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“Are you certain this is a good idea?” Daisy asked the moment the guestroom door at the Dove Tree Inn closed behind them. Though it had felt exciting and even a little right for Mr Radcliffe to have asked for a single room as though they were already man and wife, Daisy couldn’t help feeling a small amount of apprehension.
What if something went wrong? What if they were found out? If either of their families located them, they might be dragged apart never to see each other again.
And I shall be forced to marry Lord Bessington anyway,Daisy thought grimly before another thought popped into her head,if he will even have me.
“Just say the word, and I shall take you back to Oxford this very moment,” Philip assured her. He turned from where he had just closed the door but kept his distance. “I will go to your father and beg for your hand, though I doubt he will listen, not after all that has happened.”
Daisy knew all too well that Philip was thinking of Lloyd just as she had been.
“No, I do not wish to return to Oxford,” she said with a firm shake of her head, straightening up and squaring her shoulders to show her confidence. “I wish to be your wife, though I am concerned we will be caught before we can go through with our plans.”
The shoulders started to droop the moment she admitted the words out loud. She could think of nothing worse than being so close to what she truly wanted and having it pulled from her at the very last moment.
“Who knows you are here?” Philip asked, and he stepped forth to take hold of her hands.
“Here? At this inn? Nobody,” Daisy replied, pursing her lips to think for a moment. “Only Bertha and her groom are aware of my departure. At least until morning.”
“And my family will not be aware of my absence until morning either,” Philip pointed out. “My coachman may be unsure whether we are doing the right thing, but I am sure he would not betray us.”
Having watched Philip give the man instructions before they departed up the stairs, Daisy could only hope the earl’s son was right.
As if he sensed or even saw the concern still within her, Philip dropped her hands and gripped hold of her face instead. Squeezing her cheeks gently in his palms, he urged her face upward, so that she had to look into his warm and affectionate gaze. “All shall be well,” he assured her.
“Philip,” she breathed, feeling her insides twist when the thought started coming to her. He remained silent, his eyebrow raised as he awaited her words. “No matter what happens, I cannot marry Lord Bessington. I cannot give myself to anyone else because I feel as though I already belong to you … here.”
Placing her hand over her heart, she gazed at him, only able to hope that he felt the same way. With an almost sad smile, Philip began to nod with agreement. “I am well aware exactly how you feel. Lady Daisy Lockhart, I do believe I am quite in love with you.”
Hearing him say the words, Daisy knew there was only one thing for it. Pushing herself quickly onto her tiptoes, she pressed her lips to his, stepping into his embrace. For several moments he seemed shocked into stunned silence, unable to move, so stiff that she believed he might try to push her away.
Then his arms wrapped around her waist and how he kissed her told her everything she needed to know. No matter what happened now, they belonged to each other.
“Philip, I need to know that we can never be parted,” she whispered against his lips, sucking in a breath as she spoke, struggling to breathe past her desire for him. “I need to know that I am yours, even before we marry.”
As if he sensed her meaning, Philip kissed her once more, and the next moment, he was unclasping the broach at her neck that was the only thing holding her cloak on. Instinctively, she did the same for him, hearing the soft swooshing sounds of both their cloaks pooling on the ground almost in unison.
In the next moment, desire threatened to utterly overwhelm them. Their world became a tangle of arms and legs and hungry, devouring lips as their fingers worked to remove each other’s clothing. Item after item of clothing was removed, both taking turns hurriedly, leaving Daisy in nothing but her double stay and stockings while Philip was practically naked.
With only the single candle Philip had brought up the stairs with them to see by, having left it on the table beside the door, there wasn’t much light to gaze upon each other. But Daisy could see the outline of the muscular man standing before her with his broad shoulders, muscular legs, and chiseled torso.
When he turned slightly to urge her towards the bed, she caught sight of his manhood, long and hard and slightly menacing. Yet she was not entirely frightened, nor would she change her mind, and so she allowed him to guide her over to the bed, surrendering easily when he urged her down onto it.
Instinctively, moving to the middle of the bed on her back, she propped herself up on her elbows as he came to join her, their lips meeting as he hovered over her. His powerful kiss encouraged her down flat, and she gasped the next moment when she felt his hand slip between her thighs.
Fear and excitement melted together in her stomach, causing an intoxicating mix that made it almost impossible for her to remain still until she felt the startling sensation of his middle finger slipping delicately inside her.
It was not the first time she’d had anything inside her. Being a woman of education and curiosity, she had often touched herself, especially in later months when she found it was the only thing she could do to keep her desire for Philip at bay.
Yet having his finger inside her felt entirely different. It was powerful and stimulating, and she had to grit her teeth to stop herself from exclaiming aloud. When he kissed her again, she could feel him smiling against her lips.
Determined not to feel as though she was the one being outdone, Daisy slipped her own hand between their bodies and reached for his manhood. His gasp of shock caused her to pause the moment she wrapped her fingers around him, but as he thrust his hips into her hand with a palpable need, she began to stroke up and down his shaft, feeling his manhood throbbing in her palm as though he were already fit to bursting.
“Oh, Daisy, I have thought of this moment so many times,” he whispered into her ear, “I have dreamt of it every night.”
Had the words come from anyone else, they might have been off-putting, but to Daisy right now, they were the most magical words she had ever heard spoken.
“As have I,” she admitted breathlessly, angling her pelvis up towards him invitingly. Though his finger inside her felt marvellous, she couldn’t help wanting more. She’d had enough of teasing and desire, of a gentle touch here and a kissing of knuckles there. Now all she wanted was sheer, unbridled love-making, and she was determined to get it.
With her free hand, she wrapped her fingers around his neck, kissing him momentarily, and she whispered, “Philip, make love to me.”
