Emma blinked rapidly when the world was revealed to her once more.
Sensations she only knew in distant memories were hers again at his hands. Feelings and emotions and lightning crashed through her and continued to make her tremble; continued to pulse as he moved his cock inside her. When he lifted her palms in his, twining their fingers as he pushed deeper, she could only groan softly and arch against him demandingly.
“Lucas…” his name felt raw in her throat.
How long had it been since she’d had a man who took the time to excite her? A man who wanted her with a passion she’d only read about or dreamt of?
Her body was humming, excited at his touch. A touch that had struck more than a mere surface stroke over her skin. She stared at him as he slowly teased her with his cock. From the dark line of hair where their bodies were joined, over the flat, firm stomach and onto the expanse of his chest. Their fingers had been twined when he leaned forward, sinking himself another inch, oh so slowly.
And then she met his gaze.
She couldn’t recall ever seeing such fire and desire in a man’s eyes before. Not for her. He slid one hand down her leg, lifted her ankle and moved it to rest against his hip, behind his back.
Closer. He drew her closer and thrust teasingly, his fingers toying with the swollen nub, pressing and stroking until she swore she could barely breathe and knew she was close. Again.
He placed both her hands above her head, the look in his eyes telling her not to move. And she didn’t. If this was her reward, she’d never move again!
She heard the soft, needy mewl from her lips when his hands moved to her hips, pulling her closer at the same time he thrust again, deeper, completing their union and then stopping. That was when she noticed he was breathing as raggedly as she was. Emma arched her back when his hands moved onto her ribs, stroking heavily higher to frame each breast in one palm. When his fingers caught her nipples and pinched, scraping a rough thumb over each tip, her body gave itself over to his demands.
“Lucas!”
He could feel every inch of her sheath caressing him, pulsing and threatening to wring every ounce of passion from him. He knew she was close. Knew she was hovering just over the precipice, waiting for his touch. When the strong, hungry convulsions began, he gripped her hips with both hands, thrusting hard and fast inside her on the erupting syrup coating him and inviting him to play. Luring him down further into the dark, seething passion that formed between them.
The sweet hunger in her demands snatched his control, his body tightened and he barely had a moment to pull himself away, spilling his essence across her stomach. His chest heaved in great gulps of air as he moved her leg and fell to the surface of the bed at her side. Her fingers found his and squeezed.
Emma closed her mouth and eyes, forcing her breath to slow itself as she floated just outside her body, feeling each tremor and hum the delicate nerve endings issued. She squeezed her thighs together and groaned softly when her clit pulsed in protest.
She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe how wonderful it felt to orgasm with him. How incredible the sensations were that still sent glowing bursts through her now and then. She clenched her thighs again.
The bed moved and she was vaguely aware that Lucas left her lying there. She heard the water running in the small room where the toilet and basin was and jumped in surprise when something warm was wiped across her middle.
“Lucas?” She edged her elbows behind her, angling up to see him finish wiping her off before cleaning himself and tossing the cloth to the basin on his vanity.
“Slide up here, Emma,” Lucas pulled the sheets free of the bed corners and helped her to lay against the pillows. He was next to her in seconds, urging her into his arms and holding tightly to her. “Are you alright?”
“Hmm…I believe I’m much better than alright, Lucas,” Emma pressed her face against his chest, her arm across his middle. She slid her top leg over his and sighed contentedly. “Why were you afraid of letting me know you were a dominant?”
“Females tend to fear a dominant personality,” Lucas answered after a few thoughtful moments. He stroked his palm over her head and onto her cheek, tipping her face toward him. “Especially in the delicately reared females of the ton. They tend to rule in the bed chamber with lights out and nothing ever seen. Even by their husbands.”
“I trust you,” Emma said simply. “Why would I fear that side of you?”
“I am still slightly bewildered at the things you seem to know, Emma,” Lucas let his palm slide over her shoulder and down her arm until their fingers twined once more. “Is your father aware of the things you’ve read?”
“I don’t know what he knows,” Emma answered honestly. “I’ve told you. Things are simply inside my head. I don’t recall him at all.”
“And yet, here you lie, my sweet little virgin…and my head fills with plots on your arousal and captivity in my bedchamber,” Lucas smiled at the slight giggle she offered.
“I don’t know that I can always be an obedient submissive, Lucas.”
“But you are aware of what happens to girls who disobey.”
She stared into the abruptly stern glacial blue eyes and shivered. She felt his cock give an interested lurch against her thigh. Her mind wandered to the curved top of the trunk in her bedroom and she nodded. Her breath caught when he shifted to the side, his palm gliding down her ribs and onto her ass with a firm squeeze.
“So much to explore with you,” he whispered against her mouth. “Where are you in your menses, Emma?”
Dark eyes blinked and blinked again. Now that’s a good question, she thought with a little gasp as his fingers trailed down the crease between her ass cheeks.
“I…I don’t know.”
“Lord, I want to spend inside you,” he said abruptly, gruffly taking her mouth with a long, deep kiss that left them both breathless. “I want to feel those delicious muscles grip me until I’m drained dry.”
She loved his taste. She marveled at the arousal his words created inside her, again and again. She loved the strength in the kisses he showered over her mouth until it felt swollen and full. He played with her. Like she was prey and he was tenderizing his dinner, she thought with a savage shudder. His hands seemed to be everywhere and where they weren’t, his mouth was! Her nipples were hard and aching for each swipe of his tongue or nip of his teeth.
Lucas was surprised when two small hands pushed against his chest until he was lying on his back. Shadows from the candles and sconces flickered and shone like gold over and around the very naked, very feminine form kneeling at his waist. Her hair hung free around her shoulders, now and then touching the nipples he’d aroused. He stared for a quiet minute, about to correct her behavior in their bed when her hands flattened on his chest and she swung one leg over his thighs and straightened up.
And what a glorious sight it was, Lucas decided with a ragged breath.
Then he felt her fingers on his upper thighs and her body slid just a little further down his legs. When both her hands cupped the taut, wrinkled sacs and her tongue came out to follow her touch, his head fell back against the headboard of the bed. For the moment, thoughts of dominance vanished.
Emma had a feeling he wouldn’t allow her to have control for long, but she also knew the one thing that he couldn’t deny enjoying. She ran her tongue slowly over the pulsing veins; over the very thin lines of blue and the natural indents that formed his cock. Tasting him and her on his thickness; trailing her tongue around and around until she reached the darker, smooth cap of the shaft. Then she suckled it into her mouth and just held him there for a long, long minute. She let her tongue play. Stroking, caressing and laving him from front to back and repeating the game.
She liked looking at him. He was strong and well built. Not what she had expected to find beneath the stiff white shirts and jackets he always wore. And his eyes were an amazing shade of blue that made her feel like she was tumbling head first beneath the ocean, she thought, offering only a slight pout when he reached for her and hauled her against him. His cock fell between her thighs and she massaged it with her damp center, stroking against just the right place to make her moan against his kiss.
Again! Her mind shouted in exhilaration and disbelief. More than once in a day was amazing to her, but with Lucas there didn’t seem to be a bottom. And he wasn’t bored with her yet. His shout echoed through the room seconds after he’d lifted her off his cock and arched his hips against the thick, steamy air around them.
Emma lay on her back taking in deep drafts of air when she felt him move and leave the bed. She remembered him climbing back beside her. And how warm and safe she felt wrapped in his arms, his body curled around hers and his lips kissing the hollow of her throat. The next thing she remembered were the sounds of birds in the garden and sea gulls in the distance.
Emma pushed her hands beneath her and angled her body up so she could peer around the room now bathed in an eerie sort of muted light. What had been a really nice warm spot was empty. She maneuvered until she was sitting in the center of the bed, knees bent beneath her and hands sweeping up to clear the long hair from her face.
She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms and blinked away the sleep. That’s when she realized the eeriness was because of the fog that had floated in overnight. The bedroom door was closed so she stepped from the bed, dragging the sheet around her and went out on the balcony. Her toes curled at the coolness of the tiles and she shivered. It was impossible to see a thing past the railing. The outlines of trees were a deep grey blend that just seemed to meld into more grey.
Adjusting the sheet, she wandered around the room, visited the toilet and decided Lucas was already out and about somewhere so she headed to her own bedroom and some clothing. The foggy chill had settled into the whole house and she was glad she’d left her windows and balcony shut before she wandered to Lucas’ bedroom the night before.
She managed an easy, quick wash, found clean underwear and selected a clean dress from the armoire. She went with the summer lemon shade, tossed the cumbersome petticoats into the empty trunk and had finally settled before the vanity mirror with her brush when the tapping came on the door.
“Come in,” Emma looked up and smiled at the quiet expression on Nancy’s face, her hand out with the morning glass of juice. “Thank you. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Miss.”
“Nancy,” Emma drew out her name and met her gaze in the mirror when Nancy took the brush from her and began fixing her hair. “Is it Daniel? Have they found him?”
“Not yet, Miss. My Pa was out helping set up guards that his lordship brought in from the mill farther down the coast,” she brushed and wove the long hair into a braid.
“Well, I’ll grab some breakfast. Are you coming to town with me this morning? It shouldn’t take long but I really wanted to visit the book shop and see about someplace to get my hair cut,” Emma saw the look of dismay in Nancy’s eyes. “I’ve had my hair short before and I prefer it that way.”
“Things must be very different in America than here,” Nancy said with a shake of her head.
“Oh, probably not so much,” Emma smiled at her, twisting to the side and nodding at the bright yellow ribbon that had been tied to the end of her braid. “Very nice. I think perhaps I’m just different, Nancy. If you’re busy, you don’t have to come along. But I’ll buy you a meat pie,” she teased, relieved when she got a little smile from her new friend.
“That’s a bribe, Miss,” Nancy chastised mildly. “I’ll be ready in half an hour.”
“I’ll be down in the dining room. Come find me when you’re ready,” Emma told her, carrying the glass of juice as she wandered into the hall and down the curving staircase.
As usual, the house was fairly quiet in the mornings. Workmen were doing something at the back of the house but they hadn’t begun working yet. No sounds of hammers at all. Emma stopped in the library before going to the dining room and found the recipe book she wanted for soaps and lotions.
“Good morning, Miss Carstairs.”
Emma’s head popped up from the print she was reading at the sound, her gaze shifting toward the voice. “Oh, Mr. Harris…good morning. Have you seen Lucas this morning?”
“He’s just returned from his run along the beach, Miss. He said to let you know he would be joining you in the dining hall,” Harris glanced at the book in her hands. “Mrs. Neilson makes a few things like that for the house.”
“I know…I’m thinking there’s a small room I can use somewhere in the house to make a few different things,” Emma smiled and closed the book. “You would know…”
“I’m sure I can find you a place to work. Would it be best near the kitchen?” Harris walked with her along the wide corridor, his hands clasp behind his back.
“Yes. That would be nice. With windows, please. And a large table and perhaps a chair or two would be nice, thank you. I can melt what I need in the kitchen and carry it to my work space. I’ll pick up utensils today,” Emma nodded, happy at the idea of doing something creative. “Thank you.”
“You are quite welcome, miss,” Harris nodded and continued on to the back of the house.
Emma took her seat in the dining hall but it seemed huge and as empty as it felt. As usual, there was a platter of sliced fruit with a mixture of berries and a nice bowl of fresh crème to go over it. A plate sat in front of Lucas’ seat with a cover over top to keep it warm, she guessed. She lifted a thick slice of bacon and bit down before opening her book and picking up the pencil she’d brought along.
Funny the things you miss when they aren’t around, she thought with a little sigh. Highlighters and page markers would be nice. Normal panties, but she decided once she figured out where to buy fabric and threads, she could attempt to make her own. At the very least, she could design a pattern and find a seamstress to do the work for her since stitching was one of her borderline skills.
It’s not like she would have a keyboard to pound on anytime in even the near future. She’d put off thinking about that or maybe the smart part of her kept it out of the forefront of her brain to keep her from hyperventilating. The word impossible sprang into her mind every time she looked around her but after almost a week, she felt she was doing much better than she could have been.
Lucas came around the corner to the dining hall and stopped. He had a clear, unobstructed view of Emma and paused to lean against the archway that was the entry. Beautiful, sweet and innocent all came to mind as he stared. There were times he felt he was looking at someone so young, their union would be impossible. Yet other times he saw an age defying sadness in her eyes that made him ache to comprehend why it existed for her.
The corner of his mouth lifted as he watched her. A large volume lay open and she held a pencil in her hand, underlining passages in the book. She held a thick rasher of bacon in her other fingers. Those fingers lifted toward her mouth every few seconds, but she never managed a bite because she became distracted by something she was reading and the hand would lower again. At this rate, it would certainly be dinner before she ate anything.
“You appear distracted, Miss Carstairs.” Lucas realized that the sudden excitement and joy on her face when the pencil was dropped and she pushed back from her chair before launching herself across the room and into his arms was a feeling he never wanted to lose. He braced himself on both feet, accepting her curves against him with arms that closed and held her firmly in place.
“I missed you this morning,” Emma tipped her face back.
He stared into those darkly sparkling eyes for a long second, his arms tight around her and not a protest in his thoughts when his mouth closed the distance between them.
A kiss, he thought as his blood began to sizzle. His cock reacted to her scent; her closeness. Nothing more than a simple kiss. But he knew there would never be anything simple with Emma and he reveled in that thought. He slanted his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss for several minutes before remembering where they were when his hands wandered onto her behind to press her against his cockstand.
“We need condoms, Lucas,” Emma whispered against his lips. “Then you won’t have to stop.”
“You have the most amazing education, Emma Carstairs,” Lucas murmured, his mouth drifting from corner to corner of her lips, his tongue out and swiping over the fullness when he nipped and heard her groan into his kiss.
“Lucas…” she felt his name on her lips through their kiss. “We’re in the dining hall.”
“Then when Sunday comes and we’re alone, we shall lock all the doors and proceed to christen each room in the house,” He teased with a gleam in his eyes that told her he was serious. But for now, he slowly released his hold on her arse, letting her feet touch the floor once more.
“I’m to meet with Nancy to go into town,” Emma straightened her dress as she took a step back, nervously looking over her shoulders.
“We’re alone, my sweet.” Lucas led her back to the table, adjusted his trousers and seated her with a gentle kiss to her temple. “I’ve assigned Brock as your driver and bodyguard. Don’t challenge me on this, Emma, because you won’t leave the house at all if you do and I cannot guarantee that you’ll be able to sit for a week. I should have protected you,” he murmured gruffly.
His fingers gently brushed the bruises on her throat, his stomach tightening painfully at the memory.
“I don’t have any wish to…I’m not going to challenge you, Lucas. I don’t like taking one of your people from their job, but I don’t want to be hurt, either,” Emma closed her book and pushed it aside before beginning to eat fruit with fresh crème over it.
“Harris has been to speak with the constable. Daniel won’t be able to stay in the area and remain at large.” Lucas worked to quell the anger inside him, the cover on his plate removed before he shook out his napkin and began eating his breakfast.
“I’m sorry,” Emma dredged a slice of pear through the crème on her plate, her gaze on the design she was playing with before biting.
“Emma…”
She looked up at the stern edge to his voice. “You don’t know what it was like where…where I was before. I cause trouble because I expect people to behave better than they show the world. I get lectured that ‘boys will be boys’ and certain behavior is forgiven because of their gender. I’m stubborn and I don’t mean to cause trouble…”
“Do you believe I see you as a problem, Emma? Do you believe your expectations should not be considered as vital and important as any other?” Lucas leaned forward and lifted her hand to his lips. “His behavior is his choice. His mistake, was involving my house. Especially you, but Nancy, as well as any other female under my protection.” His hand rose and with his thumb, he swiped at the lone tear that rolled down her cheek. “You are not a problem, nor are your beliefs,” he told her firmly. “I value what we’re building together far too much to risk losing you.”
“Oh!” Nancy came around the corner and stopped beneath the archway. “I am so sorry, sir, miss. I don’t mean to intrude…”
Lucas looked up with a half-smile, his head shaking at the tint of color on the younger woman’s face. “It’s fine, Nancy. I don’t think Emma is feeling very hungry this morning.”
“I ate some fruit,” Emma popped another slice of pear into her mouth. “I shall finish it when I return as a snack. Ask Mrs. Neilson to keep it cool for me, please,” she rose and went to his side, kissing him softly. “I will be careful, I promise. We shouldn’t be long. Perhaps one, I think. I really want to explore more shops.”
“Brock will watch out for you both,” Lucas said, even as he felt the trepidation at allowing her to roam the town without him. He watched her go, his hand on the tabletop and fingers drumming as he seemed to forget his breakfast.