26. Caroline

26

Caroline

“ O h,” Caroline panted, pulling away from David’s kiss as he carried her into his bedroom—or what she thought had been his bedroom. “It’s not just one room back here.”

The room’s high ceilings swept out before them. It was far larger than anything she had anticipated, populated by plush furnishings and towering bookcases. A fireplace large enough to crouch in sat opposite windows twice her height, with heavy blue curtains falling on either side.

“No,” David confirmed, kicking the door shut behind him. “This is my private sitting room. Our private sitting room. Feel free to redecorate.”

She leant in, her lip curling into a slow grin. “Maybe some other time.”

Even now, the wedding ball hadn’t finished. Castell Du'r Arddu’s ballroom certainly wasn’t in for an early night. The jazz band they’d hired would no doubt play into the early hours, particularly with Sian and Roscoe on the dance floor.

“ This ,” David announced, carrying her into a large, spacious bedroom layered in hues of jade and cream, “is my bedroom.”

His scent washed over her, clean and spicy and enticing. Caroline filled her lungs with it as need built inside her.

They’d escaped from the wedding ball—as husband and wife.

“It’s bigger than I thought it would be,” she remarked. Curtains of heavy silk brocade were drawn, but a large chandelier filled the space with warm golden light, illuminating an impressive mural depicting a town she recognised as Holyhead. A distinctly masculine four-poster bed sat on a large navy rug, with a plush sitting area huddled around an unlit fireplace.

David’s lips pressed together, smirking. “A feeling I’m sure you’re familiar with.”

Caroline slid her finger underneath his chin, tutting in mock disapproval. “Don’t be childish now, Lord Menai.”

“I shall be as childish as I like, wife .” His voice was a rasped growl, steeped in sudden possession.

She leant in to kiss him—but yelped as she found herself cast onto the bed, landing with a thump and a laugh.

He gave her no chance to recover, hiking up her wedding dress and disappearing beneath the layers of tulle.

“What are you doing ?” she asked, the rigid structure of the dress not allowing her to bend. Instead, she settled for flopping back on the bed with an amused grin.

David’s disembodied voice was slightly muffled through her skirts. “Do be quiet, I’m rather busy.”

A playful giggle burbled out of her lungs, but it turned into a ticklish squeak when his hands found the hollow of her knee. “What—?”

But then his touch vanished. A second later, he reappeared from beneath her skirts with her lace garter tightly cinched between his teeth.

She shook her head with a smile. “You ridiculous man.”

He gave her an easy shrug, taking her wedding shoes off one after the other. “I only plan to be married once, Lady Menai. Might as well get all the traditions out of the way.”

Caroline should have been relieved he hadn’t removed it in front of everyone, but she didn’t question it; something else was on her mind. “Lady Menai,” she whispered. Upon her marriage, she’d ceased to be Lady Caroline Richardson. Now, she was Caroline Pearce, the Marchioness of Menai. “That’s going to take me a while to get used to.”

Sincerity thrummed through David’s voice like its very own heartbeat. “It suits you.” He climbed up the bed, stretching out next to her and leaning on an elbow. “But you will grow into your title. We all have to.”

She tried to turn, to sit up in line with him, but the stiff boning of the corset on her wedding dress was determined to keep her torso flat. “Would you mind undoing this for me?”

Taking pity on her attempts, David rolled her over, his brows pinching together in concern. “Has it been this uncomfortable all day?”

“Not at all,” she said against the plush duvet, feeling her dress loosening as he worked. “It’s fine when sitting or standing. But not lying down, apparently.” Soon enough, the dress gaped open, breaking its hold on her torso.

David’s warm, strong hands massaged her back, pulling a moan of satisfaction from her chest. “Can I remove your brassiere as well?”

“It’s our wedding night,” she murmured, his soothing touch reducing her to a puddle of contentment. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

He unclasped it, moving her arms through the straps to free her. “Now lift yourself to your knees for a moment.”

Caroline obeyed, and he was swift to swipe away the brassiere and pull her wedding dress down to her thighs—before ridding her of it altogether after she collapsed back onto the bed.

Leaving her in nothing but her crepe de chine French knickers, complete with delicate floral lace.

“I have some Pond’s Vanishing Cream here,” David said. “It would do your skin good after being trapped in that contraption for hours.”

Feeling the exhaustion of the day weighing on her, she made a soft noise of agreement. She just needed to rest her eyes for a minute .

The brief sound of a metal lid rattling against a glass pot reached her ears, followed by wet, squishing sounds. Was he rubbing his hands together, perhaps? But her mind emptied when his touch returned, kneading the stiffness from her spine in long, slow strokes.

Caroline groaned with pleasure, feeling his fingers move outwards from her spine towards her rib cage. He shifted once her moans had stopped, turning his attention to her shoulders. “David,” she sighed, melting into the bed.

“This wasn’t how I imagined you’d be moaning my name, I must admit.” His hands momentarily disappeared once the cream settled into her skin, but returned with a fresh coating—this time to her poor, battered feet. His thumbs worked simultaneously along each foot, teasing out the aches.

Her fingers curled into the bedsheets as she hummed out her contentment. “I’m not complaining.”

He snorted, moving up to her calves, until he’d wrung all of her moans and sighs out. “Roll over. I want to do your front.”

Caroline didn’t argue, but a jolt of surprise came when his fingers hooked into her French knickers.

“I don’t want to ruin the fabric,” he assured her.

But just being naked set off a chain reaction within her.

She sucked in a breath as his slick hands slid up her legs, pushing her skin apart just enough to disturb the sensitive flesh between her thighs. He didn’t stop there, though. Instead of spreading her legs, David followed the crease in her hip upwards, moving higher still.

For a brief moment, she thought he would go for her breasts, but disappointment panged through her when his hands moved up the valley between them to massage her shoulders and upper arms.

It was nice—but he’d awakened her appetite for something else .

Instead of satisfied moans, this time all she rewarded him with was the hitch in her breath whenever he came close to where she really wanted him.

“Everything okay?” he murmured, his hands tantalisingly close to her aching nipples.

Her thighs shifted of their own accord, as needy as she was. “Touch me.”

“I am touching you,” David replied, too innocently to be genuine.

Holding his gaze, she moved his hands downwards, but he pulled away.

“ Tch , I’ve got cream on my hands.” He smirked. “I’ll have to settle for these.”

Caroline gasped as his fingers settled over her nipples, flicking them in tandem.

Pushing her thighs apart, he sent her a wolfish smirk. “Why don’t you touch your clit for me, wife?”

She blinked. “Me?”

David took her hand, guiding it to the wetness between her legs. “If there’s ever a night to learn…” He trailed off, leaning back on his haunches. “Put your fingers like this, that’s it. Can you feel the little—?”

Raw sensitivity had her choking on an inhale.

“There,” he confirmed. “I’ve found you like nice slow circles, just like that.”

“ Ohh .” Caroline exhaled, her eyelids lowering with pleasure. Fluttering heat began to build, and she let herself luxuriate in the feeling.

“That’s it, Starling.” David nodded at her, returning his attention to her breasts. He began to play with them once again, plucking and pulling and teasing.

Arousal began to bead at her entrance, beginning a slow journey down to the duvet. It hadn’t escaped her notice that, whilst she was nude, her new husband was fully dressed—and somehow that increased her need all the more.

The muscles inside her clenched around nothing, as desperate as she was to be filled. “I need you inside me,” she whimpered. “I’m so… empty. ”

David got to his feet, one hand going on each of her knees to spread her wider. A muttered curse fell from his lips, but he stepped backwards. “Don’t stop. I’m going to wash this cream off my hands.”

“ David—”

“And don’t come!”

Caroline let out a frustrated cry, slowing her movements to prevent her oncoming orgasm. She needn’t have worried, however, because he exited what she presumed was an en suite a few moments later.

And then he was in front of her, getting down on one knee and shoving her hand away—and replacing it with his tongue.

“ Yes ,” she moaned, drawing it out as he spread her wide.

David snarled as he devoured the length of her folds, his endlessly talented tongue delving into her wetness. The vibrations amplified her pleasure, driving her to the edge of her sanity.

Her hips writhed around his wide shoulders, the soles of her feet sliding against the back of his morning coat. She jolted as his fingers penetrated her; it was a feeling she had become accustomed to over the last few weeks, but the pleasure devastated her just as it had done the very first time.

Gasping and sighing, Caroline arched as heat swelled inside her. “Don’t stop,” she pleaded. “Oh god, don’t stop, David. Yes, yes, yes, yes— yes.”

A desperate scream blew through her as her climax detonated. All sense of time and reason vanished, replaced by the clenching, rippling, unforgiving pleasure burning through her. The only constant was the man between her thighs, her husband .

By the time her release was finished with her, Caroline could barely keep her head up.

She found David stretching out next to her. A softness filled his eyes, one that she never wanted to leave. “Have I exhausted you?”

He had—but she was rapidly gaining her energy back. In lieu of an answer, she lay her hand on his thigh, sliding up to cup his erection. “I want to taste you.”

“If you touch me, I’ll explode.” Her husband shook his head. “And I want to be inside you when I come. I need to be inside you.”

Caroline seized his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him on top of her. “Very well,” she whispered. “I’ll let you off just this once.”

David snorted. “How very magnanimous of you.”

As he was freeing his erection, she shoved his morning coat off his shoulders before moving onto his dress shirt. He let his trousers fall to the floor—but the muffled thud of a tin had them both freezing.

The condoms he kept in his pocket. She’d become accustomed to that over the past few weeks as well.

There was a question in his eyes—one neither of them needed to voice.

“We are married now,” she whispered, her gaze flicking between his eyes.

“That doesn’t mean we need to start a family immediately. If you’re not ready then—”

Caroline cut him off. “I’m ready.” She wanted a family with him. “Are you?”

Deciding when to have children wasn’t something that a couple could be hesitant about; it was all or nothing.

He couldn’t disguise the primal growl that filled the room. “I’ve waited for decades, Starling. I’ve always wanted a family.” His voice was a low rumble as he settled on top of her. “I want you to be the mother of my children. I want to see you pregnant.” Arousal simmered behind his eyes. “More than you could possibly imagine.”

“It could take months,” she whispered, gasping as he swiped his cock between her sensitised flesh, teasing the delicate arousal he found within.

Dark intention lit up his eyes as he prowled forward, letting his erection slowly slide into place. Simultaneous sighs of pleasure fell from both of them as he claimed her—man and wife, in their most basic, primordial state.

Caroline’s eyes rolled back as he sheathed himself to the hilt.

“Fuck,” he bit out, elongating the word into a moan. “Without the condom— fuck . You’re so warm.” His hips moved, stroking into her and pulling a whimper from her lungs. “And wet.”

She had but one demand. “More.”

He gave it to her.

Fingernails curling into his shoulders, Caroline did her best to hold on. She loved the way he looked like this, lost to desire, the fierce thrusts of his hips sending waves of ecstasy into hers. His long, thick cock drove into her until he had her crying out in bliss. Her body writhed beneath his, trying and failing to take hold of the desire burning through her like wildfire.

She was a fool to think there had ever been another man for her.

“ David !” The word was a plea. He would know what she needed. He always did.

He took pity on her, bending her legs to rest her calves on his shoulders. “Better?”

“ Yessss ,” she hissed. With one simple move, the pleasure became tangible. It built higher and higher with every stroke, until she was sobbing as he slammed into her .

“My perfect wife.” David’s smug smirk was layered in arousal. “I’ve wanted you all day .” His voice lowered, mingling with his grunts as he toiled. “Clench my cock as you come, Starling, I want to feel everything .”

Caroline shattered with a keening cry, her legs shaking around her husband’s ears. He gave her no mercy, plunging inside her to elongate her pleasure. Her climax held her tightly in its clutches, crashing down in wave after wave, until her world was consumed by the man above her and there was no room left for her to breathe.

Her cries were lost to the depths of David’s lips, his kiss almost as intense as his cock. A long, low groan shuddered through him, and a foreign warmth filled her, amplifying her pleasure as he found his.

In the languorous silence that followed, Caroline let him settle her against the pillows. Puzzlement rested on her features as he disappeared into the bathroom, but she was soon treated to the novel experience of having her husband wipe his seed from her thighs with a damp flannel.

“Is this something I have to look forward to every time we sleep together?” she asked as he climbed back into bed with her, resting her head on his shoulder.

He nodded, lovingly threading her blonde curls through his fingers. “Mmm,” he hummed. “It can get rather messy otherwise.”

There was something different in his eyes tonight, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Possession, perhaps?

“Then I’m thankful I have a considerate husband.”

A smile curved the corner of his mouth. “I’m the one who should be thankful—because you agreed to be my wife.”

Caroline let herself sink into his embrace, listening to the slow rhythm of his breathing. His soothing touch continued to sweep from her shoulder to her hip, a gentle affection that swathed her like a cocoon .

Long after her eyes had closed, she felt a soft kiss on her temple, followed by a whisper woven in adoration. “My wife.”

And just like that, Caroline realised what it was.

Pride.

Want to catch up on David and Caroline in a steamy bonus scene? Download here!

Hang on, where did Alex disappear to? Don't worry. He's the MMC of Book 4, Wedding the Marquess and it's available to pre-order now.

Is this your first Lords of Desire book? Get to know Emmeline and Michael in Surrendering to the Duke