Page 96 of Evie and Louis: The Story so Far

She sobbed, clutching at him, not knowing what to do with the emotions he was rousing in her. Louis made soft sounds of reassurance, trying to soothe her as she grew wilder, grabbing at his shirt and tugging, reaching for him. He gave her his weight, his neglected cock sending a jolt of exquisite pleasure through him as he pressed against her hip. Evie tugged frantically at his shirt and his heart skipped at her need to touch him. Distantly, he wondered how this was so very different, for he knew what it was to be desired, wanted beyond reason, only he had never felt it in return before. Not until now. There had been countless women who believed themselves in love with him, willing to do anything to be with him, and none of them had ever moved him, nor touched his heart when they touched his body.

Finally, her clumsy tugging freed his shirt from his trousers and his breath hitched as her hands touched his skin, sliding up over his sides to his back. Louis had wanted this so badly, dreamed of this moment so often, that he hardly dared believe it was real. Evie wanted him. She loved him. He had despaired for so long that the realisation overwhelmed him. Shivering under her questing hands, he wondered what she would make of the tattoo beneath her fingers and knew he would not let her see that until they were safely married. She pulled him down, raising her face to his, seeking his mouth and he kissed her, wondering how the hell he would keep control of the situation when his hold on his own desire was fraying rapidly.

Unless he didn’t. Unless he gave her everything she wanted from him. He could take her, he knew. She was beyond the reach of common sense, beyond coherent thought, overwhelmed by her body’s response to his touch.

Diable, mauvais esprit, démon, serpent dans Le Jardin d'Eden.

He shut the voice out, concentrating on Evie. He wanted to be inside her, now… now, with an urgency that threatened to break him. For so long he had dreamed of losing himself inside her, except he would no longer be lost, but found. They would be joined, inextricably. He could go to her father and tell him what he had done, and he would have no choice but to let them marry.

She would hate him for that.

A knock at the door had them both leaping with shock. Louis sat up and covered her mouth with his free hand, smothering her squeak of shock as her eyes grew wide with panic.

“Miss, are you still awake? I’m so sorry to bother you so late, but I forgot to tell you. Lady Victoria won’t be coming tomorrow morning. She’s poorly, so you can lie in after all. I thought it best to tell you now instead of you getting up before you needed to. Seeing as you’re often up before I come in, even when I scold you for it.” The maid chuckled and then waited for a response. Louis removed his hand from Evie’s mouth, but kept his finger inside her, pressing gently against her sex with his thumb. He raised his eyebrows at her, knowing he was smirking and not caring. “Miss?”

“T-That’s fine, th-thank you for telling me,” Evie managed, clutching at Louis’ arms and glaring at him.

Wickedly, knowing he was playing with fire, Louis slid another finger inside her, working deeper, holding her gaze as he touched her so intimately. Evie’s mouth opened in a silent cry as she tightened her grip on his arms, so hard he’d have bruises. He hoped so, anyway.

“Are you all right, miss?” the maid said, concern in her voice. “Can I get you anything?”

Evie buried her face against his chest, quivering as Louis continued to pleasure her, his fingers sliding in and out with a steady rhythm designed to drive her to the edge, delighting in the tremors rippling through her body with every caress.

“Miss?”

“No!” Evie bit out, convulsing beneath Louis’ hands. “No, thank you. That will be all.”

Evie glared at him, her eyes wild and glittering as she reached up, grasping his hair hard and tugging him down, kissing him feverishly.

“Well, if you’re sure, then. Goodnight, Miss Evie.”

They heard the maid’s footsteps retreating, and Louis broke the kiss, gasping for air. He stared down at Evie, shocked and aroused.

“You are a very bad girl,” he observed, utterly beguiled by her.

“It w-was you,” she protested, shaking her head. “I didn’t—”

“Mais, non, Ce n'est pas vrai,” Louis whispered, chiding her gently. “You enjoyed that, enjoyed the wickedness of it, my naughty little love. Putain, but how wet you are. Do you want more?”

Evie had turned scarlet by now and closed her eyes, avoiding his knowing gaze. Louis chuckled and nipped at her ear.

“Well?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” she said desperately. “Yes, I want more. Give me more.”

“So greedy, ma petite,” he murmured approvingly. “And I am so hungry for you, too. Do you want me, my Evie? Is this enough, or do you need me inside you?”

She moaned, lifting her hips to encourage him to give her more, pressing her face against his neck. He shivered as she kissed him there, trailing her tongue over his skin, her hands still exploring beneath his shirt. One hand slid up his chest to toy with his nipple. Louis jerked as she pinched it, struggling to keep control as she laughed with delight at his reaction. She was more than he could have dreamed, possessing a rapacious sensuality that rivalled his own, a beguiling mix of sweet innocence and unfettered physical need that threatened to undo him completely. All this, and she loved him, loved him for the man he was, not for the pretty mask he wore, but the real person so few people saw. His determination to never let her go only grew with each second in her arms.

“Tell me,” he rasped, hardly able to speak, his body was so taut with need.

“Yes,” she cried softly, desperation in her voice. “I want you, need you inside me. Louis, I ache for you, please, just… oh, please….”

He let out a breath, triumphant, knowing she would let him have her, take her innocence, let him spend himself inside her so no other man could ever claim her but him. Perhaps his seed would take hold and they would have a child. The knowledge burned through him, a thrill of satisfaction.

Démon, pécheur, destructeur d'innocence!

Louis stilled, not wanting to listen to the vile words that had taunted him for so long. They weren’t true. They weren’t true, he reminded himself. Yet if he did this, if he took advantage of Evie’s innocence, of her trust in him, would that not make him everything he had always been told? The serpent in the garden of Eden, destroyer of innocence, sinner, tempting the righteous from the light into darkness.