Chapter 11

A aron braced himself as he stepped into her chambers, shutting the door behind him. He had not wanted his hand to be forced, yet the day had shown him that the sooner he sired an heir, the sooner his house would return to normal.

The animals had run amuck for most of the afternoon until Aaron forced them into the servants' hall. He had warned Marina that the creatures, including the foul-mouthed bird, would reside below the stairs until further notice.

None of those things seemed to matter anymore as he watched her running a comb through her long hair. The soft strands glinted in the dim light, creating a waterfall of silk down her shoulders.

Marina looked up from her dresser, meeting his gaze in the mirror. "Your Grace?" Her eyes were intensely dark as she followed his path to the bedside table where a single candle burned in its holder.

"Don't." She suddenly stood with her hand on the back of her chair, looking at him with her lips slightly parted.

Pausing just in front of the table, he turned his head to look at her with his eyebrows raised.

"I would like to see you, if we are to consummate this marriage, then I do not want to do it the dark." Her lips quivered slightly as she spoke, hinting at the anxiety she must have been feeling.

Coming up straight, he looked at her, feeling a strange stirring in his chest.

Why does she make me feel like this?

His eyes wandered over her body and stopped at her ankles. The robe had been tightly drawn to the sides, yet there was no sign of a dress hanging beneath. Had she been anticipating his arrival? The thought drove him wild with lust as the bulge in his breeches pressed against the fabric.

Marina averted her gaze and blushed as if had been able to read his thoughts.

"Very well." He nodded and drew away from the candle.

The relief in her eyes was short-lived when his smile turned to a wolfish grin.

"But we shall do things my way." His gaze wandered back up her body and rested on her breasts as her nipples hardened beneath the fabric. It took all of his strength to keep himself from taking her in his arms and ripping the fabric from her body.

The whimper she had given on the first night in her chambers kept him from acting too harshly. He needed to take his time and ease her into the situation for now.

"Your Grace?" She seemed to muster the courage to utter the question.

Spotting her dresser, Aaron walked across the room and opened the drawers, finding what he was looking for after a moment or two.

Marina's breasts rose and fell rapidly beneath her gown as she saw the silk scarf on his hands.

"Do you trust me?" He spoke softly before running the fabric through his fingers and meeting her gaze.

"Yes but… how will I know what is happening?" Her fingers clutched the back of the chair when he came forward, making her knuckles turn white.

"There are other more subtle ways to enjoy the pleasures. One can find a whole new world when one comes to rely on all of your other senses…" He walked around her, placing the scarf over her eyes as she gasped a little in shock.

"Will it hurt?" Her voice was soft and steeped in concern as he fastened the fabric behind her head.

"No, I will be gentle." He placed his hands on her shoulders, feeling the slight tremor that ran through her body when he brought his lips closer to her ear. Her reaction made him wonder if he was doing the right thing, yet she did not seem to be pulling away from him or cowering in fear. On the contrary, she seemed to be leaning into what he was doing.

The soft light of the flickering flame highlighted the contours of her neck as he pressed his lips against the tender flesh. Reaching around, he gripped the sash of her robe and slowly undid the knot, allowing the fabric to fall from her shoulders and pool at her feet.

Marina instinctively reached up to cover her breasts even though her back was turned to him.

"Don't," he commanded in a sharp tone, gripping her hands and lowering them to her sides as he admired the soft dimples on her lower back above her buttocks.

Her arms quickly relented to his grip as he lowered them to her sides and turned her around. The dark shade of her hard nipples flamed the desire between his thighs. Her breasts were perfectly plump and firm, adding to her curvy figure.

A soft gasp of surprise escaped her lips when he raised his hands and touched the puckered flesh, running his thumbs over the tips.

"Shhh… Just enjoy the sensations." He cupped her breasts in both hands and gave a gentle squeeze before dropping his hands to her sides.

The intoxicating scent of roses filled his lungs, making him take a deep breath as he touched her chest. Her beauty was incomparable to any woman he had ever seen in his life.

"Will you kiss me first?" She seemed to panic when he dropped his head to her chest.

Glancing up at her, he flicked his tongue over her left nipple, eliciting another sharp gasp. "I will kiss you wherever you ask me to. You may find me kissing you in places that you never even dreamed of." He closed his mouth over the dark bud and used his tongue to make her moan, swirling it slowly in steady motions.

Her hands moved to his head, tangling her fingers in his thick mop of hair as her gasps slowly turned to moans.

The sounds of her pleasure were like music to his ears as he discovered all of the ways that he could touch her body. Moving to her other breast, he licked the nipples a few times before drawing it into his mouth and repeating the process.

Making her way down his neck, her fingers traced a path to his back before he stopped her by placing his hands over hers.

"No," he commanded her firmly, moving her arms back to her sides before coming up straight."

"But I…" Her voice was soft and breathy as she began to plead and raised her hand to his face.

Catching it right before she touched his scar, he drew her fingers to his lips and kissed them. "You are not to touch me." His voice was gruff when he suddenly drew her against his body.

Marina's breathing deepened into soft sighs of pleasure when he lowered his head and kissed her lips. The motions were soft and tender at first, lingering for just a moment before he used his tongue to part her lips. Responding in kind, she opened her mouth with a fierce hunger, accepting his jousting tongue before drawing his lower lip into her mouth.

Aaron growled with pleasure before lifting her in his arms and carrying her toward the bed. Laying her on her back with her legs hanging over the edge, he took a step back and removed his shirt.

"Will you not permit me to look at you, Your Grace?" Her cheeks were filled with color as she panted for breath.

"No." He took his time to admire her body in the flickering light of the candle before lowering himself onto the bed beside her. Her took great care not to place any kind of weight on her as he made himself comfortable and began to fondle her breasts.

"Aaron… I need…" She breathed his name with such passion that he could not help but draw her breast into his mouth, flicking his tongue over her nipple.

His name on her lips sounded like heaven to him as he licked and sucked at her nipple before reaching over to pinch the other.

"What do you need, Kitten?"

Moans of pleasure filled the air as he ran his hand down her body, stopping at the curve of her hip when she arched her back.

"Maybe if I touch you here? Hm?"

Sensing that she was enjoying the attention, he worked his way down her thigh, grinning against her breast. His fingers gently pushed her knees apart before seeking out the warmth between her thighs.

Marina almost screamed when his fingers reached the little nub of pleasure at the apex of her folds. Sucking in a sharp breath, she tilted her head back, exposing her throat to his lips.

He continued to play with his fingers between her thighs while kissing a path down her body and thigh, reaching her ankle. Pushing himself off of the bed, he gripped her ankle in his hand, kissing the soft flesh before withdrawing his fingers.

"Aaron…" she panted his name again. Her cheeks and neck were red with her efforts from trying not to scream when he began to kiss his way down the inside of her leg.

"Shh… if you liked what I did with my fingers, then you are about to enjoy this a whole lot more." He could not help but grin as he gently parted her thighs and lowered himself between her legs. Moving her legs over his shoulders, he gently pressed her knees back, opening his view to the greatest delight of all.

The warmth of her folds met his tongue, making her squirm with pleasure as he flicked back and forth. Taking his time, he explored her core, gently at first, before using his lips as well as his tongue. The sweet scent of her perfume engulfed his senses as he ran his hands up and down her thighs, enhancing the way she was responding to his touch.

Her thighs began to tremble as he worked his tongue, causing her body to shift a little closer to his lips. Her movements quickly turned into uncontrollable squirming as he picked up the pace.

Reaching down, she gripped his hair, tangling her fingers in a desperate plea to regain some control over the situation. A painful tug made him stop for just a moment.

"Just let yourself feel…" he raised his head and whispered against the inside of her thigh before kissing her flesh. The soft swirling sensation his tongue was creating against her thigh, calmed the vigor that had taken hold of her body.

Marina did as she was told, lifting her hands from his hair before placing them beside her head. The softness of her breasts in the flickering light was too much for Aaron to resist as he reached up and cupped them both while he returned to his task.

"Good girl. Now surrender to me."

Her body squirmed more vigorously beneath the onslaught of his tongue, writhing with undeniable pleasure as her panting grew louder. There was no mistaking her pleasure for hurt this time as he slowed the pace at regular intervals before adding bursts of speed. His hands worked her breasts, kneading the soft flesh before pinching her nipples between his fingers and thumbs.

The control he felt in pleasuring her body was utterly intoxicating as he reveled in the way she writhed for him. Every touch and flick of his tongue drove her closer to the inevitable edge.

Loud moans of pleasure filled the air as her body tensed, pushing his head deeper between her thighs.

"Will you come for me, sweetheart?"

Locking his lips against the little body of pleasure, he quickly flicked his tongue back and forth while sucking.

"Aaron!" She suddenly screamed out and arched her back, locking his head between her thighs as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through her body. The undeniable tremors that shook her legs drove him on as he gently dragged his tongue over her folds, bringing her down from the high.

Collapsing on the bed, she groaned for him to stop as her fingers dug into the sheets.

"I like the way you purr for me, Kitten." He gripped her thighs and kissed a path back up her body before lying beside her on the bed.

Marina seemed to be catching her breath as he lay beside her and gently ran the palm of his hands over her hard nipples. "I thought I was about to faint…" her breathing came in rapid succession as she reached up to remove the scarf.

"Not yet." He quickly gripped her wrist and lowered it back to her side.

"But I want to see you." She pleaded with him, her lips parting with every labored breath.

He gripped her breast firmly before swinging his leg over her body, pinning her body to the bed while still taking care not to harm her. "We are not done yet," he growled before pressing his lips against hers.

"There is more?" She unexpectedly moaned with pleasure again before wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Do you want to feel what you do to me?"

Aaron gently lowered his body onto hers, positioning his knees between her thighs. The hard bulge in his breeches pressed against her core, making her moan as he deepened the kiss.

Bringing her legs up on either side of his body, she wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing his body even closer to hers.

He was about to remove his breeches when her hands snaked down his neck, heading directly toward his back. Panic took over as he quickly reached for her arms and pinned them beside her head on the bed. "That is enough for this evening." He pushed himself off of her and quickly reached for his shirt before pulling it over his head.

Marina's brows knit together in a frown as her body stiffened on the bed. "I…I do not understand."

Looking down at her beautiful figure, he realized just how close she had come to discovering the monster that he was.

I can't let her see me like this.

Dread filled his body when he wondered what she would think if she saw his body. Would she be repulsed by him?

Her breasts rose and fell in the flickering light as she waited for Aaron to respond.

"There will be plenty of time for the rest." He made his way back to the bed and gripped the sheet, pulling it over her naked body.

A look of disappointment came over her face when he backed away, leaving the room before shutting the door firmly behind him.

She will not want me when she sees the monster beneath my shirt.

He shut his eyes and leaned the back of his head against the door, wishing that things could have been different. His life would have been normal if his father had not been such a sick excuse of a man.