Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

" N ow carefully pull the saffron stigmas and separate them from the flowers. Once you have done that, lay the stigmas on the drying tray."

Holding the purple flower in her left hand, Victoria did as Robert instructed and gently teased the red stigma free. It was thrilling to be harvesting the saffron. For a woman born into privilege and an elegant life, she was surprised to discover she was enjoying getting her hands dirty.

"I can see why it would take a long time and a large harvest to make any sort of commercial quantity," she observed. Each crocus flower only produced two to three stigmas.

They were alone in the potting shed the following morning. After a delicious breakfast prepared by the estate cook, Robert had led Victoria out of the manor house and to the small wooden hut located at the bottom of the kitchen garden. He was showing her how saffron was harvested.

Warm hands brushed over her cheek, followed by a tender kiss. "You do make a wonderful Duchess of Saffron Walden," he murmured.

Heat burned on her cheeks. She was powerless to resist the wicked thoughts which danced in her mind whenever he was near. "Who would have thought it? Me, the Duchess of Spice," she laughed.

He came and stood behind her, wrapping his arms about her waist. She felt the hardness of his growing erection as it dug into her back. "I know you like a little spice in your life. And a little heat. How about I warm you up in here?"

Strong hands took a hold of Victoria's skirts and raised them. The cool morning air kissed her thighs. They weren't going to do it in the daylight, were they? That would be beyond scandalous.

"What about the servants?"

His teeth nipped at her earlobe. "They will know not to knock on the door. Besides I locked it the second we got here."

He'd planned this all along, the wicked devil.

Robert took the crocus flower from her hands and pushed the tray and flowers out of the way. He spun her round to face him. Catching the glint of lust in his eyes, she let out a gasp. "Robert."

"We are married, and married people are allowed to do this whenever they wish."

Memories of the night he had ruined her flashed into Victoria's mind, and it was all she could do not to whimper with need as Robert bunched her skirts around her hips and exposed her sex fully to him.

"Beautiful," he murmured.

She bit on her bottom lip as he slowly went to his knees on the stone flagging. He blew a soft breath over her sensitive bud. "I must say you have such a sweet cunny, my dear. And I am the lucky man who gets to kiss it."

His language was filthy. Positively outrageous. And she would take him to task over it, just as soon as… Oh my good lord.

Victoria's eyes fluttered closed as her wicked husband parted her soft folds with his tongue. All thoughts of proper conduct fled her mind as he took her clit between his teeth and bit gently on it. Sense and reason dictated she shouldn't be enjoying what he was doing, but as lust coursed through her body, she was powerless to protest. When had pain and pleasure ever been such a heady, delightful mix?

He thrust his thumb deep into her heat and Victoria groaned. "Oh. Oh." She was incapable of any form of real speech. Her scattered mind went completely to pieces as he got to his feet, and pressing her legs apart, pushed two large fingers into her sex. The feeling of fullness was nothing short of exquisite.

As he stroked her, the thumb of his other hand gently circled her sensitive nib. "I have a long list of locations all around the estate where I intend to lift your skirts, and then fuck you. While the privacy of the potting shed is a nice place to start, I also want you on your knees, bent before me while we are out in the open. Just the thought of seeing your bare ass in the sunshine makes my cock go rock hard. You and I are going to rut like wild beasts for the rest of the summer, my darling Lady Thief, so you'd better get used to having dirt on your hands and knees," he said in a rough voice, which only added to her pleasure.

"Robert," she sobbed.

"Robert what?" he teased.

"Please."

"Hmm. I do like a lady with manners, especially when she is begging for my cock. That's what you want, isn't it, Your Grace? Me thrusting inside you."

Every stroke of his hands was driving her closer to the edge. Any moment now she was going to shatter. "Yes. Please. Oh god."

His evil, knowing laugh went straight to her sex. She lowered her gaze, watching with hunger as he flicked open the buttons on the folds of his trousers. Victoria licked her lips as Robert's erection sprang free. In a matter of days, she'd gone from timid unwed miss to wanton married woman. To reveling at the sight of his manhood and the thought of what he was going to do to her.

He shifted between her legs and positioned himself at her entrance. As he slowly pushed in, Victoria hooked her feet around the back of Robert's knees, locking him into place. She pushed away all thoughts of where they were and the worry that one of the servants might happen to pass by the window. All she cared about was sating her desire for this man.

His hands gripped her hips, and the tiny room was soon filled with the heady sound of skin on skin, slap slap, as he slowly, thoroughly fucked her.

Victoria lay her head against Robert's chest, her fingers twisted into the folds of his jacket. Before marriage, she'd never understood why sane women would let rogues seduce them, but these intimate moments with her husband had given her blinding clarity. Because any sane woman who didn't allow a man to love her body the way Robert did was a damn fool.

"Tell me you like this, that I make it good for you," he whispered.

Good. Was he in jest? The man was a master at the art of making love. "Yes."

He wrapped his arms around her and thrust up hard. As his cock brushed against her sensitive bud, Victoria drew ever closer to coming apart.

His long, deep strokes gentled and slowed. He'd already learned her body well enough that when she was this close to her climax, he could read the signals. Every fiber of her being was hardwired to him, to receiving pleasure from this man.

She lifted her gaze and met his pale blue gray eyes. They shone with the promise of forever. "Tell me, Victoria, how close are you? I want to be with you at the exact moment you reach your crisis."

Close. So close she didn't know how to put what she felt into words. Victoria swallowed deep. "I…I…"

He let out a low groan. "That close? Good, because I'm not sure how much longer I can keep my passion at bay. I need to have you."

His words and one last delicious stroke sent her plummeting over the edge. Their gazes remained locked as Victoria cried out and her whole body shook with pleasure.

"Keep looking at me," he commanded, stroking her through her orgasm. "Take everything you need. Let me give you it all."

It took a long minute for her head to slowly clear, for the haze of her desire to release its hold. Victoria blinked. "I am yours. Claim everything that is yours. Everything I can give you Robert, even my soul."

He stole her lips in a fiery kiss, plundering her mouth as he thrust hard and deep into her body. His hands dug into her hips, gripping tight. She would have bruises tomorrow, but today she wanted to give Robert what he craved. For him to have and hold.

"And to think I thought you were such a straight-laced little miss when we first met. When in truth underneath all that haughty manner was a fiery minx."

His thrusts grew harder, stronger. The pots on the bench rattled. One tipped to the floor, smashing to pieces as it hit the ground. A second quickly followed.

"Robert," she moaned.

He slammed in deep one last time then stilled. His chest rose and fell as he sucked in a hard breath, then another.

"Remind me to clear things out of the way next time I have you in here."

Robert's sex-ruffled voice was full of promise. This would not be the last time her husband would claim his marital rights in the garden shed.

She snorted. "Yes, saffron is far too expensive to waste."

But every moment with him was fast becoming priceless.