He rose above her, settling his weight between her open thighs. James lowered his head and kissed her, and to her mortified shock, the carnal taste of herself on his tongue aroused her senses even more. He reached between them, and then there was a hard pressure at her entrance. Without relinquishing her mouth, he pressed forward. A tight pressure seemed to invade her, and she whimpered. James paused, then plunged forward, burying his length deep inside her. Pain buffeted her senses, and he placed soft, soothing kisses along the tip of her nose and her mouth.
“The pain will soon pass, I promise it,” he said gruffly.
The clenching emptiness and the aloneness she had endured for so long were filled. A long sigh of pleasure escaped her, and she wrapped her hands around his neck. “I trust you, James.”
He jolted in her arms, then, with a harsh groan, buried his face in the curve of her neck. James withdrew from her and thrust deep. Poppy cried out at the overwhelming sensation of his manhood filling her once more. He lifted his face from her neck, held her gaze, refusing to release her, and began to ride her in a deep, hard, beautiful rhythm.
Pleasure mingled with pain with each deep erotic plunge and retreat. Poppy wrapped her legs high around his hips, her arousal deepening despite lifting her legs, clasped him even deeper inside her body and making the aching pressure in her sex more overwhelming.
It was ecstasy. She writhed beneath him, hips arching, craving to get closer. The coil in her belly drew tighter and tighter, and the pleasure burned hotter. Distantly she became aware of her thighs trembling, of her wetness, of the almost painful need closing around her entire body. That coil burst, and Poppy could only gasp as the most nerve-wracking pleasure she had ever felt tore through her body, leaving her drained and sated.
James kissed her, and seconds later, he hugged her into a tight embrace, and with a groan, found his own release.
“Bloody hell,” she said against his mouth. “That was beautiful.”
James laughed, his shoulders shaking. “You perfectly echoed my sentiments.”
He gently withdrew from her and gathered her into the curve of his arms.
“Why would you run from this?” she asked after a breathless moment.
He stiffened. “Poppy—”
“I know,” she said gently and with soft humor.
“I can only offer you now…this moment. It is the reason I tried to stay away from you because I know I am not able to make you promises. Promises you so richly deserve.”
She shifted in his arms, turning onto his chest so she could see his face. Poppy touched his mouth with trembling fingers. “I am not a debutante that was ruthlessly seduced by a bounder. I allowed you to ravage me because I wanted you…I wanted this. No other reason.”
They stared at each other for long moments before he slowly nodded. “I am going to clean us up, and then….”
“Yes?”
“We are going to do this all over again.”
Poppy’s laugh was swallowed by his tender kiss against her bruised and well-ravished mouth. Oh yes, she most definitely wanted to do this again.
Chapter 14
I’ll be sure to marry you, Poppy Ashford. Somehow I’ll find a way.
Had Poppy heard those words when she drifted off into exhausted slumber snuggled inside James’s arms? When he had roused her from her sleep only an hour later, it had been to get her to dress hurriedly, and then they bundled into his carriage to take her home. He had even alighted from the equipage some houses down from her sister’s townhome, ensured her veil was fixed and assured her he would call on her soon. It wasn’t until Poppy had sneaked inside the home through the kitchens and run to her room that she recalled that faint promise at her temple.
Poppy was not sure what to call what they had done three times last night. She had been thoroughly ravished. It had been perfectly wonderful and breathlessly pleasurable. Her cheeks heated, and Poppy did her best to direct her thoughts to memories that did not cause her heart to stutter and her entire body to flush.
She had to come up with a plan once again. She could not marry another when she was in love with James. He might never marry her or anyone else until three years had passed. Poppy needed to understand the fullness of that oath. And she was almost certain she could not remain living with her stepmother and stepsisters anymore. It also felt wrong to take any money from James, knowing how hard he worked, and that his estates were still in the red.
Poppy was not afraid of working as a governess. A rueful smile curved her mouth that she had come full circle.
A sharp knock sounded, and she lifted her fingers from the piano keys. Her gentle playing over the last thirty minutes was perhaps irritating her stepmother as it always did, and the butler was here to inform her of it.
“Yes?”
The butler opened the door. “A Mr. Winters has called for you, Miss Poppy. He awaits you in the small parlor.”
“Mr. Winters?”
“Yes.”
Was he perhaps another suitor? “Is my stepmother here?”
“No, Miss Poppy, Mrs. Ashford has gone out with Lady Hayes and Miss Rebecca.”
Poppy stood, smoothed down the lines of her day gown and made her way to the parlor. A gentleman did indeed wait for her, seated in an armchair with a cup of tea in his hands. Except she was not at all familiar with him. This Mr. Winters was quite handsome with his wavy black hair and athletic build. The man was immaculately dressed in dark trousers and jacket, with a burgundy waistcoat and at this first glance, it was clear he was an affluent man of some distinction.
“Miss Ashford,” he said, standing when she entered.
Poppy dipped into a slight curtsy. “Mr. Winters, you have me at a disadvantage. I do not know who you are, but you seem to know me…even where to call upon me.”
“How forthright you are,” he murmured caustically.
His tone surprised her, and she frowned. Thankfully, she had left the door slightly ajar. The butler and a few footmen were within shouting distance. Poppy was also not afraid to slap him over the head with one of the vases should it become necessary.
“Who are you, Sir, and why did you wish to meet with me?”
An icy smile touched his mouth, and dark green eyes rudely scanned her body. “I am curious to know why you are mentioned so much in the company of my daughter’s intended. It is odd, you see, for he has kept to himself these past few years, but now every scandal sheet feels it worthwhile to mention Lord Kingsley and Miss Ashford together in the same breath. Why?”
Shock blossomed through her in a chilly wave. It took her a moment to catch her breath, but when she finally did, it was to say, “Lord Kingsley is to be married to your daughter?”
He reached into his pocket and withdrew a rolled paper tied with a ribbon. “Yes. I assume you know he is to marry in three years. We have a betrothal agreement, and I will sue him for breach of promise should he try to cry off.”
Poppy reeled, and a sickening sensation entered her stomach. She did not trust herself to make a civil reply. With an effort of will, she maintained a serene expression. “Have you finished your piece, Mr. Winters?” Poppy politely asked.
Sharp and cunning eyes assessed every nuance of her features. Undoubtedly the man searched for any evidence that there was a serious attachment between her and the earl.