AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It is not the countess’ room.” Nathan looked away from her. Guiltily? Sadly? Mrs. Moore had already told her that. “I am not ready yet.”
“Of course,” Lily said soothingly. Touched by the show of emotion on Nathan’s face, she reached out to put her hand over his. “We do not have to make the change any time soon.”
Blowing out a long breath, Nathan’s hand turned to grip hers, fingers tightening. The sorrow in his dark eyes pierced her heart, making her chest ache with sympathy for his grief.
“Thank you.” His voice was low. Husky. As though he was holding back tears.
Unable to stand it any longer, Lily stood abruptly and moved to him, ignoring his startled expression. Plopping down on his lap, she pulled his head against her breast. For a moment, she thought he would push her away, then his arms came up and around her waist. She felt his shoulders shake, his hold tightening to the point where she could barely breathe as he finally let loose his grief in her embrace.
Tears flowed down her cheeks with sorrow she had not had a chance to meet his brother, sorrow he was so alone without family, sorrow he had held himself together for so long without expressing his grief.
Running her fingers through his hair, she murmured soft reassurances, fairly certain he was not hearing a word she was saying but hoping something in her tone would break through. While they may be newly married, Lily would have to be cold as ice not to be affected by his emotions.
Her tears slowed before his, and her cheek rested against his hair, letting him hold her to his heart’s content.
* * *
Nathan
Arms wrapped tightly around his wife, the flare of grief slowly ebbed, leaving Nathan feeling drained and oddly aroused. Likely because his wife was snuggled up against him, her fingers gently trailing through his hair. Guilt arose as well—how could he feel this way when his brother was gone? He also understood physical reactions did not necessarily align with emotions.
Right now, despite his grief, he felt very much alive with Lily atop him, touching him, comforting him. He knew he needed to return to his own room. He was feeling too raw, too emotional, to be a gentle lover tonight. The things he wanted to do to her, she could not possibly be ready for.
“I should return to my room,” he said abruptly before realizing how sharp he sounded. Wincing inwardly, he tried to soften the statement. “Thank you for… your comfort.” Awkward, but the best he could do under the circumstances, distracted as he was by his arousal.
Lily wriggled on his lap as she straightened, looking down at him with a small frown on her beautiful face.
“You want to return to your room?” She wiggled again, rubbing her bottom against the physical evidence of his desire, her confusion obvious. “But… I thought…” A pink blush heated her cheeks, which made Nathan’s cock harden even further.
“Not tonight.” Nathan shook his head. Something in her expression changed, and she started to pull away from him. Sensing he had hurt her, Nathan found himself holding on so she could not retreat fully. “I cannot be gentle tonight, Lily. I am not fully in control of myself.”
“Who says I need gentle? You were certainly not gentle last night when you spanked me.”
No, he had not been, but that was different.
“That is not the roughness I am speaking of,” he replied, a low growl in his voice. His hands, already round her waist, tightened. Bloody hell, he was tempted. Losing himself in her, dominating her, seeing how far he could push her… but she had been a virgin yesterday. He did not want to frighten her, much less hurt her.
“You mean the kind you indulge in at the Society of Sin?” Lily settled back onto his lap, no longer trying to draw away. Her matter-of-fact question took him completely off-guard.
“How do you know about—?” He cut himself off before he could finish the sentence.
Lady Stuart and Lady Hartford… of course. He did not know why they thought the Society to be an appropriate conversation for their debutante friend, but they should know better.
On the other hand, perhaps it meant she was not as unaware of what he wanted as he’d thought.
The question was how much they had told her.
“What did your friends tell you?”
* * *
Lily
That Nathan immediately guessed where she had gotten her information was no surprise. He was astute and very good at putting the pieces of a puzzle together, much like her.
“They told me about some of the activities. Like spanking. And your machines.” Saying the words made her want to squirm even more on his lap from embarrassment, but if she was to convince him she could handle his desires, she could not balk at the first fence.
Nathan’s hands stilled, which made her realize he’d been stroking her back. In her distraction and embarrassment, she had not noticed until the movements ceased.
