Page 49 of Falling for a Footman

Twenty-seven

Charlotte could onlylook at James with both a mouth and eyes that were equally round. Marriage? It was... beyond what she had dreamed.

“Will you, Charlotte?” James asked and the trepidation practically shone out of him. “Marry me?” he added as if that part of the question was necessary.

Charlotte wanted to blurt the answer but there was still one important question that she needed an answer to.

“Why did you say that you were not good enough for me? Was that simply part of you pretending to be a footman or...” She did not finish the sentence as she could see that there had clearly been a reason for his statement. James took a step back and turned away from her. He scrubbed his hand over his face before he faced her again.

“Before I joined the Bow Street Runners, I was in the army,” he began but then paused for a long while. Charlotte sensed that he needed her to give him time and not prod into what had happened. “I... I was with a lot of women when I was younger...”

Charlotte pinched her mouth around the sour taste that arose at his words. She had no right to judge him or feel jealous, yet she could not help but wish that the other women did not exist. She did not say anything however but waited for him to go on. He looked at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck.

“My commander’s wife had followed us to the peninsular and she and I...”

Charlotte clenched her eyes shut as she realized where he was going with this.

“At some point she confessed this to her husband. I’m not sure why, but... obviously he did not like his officers sleeping with his wife. I was asked to leave, which I suppose was merciful, since he did not challenge me to a duel at dawn. I sold my commission and started with the Bow Street Runners...”

Charlotte gulped and gulped again. Her hands were fisted in her dress and her eyes were fixed on the ground as she tried to think of a proper response.

“Charlotte?” James asked gently and took a half step before he stopped.

Slowly Charlotte raised her eyes to his, still not certain how to react. Her hands only fisted tighter in her dress.

“I would never do that, but I also understand if you would not... if you do not want to... I suppose it was good that I told you know, and you did not find out later...” he babbled.

“Would you...” Charlotte had to clear her throat before she was able to speak. “Would you do it again if...”

James reached for her, thought better of it and lowered his arms, then reached for her again. His hands landed on her shoulders.

“No, never, and I would never sleep with another woman...”

“Then yes,” Charlotte interrupted him and reached for him as well.

“Then yes what?” James asked with a frown between his brows.

“Yes, I will marry you,” Charlotte repeated and felt the bravest that she ever had in her entire life and then even braver as she pressed her lips to his and felt him respond to her instantly. Charlotte tilted her head to better be able to meet his mouth, their tongues finding each other, and a roaring fire in her body replaced the overwhelming emotion of being proposed to.

She hugged him tightly, pressing her body against his, running her hands up and down his back, feeling the warm muscles underneath. Against her hip, she felt how his manhood grew hard. It only excited her more to know what it meant and that she was the one that had done this to him.

“Charlotte, we can’t,” James said, panting as he broke the kiss.

“We’re getting married,” Charlotte insisted and kissed him again, trying to make the kiss go on and on as it had before.

“Yes, but... we should wait,” James murmured, even though he did not release her.

“But you don’t want to wait...” Charlotte almost pleaded, running her hand down his chest and stomach, briefly touching his manhood. He let out a low groan and she felt more daring as she placed her hand on him. “Tell me what to do,” she whispered as she stroked him with a finger.

James did not respond right away. Charlotte kept stroking him gently, sensing that he liked it. His breathing was harder, coming out in short gusts as hers had when he had pleasured her.

“Not here,” he growled and took a step away to separate them.

Charlotte could only smile as she took his hand and let him to the summer pavilion by the lake. It was the perfect place to seek shelter for summer rain, shadow from the heat – and from prying eyes when you wanted to conduct a tryst. Their mouths found each other again as soon as they were inside, and Charlotte once more let her hand trail down James’ body. She slowly began to undo the buttons of his fall.

This time James did not stop her but helped her tucked the shirt from his breeches and pull his small clothes down. Using his hand, he showed her how to form her hand into a fist and move it on his manhood to pleasure him. His manhood felt completely different to what Charlotte had expected. She had been able to feel the heat from it through his clothes, but not the softness of the skin. Soft and hard all at once, such a strange way that men were built.

Listening intently to his sounds, Charlotte loosened and tightened her grip, trying to figure out, what he liked and did not like.