“And how much is that?” Robert asked, voicing her curiosity.
“Forty thousand pounds.”
Chapter 28
“I’d like a few minutes to discuss the matter with Elizabeth,” Robert said a stunned moment later as he did his best not to grab Elizabeth in his arms and run from this house and this conversation, so that he wouldn’t have to face the fact that he was about to lose the woman that he loved to his brother.
“I don’t think that’s wise,” Lord Norwood said after a slight pause.
“Just a few minutes, Papa,” Elizabeth said, making every muscle in his body tense.
A few minutes…..
That’s all it was going to take to rip his heart out of his chest.
“Very well,” Lord Norwood said stiffly. “We’ll be waiting in my study.”
Robert nodded, but didn’t speak, too afraid that he’d say something that he’d regret later. He’d love nothing more than to yell at the man, but he wouldn’t, not in a million years. Elizabeth would never forgive him, and although he was doing his damndest to resign himself to the fact that he was about to lose her and probably never see her again, he didn’t want her last memory of him to be him insulting her father.
When the door closed with a soft click , he opened his mouth to speak, but realized that he didn’t know what to say. How was he supposed to compete with James? He was older, had a title and a respectable reputation. He would also be able to give her the life that she deserved, that was hers by right. Staying with him would only drag her down, and he loved her too much to do that to her.
If she wanted to save herself by marrying James, then he would allow it. He would sign the necessary documents to end their marriage and then he would leave. He’d gift the forty thousand pounds to her and be done with it. He didn’t want the money, didn’t need a constant reminder of what he’d lost. He would-
“Why are you taking off your nightgown?” he asked, unable to hide his confusion even as he did his best not to look down and failed….about five or six times.
“We only have a few minutes,” he thought she said, but wasn’t entirely sure since all of his attention was on her beautiful br**sts that bounced slightly as she leaned over the side of the bed and pulled on the silk rope by her bed.
“Huh?” he mumbled, struggling to focus as her br**sts went ahead and bounced again as she shoved the covers off his lap, revealing a rather painful erection.
“Perfect,” she sighed as she threw her leg over him and straddled his lap.
“What’s perfect?” he asked absently, hissing seconds later when the tip of his c**k brushed against her wet slit.
Instead of answering him, she laid one hand on his shoulder and, with the other hand, she reached down between them and grabbed ahold of his erection. He opened his mouth once again to ask her what she was doing, but his words escaped him in a strangled moan when she rubbed the head of his c**k between the lips of her sex.
Elizabeth released a frustrated groan as she shifted his c**k against her once again. When she wiggled, brushing the tip against her core, he was forced to grab her h*ps and hold her still so that he could focus.
“Elizabeth,-”
“Are you going to help me or not?” she asked, doing her best to wiggle out of his hold.
“Help with what?” he asked, resisting the urge to close his eyes and lick his lips.
“Putting this thing inside of me,” she snapped, sounding frustrated and so damn cute that he couldn’t help but smile until her words registered in his mind.
“What?”
She let out an annoyed sigh as she continued to wiggle, testing his patience and making his eager c**k jump. “Look, Robert,” she said, pausing to nibble her bottom lip as she shifted on his lap, “we only have a few minutes to do this if we’re going to save this marriage, so I’d really appreciate a little help here.”
“You want to save our marriage?” he asked, stunned enough to tighten his grip on her h*ps to stop her maddening movements and focus on what she was saying.
She let out a snort as she released the grip she had on his c**k and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “You really didn’t think that you were going to get rid of me that easily, now did you?” she asked with a sweet smile as she leaned forward and lightly brushed her lips against his.
“I can’t give you the things that James can give you,” he felt obligated to point out.
“And he can’t give me the things that you can. So, if you don’t mind I’d really like to consummate this marriage and end the matter,” she said, pulling back just far enough so that he could see her smile as she teasingly wiggled on his lap again.
It took every ounce of strength he had in him to stay still. “You’re sure?” he asked, selfishly not arguing with her or pointing out how much better off she’d be with James since he was a selfish bastard.
“Yes,” she said, leaning in to kiss him again, but he had other plans.
He swallowed her gasp of surprise as he tightened his hold on her h*ps and shifted to roll her over onto her back. Before her back hit the soft mattress, he was inside her.
“You feel so good, minx,” he groaned, pulling back quickly only to slide in slowly, enjoying the way her sheath coated every inch of him along the way.
“Don’t stop,” she said, reaching up and fisting her hands in his hair and yanking him down for a kiss.
He went willing as he reached down and cupped the back of her knee and pulled her leg up, opening her wider and allowing him to sink further inside her. It was heaven.
It was hell.
“We have to stop,” he said, struggling to pull out, but it seemed that he no longer had control of his body.
“Don’t make me kill you!” Elizabeth growled against his lips, making him moan even as he groaned in frustration.
“If we don’t stop now, the servants will walk in on us,” he said, not really caring if he was caught having sex, but he didn’t want to embarrass his wife or risk anyone else seeing the beautiful body that was meant for his eyes only.
“Good,” she said, surprising him.
“Good?” he asked, leaning down to kiss her simply because he couldn’t help himself.
“Because I plan on keeping you,” Elizabeth said against his lips, taking him by surprise.
“Are you sure?” he asked, deciding once again not to argue with her since he wasn’t an idiot. There really was no need to remind her that James was probably the better choice. She’d figure it out eventually and by the time that she did, it would be too late.
“Yes,” she hissed, panting hard as she wrapped her legs around him and arched her back to take him deeper.
“I’m never letting you go, minx,” he swore against her lips as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him.
“Good.”
“Do you need help getting dressed, my- Oh, my God !” he heard a maid scream seconds before the door slammed shut.
“I guess you’re stuck with me, Mr. Bradford,” Elizabeth said, smiling against his lips and giving him no choice but to smile back.
“I guess I am, Mrs. Bradford,” he said, chuckling when he heard the commotion out in the hallway, guaranteeing that no one was ever going to be able to take her away from him.
Chapter 29
“Your brother left again.”
“I wasn’t aware that he’d returned,” Robert murmured absently, barely sparing his mother a glance as he continued to pace the foyer.
“He returned yesterday afternoon after your father sent for him,” his mother explained with a huff as she gave up the hope that he’d stop pacing and sat down on the chair by the breakfast room.
“He came immediately?” he asked, shooting another glare towards the back hall.
No doubt his brother had been able to come so quickly because he’d been staying with his mistress, but he didn’t bother pointing that out to his mother since it would probably earn him a glare and a whole new lecture.
“Yes,” his mother said as she smoothed down her skirt, “you knew that he was eager to marry Elizabeth.”
“And get her fortune,” Robert pointed out, wondering why it was taking so long for the cook to make the peppermint tea she’d promised would settle his wife’s stomach.
“It’s how things are done,” she said with a resigned sigh.
“Things change,” he said, glancing at the clock by the door before returning his attention to the back hall. If they didn’t have her tea ready for her in five minutes, he was going back there and making the damn tea himself.
“It would have been a safe match,” his mother said quietly, drawing his attention momentarily from the hallway.
“I’d never hurt her,” he said tightly, sick of the bullshit assumptions that he’d ever hurt Elizabeth.
“Not on purpose,” she hedged carefully, “but with your history, I doubt that it will be very long before the two of you are at each other’s throats.”
“We’re getting along just fine,” he said evenly, shooting another glance at the clock.
They were getting along more than just fine. After they’d made love this morning to put an end to any more suggestions that they should annul the marriage, they’d fallen back asleep in each other’s arms. Not too long ago he’d woken up with Elizabeth straddling his lap as she once again tried to ride him. Apparently once his minx got an idea into her head, she couldn’t let it go.
Thank God for that!
It had probably been the most difficult thing that he’d ever done in his life, but he’d managed to force himself to lie there and let Elizabeth have her fun. He’d loved the way she smiled, laughed and made fun of herself as she did her best to figure out the mechanics of riding him.
She’d made him smile and laugh even as he’d been forced to fold his hands behind his head to stop himself from grabbing her and slamming her down on his cock. God, she’d been so wet, dripping on his hungry c**k as she rubbed on him, desperate to put it inside her. When she started grinding her wet mound against him as she moaned and panted his name, he’d lost the battle and reached down and gripped himself.
By that time his c**k had been completely coated in her juices. His hand slid down his length and he’d moaned. It had felt so good, so unbelievably good. His hand moved on its own as his eyes devoured the sight of her. Watching her watch him stroke himself had nearly undone him so he’d slowed down, teasing them both.
He’d loved the way her eyes became hooded, her breathing quickened, her ni**les hardened as though they were reaching for him, but nothing compared to the way that her h*ps had started to shift as though she was imagining his c**k inside her. Just watching her get excited was enough to have his balls draw up tight.
Just as he slid his hand down to the base and held it up in offering she did something that he’d never expected and had never seen another woman do before. She reached down and cupped herself between her legs and released a moan so sweet that he’d honestly been surprised that he hadn’t instantly exploded.
His hand started to move again, his eyes locked on her hand as she slowly massaged her mound. His breathing had become labored as she explored herself, her fingers sliding between her slit, glistening with her arousal and, when she tentatively slid a finger inside of herself, he’d been forced to grip his c**k tightly to stop himself from coming.
For several agonizing minutes he watched as his wife learned to pleasure herself. Her expression had been one of pleasure mixed with disbelief and wonder. She’d been so goddamn beautiful and when he told her so, she’d blushed prettily, but didn’t stop.
No, not his minx.
She’d loved the way that he reacted to her, enjoyed it to the point that she started to tease him . She’d caressed her breast with her free hand, slid her fingers slowly inside her core and he’d lost control of his tongue. He told her in detail how much he loved watching her, how badly he wanted to suck on her fingers, lick her clean and f**k her. He swore, used words that no man of his class would use in front of his wife and hadn’t cared, especially since it made her lose control.
When she found her moment, he’d simply watched her, loving the way her skin flushed with excitement, her br**sts bounced, and the way she moaned and whimpered with every thrust of her fingers. The moment that she’d finished, she found herself on her back and his c**k ramming inside her still quivering sheath.
He hadn’t lasted long, but he’d taken her with everything he had, not holding back until she was screaming his name and he was spilling inside of her. Moments after he’d come, he was still slowly thrusting his softening c**k inside of her, wanting nothing more than to take her again, but his minx it seemed had other plans.
With a muttered cry of distress, she’d pushed him away, slapped a hand over her mouth and ran to the chamber pot and proceeded to get sick. Feeling like a bastard for taking her so soon after she’d lost the baby, he got up to go comfort her, but she wasn’t having that. Anytime he came close enough to fuss over her, she would shake her head and let out a pitiful moan that left his chest aching.
He hated seeing her like this and wanted to take care of her, but the damn woman was being stubborn. The only thing that she would allow him to do was to have a bath drawn for her so that she could soak and to come downstairs and inquire about the peppermint tea that the cook had suggested would ease her stomach.
“Robert? Did you hear anything that I just said,” his mother snapped in frustration.
“Yes, of course,” he lied, ramming his fingers through his hair. Where the hell was her tea?