Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Reuben woke with a start. His eyes flew open, and he blinked as he took in the surroundings. It was still night. The moon cast some light in the room, but it was still dark enough to prevent him from realizing he was in his bedchamber at the estate. For a moment, he'd thought he was back in London. His dream had stemmed from being there, but the details were quickly slipping away. Whatever he'd dreamt about had frightened him. Even now he could feel the tingling sensation in his feet that indicated he was trying to flee whatever pursued him.

Once his eyes adjusted to the shadows, he took a good look around him. He was in the country. He caught sight of the person lying next to him and jerked.

The person got up on her side and peered down at him. "Are you all right?"

When he realized it was Amelia, he let out a relieved sigh and rubbed his eyes. "I forgot I was at the country estate for a moment. I didn't expect you to be here." He laughed. "You scared me."

"You thought you were back in London?"

With a nod, he drew her closer to him. "I was dreaming of being there."

She slipped her arm around his waist. "You seemed pretty upset. Were you having a nightmare?"

"I think so. I have them from time to time, but I never remember what they are."

"That's terrible. How long have you been having them?"

He shrugged. "I think they started after my mother died. That was four years ago." Before she asked, he added, "All I remember about dreams is that I have to run from something."

"I'm sorry you've been having bad dreams. It sounds like her death was hard on you."

"Growing up, she was the only one here with me. I don't remember my father. Corin was fifteen when I was born, and he left for London by the time I was four. He would come here for visits, but for the most part, it was just me and my mother. She would spend a lot of time with me so I didn't get bored."

Amelia smiled. "I bet you two were close."

"We were. I didn't appreciate all she did for me until she was no longer here." He chuckled. "That poor lady had to play hide and seek way too many times because that was my favorite game and there was no one else for me to play with."

"If you're ever bored, I don't mind playing hide and seek. You have a large place. I bet there are plenty of hiding places."

"There are. When I was a boy, I could fit into a lot of them. My height stops me from being as good at hiding as I used to be."

"In that case, I won't have much trouble finding you."

Feeling the last of his nightmare fading away, he turned his attention to the fact that he had a very attractive naked lady in his bed. He brought his mouth to hers but said, "If you find me, I'll give you a kiss like this," before he demonstrated the kind of kiss he'd give her.

She sighed and leaned into him. As far as he was concerned, she was inviting him to make love to her again. And he certainly wasn't going to turn down the offer. Their first time had been much too brief, which, given his excitement, couldn't be helped. But he had more restraint now. He'd be able to give a more thorough exploration of her this time.

He brought his hand to one of her breasts and traced it with his fingers. It was softer than he recalled, but he'd been so swept up in what they were doing that he barely remembered these details. All he recalled was that everything felt good. Now he was beginning to notice just how good it all felt. He teased her hardened nipple, and she groaned. So she liked that. Out of curiosity, he lowered his head to her nipple and flicked his tongue over it. She murmured her pleasure and pulled him closer to her. He continued to explore her for a while, and the more he explored her the more aroused both of them seemed to get.

At one point, she wrapped her leg around his waist and whispered, "I need you to touch me here."

She brought his hand to the patch of curls between her legs, and both of them moaned. She was wonderfully wet. He did recall that. He definitely recalled how soft and warm she was down there. As soon as he had entered her, he had lost all sense of where he was. He was sure he hadn't been in her long before he couldn't take the mounting tension anymore and released his seed. Even now, he was hard with need, but he was relieved to note the urgency wasn't as great as it'd been earlier. He hoped that meant he wouldn't lose control right away. He'd like to offer her more pleasure this time.

He slid a finger into her and then another. She let out a sigh and pressed herself more securely against the palm of his hand. Encouraged by her enthusiasm, he stroked her core in earnest. Everything about her was so wonderful. It was no wonder he hadn't had much patience their first time. What gentleman could withstand the kind of pleasure a lady's body presented?

Her grip on his arms grew tighter, and she began to rock her hips in time with her moans. Her movements started out slow but soon grew impatient. She was coming close to a climax, and he was determined to help her get there. After some time, she grew still and cried out. Her core clenched around his fingers then relaxed then clenched again. He held her as she continued to feel the effects of her orgasm. Good. She found completion this time. It was important they both receive enjoyment from this activity.

He felt her relax. He brought his mouth to hers and kissed her. Then he kissed her cheek and her neck before bringing his mouth back to hers again. She wrapped her arms around him then urged him to get onto his back. He slid his fingers out of her and did as she wished. She straddled him and took him inside her.

He moaned. He didn't think it was possible, but she felt even better this time. She waited for a few seconds then moved up his shaft and then back down. She repeated the process again. And then again. He squeezed her hips in appreciation then guided her movements. At times he slowed her down just so he wouldn't give in to the urge to climax too soon. Eventually, the way she felt and watching her breasts bounce in front of him became his undoing, and he let her move faster until his seed erupted inside her. He grew taut as the waves of pleasure consumed him.

When he relaxed, she leaned forward and hugged him. He brought his arms around her and waited for his head to clear. He was still inside her. Still being intimately entwined with her made everything complete.

He let out a sigh of contentment and kissed her. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," he whispered as he caressed her jaw. "Thank you for giving up London to be with me."

"My place is with you. I could never be happy in London if you weren't there." She got off of him and then snuggled into his arms.

He smiled and held her closer to him. Soon, he drifted off to sleep, and this time, his dreams were pleasant.

***

The next morning, Amelia sorted through her hairpins. She hadn't realized how many different kinds she had until she'd packed her things to come out here. Someone would think having many would make it fun to pick the ones she most wanted to go with today, but for some reason, it made the decision that much harder.

"Are you done with your bath already?" Reuben asked as he came into her bedchamber.

She glanced over at him and noted he was still wearing a robe. "I finished a half hour ago. Didn't you take yours?"

"I just got done, but I haven't had time to get dressed like you did." He gestured to her peach gown and her white slippers. "How did you get ready for the day so fast?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. My brother thinks it's strange that I get ready as fast as I do, too. He says a lady can take twice as long as a gentleman if she wants because she has more to do with her hair." She took a good look at Reuben's hair. "Why isn't your hair wet? Don't you wash it when you bathe?"

He leaned down to her and kissed her. "Only every other week. A wet head tends to make me more susceptible to illness. The less I get my hair wet, the better off I am. I don't want to get sick with you here. I want to be healthy so I can enjoy our time together."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "I don't mind tending to you if you get ill, but I also don't think we have to wash our hair every time we take a bath. It's not like we rub our hair in dirt when we're outside."

He chuckled and pulled up a chair so he could sit beside her. "I was hoping to watch you put on clothes."

"Isn't it more exciting to see me take them off?"

"It's more exciting to take them off of you, but yes, I would be satisfied if you removed them in front of me. Considering your brother is here, we'll have to save that for later. What do you have left to do to get ready for the day? You already look perfect."

Her skin warmed at his compliment. "My hair isn't pinned up yet. I need to do that before I'm ready to go downstairs."

"Do you want a lady's maid's help? I have a couple of maids who'd be good for the position. They might even appreciate the new job. I'm sure cleaning rooms and laundry can't be all that fun."

"I haven't decided which maid to pick yet." She shrugged. "I don't mind getting dressed and styling my hair. My current dilemma is picking what hairpins to wear today."

"Oh, that's an easy one." He sorted through her jewelry box and pointed to one with a butterfly on it. "I like that one."

She counted all of the pins she had and frowned. "I think I'm missing one."

"I know." When she looked at him, he offered an apologetic smile. "I sort of found one that fell out of your hair at the dinner party and kept it."

She gasped. "You kept it?" Who had ever heard of a gentleman keeping a hairpin? "But why? You wouldn't ever have an occasion to wear it."

"No, but when I looked at it, I would think of you. I wasn't sure we would marry, and I wanted to have something of yours to remember you by. Just in case you chose someone else. But now that you're my wife, I don't need to hold onto it anymore." He stood up. "I'll get the hairpin for you."

She watched, both in surprise and amusement, as he went through the doorway that connected their bedchambers. If she'd known how much Reuben cared for her, she never would have told him about the other suitors. Her brother had been certain that if her suitors knew about each other, they would try that all more to win her over. That method might have worked for Lord Compton and Mr. Everson, but it didn't seem to have the same effect on Reuben. While he had been an attentive suitor, his health concerns had convinced him she was better off with someone else.

That just went to prove that not all gentlemen were the same. So while a certain approach might work for one, it might not work for another. There was no doubt Lord Compton and Mr. Everson had tried harder. They had spent a considerable amount of time trying to impress her. But they were also outgoing and more certain about themselves. Reuben had a tendency to doubt himself, and though he had a wonderful sense of humor, he didn't have a flamboyant way about him. Perhaps it was because he grew up here, far removed from London and all of its social demands. Whatever the reason, she couldn't imagine spending her life with anyone else.

Reuben returned with her hairpin. He sat beside her and gave her another kiss. "Thank you for letting me borrow it."

She chuckled. "I don't mind if you have something of mine to keep." She glanced around her vanity and saw the cameo she'd been wearing the evening they met. "You can have this." She gave it to him. "Someday, when our children ask about it, you can tell them about the way we met."

He grinned. "Lord Quinton was a fool to let something like a cameo stop him from escorting you to dinner. I don't know whether to pity him or thank him. Who knows if we would be here right now if he hadn't thought this was bad luck."

"I never would have let him be my suitor. He was much too strange."

"Well, I don't care what he thinks of this cameo. As far as I'm concerned, it's a token of the best kind of luck a gentleman can get." He kissed her again, and this time, his lips lingered on hers. When the kiss finally came to an end, he let out a regretful sigh. "It's a shame we have to get ready for the day. Last night passed much too quickly."

Heat crept up her cheeks. She'd had no idea a gentleman and lady could experience such passion in bed. It still made her tingle all over when she thought of the way he'd kissed and touched her. She cleared her throat. "Well, we do have tonight."

"I can't wait." He kissed her again then rubbed her back. "I'll let you finish getting ready. I don't want your brother to spend all morning waiting to see you. He brought you all the way here. The least I can do is honor his time. I'll be down to see you both as soon as I'm dressed."

"All right." She watched as he put his chair back and returned to his bedchamber. With a smile, she started to pin her hair up.