Tempest of Passion (12 page)

Emily.
She frowned
and forced her eyes shut. If she were to tell someone that she felt
warm liquid slip down her thighs she would not be believed. William
had not touched her and her body was reacting like a liberal
woman’s. Furthermore, she hated him. Hated him. They were married
not because she’d accepted his proposal, but because he’d forced
her into it. He was odious. Taking what he wanted like all men.
Surely, he would do the same tonight. Her pulse spiked. Emily
waited for the anger to resurface but nothing happened. She heard
the splashing of water. Her eyelids prickled.
No more.
She turned on her side,
away from temptation. She would not be seduced by the devil, no
matter how perfect he seemed.

Chapter Fourteen

The bed sank a little on her right as
William climbed next to her. Her heart went wild, her treacherous
body reawakening with a vengeance. Balderdash. It could not be. She
kept her eyes tightly shut as he accommodated himself at her side.
Pins and needles pinched her stomach. The vicar’s words mingled
with the maid’s.
Have a good night,
husband and wife.

Husband and wife.

William and Emily.

I merely wish to dally with my wife.

My wife.

Mrs. Dalton.

Mr. Dalton.

My husband.

William moved closer, his body heat washed over her like a
blanket of fire. Her clothes were too constricting. She could
hardly breathe. Would he touch her? Did she want him to touch
her?

I merely wish to dally with my wife.

She hadn’t made up her mind when his arm snaked around her. He
drew her closer. Emily bit down on her lip, fighting off the urge
to sigh with pleasure. No. No. No.

Husband and wife.

Have a good night.
No.

She breathed deeply. His scent traveled straight to her core
calling her body to move closer to him, not away from
him.

The impulse to turn in his arms and mash her lips over his
grew with every passing second. Her lips tingled. Her stays dug
into her ribs, the material making her skin itch. She knew he
wasn’t sleeping. His breathing was uneven, his hand on her waist
too tight. Was he excited at their close proximity? Was his prick
erect? Dear God, what would it feel like to unite their bodies?
Emily shivered. William pulled her closer. A placid throbbing
started between her legs, urging her to move her hips. She chewed
on her bottom lip.

William’s
hold on her tightened and a low growl echoed in her ear.

“
Be still, my love, or I won’t be responsible for my
actions.”

Emily bit back a moan at the sensual threat
in William’s words. She nodded.
Sleep.
Sleep. Sleep
. He was an arrogant man that
had tricked her into marriage. The slightest ember of anger flared
as she recalled their hurried marriage and his unorthodox proposal.
It vanished when he sighed and his warm breath tickled her
ear.

“
I-I’d like to remove my stays,” she whispered, feeling less
brave by the second. “I’m uncomfortable.”

“
Of course.” William’s gruff voice caused an inexplicable
tightness to squeeze her chest. “You were so sleepy, I didn’t
think.” He cleared his voice. “I apologize, Emily.” He released her
instantly. She scurried out of the bed to the darkest corner in the
room. She shivered. The room was surprisingly cold.

“
Do you need any help?”

“
No
,” she shrieked.
She cleared her voice. “Thank you,” she managed to say more
quietly.

Good God, she was insane or possessed or… anything. Certainly,
she’d lost her mind, for what else could explain the way she felt?
Her fingers shook as she fumbled to remove her dress and unlace her
stays. If William helped her she’d be back in bed in no time. How
could she even contemplate such a thing? A tempest of passion. That
was all. They’d been in close quarters for too long and William was
a good-looking man. She was attracted to him. That was all. She
would rationalize this and overcome it. Attraction could be
overcome. She’d done it before with the bastard that had wanted her
as nothing more than a mother for his heirs, so she could do it
again with a man that had forced her into marriage.

Finally,
Emily shimmied out of her stays. She let out a long sigh. She could
do this. She approached the water basin and splashed some cool
water on her face. Everything would be all right. William might be
her husband but he was not a good man. He’d coerced her into this
unseemly situation. He was a ruffian. She climbed into bed beneath
the covers, making sure to keep as far away from him as
possible.

No sooner had she lain down her head, his
arms came around her pulling her rife against him.
No. No. No.
Her mind
protested vehemently, but her body sank into his comforting hold.
He was not pressuring her, he was not forcing her. He was simply
holding her close. She had to say something. She had to ask him to
release her. Tears prickled at the back of her eyes. He was the
enemy. She had to hate him.
She had to
hate him.
Principles. It was all about
principles, love, desire, passion… and the hard rod of flesh
pushing against her bottom. It all came down to that thing that was
making her quim weep.

“
Oh God,” she whispered.

“
Emily?”

“
William.”

She placed her hand over his, splaying his fingers on her
flesh. His surprise mingled with hers. What was she doing? She
dragged his hand across her hip and to her thigh. Where was she
taking him?

She
didn’t have a clear answer, but William did. He continued moving,
dragging their hands to the apex between her thighs, softly rubbing
her mound over her shift. Her lips parted in a silent gasp. He was
touching her and it felt so good. His other hand moved slightly,
his long fingers brushing the bottom of her breast. Could her
temperature rise any further? Her nipples hardened into pebbles,
scraping against her shift. Her legs parted slightly and William’s
hand moved lower rubbing her pubis in circles.

“
William.”

“
Tell me to stop, Emily. Tell me to cease and I will do so at
once,” he said in a strangled voice.

No, no, no.
She
didn’t want him to stop. She replied by pushing her body against
his groin. William groaned. His hands moved more boldly. The one
between her thighs clamped over her quim, driving the movements of
her hips. The other searched for her breast. He found it and
squeezed it. Emily gasped and arched into the touch. William
pressed his palm flat against her nipple and rubbed before grasping
it, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger and tugging. She
cried out as pleasure slammed between her legs, the earlier
throbbing becoming a relentless demand for more. William pulled her
hard against his erection, the hot hardness pushing against her in
search of its own release.

Abruptly, William rolled them over. Emily lay flat on her back,
staring into William’s dark eyes as he held himself above
her.

“
Tell me to stop, Emily,” he repeated urgently, leaning in to
kiss her. The touch of his lips against hers was an aphrodisiac.
Tell him to stop? Had he gone mad? She ran her fingers through his
hair, stopping at the nape of his neck to pull him closer and
deepen the kiss. William groaned into her mouth. His tongue
entwined savagely with hers in a primal ballroom dance before he
pulled back and dropped tiny kisses on her jaw. She slid her hands
across his back. His muscles bunched beneath her palms as he dipped
his head lower, leaving behind a trail of open-mouthed kisses that
culminated when he closed his lips over her breast.

Emily
moaned. Wave after wave of desire rushed through her. She trembled
with need. She yearned for more. She splayed her legs open,
crashing her pelvis against William. She wanted everything he could
give her and more.

“
Tell me to cease this, Emily, and I will.”

She didn’t reply. He closed his mouth on her other breast,
suckling softly. Emily shook her head. She wrapped her legs around
William and lifted her hips. He sucked harder, his teeth grazing
her nipple. He massaged her other breast. Wetness slipped out of
her while the head of his cock prodded her.

Boldly,
she pulled at his shirt. William ceased his attention on her
breasts and removed the cumbersome garment. He attempted to regain
his place above her but she placed a hand on his chest, stilling
him.

“
I want to look at you.”

His eyes
twinkled in the gloom and his lips curved.

“
Don’t you dare laugh…!”

“
It did not cross my mind, love.” He rolled to the side and
lay against the mattress. Emily stared. Oh, to be able to see him
in more light. The dimly lit room did him little justice. She could
see the contours of his firmly muscled body, make out the scars
that crossed his chest and stomach and the scattering of dark hair
that trailed downwards. Her cheeks burned as she followed the path
of hair to his erection. Long and thick, it lay hard as steel
against his stomach. The head was pink and thick, reminding her of
a large mushroom over which a single raindrop had collected after a
quick summer storm. She licked her lips. William groaned. Her eyes
flew to his face. He watched her closely. His cheeks were flushed
and his lips slightly parted as he breathed through his
mouth.

Tentatively, she placed her hand over his thigh. William’s
eyes drifted shut. She slid her hand upwards, bravely dipping it
between his legs. Lightly, she touched his sack. She marveled at
its softness. She glanced at William, whose eyes were still closed.
Daringly, she trailed her fingertip over his silky hardness.
William groaned. His hips bucked. More liquid seeped from the head
of his prick. What would it taste like? Her cousin said the flavor
was not pleasant, but perhaps William’s was different. She moved
closer.

She cried
out in surprise when he grasped her hips and sat her over his lap.
She gasped as he ground against her folds.

“
I need you.”

She
nodded. Numbly, she helped him remove her shift. Emily flushed as
he studied her. There was no denying the hunger in his
gaze.

“
Beautiful,” William whispered. “Have you any idea how
beautiful you are?”

He sat up and placed his hands on either side of her face. He
kissed her. The touch of his lips was surprisingly soft. Unlike
previous kisses, this was a languid touch that claimed and gave in
equal measures. She was his, he seemed to tell her, but he was also
hers. Tears filled her eyes. She was lost, lost in this powerful
emotion from whence there was no going back.

“
I need to be inside of you, Emily.”

He rolled them over again. Slowly, he kissed a path down her
chest, across her stomach and over her thighs. Emily’s legs
trembled, as his mouth neared her sex. She thought about closing
her legs, but it was too late. William spread them apart with his
shoulders. She closed her eyes and breathed hard through her mouth.
William kissed the inside of her thighs. Emily trembled. Was he
going to kiss her there? Would he dare? Would she allow it? He
scattered more kisses on her legs. She jumped as his lips made
contact with her quim. He nuzzled her and kissed her again. She
clasped the sheets, desperate to find something to hold
onto.

“
William.”

He held
her knees apart and delved between her legs again. She cried out as
his tongue slid against her folds.

Emily grasped his shoulders, unsure if she wanted to pull him
in deeper or push him away. William didn’t stop. Again and again,
he kissed, licked and sucked her. Her hips rocked back and forth at
their own volition, searching for more of the exquisite feeling.
Her body quivered like a leaf in the wind as one of his fingers
toyed with the moisture in her sex. In and out of her it moved, all
the time brushing against something that caused her flashes of pain
and pleasure.

“
More,” she begged, unsure if the finger could go deeper or if
there was anything more. All she knew was that the throbbing she’d
been feeling between her legs was growing with demanding urgency
from within. There had to be more to sex than this.

William slid up the length of her body and kissed her. Emily
pressed her body to his, eagerly searching out the head of his
cock. She could feel it pulsing at her entrance, ready to enter
her. William stalled. He kissed her with more passion, sliding his
tongue in and out of her mouth, mimicking the frantic movements of
their hips. Emily spread her legs wider. She writhed beneath him,
searching for the hardness amid his legs that escaped
her.

“
William, please.” She grasped his shoulders, pushing him
away, willing him to stop kissing her and get on with something
else. William grinned. His eyes were dark pools of lust as he
stared down at her.

“
I’m getting there, love. I want it to hurt as little as
possible for you.” He tugged at her bottom lip, drawing a delicious
shiver from her.