Her gaze never left his mouth on her breast. He rolled her nipple between his lips while stroking her more deeply. She bit into his shoulder, muffling her next scream of ecstasy. Spasms of her inner muscles gripped his fingers as she found her release. There was no greater pleasure than making her scream.
She sagged against him, her lips reddened. “Goodness.”
He kissed the top of her head. “All for you, and no, I don’t want you to return the favour.”
She smiled. “You’re wonderful.”
Another moan came, but it wasn’t from Violante. He stopped kissing her. A feminine moan came, followed by a masculine grunt. He quickly buttoned Violante up, reminding himself that she was officially his wife, so her honour was intact; but another man wouldn’t see her like that, half-naked and glowing after the release.
“Who is it?” she whispered, finishing buttoning her dress.
“Let’s give them privacy, whoever they are. They have my sympathy.” He surely wouldn’t find it interesting to see the count and the countess being intimate.
He opened the door a crack and froze. Hidden between two bushy trees were the countess and Nigel. They’d progressed well beyond what Keith had done to Violante. Lady Diana’s legs were wrapped around Nigel’s waist as he pounded inside her relentlessly.
Keith and Violante couldn’t walk out of the storeroom without being seen. Besides, the front door of the orangery had to be locked. Great. They were stuck in their hiding place. He withdrew into the shadows, hiding Violante, but a slice of the two lovers remained visible through the slit between two wooden boards.
The tumble would be over soon anyway. Lady Diana and Nigel couldn’t go on at that frenzied rhythm for much longer. It wasn’t humanly possible.
Nigel pounded with too much energy. Surely, he would soon be exhausted…any moment now. A matter of minutes. No. The two lovers changed positions and started all over again.
“Is it normal?” Violante asked, her lips close to his ear. “I mean, they’re very energetic.”
Keith muttered a curse under his breath. Nigel and the countess changed positions again. He took her from behind, practically holding her up with the sheer strength of his arms. That warranted some respect.
Violante tugged at his sleeve. “Can we do the same thing?” she whispered.
He nearly choked, forcing down his laugh. He nodded. “Any time.”
When Nigel finally pulled away from Lady Diana, Keith sighed in relief. The two lovers whispered to each other and exchanged a few heated kisses before they adjusted their clothes and walked away.
Keith exhaled. “Bugger me,” he said once the lovers were out of earshot.
“So much for the count and his high standards. His wife is unfaithful to him literally under his nose, and he doesn’t even notice.” Violante clicked her tongue. “Now I understand why the countess is eager to support Sir Nigel’s project.”
“Is she?” He checked the aisle was clear before coming out of the storeroom. Holding her hand, he walked along the aisle.
“She told me that once the hotel is open, she’d need to spend more time in London since she and her husband would be Sir Nigel’s partners. Obviously, she’s happy she’s going to meet her lover more often. Also, now I get why she sounded annoyed when I noticed the roses in her hair. They came from the maze, and Sir Nigel had one too. I bet they got the roses the last time they were together here.”
“Sooner or later, the count will find out about their tryst. Maybe they wish to get caught. I don’t envy the poor sod.” He pulled the front door, but it didn’t budge. “Damn. They locked it.”
Violante sidestepped him. “Watch me work.” She took a couple of hairpins from her chignon and slid them into the lock. “Not to brag, but I’m quite good at this.” Two twists, and the door opened. “Voila!”
“You’re amazing.” He smacked a noisy kiss on her cheek before hurrying out of the orangery.
Violante stopped walking. “If the count learns about his wife’s tryst now, he’ll never sign the deal with Sir Nigel.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
“Yes, but…” He massaged his temple. “It’s a vile move.”
“The count’s marriage will be destroyed.” She kicked a stone. “But she and Sir Nigel are betraying the count. He should be told.”
“We don’t know what will happen.” He laced his fingers through hers. “The countess and Nigel might end their affair soon anyway. Many of these trysts don’t last. I want the countto accept my deal for the right reasons, not because he wants revenge on Nigel. That would be a very poor way to start a strong, promising partnership.”
A solemn expression tightened her face. “You’re a decent man, Keith, and I love you.”
His chest heaved with a rush of happiness. He’d never tire of hearing those words from her. As she laughed, he lifted her by the waist and twirled her around. No matter what happened, he wanted her in his life.
