greenleigh was smitten with her own husband. She was planning him quite the lavish birthday celebration the following week, as a matter of fact.
“Yes, you have been rather distracted as of late, haven’t you?”
Victoria’s head snapped up and she was greeted by Rafe’s wicked smile. The cad. She chose to ignore his comment, though she could not fully prevent the blush from creeping up her neck and coloring her cheeks. “How far away is the Greenleigh estate?” she asked instead. He’d spent a fair bit of time in this area of Kent with Mr. Stratford’s family, so there was a decent chance he would be familiar with the distance.
Rafe’s brow wrinkled in thought for a few moments before he replied. “I would say less than two hours’ travel in a carriage.”
“Should we send our reply? It might be a pleasant change of scenery, and I have yet to attend a country event. I understand they are less formal than those in Town?”
She looked back at her husband to find him staring at the ceiling, his mouth pulled into a taut line and a muscle flexing in his angular jaw.
“Is everything alright?”
