Chapter 6

Chapter Six

M ichael had never experienced anything so magnificent in all his life. He’d nearly spilled in his trousers when she reached her climax. Each reiteration of ‘yes, my lord’ had pushed him ever closer to the edge. She’d been so eager in her compliance and in her passion. His arousal was still painful and begging him to take her, but this was not the night for that. Now that she was finally a little more open to him, he wanted to take time to get to know her. There’d hopefully be plenty of time for lovemaking in their future, even if his manhood was impatient to get started.

He turned on his side and propped his head on his hand. “You’re awfully quiet, but I can hear the thoughts churning in that beautiful mind of yours. Would you like to share?”

Her brow furrowed in thought before she turned to face him. “Isn’t there more? It’s just… Lizzie said that you would want certain things in order to feel fulfilled as a husband.” She looked earnestly into his eyes. “I won’t fight you if you want to do that. I’ll cooperate.”

Michael felt a crack form in the wall around his heart at those words. She was offering to sacrifice herself for his happiness, even after all the pain he’d caused her. “Yes, there is so much more, and I do want it. Desperately, in fact. But I don’t want you to just cooperate, Belle. When I eventually do take you, I want you so desperate to have it you’re begging me for it.”

Her eyes grew wide, partly from shock, but if he wasn’t wrong, there was some anticipation in there too. “How will I even know that I want it?”

He chuckled softly. “Oh, you’ll know.”

“Lizzie made it sound like something I’d have to endure, not something I’d enjoy.”

He rolled his eyes. “Remind me to thank her for that. She probably scared you half witless with that conversation. No wonder you wanted nothing to do with me. Although, I don’t blame her, or you, for thinking me a brute. I’ve made a lot of mistakes when it comes to you and our arrangement, I’m afraid.” That was an understatement. Somehow, he hadn’t gotten any part of it right.

She shrugged. “I don’t know a lot of the details, but I’m starting to wonder if perhaps you simply did your best with a difficult situation.”

“Well, that is a very generous assessment.” Generosity that he didn’t deserve from her. “Now, I have a question.”

“You want to know how I knew about your club and this place?” She averted her eyes, nervous guilt settling on her face.

“I just assumed someone let you into my study while I was away, and you went through my desk. There is plenty of paperwork in there with information about The Raven’s Den on it and the address of this townhouse. I am in no way ashamed of owning a gaming hell, nor is it a secret.”

“Well, that’s mostly correct, except no one let me into your study. I did it all on my own, so I don’t want you to think you have a traitor in your employ. I picked the lock.”

Michael choked out a laugh. “You’re my wife, Belle, and I have no secrets to keep from you. As Lady Dalinridge, you have my full permission to enter every room in any of our homes.”

“I suppose I haven’t really thought of myself as Lady Dalinridge,” she admitted.

“It will come, with time.” At least he hoped it would.

“I actually went to your club first, but there was a giant of a man outside the front door, and I didn’t dare to approach him.”

Michael smiled. “That giant of a man would have made sure you were safe. We have several of them in our employ, and you can trust every one of them.”

She nodded but didn’t look entirely sure.

“What was it that drove you to come down here all by yourself, Belle?”

Her eyes darted around a bit as she tried to gather her thoughts. “I know I have been, let’s just say, difficult.” She gave him a nervous little smile. “I have to confess something,” she blurted.

Michael simply raised a brow and waited for her to continue, clueless to what she could possibly feel compelled to confess.

“I was outside your study the night you sent Jones for a bottle of brandy.”

“Oh dear.” He cringed at the memory. “I’m sorry you had to witness that. It was not my finest hour.” Hopefully she hadn’t seen him after the drinking had actually begun.

“I thought perhaps my behavior had led you to drink again after all that time without it. You obviously keep it hidden for a reason, and I worried that I had ruined that.”

“I’ll be honest. I was worried about that too. Not that you had caused me to do anything. My actions are my own. But I worried that in a moment of weakness, I would fall back on my old habits. Which is why the liquor has been hidden. But I didn’t give into temptation that night because of you, Belle. I was angry at myself for hurting you.”

She shook her head. “You didn’t hurt me.”

“Well, I scared you, at the very least. I’m sorry for that.”

“Confused me, perhaps, but it doesn’t matter now.”

“It matters to me. I never want to hurt you.”

Her eyes looked at him appraisingly. “Would you really have stopped tonight, if I had asked you to?”

“Yes. Without a moment’s hesitation. And I always will.” It was important to him that she knew that.

She was quiet for a moment, probably trying to decide if she really believed him, but then she moved onto a different subject. “You told Jones that you had given it up all those years ago for me. What did you mean by that?”

He let out a long sigh. He had hoped she’d never even know about his struggles, but perhaps it was right that she did. “Back in the before times, as I like to call them. The time before we were officially betrothed, or at least before I had laid eyes upon you. I was lost at the bottom of a bottle most nights. To this day, I have no idea why your father chose me to be your husband. I wasn’t worth a damn. When I signed the contract, I didn’t even realize you were practically a baby. Too soused to read it properly, I imagine.” He huffed a cynical laugh at the memory, shame settling in his stomach. “It was quite a shock when I arrived, and Mr. Carlyle walked me in to look at you in a crib.”

Belle gasped. “You really didn’t know I was a child?”

Michael shook his head. “I knew you were not of age, so we wouldn’t be marrying immediately, but I had just assumed that meant fifteen or thereabouts.” Michael let out another long sigh. “It was probably for the best, in the long run. I was not capable of being a decent husband at the time. When I saw you, I knew I had to do better. I had to be better. I vowed to spend the next fifteen years doing my best to create a home and a life where you might be happy. Part of that meant giving up the booze.” Although, here he was, all these years later, and still hadn’t managed it. Not giving up the booze or creating a life where she would be happy.

“And was opening a gaming hell part of that plan too?” she teased.

“I wouldn’t have that without you, you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“I was essentially in financial ruin, and then you came along, a beautiful, innocent child, with adorable, dark ringlets, and her thumb in her mouth, and you saved me.”

The smile that grew on her face was magical.

“With the first few installments I received from your father, I was able to restore Glenwood to what it is today. I needed to make sure you would have a good home when you eventually moved here. Then, when Ash asked if I’d like to open a gaming hell, your father’s money allowed me to purchase my share. And this place. I wouldn’t have any of it without you.”

“Well then.” Mischief danced in her eyes as she smiled. “You’re welcome.”

God she was beautiful. And apparently smart and funny to boot. He would never truly deserve to have her as his wife because she hadn’t chosen him, but he would try his best to give her a good life.

“Why was our betrothal kept secret from me? Did you never want to visit? To see what kind of woman I was becoming?”

Michael pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he considered his answer. “Those questions are more complicated than you might think to answer, but I’ll try. I kept the betrothal from you because I thought you’d be happier that way. I didn’t want it hanging over your head your whole life, the knowledge that one day you’d have to wed a brutish, old earl from the other side of the world.” She laughed softly. “Perhaps I made the wrong choice.”

Belle nodded, quietly mulling over what he’d said. “I had never considered any of that. I just assumed it was your way of controlling me, of having more power, dropping into my life and expecting me to just accept it all.”

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes, Belle, and I’m sorry. The truth is, I still don’t know what the right answer was.”

She shook her head. “I’m not sure it was a mistake. Perhaps you were right to keep me ignorant of it, allowing me to live my life free of it all. It just never occurred to me that you may have done it out of kindness.” She shrugged. “The truth is, from the moment you arrived, I chose to not like you or give you a chance to explain or prove that you might be something other than what I imagined.” She paused for a moment, her gaze drifting over his face. “I suppose that’s why you stayed away, as well, to keep the secret?”

“Partly, yes. But there were other reasons, too. I was kept informed of important things in your life, so I wasn’t completely in the dark. I made sure you were cared for and received an adequate education and all of that, but—” He paused for a moment. How could he phrase it delicately? “The truth is, I was afraid if I knew you as a child, as my ward, it would make things awkward between us as man and wife.”

Belle’s mind began to work through his explanation. Her eyes widened and pink infused her cheeks as she understood. “As hard as it is for me to admit it, I think you were right, about all of it. But if you ever tell anyone I said that, I’ll deny every word of it.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She had no way of knowing how much relief her words brought him. For the first time in fifteen years, he felt as if he could breathe properly.

“Will you tell me what Rosie whispered in your ear before she left?”

She smiled shyly. “She said your bark is worse than your bite.”

“Well, I hope she was right.”

She shrugged. “Perhaps I like your bite.”

That surprised another laugh from him, and another blush glowed in her cheeks.

Michael leaned closer and brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Her lush pink lips called to him like a siren’s song. “May I kiss you, Belle?”

“Yes, my lord,” she said playfully.

“Mmmm. Careful, little miss. You have no idea what those words do to me.”

It seemed silly that they’d been wed for several weeks, he’d just spanked her and brought her to orgasm, and they were now lying together in his bed, and yet kissing her was somehow the most intimidating thing of all. A frisson of excitement filled him as he leaned in, pressing his lips gently against hers.

She was untutored, but not afraid. If anything, she was eager. After a moment, he traced her full lips with his tongue, encouraging her to open for him. When her lips parted, a groan escaped him as he dipped his tongue inside to find hers.

He was shocked by his own eager response to a simple kiss. He pushed himself over the top of her in order to better plunder her mouth. When she responded with a whimpering moan, his manhood came roaring back to life. Slowly, he began to wind the kiss back down. If he didn’t stop now, he may not stop at all, and she still wasn’t ready. He needed to do more to earn her trust first. He gradually pulled his lips away, both of them slightly breathless. Resting his forehead against hers, she smiled warmly.

Michael closed his eyes just savoring this moment. It was incredible how much had changed between them in just a few short hours. He’d started to wonder if she’d ever even speak to him. Never had he imagined they’d share an evening as marvelous as this had been. He pressed one last brief kiss to her lips. “You’ve had a long day, Belle, and you need sleep.” He rolled onto his back on his own side of the bed. After a moment, her hand slipped tentatively into his. He squeezed it and looked over at her. Her tender smile soothed his soul.

“Thank you, Michael.”

His heart warmed finally hearing his name from her lips. “For what?”

“All of it,” she said simply.

He wasn’t sure how or why, but those honest words made him wonder if perhaps one day he would be able to forgive himself for all the bad decisions he’d made. “You’re welcome, Belle. Now sleep, before I pull you out of this bed and spank you again.”

She was supposed to blush and shyly acquiesce, but instead she looked at him excitedly, daring him to do it. He chuckled and raised her hand to his lips before lifting the blanket and tucking it back under where it would be warm. “Sleep.” His little temptress of a wife might just be his undoing.

* * *

Belle stretched and sat up in the bed. Sunlight was creeping in around the curtains. She’d slept like a baby and her heart felt lighter than it had in a very long time. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised that Michael was nowhere to be seen. It was strange thinking of him as Michael. Before last night, he’d only ever been her husband or Lord Dalinridge, but Michael was something completely different. Tender, patient, attentive, thoughtful, all the things she’d believed her husband wasn’t. All things she would have listed if someone had asked her what she hoped for in a husband.

He probably had some important business to attend to, and who knew when he’d be back. Belle threw back the blankets and climbed out of bed. She might as well get dressed while she waited for him to return. She certainly wouldn’t be wandering off on her own again and making him worry. Not that she’d be opposed to the consequences that might follow now that she knew what they might be.

She hadn’t often dressed herself, but she’d done it enough to know it was easiest to put her shoes on before her corset. She was bent down in the process of fastening them when Michael walked through the door behind her.

“My God, woman. Are you trying to do me in?”

She straightened and whipped around, her heart startled into a sprint inside her chest. He had a devilish grin on his handsome face that made her heart race for a whole other reason. He quickly moved the tray he was carrying to his right hand and wrapped the left arm around her, his warm palm reaching down to squeeze her backside. His lips came in for a searing kiss. She was breathless and filled with the familiar desire she’d experienced last night, by the time he pulled back. He gave her bottom a little pat before leaving her to set the tray on a small table against the wall.

“Good morning, Michael.” Was this how it would always be now? Is this how it always would have been if she’d not been such a brat to him in the beginning?

“Any morning that starts with that view of your backside is definitely a good morning.” He came in for another kiss, squeezing her bottom with both hands this time, and pulling her tightly against him. She copied his tongue’s movements with her own, boldly swooping into his mouth. With a groan, he pulled away from her.

Unable to stop herself, she looked down at the hard ridge that had grown against her belly. What exactly did it mean?

“I’m sorry, Belle.”

She inhaled sharply and looked up, embarrassed that she’d been caught staring. She nibbled nervously on her bottom lip, but then tamped down her timid feelings. “I don’t really understand,” she admitted.

“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s just something you haven’t learned about yet. This is what will probably always happen when I see your beautiful body, or kiss you, or”—he breathed in deeply through his nose—“smell you. I could go on, but basically, it’s what happens when I’m aroused and want to make love to you.” Her heart stuttered at those words. Make love to her.

Her eyes flicked down to it again. “May I…” she hesitated. “May I touch it?”

“Oh,” he groaned. His cheeks puffed out as he blew out a breath before nodding. “Yes.”

Belle took a step toward him and carefully cupped her palm around it. It gave a small twitch, and she jerked her gaze up to his face. He smiled, but a muscle ticked in his jaw. “Am I hurting you?”

“No.” He spoke the word, but his strained features said otherwise. She removed her palm and ran one finger lightly along the hard shaft. His whole body shivered and he took a quick step back, grabbing her wrist.

“That’s enough for today.” He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before letting out a long, calming breath.

“Are you sure I didn’t hurt you?”

“Let’s get you dressed before I lose my last thread of composure and ravish you right here and now. Then we’ll talk more about the details of all of this.”

“But I think I might want you to ravish me.”

He had already returned to the table and started pouring tea. “‘Might want’ isn’t good enough,” he said over his shoulder. “Get dressed.”

He didn’t face her again until she had every stitch of clothing perfectly in place. “Better?” she asked, slightly perturbed.

“Much.” He nodded and waved a hand toward the pair of armchairs. He placed the tray with scones and jam on the table between them.

“Where is all this from?” she asked as he handed her a cup of tea.

“There is a wonderful tea shop right across the street.”

“Thank you for procuring it for us.”

“At your service, my lady.” He gave her a little bow before settling himself into the other chair.

It felt strange being called that by him. For some reason it was so much more natural when she called him my lord than it was in reverse. Perhaps because he’d been born to be a lord, and she was only a lady now because she was his wife. But more than that, it made her feel like he might think of her as his equal. Was that possible?

“Well, now that you’re no longer mostly naked, I will go over the basics of lovemaking. I’ll try to make it as easy to follow and as comfortable as possible.”

She nodded, focusing all her attention on him.

“The basic mechanics are very straightforward. My”—he gestured toward his lap—“will go inside of your”—he motioned toward her lap.

“I know that much, even if I don’t fully understand it.”

“You won’t fully understand it until it happens probably. And that’s fine. Trust me.”

“I do,” she said, surprising herself as much as him probably.

“Good, then we’re moving in the right direction.” The warmth in his voice showed in his smile. “There are some important things I want you to know because it wouldn’t be fair for you to be surprised. No matter how prepared we are and regardless of how much you want it, your first time will likely be uncomfortable, and possibly even painful. I will do everything in my power to mitigate that, which is why we are waiting.”

“Lizzie warned me that there would be pain.” It did make her a bit nervous.

“Well, what she probably didn’t tell you is that there will also be immeasurable pleasure.”

Her pulse quickened remembering the events from the previous night. “You mean like last night?”

“Last night was merely a taste of the pleasures that await you, my dear.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Remind me again why we’re waiting?”

Amused laughter rippled from him, his radiant smile warming her heart.

“Thank you for being so honest with everything, Michael.”

“Honesty is important to me. Can we make a deal? No secrets between us? Only truth?”

“Deal.” That was easy enough. She liked not having any secrets between them.

“Would you like to seal our deal with a kiss before we leave?”

She practically threw her dishes onto the table and launched herself at him, slamming her mouth against his. She liked kissing him. His warm laughter vibrated against her lips and she smiled as she deepened their kiss this time. He pulled her into his lap, and almost immediately she felt him grow hard beneath her bottom. She wiggled gently against him and he groaned into her mouth before pulling away from her.

“You are definitely going to be my undoing.” He placed a quick kiss on her lips before he stood up and deposited her back in her own chair. She was enjoying this newfound power she seemed to have over him, almost as much as she had enjoyed giving him power over her.

Michael downed the last of his tea and placed his cup on the tray. “Are you ready to leave?”

A shadow of disappointment settled over her. She didn’t want to leave behind all the joy they’d shared here. “Are you going to leave me again after you take me home?”

“No. Not right away, at least. We need to have a house party.” He walked to stand beside her chair. “It’s time the important people in my world were introduced to Lady Dalinridge.” He reached down and she placed her hand in his.

“I’ve never done anything like that. I don’t even know where to start. And what if they don’t like me?” Panic was rising in her chest.

“They will adore you.” He bent and pressed a kiss to her hand. “The house party needn’t be a concern, either. You won’t need to worry about a thing. Mrs. Thistle will see to everything.” He squeezed her hand and gave it a gentle shake.

“As for today, I thought before we board the train home, you might like to visit The Raven’s Den with me. I know you only got to see the outside yesterday.”

“Really? I thought ladies weren’t allowed in places like that.”

He shrugged. “There are some advantages to being married to one of the owners. Besides, it’s daytime, so there won’t be anything untoward happening in there.”

“Are there usually untoward things happening in there?”

“We don’t have to go if you’d rather just sit here and ask questions until it’s time to catch the train.”

“Oh, you are a brute.” She jumped to her feet and headed straight for the door. He swatted her backside playfully and she squealed.

“If you’re up for it, I thought we might walk so that I can show you a bit of Raven Row on the way.”

“What is Raven Row?”

“That’s not the official name, but it’s what people call this area. We started with just The Raven’s Den, our club, but over the years, we’ve bought up more and more. We don’t own most of the businesses that reside within them, but we own all of the buildings in this stretch.”

“You are ambitious!”

“It’s mostly Ash. He has a driving need to make the world a little better, and he drags us along with him.”

There was a lightness in Michael as he talked about this place. It really was something to be proud of though. Carriages and cabs rumbled through the street and people bustled in and out of doors. There were countless charming shops selling anything from cakes to hats and everything in between. It was all so foreign to her and a bit overwhelming, having always lived amongst plantations and farms, but she liked it.

“The Raven’s Nest?” she asked when she saw the sign ahead.

He nodded. “That’s one of ours. We sell jewelry and other valuables that we take in from people at the Den. Patrick lives on top of that shop.” He pointed up at the building above.

She hadn’t met Ash yet, but she’d met Patrick. He had been nothing but kind, and his wife, Rosie, was so sweet.

“Are Ash and Patrick like you? I mean, do they also have titles and estates?”

“Yes, but the people in this part of our lives don’t know that, so it’s best not to mention it.”

That seemed strange. He had no problem with the people at his estate knowing about his club, but he didn’t want the people here to know about his title? There was still so much she had to learn about her husband. Soon The Raven’s Den came into view, and once again there was a giant of a man standing guard outside the door. Not the same one who’d been there yesterday, though. Michael gave the man a nod and then he led her down an alley on the side of the building. They walked around to the back and he placed his hand on the building behind.

“This is Raven House. Ash lives here, along with the Lady Ravens. That’s the women who dance in our club.”

Women who worked for him? Who danced for him? Were they also sharing his bed?

“It’s not like that, Belle.” He must have seen where her thoughts were going. “We take women in off the streets and give them a way to earn money that doesn’t involve taking their clothes off. We give them shelter and food and the opportunity to learn skills so they can have a better life.”

She was so surprised by his explanation that she didn’t know what to say. Since she’d learned he owned a gaming hell, she’d just assumed it was for the pleasure and the profits. It had never occurred to her that there may be some philanthropic part to it. The revelation took her completely off guard. This man was not at all who she’d thought he was, and the more she learned, the better he became.

They entered the club through the back door, where they were met with a long, dark hallway. When they passed through the curtains at the end, however, they might as well have stepped into a different world. Light poured in through windows in the ceiling, two storeys up, allowing her to see everything in the massive room. But it wasn’t just the beauty in the place that caught her attention. As Michael walked her around and explained all of the different tables and games, pride and joy poured out of him. This was his home. This club, the townhouse, this whole area, this was where his heart lived.

“Up there is the balcony where we stand to observe the gaming floor. There is almost always one of us watching from up there. But do you know what the best part is?” He was like a child with a new toy, proudly showing off all of its features, and it warmed her heart in a way she didn’t know was possible.

“What?” she said. His excitement was contagious and now she hung on his every word.

“When it’s dark outside, and those lights are on,”—he pointed to the ring of lights that circled along the walls—“the balcony, and anyone who is on it, are completely invisible from down here. So we can observe everyone down here and no one even knows we’re there.”

It really was an impressive place to behold. She turned in a circle to take everything in once more.

The sudden sound of the back door closing startled a gasp from her.

Michael placed a comforting hand on her back. “Don’t worry, it’s just Patrick. Ash will be here any moment, as well.”

“Will they be upset that I’m in here?”

“Perhaps a little surprised,” came a deep voice from the balcony above, “but not upset.” Belle nearly jumped out of her own skin. Where had he come from?

“Are you trying to scare the daylights out of her, Ash?” Michael asked. A soft chuckle followed Ash as he disappeared from the balcony.

Patrick and Ash both entered through the black curtain. Belle pushed herself more firmly against Michael’s side.

“Don’t worry, Belle. What you need to know about these two is that they may look intimidating, but if for any reason, you ever need it, they will protect you, without question.”

“Damn right we will,” Patrick said, cracking his knuckles. “Even if it’s from this beast.” He pointed at Michael.

Belle laughed quietly.

“You think he’s joking, but he gave me a stern warning before I went into my own townhouse last night, and so did his wife, for that matter.”

“That’s my Rosie,” Patrick said with pride.

“Since I have not formally had the pleasure of meeting you, Lady Dalinridge,”—the other man took a step toward her—“I’m Ash.” Michael had said he was safe, but he unnerved her, all the same. Large and dark, dressed in black from head to toe, and eyes that seemed like they could see her very thoughts.

Belle placed her hand in his and he brushed his lips over her knuckles.

“Please, call me Belle.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Belle.”

“Thank you both for being so kind and understanding. I didn’t mean to create such a stir yesterday.”

“Perhaps it was the only way we were ever going to meet you.” There was a hint of teasing in Ash’s dark eyes. “Michael has been keeping you hidden.”

“Now,” he said, turning to Michael, “are you sticking around for our meeting?”

“Only if there’s something really important. Otherwise, we have a train to catch.”

“Nothing pressing.”

“Good. We’ll be on our way then, gentlemen.” Michael gave them both a nod and escorted her out of the club.