AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What is it?” he asked, alarmed as I panted, consumed with his touch.
“I need you inside me,” I demanded, grabbing his trousers where he strained against the seam. His body jerked as my fingers grazed it, and he swallowed thickly. “Please, William.”
He pulled down my nightgown, taking my nipple in his mouth, wet and cool. Flicking it with his tongue and pulling his hand from inside me to focus solely on the bundle at the apex, I crumbled. Breaking into a thousand shards under his tongue, under his hand, his name on my lips as I fell fast and hard into oblivion. Before my heart even slowed, I fell asleep.
***
Sometime later, I stirred to the chilled caress of fingers along my back. My eyes flung open his chest, shirt unbuttoned and arms wrapped around me.
In my bed.
The memory crashed into me, a wave of shame over the cardinal rule I had broken. I had made myself too vulnerable with him, I let him do unspeakable things to me. My cheeks reddened, burning with the memory. Would he be done with me now? Craning my neck to look at his face, he was grinning.
“Hello,” William said softly, kissing the tip of my nose.
“Hello,” I muttered, attempting to disengage him. He gently released me, pulling the covers over my rumpled body as he propped on his elbow.
“I’m glad to see you’re awake. You’ve been out for a couple of hours.” William brushed a strand of hair from my face. Such intimate touches… “I’m sorry if I crossed a line. I don’t want to have taken advantage of you in any way.”
“William,” I said, placing my fingers over his lips. “You did not take advantage of me. Nor do you have to be sorry. I admit I harbor some guilt, but I… I enjoyed it.” I bit my lip, tearing my gaze from his.
“As did I,” he said, burying his face in my neck, pressing his cool lips to it. I gasped, pulling my body into him. “But hear me, Rose, you need not feel guilt for this, never for this.” I felt the pressure between his hips grow before he drew away quickly, sitting up and drawing his hands through his hair. “God help me,” he begged, clearing his throat.
“What is it?” I asked, sitting, placing my hand on his shoulder.
“I want so badly to bury myself inside you, but we have done enough for one night.” He shook his head, sighing deeply. “More than enough.”
My chest cracked open, he was drawing a line. There was regret dripping from his words. How badly did I want him inside me, to take me right here in this bed? I gripped my knees to my chest, the defeat filling my veins with acid. He reached over to the chair where the white boxes sat untouched, pulling them into his lap. When he looked at me, the hunger was still in his eyes.
“My reason for being here, open them,” he ordered.
“What are they?” I asked, surprised that I’d forgotten them entirely.
“Your Christmas gift. I noticed you had nothing festive to wear in your wardrobe, so I bought you something. All the way from New York.”
It was true, I had nothing. Mary had fussed about tailoring another gown and I had made no move to help her. But I glared at him because he really needn’t have gone through the trouble.
Inside the first box was a beautiful white top with green ribbon trim sprinkled in tiny red bows. The neckline was much like the one I'd worn when he kissed me in the parlor, but outlined by the green trim, a red bow in the center. The sleeves were but extensions of the green trim, a drooping cap. I couldn't believe my eyes, the dress was a fine silk and no doubt cost a fortune.
“You purchased these for me?” I asked, hardly able to control myself. I threw off the box in haste to embrace him.
“Happy Christmas,” he laughed.
“Oh, thank you, William!” I cried pulling myself into his lap. “They are simply beautiful!” I kissed his cheek and pulled the other boxes over to find the bustle skirt, hoops, hat, gloves, and slippers. It was all too much.
Coming out of bed, I held the top up in the mirror. William followed behind, explaining how my hair would be up, that way everyone could see the length of my neck, which he trailed his fingers down, to the swell of my breast. I flushed under his touch; God, how he affected me. He pulled my hair back to the side and kissed my neck, chills erupted across my skin.
“Will you wear something else for me?” he murmured against my skin.
“Anything,” I replied. Reaching into his pocket, William pulled out a string of pearls. On them hung a small, rectangular ruby, and a pearl below it. I gasped, astounded by its beauty. “It's even more lovely than the dress!” William placed the trinket around my neck and clasped it. The ruby fell at the top of my breasts, the color of fire, smooth as glass under my fingertips.
“It was my mother's. Passed down in the family for centuries,” he said. I twisted to face him, aghast.
“Sincerely?”
“Yes, believe it or not,” he chuckled.
“It must be incredibly precious to you, why would you entrust me with something so meaningful?”
