Mary
To Mary’s surprise, her new husband did not leap on her again the moment they were alone in the carriage. She felt oddly disappointed. Clearing her throat, she froze when Rex’s attention focused on her. Waiting…
“It was a lovely brunch,” she said finally, unable to take the silence for a moment longer.
“It was.” The wolfish grin that crossed his face made her squirm. He was looking at her as though he wanted to do something scandalous, so why was he just sitting there? Watching him watch her was becoming disconcerting, his eyes roaming over her body as if he was mentally undressing her, but he took no action.
Despite the fulfillment he had given her earlier, Mary had become aroused again in anticipation of what was coming. She had not expected to have to wait. Should she ask for what she wanted? Did she even know what she wanted? There was a myriad of possibilities, but she did not know if there was a certain order to such things. Cynthia and Arabella had neglected to mention if there was, and Mary had not thought to ask, assuming Rex would take the lead. She had had no reason to think otherwise.
The silent ride was not very long, thankfully, before they arrived at Hartford House. Her new house, she realized, sudden anxiety taking over where curiosity and arousal had dwelled. Rex helped her down from the carriage, and they walked up to the house. They were mere feet away from the front entrance when he paused, and Mary did so as well, confused.
She shrieked, throwing her arms around Rex’s neck, as she was suddenly lifted off her feet. Chuckling, he swung her around, holding her tightly against his chest.
“You could have warned me!” Her heart was still pounding from the sudden movement or maybe just from being so close to him. Their faces were only inches apart, and his eyes locked onto her lips. She was dimly aware they were drawing some attention from passersby, but it was hard to truly care. No one had blinked twice at her slightly disheveled appearance at their brunch—it was as Rex said, people expected it of him.
“I believe this is tradition,” he replied, not at all chastened.
Easily carrying her the last few steps, the door opened before they reached it. The grizzled servant who had manned the door the night of masquerade stood there, grinning widely as he stepped back and bowed. Beyond him were the rest of the servants, a slightly older woman standing in front of them.
Coming to a halt in the foyer, Rex put Mary back down on her feet, and she did her best not to register the loss of his strong arms holding her. Yearning after him like a schoolgirl would hardly be the best impression to make before the assembled staff, over who she was now in charge. Certain proprieties must be met.
“Mary, this is Cormack, my butler, and Mrs. Maple, the housekeeper. Together, they run the household.”
“M’lady.” Cormack nodded gruffly and bowed again, still beaming at her despite his quiet welcome. At least he approved. Mary wondered whether he knew she had gained illicit entrance to the Society’s masquerade while he was on watch.
“Welcome, my lady.” Mrs. Maple bobbed a curtsey. She looked to be in her forties and was a beautiful older woman, slender as a reed with greying dark hair pulled back in a bun, and a no-nonsense air about her. Mary found her rather intimidating at first glance, but hopefully, they would be able to find common ground.
“Mrs. Maple, please show the Marchioness to her rooms,” Rex said mildly. “She is going to take a nap.”
Bristling, Mary opened her mouth to protest his high-handedness when he caught her eye. The raffish glint in his tawny gaze provided the clue. Oh. Oh.
“Yes, a nap.” She nodded firmly, inwardly cringing. She sounded like a ninny, but it was too late to change that. Neither Cormack nor Mrs. Maple’s expressions changed, but Mrs. Maple returned her nod, allowing a small smile to grace her lips.
“This way, please, my lady,” Mrs. Maple said, turning toward the stair before looking over her shoulder. “Did you bring a maid with you?”
Mary shook her head. She had borrowed the services of her Aunt Elizabeth’s maid and later, Arabella’s and Gabrielle’s since her parents had never provided her with one. Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Henry had offered, but they had already spent so much sponsoring her debut, Mary had not felt right accepting when she was remarkably self-sufficient.
Scanning the rows of servants, Mrs. Maple gestured. “Come, Rose. You will serve as her lady’s maid for now.”
A young woman, snub-nosed and curvy with dark hair, brightened and stepped forward. Mary had to bite back her lip against protesting that she did not need a dedicated maid. She was a marchioness now, so even if she did not need one, she should have one. Besides, the row of tiny buttons down the back of her dress was not something she could handle on her own, and it appeared Rex would not be the one to assist her.
Very well. While she was a bit disappointed, this gave her an opportunity to surprise him with some of the more revealing garments the modiste had provided for her trousseau. Smiling smugly, she followed Mrs. Maple up the stairs, Rose trailing behind her.
When she glanced back over her shoulder, she was gratified to see Rex still watching, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
Yes, a nap sounded very good, indeed.
Rex
Once Mary had disappeared into the upstairs hall and Cormack had dismissed the rest of the staff—she could meet them and begin learning names later, that was not the first of Rex’s priorities—he pulled his butler aside.
“No news of Lucas?” He did his best to hide his worry, but he knew some leaked through.
Since he had not been able to check in on Barnes or Lucas’ house on his wedding day, he had sent Cormack in his stead. He already knew what Cormack’s answer would be, but he felt compelled to ask, anyway. If there had been urgent news, like Lucas being found, Cormack would have come to the brunch, knowing Rex would want to hear immediately.
“Sorry, m’lord.” Cormack’s face was full of sympathy. He knew how worried Rex was, even if he did not have the same fellow feeling for Lucas that Rex did.
Sighing, Rex let his head fall back and stared up at the ceiling. The blank canvas did nothing to help clear his mind. At this point, he was starting to wonder if Lucas’ body would turn up in a ditch somewhere. This disappearance seemed to be going on far too long to be revenge for Rex’s refusal to pay his debts.
Then again, Lucas had been very upset.
There was nothing he could do about Lucas right now, any more than he could the day before, so Rex shunted aside his worries. He had other matters to attend to at the moment, like finally claiming his wife. A much more pleasant way to spend the afternoon than worrying over a man who might be staying hidden of his own accord, not caring—or perhaps even because—it would disturb Rex’s peace of mind.
“Check in with Barnes again before supper, and tell cook we will be eating in my room this evening. I will ring when we are ready for a tray.” Rex fully intended on spending the afternoon and evening sating himself with Mary. It had been a long wait, and he was going to have his fill of her.
Surely then, he would feel more back to his old self and inclinations. Once his curiosity was satisfied, there would be no more need to obsess over her. Having her could not be all that different from bedding any other lady. The only novelty was he had not been able to bed her before their wedding. Now that he could, he would, and that would be the end of this odd infatuation.
He would still desire her—she was a desirable woman after all, and he would have rights to her that did not exist with other women, which was its own special cachet—but he could do without the jealous possessiveness and his lack of interest in any other woman. He assumed the former would fade and the latter return quickly enough, though if the latter did not return too quickly, he would not complain. Why should he be bothered as long as he was enjoying himself with his new wife?
These were the thoughts filling his head as he made his way to his room, where his valet quickly divested him of his wedding finery before holding out a dressing gown for Rex to shrug into. Dismissing the valet, Rex thought he had given Mary enough time to be ready for him.
His bed or hers?
After a moment, Rex decided—definitely his. Neither had ever seen any action—he preferred his private areas to be just that—but he rather liked the idea of laying claim to his wife in his exclusive arena. Eventually, he would visit her bed as well, but for this first time, his.
Going to the door adjoining their rooms, a door he had never used before, he felt a small swell of excitement as he knocked. Only a moment passed before the door opened, and Rose was standing there.
“My lord.” She bobbed a curtsy, keeping her eyes averted.
“You are dismissed, Rose. Thank you.”
Scurrying ahead of him, Rose was out the door and into the hall before Rex even stepped into Mary’s room. Cleaned and dusted, it already looked completely different from how he remembered it. There were linens on the bed, a jewelry case and hairbrush on the vanity, books on the bedside table, and several trunks piled against the wall, waiting to be unpacked. While Mary’s things had not been completely settled in, the room was clearly no longer empty of an occupant. It took him a moment to locate his wife, taking in the minor changes to the room that had completely altered its appearance.
Movement was what caught his eye. She was standing across the room, on the other side of the bed, and his mind seized, breath coming to an abrupt halt when he finally took in what she was wearing. The filmy green material floated around her body, not quite transparent but enough for him to see the darker shadows between her thighs and a hint of nipples where the fabric clung to her breasts. His cock, which had already been partially hard in anticipation, jumped to full attention.
“Bloody hell.” He breathed out the words, only then noticing the pinched expression on Mary’s face as it cleared away. She had been worried about his reaction. Holding out one hand, he met her eyes, allowing his sincere admiration and desire to show. “Come here, petal.”
Mary
The sudden heap of nerves that had enveloped her when Rex had entered the room subsided a little in the face of his clear approval. He liked the gown. Which did not make her feel any less naked but less anxious about feeling naked. She was going to be naked soon enough, anyway.
Probably.
Some of the advice she had been given on the topic was a bit confusing. Aunt Elizabeth had spoken in a more roundabout way than Cynthia and Arabella’s blunt explanations, but all in all, it seemed each gentleman might have different preferences. Well, Mary had already understood that after attending the Society’s masquerade. Unfortunately, she had no idea what Rex’s preferences might be.
Hesitantly, she stepped toward him, lifting her hand to place her fingers on his. It took the work of a moment for him to trap her hand with his, using it to yank her swiftly to him. Gasping, Mary stumbled into his hard chest, her free hand coming up to land on the velvety exterior of his robe. She could feel his hardness pressing against her belly—without her usual bulk of skirts, it was impossible to miss.
There was no time to say anything. Now that he had her pressed against him, he curved the hand he was holding behind her back, forcing her to bend as his lips descended and claimed hers. The kiss was hot, passionate as his tongue slid into her mouth to dance with hers.
The thin fabric of her nightgown felt like no protection at all, and she was shockingly aware of his free hand sliding down to cup her bottom. She could feel the heat of his palm, the press of his fingers, and she wriggled against him. With one hand trapped behind her back, the other pressed against his chest, she felt more vulnerable than usual.
Kissing him back as best she could, she pressed her thighs together, the flames of her arousal growing rapidly. The sensations throbbed through her, the hunger she had thought already sated roaring back to life as Rex kissed her, and kissed her, and kissed her. His hand explored her bottom, causing her skin to tingle. Mary did not think he was going to spank her and did not know if she was more disappointed or relieved by the lack.
When he released her, disappointment reigned for a moment, then he was sweeping her up in his arms.
“My room,” he growled, almost savagely.
Mary shuddered, surprised at the possessive aura surrounding him. Carrying her the same way he had into the house, his quick strides made short work of the passage from her room to his.
Mary only had a moment to look around—receiving the impression of an intensely masculine room with heavy furniture, a lush carpet, rich brocade wall hangings, and a huge four-poster bed—before she found herself standing beside the bed, her filmy gown being tugged over her head. Her breath stuttered to a stop. This was it.
To her surprise, Rex did not just throw her back on the bed and have his way with her. He kissed her again, wrapping her naked body in his arms and devouring her with his lips. Mary gasped at the odd sensation of being completely nude and pressed against a man. The soft material of his robe rubbed against her nipples, stimulating them to pleasurable hardness. They swelled, aching and tingling, sending throbbing pulses of need through her body.
When she squirmed, her slick folds rubbed against each other between her legs, making her even hotter and wetter. Large hands gripped her bottom cheeks, squeezing, and she moaned against his lips, clinging round his neck to help keep her upright as her knees threatened to buckle beneath her.
The bed suddenly pressed against the back of her legs. She had not even realized they were moving until Rex backed her into it. Breaking the kiss, he looked down at her, inspecting her expression, his tawny eyes glowing gold with desire.
“On the bed, petal.” Stepping back from her, he kept his gaze steady as he began to undo the tie of his robe. Blushing bright red, Mary sat on the bed, pushing herself back with her legs tightly closed. Her skin felt hot and tight, and it felt so very odd being naked, but she was not going to argue. Not when she was going to be able to see him completely unclothed as well.
The robe dropped, revealing a fine masculine physique that clearly had no need of padding. His broad shoulders, muscled chest, and tapered waist were so different from her own curves, she stared in appreciation. While she gaped at him, Rex wrapped his fingers around his cock, drawing her attention there and distracting her.
Then he pounced.
Squeaking in surprise, Mary tried to scoot back again, but he was already above her, arms braced on either side of her, and she had fallen back against the bed. Breathless with anticipation, she stared up at him, waiting for what he would do next.
Instead of lowering his mouth to hers and nestling his body between her thighs, where she was aching to have him, he bent his head farther and leaned down to close his lips around her nipple. Mary cried out at the hot sensation, the wet suction of his mouth pulling at the tender bud. It was nothing like she had ever felt. She pulled on his hair, her fingers wreathed through the golden locks, writhing beneath him.
Palming her other breast, his fingers sought out her other nipple and plucked, teasing and tugging, while he licked and suckled the first. The pleasure rippling through her, she was lost to the sensations, unable to focus on anything but the reactions of her body to his expert ministrations.
He nipped at her tender bud, and she shivered as the tiny bite of pain registered, then his mouth was moving to the other nipple, his mouth and hand switching places. His knee pressed down between her legs, and she parted her thighs, unthinking, moving on instinct than by deliberation. The hair on his leg rasped over the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, then his muscle was pressing against her pussy. Mary cried out again at this new stimulation.
Her hips jolted, but he had already shifted away, moving lower. Remembering how nice his mouth had felt in the carriage, Mary had no qualms spreading her thighs farther, so Rex could kiss his way down the soft roundness of her stomach before settling between legs.
To her embarrassment, he did not immediately lower his mouth, pausing to inspect her. She tried to squeeze her legs closed, and he gave her right thigh a little slap, hard enough to sting in warning but not hard enough to truly hurt.
“Rex,” she whispered, not entirely sure why she was whispering, unable to meet his eyes as well. “What are you doing?”
“Inspecting my pussy.” Fingers stroked over her wetness, leaving no question what he meant, and she squirmed, frowning.
“Your?... You mean my… pussy.” Repeating the word he used, she felt utterly vulgar and strangely daring. Goodness, she was never going to be able to look at a cat the same way again.
Rex chuckled, and Mary gasped as a long finger pushed into her, stretching open her virginal entrance, and probing deep. Her hands. She no longer knew what to do with her hands, so she clutched the bedsheets beneath her since she could not quite reach his head in his current position.
“Oh, no, wife.” The possessiveness in his voice rang loud and clear. “This is my pussy now. I am going to become familiar with every last inch of you, claim you in every way a man can claim a woman, and make you mine in every way.”