Cinders and Ashes (11 page)

Tearing
his gaze from hers, he suckled her nipples and waited until she
began to squirm beneath him as her pleasure built. He hated to
bring her any pain, if only for a short while, but it was
inevitable, given what he was about to do.

Gently
he rolled her onto her back as he deepened the kiss, and settled
himself more firmly between her legs.

Amelia
had never felt so close to another person. Lying with her legs
draped around his narrow hips, his masculinity probing deep within
her, she knew her life was irrevocably changed forever. The
wondrous sensations he had created with his fingers earlier began
to build with increasing intensity, and she found herself eager to
experience the wonderful pleasure once more. Despite the wantonness
of her position, she lay open to him and allowed him the freedom of
her body.

Gritting
his teeth, Sebastian withdrew and placed his lips firmly upon hers.
His tongue teased and probed as it danced with hers for several
moments, as he teased her turgid nipples with his blunt fingers. He
waited until she began to squirm beneath him, silently pleading for
more. Pushing hard into her, he held her hips still beneath him
when she would have squirmed away from the sudden pain of his
abrupt intrusion. He could feel the quivering of her lips beneath
his as she fought a sob. Breaking the kiss, he peppered her face
with tiny kisses, whispering endearments and he waited for her to
relax once more.

“
My beautiful Amelia, you are truly wonderful.” Inwardly
something broke free, and a sense of masculine pride he had never
encountered before blossomed deep in his chest.

This
woman was his. This beautifully brave, endearing lady was his.
Amelia. Groaning as the sensations of being buried deep within the
woman who held his heart began to build, Sebastian withdrew once
more and began the age-old dance towards completion.

He was
rewarded for his patience when, after a few moments of frozen
contemplation, sensations grew inside her once more and she began
to move against him. A few tender directions of his hands, and she
caught the rhythm of his thrusting hips. Eagerly raising her hips
upwards to take him in deep, as the need to find completion
beckoned.

In
respect for her newly tried state, Sebastian tried to hold back
until he thought he had sufficient control, but then her small hand
would stroke his side or cup his buttocks to tug him deeper within
her, and he was lost.

Within
moments he felt himself tighten, and desperately tried to draw the
moment out for as long as possible. He could feel her tighten
around him and knew she was close. A well-placed finger had her
screaming in delight as she climaxed. The rippling sensations of
her release around his manhood were more than he could bear, and
with a soul deep groan, he emptied himself deep within
her.

“
Oh, Amelia,” Sebastian murmured several moments later.
Despite the fact she had been untried, she had given him the most
satisfactory completion he had ever experienced in his life. He
knew there and then he had to take her to wife. Not only for the
fact she could most certainly be carrying his babe, but because he
knew instinctively he would never find the same level of
satisfaction with any other woman.

“
We should not have done that,” Amelia murmured, chest heaving
from exhaustion. A brief surge of regret suddenly bloomed within
her chest. It was difficult to acknowledge her regrets while her
legs were spread and Sebastian was still buried deep within her,
but she knew she was irrefutably changed, physically and mentally,
by what had just happened. She wasn’t sure if anything would ever
be alright again.

“
Don’t have any regrets, Amelia.” Sebastian’s voice rumbled
beside her ear as he placed a tender kiss upon her brow. “What we
have just done is strictly between us.” Carefully placing a blunt
fingertip beneath her chin, he placed a soft kiss upon her lips.
His eyes met and held hers. “You are mine now. No regrets. I won’t
allow it.”

Amelia
felt a tiny thrill of feminine delight at his words, despite
knowing inside that he didn’t truly mean them. Within a few days he
would be leaving to return to his own world. That wayward thought
was enough to bring a fresh surge of tears to her eyes, which she
quickly blinked away.

Instead
she smiled bravely at a watchful Sebastian, trying desperately not
show him her real feelings. “I’m a wanton hussy,” she replied,
unable to keep her most pressing concern to herself.

“
You are not,” Sebastian countered; outraged that she should
even momentarily consider such a circumstance. “You are far from
it.” His heart ached for her clear distress as he turned her
reluctant gaze towards him. “You are the most generous, warm and
delightful person I have ever been privileged to meet, Amelia.” He
knew he should move off her. That she must be getting uncomfortable
lying with him between her legs, but he was loathe to move until
this was settled between them, and her doubts had been vanquished.
If he did move, she would close her legs and move away from him,
and in doing so would undoubtedly close him out.

“
I am a whore,” Amelia murmured, battling tears.

“
You are not. If you were a whore, I would have not taken your
virginity tonight,” Sebastian countered, his anger piqued. His gaze
hardened. Despite their intimate position, his deep blue eyes held
a stern glint of temper.

“
But I have slept with you.” Amelia’s voice held a twinge of
regret.

“
That doesn’t make you a whore. If you have any regrets, it
should be that we didn’t make love in our marriage bed.” Sebastian
wished he could tell her of his intentions. Instinctively he knew
she wasn’t ready to hear what he had in store for them as a couple,
and wisely kept quiet for now.

“
We are the most unlikely people ever to marry,” Amelia chided
him softly, reluctant to succumb to the tender reassurances she
knew he could not fulfil.

“
That may be so, but we have made love now and that cannot be
changed. We can’t go back.” Sebastian kissed her lips persistently,
until they reluctantly parted against his tender
onslaught.

It was
some time before Sebastian released her lips and lifted his head.
Amelia wriggled her hips, wondering if he would take the hint. Was
he ever going to move? Did one need to ask a man who had just taken
her, to remove himself from between her legs? She was astonished
when, in response to her movement; he pressed his hips downwards,
pushing her deeper into the bed. His intent was evident with the
wicked smile he flashed at her, before he turned his attention to
her body.

Already
hardening, his wicked side rose and he stroked a blunt fingertip
down the moist pink flesh between her thighs, rewarded at her
startled gasp. Tomorrow she would undoubtedly be sore, but for
tonight she was not going to be let off so lightly. Clasping her
wriggling hips in his firm hands, Sebastian reclaimed her lips,
silencing any further protests as effectively as he knew how.
Within moments, she was gasping softly beneath him as his questing
fingers drove her relentlessly towards the edge.

Amelia
knew she was lost as the delicious tension built once more. The
empty ache deep within made her squirm beneath him. Sebastian knew
what she was asking for, and began to move his hips slowly. His
blue eyes locked firmly on hers as he possessed her.

“
If you were a whore,” Sebastian whispered as his rigid length
slid into her welcoming heat, “You would do this several times a
night, with several different men, and be a wee bit richer in the
morning.” He placed a kiss upon her parted lips, swallowing her
gasp of delight as he tipped her hips upwards to meet his deepening
thrusts. “You won’t be doing this with anyone else, Amelia.”
Sebastian’s voice hardened as he thought about any other man lying
with her as he was, and quickly closed the thought off as jealousy
and temper surged.

“
The only lover you will have in your bed will be me,” he
declared boldly, before easing her legs higher and quickening his
thrusts.

Amelia
didn’t respond, knowing he was quite right. For her, there could
never be another man. Nobody could ever recreate the wondrous
sensations she experienced with Sebastian. She didn’t know whether
to be happy she had this chance to experience such closeness to
him, or intensely sad.

All
thought ended with a sigh, as Sebastian took possession in a way
that left them both panting and moaning as they raced towards
completion.

“
When does Sir Hubert leave?” Sebastian yawned widely, as dawn
broke through the night sky. Although they were exhausted, he knew
Amelia was still awake and lay sated and exhausted before him. He
could almost hear her thinking.

“
I think he is leaving later this morning. I have said I will
be there later to pack a basket for them to take on the journey.
Then I will begin to clean the house and get ready to close it.”
Amelia’s voice quivered with tears she fought hard not to
shed.

Her
senses were still reeling from the events of the past night.
Although tiredness beckoned, she hadn’t objected to any of his
demands. Instead she had given herself wantonly, without hesitation
and had thoroughly enjoyed her experiences throughout the night.
The one night she could share with Sebastian before her life
irrevocably changed once more.

“
Then you shall do your chores, and return here when they have
gone. We have plans of our own to make.” Sebastian watched as she
slowly absorbed the import of his words, unsurprised when she
stiffened in his arms. Instinctively he tightened them to stop her
moving away.

“
Plans?” Amelia’s heart thumped heavily in her chest as she
stared blankly across the room. This was it, a tiny voice inside
her cautioned. This is the time when he tells you that he is going
to leave too, and you will be all alone again just as you
predicted, although this time will be worse because Sir Hubert
won’t be there either. She closed her eyes and waited for his
fateful words.

“
We have to make plans for our own departure,” Sebastian said,
feeling her jolt against him.

“
Pardon?” Amelia’s tone was blank as she struggled to take on
the import of his words.

“
You cannot remain here either, Amelia.” Sebastian tried to
keep his voice soft. He knew she loved her little home, and
although he couldn’t understand why she didn’t want to leave it, he
knew she was going to be upset.

“
Why not?” Her tone was a mere whisper. She pushed against his
arms and turned to gaze at him, nonplussed. There was no way she
could go with him when he left. Was that what he was
suggesting?

“
You have to come with me.” Sebastian sighed when she began to
shake her head, before trying to leave the bed.

Instead
of letting her go, he pushed her deeper into the bed by leaning
over her. “You are in danger here.” He shook her slightly to
emphasize his words, urging her to look at him and understand the
significance of his words.

“
Danger?” She knew she was parroting his words, but simply
couldn’t control the rising well of panic at the thought of leaving
her beloved cottage with him. “How?”

“
It was Danvers, the coachman, in that cellar. That means Rat
could be aware that no other body was found. Amelia, the man who
was going to push me out of a moving carriage to my death is
undoubtedly on his way to report back to Ballantyne. Because they
cannot be certain of my death, they will almost certainly come back
and look for my body. Believe me; you do not want to be out here,
all alone, when they call by.”

He knew
he was frightening her but needed her to understand that he simply
would not leave unless she was with him.

“
Why should they bother with me? It was windy, dark and
raining that night. You could have been anywhere when you were
pushed. Why should they bother to check this road?” Amelia felt her
stomach flip over at the possibility of this Rat person, knocking
on her door. Swallowing hard, she stared at Sebastian and tried not
to let her fear show.

“
Because they will check the area and will almost certainly
want to search the cottage.” Carefully he swept his hands down her
cold arms, until he was holding her trembling hands in his. “I have
to leave in the next day or so. I need to get in touch with my
brothers. They will be frantic by now and will be trying to find
me. My ribs have healed enough that I can return home, but I cannot
countenance you being left here by yourself. You simply
must
come with
me.”

Amelia
felt tears well again, and this time couldn’t prevent them
trickling down her cheeks again. Defiantly, she shook her hair back
from her face and looked him straight in the eye, her voice
firm.

“
I will not go with you. I will not be your servant or your
whore, and I do not belong in your world. My place is here,
Sebastian.”

Amelia’s
heart ached for the confusing turn her life had just taken. “You
have to leave. Of course you do. You have to go back to your world,
and leave me to mine.”

Tugging
her hands out of his, she was too upset to realise she was
revealing her nakedness when she slid from the bed. Quickly she
disappeared behind the retiring screen to dress. She was so lost in
her tumultuous thoughts; she didn’t look back or notice Sebastian’s
masculine interest.