Chapter 30

Lucian had no words. He’d tried not to imagine what it would be like if he gave into his desire and passion for Eliza, but even if he had, nothing would have compared to the reality. Perfection and he’d never had such difficulty keeping control and denying himself until the woman found pleasure. The need to mate with Eliza had almost been animalistic and in a moment of clarity, Lucian realized that he had known desire in the past but never truly experienced passion until Eliza.

Eliza’s body grew heavy, head on his chest, arm across his middle and leg over his thighs, and her breaths slow and steady. Lucian smoothed a hand up and down her naked back, marveling at his contentment with her asleep in his arms. Lucian had never slept with anyone before. He’d bedded many women, but sleep had never been involved, not even with a mistress of a longer duration. He’d also never had a woman in his bed before and he wanted no other woman there. Only Eliza.

A warmth and comfort spread through his being the likes of which he had never experienced in his life. It wasn’t only contentment, but happiness, and, yes, love. He had already suspected and acknowledged the possibility, but now he was certain. What he did not know was if Eliza cared deeply for him. She admitted to an infatuation when she was younger but said nothing about now. Had she simply wanted passion and desire and to be rid of her innocence or did her emotions run deeper? Was there a way to make her fall in love with him if she was not? Such cannot be forced, but since she had shared herself with him, she must feel something.

His eyes grew heavy as Lucian sank further into the mattress but willed himself to remain awake. He wanted to remember this night, especially if Eliza, now that her curiosity had been satisfied, decided that it would not happen again. Though, he hoped that she did not forgo opportunities for further pleasure as there were so many more ways that they could enjoy themselves. He hadn’t even tasted her yet. Lucian smiled in anticipation of her shock when he kissed her breasts, then her stomach before trailing his lips lower.

Tonight would not be the only night they shared together. He would continue seducing her until she gave in to pleasure once again.

Lucian blew out a sigh and gently disengaged himself from her body before he fell asleep. As much as he would like to remain exactly as they were, they could not. Eliza could not be found in his bed. She especially could not be found naked in his bed. Therefore, he pulled the covers up and over her shoulders after he slipped from the bed and shrugged on his dressing gown. He then took her dress and shift to her chamber, just now realizing that she’d worn no stockings or shoes. He placed both neatly over the back of a chair and then searched her chest of drawers for a nightshift. He really shouldn’t go through her personal clothing without permission, but he did not want to wake her yet either.

Once he found one, he returned to his chamber, but first stopped to shut and lock the door from the sitting room to the corridor and then returned to his bed where he pulled the covers back just enough to gently shake her shoulder and then kiss her neck.

“Wake up, Eliza.”

She burrowed deeper into the bed.

“You cannot stay here,” he said. “What if Stella finds you like this?”

For a moment he wasn’t certain she had heard him and then Eliza’s eyes flew open and she turned to look at him right before she sat up, clutching the covers to her breasts.

“Let’s get you dressed.” He chuckled.

“My dress…” she pointed toward the floor where it had been.

“I have your nightshift.” He presented it then placed it over her head and helped her slip her arms in the sleeves.

Only then did she push the blankets away, though her shapely limbs were still exposed.

As she started to get out of the bed, Lucian swept her up in his arms then strode across his chamber where he stopped to lock the door that led to the corridor, then through the sitting room and into her chamber where he deposited her onto the bed before he shut and locked her door to the sitting room as well as locking the door to the corridor.

By the time he returned to the bed, Eliza had crawled under the covers, bunched a pillow under her head and watched him with sleepy eyes.

“Why do you lock the door? Are you afraid that man will get in the house?”

Lucian walked to the other side of the bed and pulled back the covers before he shrugged out of his dressing gown. “So that Stella cannot barge in.”

He then crawled into the bed beside her and pulled the covers up over them both.

With a sigh, Eliza rolled into him, but instead of allowing her to sleep on his chest again, he rolled her back so that he could curl around her, keeping her safe within his arms. It was his preference to sleep on his side, though he had never had to do so with his manhood pressed against her perfect bottom.

He nearly let out a groan and wondered if he would sleep tonight and if it really mattered when Eliza snuggled back against him.

Eliza jerked awake, not certain why and glanced around.

A moment later there was a pounding on the door. “Eliza!” Stella called.

Eliza started to sit up but there was a weight across her middle. Alarmed, she glanced to her right to find Lucian asleep on his side and arm over her.

“Wake up,” she quietly hissed.

“Eliza!” Stella called again. “You locked all the doors.”

No, Lucian had done that, thank goodness.

“Lucian, wake up.” She pushed against his shoulder.

His eyes opened as he slowly smiled.

“Eliza! Wake up!”

His blue eyes grew wide and then he instantly jumped from the bed, grabbed his dressing gown and practically ran from her room and it was all that she could do not to laugh at the sight of his naked bum. It was a very nice one too. She’d not had a chance to see it last night.

At more pounding on her door, Eliza jumped from her bed, quickly shut the door to the sitting room, then unlocked the door to allow Stella inside.

“Why are you still abed?” she demanded. “It is not at all like you to sleep so late.”

She blinked. “Late. What time is it?”

“Nearly nine in the morning. Did you stay awake late waiting for Lord Garretson to return?”

Before Eliza could come up with an excuse, Stella continued. “It is best that we do not wonder or ask. Sometimes when gentlemen disappear in the evenings and do not come back until very late, it is best that we do not know what they are doing.”

“Such as?”

“Even though you have not been a sheltered miss, and are a spinster of a certain age, there are still matters best not discussed.”

“I am assuming you are not suggesting that he was drinking or gambling, but with a mistress.”

“Such matters are not discussed,” Stella insisted again.

Eliza almost wanted to laugh because Stella was certainly correct in what Lucian had been doing last evening, though, not with a mistress or at a brothel.

She frowned. Was she now a mistress?

No. She was a lover. A mistress implied a contractual agreement from which the woman financially benefited. A lover is for mutual pleasure and enjoyment without any commitment.

“Well, now that I know you are well, I will not worry,” Stella said.

“Why would you worry?”

“To tell you the truth, when you slept so late, then your door was locked, and you did not answer, I feared…And the door to the sitting room is locked as well, and I feared…I feared that the man who had been sending you notes managed to find a way into the house.”

“I am sorry to have worried you,” Eliza finally said, knowing that she would continue to keep her chamber door locked in hopes that Lucian might find his way into her bed again.

Oh, she hoped that he did. Last night had been absolutely wonderful and she wanted to experience it all over again. She had no idea that a body could feel so much pleasure and come alive the way that it had. So many new and wonderful sensations. She could not wait for this evening and hoped that Lucian wished to join with her again. But, if he did not come to her chamber, then she would definitely go to his.

“Eliza?”

She blinked and looked at Stella. “What?”

“Is all well?”

Her face heated. “Yes,” she finally answered. “I will prepare for the day and be downstairs shortly.”

“Ring if you need me,” Stella said before she left Eliza alone.

Thank goodness she did not have a maid who insisted on dressing and undressing her and Eliza could never understand why other women needed a servant for such, unless a corset, heaven forbid, had to be worn, or if there were buttons at the back of a dress.

After she closed the door behind Stella, she then locked her door to the sitting room. Even though Lucian had seen her naked last night that did not mean she would be at all comfortable if he decided to return while she was preparing for the day.

Goodness, he had seen her naked!

Eliza’s face grew hot with embarrassment until she realized that if he had not liked how she looked, he would not have carried her to his bed and did all those wonderful things to her.

With a sigh she pulled a pale green day dress from the wardrobe and hoped that once had not been enough for Lucian.

Anxious to see Lucian and how he might react to her this morning, and a bit nervous at seeing him after what they had done, she quickly dressed and made her way to the breakfast room.