Chapter 21

CHAPTER21

Isabella clambered up into the carriage with Henry following her. They had escaped the assembly rooms in such a rush that she was still pulling on her spencer jacket. Henry didn’t even bother putting his top hat on and tossed it to the side of the coach’s bench. He sat opposite Isabella and tapped the roof of the carriage, signaling he was ready for them to set off.

Isabella stared at him with her spencer jacket sitting on her shoulders, amazed at this outcome. She may have wanted Henry to know what it felt like to see his wife getting attention from elsewhere, but she hadn’t expected his strong reaction. He was breathing heavily, unable to settle. Repeatedly he leaned forwards, resting his elbows on his knees, so his face was more visible in the lantern light that swung over their heads, then he would lean back again.

“Comforted now we have left?” she asked, knowing her words would rile him.

“You agreed to dance with Mr. Rufford purely to antagonize me.”

“Not to antagonize you, but to show you that I am not under your rule,” she said. “If I had wanted to dance with Lord Pine—”

“As if you wished to dance with a man you had run away from in the past.”

“It was my decision, Henry,” she reiterated. “You do not control me.”

“So, you’re saying that no part of your agreement to dance with Mr. Rufford had anything to do with seeing me jealous?” he provoked her, leaning forwards and resting his elbows on his knees once again.

At this angle, the orange lantern light bounced off his cheekbones.

“So, you were envious.” Isabella couldn’t help smiling in triumph. “Now you know how it feels like to see Lady Hampton whispering in your ear, or to witness Lady Paulbridge practically sitting in your lap at dinner.”

“That is not what happened!” Henry protested, his voice growing louder. When she simply raised her eyebrows in a silent question, he went on, but quieter this time. “Believe me, that is not what happened. You are my wife, Bella, in case you haven’t noticed. I’m married to you.”

“You said you’ve had mistresses.”

“And have bedded none of them since our wedding day.” His words had her wriggling in her seat, uncertain whether she believed him or not. The vehemence with which he had spoken certainly made her wish to believe him, but she couldn’t quite be certain. “Good God, Bella, the only woman I am thinking about bedding is you.”

“After last night, I wish to believe you. Then today… you were so cold.”

“I can change that.”

He crossed the carriage suddenly. He dropped to his knees in front of her, startling her so much that she gripped the backrest behind her with both hands. Placing his hands on either side of her on the bench, he held himself still as the carriage rocked them from side to side.

“Believe me, all my intentions are at this moment is claiming you as my wife, completely.”

He bent towards her, so close to kissing her that she stilled, wanting that kiss. Yet, he hovered a little away from her, teasing her with the promise of his desire, but not quite acting on it.

“Claiming me?” she scoffed. “I am not your possession, Henry!”

“I do not wish to treat you as my possession, but as my wife!”

“What does that entail, exactly?”

“Let me show you.” He reached up and took hold of her neck, bringing her forwards so that they kissed.

At first, Isabella was so startled by the suddenness of his touch that she didn’t respond. When his lips parted hers, she was overcome with such passion that she didn’t hold back. Angling her head against his own, trying to deepen that kiss, she used her hands, which were braced against the backrest, to push herself forwards. Sitting on the edge of the coach bench, she pressed her hips against Henry’s, with her legs on either side of him. He growled into the kiss as his other arm came up around her, holding her to him.

The kiss went on for so long that Isabella lost sense of time. She thought only of being closer to Henry, of needing more of him. He angled her head back and began to press kisses down her neck. Suddenly, his hand curled around her necklace and snapped it away.

“Did… Did you break that?” she asked in surprise.

She actually had no great attachment to the necklace and had used it only to hide the mark he had left on her neck.

“I’ll buy you another.”

He pressed his lips to the place where he had left a love bite the night before and gave her another. Isabella mewled at his touch, arching her body into his. One of her hands left the seat behind her and wound itself in his dark brown hair, holding him to her.

The carriage continued to rock them, but they didn’t pull away from each other, not once. They simply used their free hands to keep themselves close to each other.

“You are my wife, Isabella.” He used her full name as he lifted his head from her neck. “I haven’t seen anyone else since we married, and I have no intention to.”

“Truly?” she murmured, wishing to believe him.

One of his hands slid up her waist, wrapping tightly around her. She gasped at that touch, wishing the fabric of her gown was not between them.

“Truly,” he promised her. He went to kiss her again when the carriage came to a sudden stop. “Damn,” he muttered. “You’re going to have to walk in front of me out of here.”

“What?”

“I’m revealing a little of myself.”

He smirked as he stood to his feet. Isabella’s eyes shot down to his trousers, where his length was plainly pressing against the fabric. She had to bite her lip not to laugh.

“Something amusing?”

“No,” she said teasingly. “Just enjoying seeing what is happening.”

He offered her his hand. “This isn’t over, Bella.”

“I was hoping you would say that.”

As they climbed down from the carriage, Isabella walked in front of him. At all times, he kept behind her, hiding himself from the looks of any of the footmen, and even Hawkins when they walked into the house.

They hurried up the stairs, with Henry’s hand on her waist, gently steering her forwards.

“Are you able to let go or not?” she asked playfully as she turned her steps towards her bedchamber.

Henry turned her back at the last minute, pushing her towards his chamber instead.

“Not in the slightest,” he confirmed with a mischievous smile, then reached for the door.

They stumbled inside, with Henry reaching down to kiss her so fast she didn’t have much time to look around the room.

She merely caught a glimpse of the four-poster bed she’d seen before and the fire in the hearth. Candles had been lit around the room, ready for his return, but to her relief, the valet was not there and had already left out a night shirt for Henry.

Unable to look anymore as her lips were caught by Henry’s in a kiss, she reached up, pushed her hands under his tailcoat and reached for his shoulders. He kicked the door shut behind them, then pressed her against it, caging her with his body.

“No more teasing,” he said between kisses. “And no more making me jealous.”

“You started that.”

“That was not my intention,” he argued, moving his lips back down her neck. This time, his lips trailed across her collarbone and to the opening of her gown. He kissed the mounds of her breasts, causing her to gasp. “But I’m ending it.” His hands reached for her waist, clutching her to him momentarily before he urged her to turn around. “This is coming off. I don’t want there to be a thing between us for this.”

“Not a single stitch?” she asked teasingly as she faced the door, with her hands flat on the wood. He unlaced her gown hurriedly.

“Not one.”

“No chemise?” she asked.

“No.”

“A corset?”

“No. Nothing.”

He moved his lips to kiss the back of her neck, making her spine shudder with the thrill of it before he rolled the gown down her shoulders. Isabella stepped out of it, and he turned her around, pressing her against the door again.

They returned to their kissing, yet this time, Isabella reached for him. The tailcoat was pulled off his shoulders, as was the waistcoat. She pulled at his shirt restlessly, needing it gone. It broke their kisses for a brief minute as they tossed the shirt away to the side, then he returned to her.

Distracted, entranced by the idea of doing something she had thought so much about, she let her fingers trail down his chest, exploring him. Each firm muscle she caressed had that excitement swelling inside of her. Already, she could feel the wetness she had known before pooling between her legs. It was only made stronger when Henry moved one of his legs between her own and rocked his thigh against her center.

“Nothing between us?” she murmured, leaning back from him.

“Now you’re getting it,” he said playfully.

She nodded her head down at his trousers. “Isn’t it time those came off then?”

Smiling, Henry reached down for his trousers and began to unbutton them. Standing so near, she flattened herself to the door, wanting the chance to see all of him. He lowered his trousers and kicked them away along with his Hessian boots before turning back to face her, with his hands on either side of her on the door.

His leg muscles were carved thickly, and at his hips, his muscles narrowed downwards into a v shape to his length. She had not expected his manhood to be as big as it was, and it left her with a dry mouth, wondering how what they were building up to was going to take place.

“Your turn,” he whispered and reached for her stays.

He unlaced the bodice at the front, slipping it from her shoulders, then took hold of her chemise and pulled it over her head. He slipped her stockings down her legs slowly. The whole time, he gazed at her as he did this, teasing her with the briefest of touches to her skin, then dropping the stockings.

All these fleeting touches left her body quivering, longing for that touch to be somewhere more intimate. He must have sensed it, for when they were completely bare, he stood before her at the door, his hands on her hips.

“Tell me to stop at any point, and I will,” he murmured the same words he’d said to her before.

“I thought you wanted to claim me as your wife?” she teased him, loving the way he smiled at her.

“I do.” His voice had deepened.

Abruptly, he reached for one of her knees and lifted it around his hip, inching her other leg to the side so she was open to him. He held her gaze as his other hand found her center.

As before, he moved his fingers to her core and began to pet her, pleasuring her. The feeling was so sudden that she gripped the door with one hand and his shoulder with the other, longing for more. He began to sway their bodies with the movements, showing her what it would be like when they were completely joined.

He continued to pleasure her for so long that her standing leg grew weak. She had to clutch at both his shoulders to keep herself upright.

“Henry,” she managed to mumble through her gasps, feeling the tingling sensation spreading throughout her body. “More,” she begged.

He growled at her words and removed his hand from her. Suddenly, he took hold of her waist and lifted her in the air. She gasped in surprise before he carried her across the room. With her legs wrapped around his hips, her core was near his center. He rocked his hips against her own, just once, teasing her with that movement as he gazed at her. He never once looked away, not once.

Now that Isabella was on the bed, she dropped her legs from around his waist, allowing him to move freely over her. He leaned over her and kissed her. That kiss though deep was brief, taunting her. She growled in complaint at him for not giving her more. His peppered kisses across her body were coupled with his laughter at her response. When he reached her breasts, he hovered there and softly kissed the mounds.

Stunned by the new sensation, Isabella brushed her hips to Henry’s, experimentally. She could feel him moving against her now, his length coming close to her center. Longing to feel him completely, she placed her hands on his shoulders, stilling his adoring touches.

He looked up at her questioningly.

“Not enjoying it?”

“Can’t you guess?” she asked wryly, prompting him to laugh again. “No holding back, Henry,” she pleaded. “Please.”

“A minute more,” he murmured softly, his voice deep with the words.

She growled once more in frustration, though it was a pleasant frustration indeed. He kissed between her breasts and down her stomach, before reaching the apex of her thighs. Small fleeting kisses he pressed to her thighs, then he moved down to her center.

Unlike before where he had been firm as he had explored her with his tongue, today, he was soft. They were only small kisses, taunting touches, but they had equal power over her. Her body writhed, wanting more from him.

“It will only hurt the first time,” he whispered between those kisses.

Isabella barely registered his words, for she was merely thinking of the sensations he was causing. It had her toes curling, her hands balling on the bed sheets beneath her.

“Henry, please,” she begged again.

Slowly, he released her. His kisses to her core ended, and his hands left her thighs, where he had been rubbing small circles. He moved his body up over hers and lined himself up at her entrance. She felt him nudging her as he placed his hands on either side of her head.

“Are you ready?” he asked, his blue eyes boring into hers, needing that final confirmation.

“Don’t make me beg again,” she pleaded, her words coming in a rush.