Page 37 of What Lies Beneath

Her incoherent desire was obvious to the earl, she did not doubt, and she never questioned him as he drew her down to the floor, covering her body with his own. She did not hesitate, but helped him as he pushed her skirts and petticoats out of the way, and she never said a word as he pushed that most masculine part of himself inside her.

She cried out, pain and pleasure coalescing, but the sound was indistinguishable from a cry of desire, and he was too lost to notice anything amiss, something for which she was blessedly grateful. If he had stopped now, halted by the realisation she was not the experienced woman he assumed her to be, all would be lost. He would know she had lied, and she would not only lose her position, but this sparkling, unforgettable experience. No, she would not allow that, so she held on jealously to the moment, to him, and felt relief when she discovered the pain was short-lived, and that what came next was the pinnacle of any joy to be found on earth.

Time hung suspended for the longest time as he loved her and Regina lost herself in the feel of him, the play of his muscled body beneath her palms as she explored him. If only they had more time, she would have given everything she owned to have him naked in her arms so she could see and touch and kiss every glorious inch of him. She could not have that, though. There was this night, this one forbidden and incandescent flare of joy for them both and she would not waste a second of it.

Though she moved with instinct alone, she matched his passion with her own, clutching at him and trying to draw him in deeper, to hold on to him tighter, as if she could make this experience last forever if she only clung to him hard enough.

Beauty of such magnitude could only ever be fleeting, however, and as the world narrowed to the place where their bodies met, her entire being exploded with a starburst of delight. She cried out, shameless, abandoned to desire and wanting and him, and felt as much as heard his moan of agony as he pulled himself free, his powerful body bowed over hers, shuddering as he spilled himself over her belly.

The room was quiet save for the crackling of the fire in the grate, and the harsh rasp of their breath and Regina waited, knowing he would regret what he had done. Any moment now, he would look down at her with pity and guilt shining in his eyes, and her heart would break into a million pieces. She told herself she was ready, that she was strong enough to lose everything and start over again, but still, she trembled.

Chapter 9

“No, my Lord. Miss Elizabeth may not stay up later. It is already long past her bedtime, and you have thoroughly over excited her. Children need the security and certainty of proper hours. That is why you employed me, is it not?”

Georgette stared back into Lord Amberson’s beautiful face, refusing to be swayed by his insincere smile. He might win the hearts of every debutante on the marriage mart, but Georgette knew what he was, and would not be taken in by his perfect features and charming manners. Her duty lay with his daughter, a dear little creature desperately in need of a mother. She was Mrs Merriam now, a governess and a formidable creature who never backed down, and she would do her duty by the child in her care, and ensure she was safe and loved.

Sadly, the poor child’s mama, the late Lady Amberson, had died six months ago. No doubt of a broken heart, Georgette thought in disgust. His Lordship was notorious for his many affairs and Georgette did not doubt he would make a May game of her if she let down her guard.

She vowed it would never happen.

―Excerpt of His Grace and Disfavour, by an anonymous author.

1st December 1850, Goshen Court, Monmouthshire.

Damn, damn, damn, Pip thought savagely. He had not meant to do any of that, had not meant to take such appalling liberties with a woman in his employ. Had she felt obliged to go along with it for fear of losing her job? Had he pressured her? No. With his heart still thundering erratically, Pip took a moment to regard the woman beneath him. Her beautiful hair had come undone—he vaguely remembered taking the pins out—and it spilled over her shoulders and fanned out over the carpet beneath her. Though her gaze was wary now, no doubt waiting for his reaction , her skin was flushed pink with pleasure, her lips swollen from the fever of his kisses. God, but she was lovely. Desire rose inside him again, fierce and hot, and he found he could not regret what he had done. It had been too… too everything, so much more than anything he had known before. Passion and desire and something else, something elusive and rare, had bloomed between them, and he did not want to let it go.

Mrs Harris—and he really had to stop calling her that—looked away from him suddenly, and he realised she was trembling. Feeling like an utter brute, he hurried to retrieve a handkerchief and cleaned the evidence of his desire from her stomach before shifting beside her and gathering her into his arms. Her look of bewildered surprise and the rigid feel of her body struck him with some force, and he frowned at her.

“What?” he asked, wondering why she looked so shocked.

She stared at him for a long moment before letting out a soft laugh. “You keep surprising me,” she said, allowing herself to relax into his embrace.

Pip considered this, unsettled by her words. “What did you think I would do, tell you to pack your bags?” he asked, and then muttered a curse as she sent him a sheepish look. “Damn me, you do hold me in esteem.”

“Oh, no,” she said in a rush. “I do, truly, only—well, we’ve made a rather difficult situation for ourselves, haven’t we?”

He could hardly deny it and nodded. “It’s all your fault,” he said gruffly. “I was relying on the fact that you’d be disgusted with me and give me a terrific set down when I confessed how badly I wanted you. I never expected you to kiss me.”

“Oh, yes. I imagine that’s a terribly shocking reaction for you,” she drawled, her voice so heavy with irony that Pip snorted. “I expect women turn you down all the time. How disconcerting it must have been.”

“It was,” he insisted. “And you’re not like any of the other women. You don’t bat your eyelashes and agree with me even when I say the most nonsensical thing imaginable.”

“No, I don’t,” she said, looking up at him with amusement. Her mouth curved into a wide smile and a sudden burst of laughter broke from her that made her convulse against him.

“What?” Pip demanded, wondering what was funny. He didn’t doubt she was laughing at him, but couldn’t fathom why. Not that he minded; he rather liked it when she made fun of him.

“Oh, but you were so s-surprised,” she chortled, before giving a very unladylike snort as whatever it was amusing her struck her again. “The look on your f-face when I pulled you back and k-kissed you. It was the funniest thing. I’ll never forget it.”

Pip watched her, an odd feeling stirring in his chest as she spluttered and giggled, so free and uninhibited, not caring a whit what she looked or sounded like. It was utterly charming. She enchanted him.

She sobered suddenly, the laughter fading from her eyes and her expression growing serious.

“This can’t happen again,” she said, and though he knew she was right, his heart rebelled against the idea. The regret in her voice was audible, and that eased his pain a little, but not enough for him to accept it with equanimity.

He stared down at her, a desperate feeling growing in his chest. “We could be careful,” he said, knowing she would never agree and wanting to rail at her for being rational when what lay between them was so new and exciting and unexplored.

“Like now, for example?” she said with undisguised sarcasm. “No, my lord. What if Tilly had a bad dream and came to find me and I wasn’t there? What if she came to find you and discovered us like this?”