Epilogue

Cairo, Egypt

April 1, 1861

A warm wind blew in the diverse scents of the city, making Augusta breathe deeply, delighting in the pungent aromas of the Egyptian night. The balcony of their suite in the Shepheard Hotel overlooked the Nile, where all manner of boats plied their way here and there. She spotted a dahabiya , a houseboat with sails like the one they had spent more than a month on, sailing from Cairo to Luxor and back. Memories of climbing pyramids, riding camels, exploring tombs with real mummies all flooded her mind, making her smile broadly into the soft night. In the past two months she'd had enough adventures to last a lifetime. Almost.

The suite was high up and faced the broad river, so Augusta could see but not be seen by any prying eyes. And as the balcony wall came up to her chest, she'd taken to wearing only her sheerest robe whenever she stepped onto the balcony, not only to combat the oppressive heat, but to savor the feeling of being daring and adventurous each time she did so.

Life with Julius had been nothing but daring and adventurous these past weeks. True to his word, they had explored all manner of ways to pleasure one another in the first destination of their wedding trip, an apartment in Venice—making good use of the huge, soft bed, of the big leather sofa, and the small kitchen table…Her face heated whenever she recalled the loud clatter of the pots and pans they'd knocked to the floor during that particular session of vigorous amorous congress—and the manager's curious face at the door when he came to check on them.

"Penny for your thoughts." Julius's voice in her ear would have made her jump had she not sensed his presence behind her as soon as he stepped out onto the balcony. Such a thing had become almost another sense—like seeing or hearing—to know instinctively when he had entered a room, whether she could see him or not.

"You always know what I'm thinking about, my love." She arched her back against his naked body as he wrapped his arms around her, filling his hands with her breasts, her core aching immediately at his touch.

"Yes, but which one of our amorous exploits were you thinking of?" He touched the shell of her ear with his tongue, and she shivered.

"The kitchen of course." Augusta bit back a moan as he expertly tweaked her nipples, bringing them immediately to hard points that throbbed exquisitely.

"One of my favorite memories as well." His lips strayed down her neck and she stretched it to give him greater access. One hand left her breast and suddenly he dragged her filmy robe upward, her derriere cooled by the soft breeze. Spreading her legs apart, Julius pushed his hard, hot member right against her entrance.

Augusta stiffened, her wide eyes taking in the river before her and the street directly below them where people walked, unaware of what was transpiring above them. This was wicked indeed. "Here? On the balcony?" she whispered.

"It's dark. No one can see us." He ran the tip of his tongue down the nape of her neck. "They may hear us, but no one will know where the noises come from, and they won't mind the cries of love on a warm night." His breath was hot in her ear, making her shiver with desire.

"You are a scandalous man, Lord Boxted." She arched her back, pressing herself against him in invitation.

"Because you bring out the wickedness in me, my love." He thrust forward, Augusta thrilling as always at the exquisite feeling of being filled by him. She closed her eyes and moaned softly in contentment.

"Give me your hand."

Curious, but too used to his inventive love play to question him, she took one hand off the wall and put it in his. He drew it forward, leaning into her as he did so until he was seated completely inside her. Augusta gasped, then moaned louder with the pleasure his body always brought her.

"Here." He placed her fingers on her nub.

"What…?" He'd always played there before.

"Do as I have done here. I wish to play with both your nipples, so you must be my hand there tonight."

Startled at the strange idea, she nodded. She'd done many things at Julius's behest in the past months that had yielded so much pleasure, she no longer questioned him at all. Dutifully, she gave the little nub a tentative stroke. Her body gripped his member, flooding her core with the same spiraling sensations his hand did when it played there. She groaned as he began to move within her.

Filling his hands with her breasts once more, his nimble fingers rolled and tweaked her nipples, making them harden and ache in such a good way. She picked up the rhythm he set down below, stroking herself as he thrust in and out. All of these astounding sensations built her excitement so quickly she couldn't control her increasingly loud moans. Spiraling to the ultimate peak with an unexpected quickness, her climax took her by surprise so she screamed his name as her whole body exploded, wave after wave of the most intense pleasure washing through her.

The echo of her cry was followed almost immediately by Julius calling her name as he strained against her, spilling himself into her as her body continued to clasp and release him.

That pinnacle had lasted longer than any other, at least it seemed that way to Augusta, her legs so weak they wobbled. She clung to the balcony wall as Julius withdrew, then pulled her back into the room, to the big sofa before the fireplace. He gathered her to him, and she curled up beside him, her head lolling against his chest, thoroughly spent and oh, so satisfied.

They remained that way for some minutes, until their breathing slowed and Augusta could collect her thoughts enough to speak. "I believe that has now surpassed the kitchen as the most erotic amorous congress we have had."

Julius grinned down at her, wrapping her in his arms. "I thought it might."

She rubbed her cheek against his warm skin, the salty scent of him wonderfully familiar. If only they could stay like this forever, she would be the most content woman in the world.

"I'm glad we have so many delightful memories of our trip to Venice and Cairo, my love, because I'm afraid we must leave for home."

"But I thought we were to stay until the end of April at least." She'd loved their private life here, away from family and friends, doing exactly as they wished every day. "I'm not ready to give up our idyllic life here, Julius."

"I'm sorry, love, but I've had a letter from Alex begging me to come home." His tone had sobered and she looked up to see a worried frown.

"Why? What is wrong?"

"Francis. Alex says something happened at Grandfather's house party and Francis is beside himself."

"Oh, my dear, how awful." She rubbed her cheek against his chest. "I suppose then we must go. Francis is your brother and he needs you. It's just that," she dropped her hand to his deflated cock and gave it a gentle squeeze, "we shall never be able to do the things we've done here back in England."

He sighed and patted her hand. "I daresay we will find other ways to enjoy our love play, even in England." He wiggled his eyebrows at her, making her giggle. "Even if I have to build us a hunting cabin of our own." Then he sobered again. "But yes, Francis appears to be in dire straits if he's threatening to renege on the wager."

"What?" Augusta sat up, shocked. To renege on such an agreement was anathema—especially to a Quartermain. She'd come to understand that well. "Why?"

"Alex said he couldn't explain it in a letter, but it was imperative we come home immediately as Francis is swearing he will not marry under any circumstances. All the cousins are in an uproar, save Tom, who didn't want to marry anyway. He begs me to return to try to talk some sense into my brother."

Augusta kissed her husband softly on the cheek. "Yes, we must go, my love. Family comes first, I do agree." She cut her gaze sideways at him. "I daresay it will be best to return home now in any case—before the baby makes travel difficult for me."

Julius's head snapped toward her so sharply his neck popped. "What did you say?"

She laughed as his mouth dropped open like a fish gasping for air. "I said we are going to have a baby, Julius. Possibly your heir, although I'd prefer to have a girl first—to insure we will have many more nights of amorous congress like this one, even if they are in England."

"Augusta is it true? Are you sure?"

"I've not been unwell since before Yule's wedding. That may not mean anything, but before then I was unwell so regularly, you could set a clock by me. So I think our tryst in the cabin did the trick." She beamed at him. "If you wish to have many children, my love, I'd say building our own cabin would be an excellent idea."

Julius pulled her to him and kissed her with a passion that took her breath away. "I'll build you anything you want, my love. A cabin, a palace, a home with a balcony overlooking the water like this one. Then we can dismiss all the servants and frolic as we wish whenever we wish." He hugged her to him so fiercely, she thought her ribs would crack. "I love you so much, Augusta. So much I cannot possibly tell you how much I love you."

"I love you too, Julius. More than you know." She laid her head against his chest again, happier and more content than ever in her life. "If you build the house with the balcony, you must promise me one thing."

"Name it, my love."

"Every room must have a chess set." She grinned at him. "I insist on being able to best you in any room of the house."

"Whatever you wish, sweetheart." He chuckled and wrapped his arms more firmly around her. "You have already won my heart, so I have nothing left to lose."

The End