5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I t had been on the tip of Theo’s tongue all night to ask her if he could draw her. She was an artist, and she might not be so scandalized to allow him to do so. Perhaps if he could draw her, he might get her out of his head. He craved to explore every inch of her, but at least if she allowed him to capture her form on paper, he could look without touching.

He needed to discuss it with her in private, since the mere notion would ruin her and require them to wed. The house party created a unique opportunity where they could do so with no one the wiser if they were careful.

He paced his chamber, wearing nothing but his breeches and a button-down white shirt. Would she box him on his ears for even suggesting such a thing? He worked up his nerve and resolved to ask her and give her the choice. If nothing else, even if she said no, perhaps it would help put the notion behind him and give some ease to the unrelenting erection between his legs.

Theo grabbed his leather satchel, which held his drawings, and slowly opened his door, poking his head out to confirm if the hallway was empty. He saw Lord Craven head from the staircase towards the wing where Juliet’s room was. He waited a few moments, giving the lord a chance to get where he was going. Then he crept along barefoot, remaining in the shadows until he reached her chamber.

He rapped his knuckles on the door and waited. The longer he remained outside her door in the hallway, the greater risk he had of being caught doing so. He quietly tried the knob and was relieved that it had turned. He’d need to alert her to his presence right away so she didn’t scream and alert the entire house to his appearance in her chamber.

He closed the door behind him and locked it so no one could enter and find him there. He glanced over at the bed and his cock throbbed even harder at what he saw.

“Jules?” Her name came out low and gravelly on his tongue.

She jumped and pulled her hands away from where she pleasured herself. Her body was on full display before him, and he couldn’t look away. Her breasts were full and large. Both of his hands might not fit around one of them. Her waist curved in, creating a perfect holding place to grasp her full hips. He only wished he could get a look at her naked arse as he imagined it was a thing of perfection. If he were a poet, he would write sonnets about her form.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, panic overtaking her tone. Grabbing the sheet from her bed to hold up in front of herself, she then sat back on her knees. Damn that sheet.

“I came to ask you something, but I have a whole slew of new questions,” he said, taking a few steps closer to her bed, and sat the satchel in a chair.

She didn’t meet his eyes and tried to cover her face with her hand. “Pardon me while I just die of embarrassment,” she said, using her other hand to better position the sheet around her body.

He stepped up next to the bed and moved her hand away from her face. He imagined she would be the darkest shade of red if there were more light in the room. “Please. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I like what I see very much. You are quite beautiful, Jules.”

“I was just…”

“Pleasuring yourself?” he finished for her. Part of him regretted getting her attention because watching her do so might have been better than drawing .

She nodded.

“Where did you learn such things? And please don’t tell me from another man.” He didn’t like the thought of that one bit.

“A friend told me,” she responded, the shyness prevalent in her tone. “It comes in quite useful when one isn’t certain about marrying.”

“And was this friend a man?” he asked. His blood boiled from the mere notion of a man speaking the words to her.

She shook her head. “A female friend who was… experienced.”

“Good.” He released a long breath.

“Why is that good?”

He shifted himself to stand directly in front of her. “Because I’m not certain I wish to imagine that anyone else had seen you this way.” He wasn’t sure why he felt that way, or why he would admit it to her, but he would thrash any man who attempted to do so.

She swallowed hard.

“What were you thinking about?” he asked.

She shook her head.

He cupped her chin with his hand and leaned his face closer to her, nodding. “Tell me.” He would get it out of her.

“I can’t. ”

“Were you thinking about me?” He had a feeling she was based on her reaction to him, and his cock was the hardest it had ever been waiting for her response. His honor slowly evaporated the more their conversation continued.

She froze, then closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes.”

He lowered his lips to her ear. “Good girl,” he whispered. “Were you imagining what I might look like without clothing?”

She nodded, barely meeting his eye. He found her newfound shyness charming, given what he walked in on. She was a goddess who knew what it meant to take her pleasure, and he’d help her feel that way again in his presence.

He unbuttoned his shirt, taking each button slow and steady while he caught her gaze. Once he had unfastened all the buttons, he removed the shirt and tossed it aside. Then he unbuttoned his breeches and pushed them down to the floor. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help himself. She had him under her spell.

He held his arms out so she could get a look at him in the candlelight. “Touch me anywhere you wish. As long as I get to touch you in all the same places.” It only seemed fair, after all. He wondered if she might kick him out of her room for a few moments while she contemplated him.

But then she pushed herself back up higher onto her knees and took in his form. Even in the low lighting, he could see the desire and intrigue in her eyes. The realization made his shaft twitch. She didn’t appear to notice as she reached out her hand and grazed her fingers across his hard chest with a smattering of hair.

“I feel like it’s only fair that you drop your sheet, don’t you think?” There wasn’t a bit of rational gentlemanly sense left. He was all primal man standing before the most tempting of women.

She raised her chin and caught his gaze, then let the sheet fall to the bed. He saw the confidence returning to her and couldn’t wait to see what she would do.

She brought her other hand to his chest so that both palms rubbed across him. Her hands were the softest he’d ever felt on his skin. It took every ounce of his remaining control to keep his arms at his sides and not shift her beneath him on her bed.

Juliet shifted one hand up his neck and into his hair, running her fingers through it.

“I had a feeling your hair would be silky to the touch,” she said. So she had thought about touching him all over, too.

“Is that all you were curious about, Jules?” He wanted her hands all over his body, far more than she even realized .

She shifted her other hand down his trim waist to his hip. He held his breath, hoping she might take his cock in her hand, but she slipped her hand lower and massaged his thigh.

“You are so muscular,” she said, almost with a sigh.

Her hand moved again, and this time she cupped the cheek of his arse. The anticipation was almost more than he could bear, waiting for her to touch him in the place where he throbbed for her.

As if she heard his plea, her fingers danced along his hip before running a single finger along the head of his cock, causing him to move against her hand.

Her fingers continued along his shaft, rubbing up and down his length.

“I didn’t expect it to be so soft to the touch, given how much it sticks up.”

“You can make a fist around it,” he choked out.

She did as he said, and he groaned, moving himself so she stroked him with her hand.

“My turn,” he ground out. She’d make him spend before he had a chance to touch her. He may not be acting as the proper gentleman, but he’d be damned if he took his pleasure from the lady before he ensured she was thoroughly sated.

Theo clasped her hips and traced his hands up the sides of her body until he reached the large flesh of her breasts. He cupped one in each hand, massaging and lifting them. He ran his thumbs along her tightly budded nipples and flashed a wolfish grin when she gasped.

“These are perfect.”

He released her breasts and ran his hands around her and slid them down until he could cup the flesh of her arse. He closed his eyes and fought the thoughts of what he would love to do if he turned her around.

“This is even better.”

He left one hand clasping her bottom and shifted his right hand to her front. He reached between her legs and slipped one finger into her wet folds.

“You are so wet. And that just might be the best.”

She moaned and spread her knees wider when he inserted his finger deep inside of her.

He withdrew and entered again.

“Have you ever tasted yourself?” He was being far too wicked, forgetting that she was an innocent. Although in his defense, he did walk in on her fingering herself while propped on her knees.

She shook her head.

Unable to stop himself, he removed his finger and brought it to her lips. She didn’t hesitate to suck his finger all the way into her mouth, licking and sucking it clean. His cock throbbed and his eyes rolled back in his head from the intensity that she sucked his finger .

“What was I doing to you in this fantasy of yours?” He wouldn’t take her virtue, even though his cock would hate him for it, but if she would allow him to make her come, he would certainly do that.

“I was on top of you, like when we were on the horse,” she said, her words quick.

“Ah, so my hard cock teased you earlier?” He grinned, validating that she had been aroused from bouncing against his cock.

She nodded and captured his gaze.

“Your wet cunt teased me, too,” he said. “I can make you come that way without taking your virginity.”

Her eyelids were hooded and heavy, and she licked her lips.

“Would you like me to show you?” he asked.

“Please, Theo.”

He sat beside her on the bed and helped her to straddle him, each of her knees planted on the bed against his thighs. His cock was hard and jutting up between them.

“Put two fingers inside yourself,” he ground out.

She gripped his shoulder with one hand and used the other to reach between her legs and insert two fingers just as he had instructed, undulating against her hand. He fisted his cock and stroked it as he watched the siren pleasuring herself on top of him .

“Now rub the wetness from your fingers onto the sensitive place outside of your core.” She shifted her hand up. “That’s it. Circle your fingers there.”

He bit into his bottom lip when she moaned and wet her nub. He wanted nothing more than to have her straddle his face and let him feast on her. He just might do so if she allowed him such an indulgence.

Needing a taste of her, he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, taking both of her fingers in his mouth to get what taste he could.

“You are better than the sweetest honey,” he said. “Now move your hips like you are fucking me and rub yourself against my cock.”

She scooted closer and rocked her hips against him. He let her set the pace and watched her in awe as her perfect, lush body moved against him. Unable to rest any longer, he clasped her bottom. He spread her cheeks and helped her to move.

“Theo,” she moaned when he brought her tight against his hard shaft.

With her cheeks spread, he slipped two fingers inside of her heat from behind so she fucked his fingers while she teased her pearl with his cock.

His shaft throbbed from the way she moved against him, and he couldn’t wait to watch her shatter on top of him .

With his fingers still inside of her and one hand helping to move her faster, her breath became wild and labored. Then her slick heat clenched around his fingers, and she undulated when she cried out, letting her head fall back.

Theo removed his fingers from inside her and fisted himself. He used her wetness from his fingers to increase the friction when he stroked himself, only needing a few more fast strokes before his cock erupted between them.

She lifted herself off him and shifted to sit beside him on the bed. He put his arm around her, and she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“This isn’t what I came here for,” he said. “But I have no complaints.”

She picked up her head and looked at him curiously. “Then why did you sneak into my room in the middle of the night?”

He cleared his throat. “I wanted to know if you would allow me to draw you.”

“Draw me?”

He climbed off the bed and went to the washbasin. He dampened a clean cloth and brought it back to the bed.

“Allow me to clean you first.” Although he quite liked seeing her waist coated in streaks of his seed.

She nodded, and he gently wiped between her legs and her stomach. He wiped himself clean and then set the rag on the table .

Theo picked up the leather satchel and opened it, retrieving pieces of parchment from inside. He handed them to her.

Juliet looked at the drawings. She held them closer to the candlelight so she could get a better look. He realized how nervous he was for her to see them. He had never shown anyone any of his drawings before, not even the subjects of the drawings.

“These are beautiful, Theo.”

He appreciated her words and was relieved that she didn’t laugh at him or pity his inferior skill.

“There is something off with them.”

She looked at them again and assessed each one. “I don’t think so at all,” she replied. “But would you allow me to paint this one?”

She held it up to him.

“If you wish.”

She smiled at him, and he was delighted at being the one who had made her do so. She climbed off the bed and tucked his drawing behind the painting of the woman with child, then turned back to face him. “So can I assume you wish to draw me naked?”

“Yes. I didn’t want to discuss such a notion with you where anyone might hear. And then, well, you know what happened.”

“Why me?” she asked .

“Because you are the most stunning, beautiful woman I have ever seen.” It wasn’t just for that reason he wished to draw her. There was something about her, some sort of connection that was different, and he desperately wanted to see how that translated to the page.

“Theo.” His name whispered on her full lips did nothing to dissuade him from the notion that she was indeed the most perfect woman who walked the earth. Aphrodite herself would be put to shame.

“I shall understand if you decline.” He hoped she wouldn’t. Now that he had seen her naked, it only made him want to draw her more.

She stood before him bare, and the proximity of his siren almost made him want to drop the whole idea of drawing her and pull her back onto the bed.

“What about what occurred between us?” she asked.

“Nothing like that ever has to occur again, unless you wish for it to,” he replied. “I didn’t intend for it, but I’m not sorry it happened. I hope you aren’t either.”

“Of course not,” she said quickly. “I’m afraid I might want more from you. Does that make me a wanton?”

“Not at all. Given neither of us delights in the prospect of marriage,” he said, “perhaps we can enjoy each other while we are here.” How could he offer to use an innocent for pleasure? He was playing with the hottest of fires and he merely spread his arms and walked head first into the flames.

She laughed. “I think that would be agreeable.” He wasn’t sure if he should be surprised that she agreed, but he only knew he wasn’t strong enough to change his mind.

“And does that mean you might allow me to draw you then?”

She nodded. “When shall we begin?”