Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
* * *
“Janice.” His warm breath ghosted against her ear and she shuddered, clinging onto the sheets for dear life as his thrusts grew jerky and uncoordinated, his neck strained in a rictus of effort, the veins sticking out from his temples, and his whole body flushed. She watched him, reveling in his loss of control and despite her own floating pleasure, she felt a sense of power in seeing him this way.
* * *
Knowing it was because of her.
* * *
“Arthur,” she moaned, reaching out for him.
* * *
He flicked her legs off his shoulders, and she took the opportunity to wrap them around his waist, pulling him closer to her. He leaned down, kissed her lips, biting and nipping, suckling and sucking, before plundering her mouth even as he plundered her body.
* * *
Her hands trembled as she began to feel that swell of sensation and she threw her head back, groaning aloud and arching upward to meet his thrusts. She didn’t want it to end. She wanted to stay here in this place forever. But her body got away from her and before she knew it, she was shuddering and shaking, riding on the crest of an intense pleasure wave and holding on for dear life.
* * *
Her insides tightened against him, and he groaned, stiffening suddenly before shuddering, his legs shaking as he emptied his seed into her. His completion seemed to jolt something inside of her and she was riding a new wave, her body contracting and relaxing around him, just milking him frantically of every drop while she oohed and aahed helplessly.
* * *
He collapsed atop her, breathing hard as she relaxed into a boneless heap of repletion, not even having enough energy to tell him to move. She closed her eyes, breathing out deeply, and smiled.
* * *
Think of England indeed.
* * *
“What’s so funny?” he whispered in her ear, his hot breath tickling her.
* * *
She shivered, jerking her head away but not very far. “Just something my aunt said. Is this act not supposed to be pleasurable for women?”
* * *
She felt Arthur slip off her with a sigh. “Well, I suppose if one is not careful and does not adequately prepare…there may be some pain.”
* * *
“Like, the first time?”
* * *
“Was that painful?” his voice rose in surprise.
* * *
“Only a little. It felt like a poke, or a prick.” She huffed in amusement at her own words.
* * *
“Yes, I suppose when your virginity breaks, I have heard some tell there is some pain.” He sat up, “Speaking of which…”
* * *
She heard him fumbling inside the tiny cupboard by the bed and opened her eyes to see what he was doing. He emerged with a pocketknife in hand, holding it in a very intentional way.
* * *
“What are you doing?” she asked worriedly, her brow furrowing.
* * *
“You’ll see.” He put the knife to his palm and cut himself. She shrieked in surprise as blood welled up. Pushing her to the side a little, he laid his palm flat on the white sheet. “They will expect to see it. If they do not, the word will get around that you were not pure when you came to the marriage bed.”
* * *
She sat up and stared at the bloodstain, marveling that it had not even occurred to her to worry about such a thing. “Thank you for thinking of it,” she said gratefully.
* * *
He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You are my wife. It is my duty to protect you.”
* * *
She smiled at that. “It is my duty to protect you as well. Come, let us sleep a little and then you may tell me how best I can serve you.”
* * *
“I do assure you, my dear, your presence is more than enough for me. You make me feel invincible.”
* * *
Her smile widened. “Do I? Well then, my presence you shall have.” She burrowed closer to him, tucking herself into his chest. “Now protect me while I sleep.”
* * *
“Your wish is my command, madam.”
CHAPTER 42
Arthur felt as if he was floating on air. His problems had not miraculously disappeared, but he could not feel concerned about them at the moment. Even having to share this honeymoon time with tending to his mother could not dampen his mood. Janice had been a tremendously good sport about it, making sure to take his mother walking in the garden while telling her about the plants along their trail.
* * *
Arthur was no doctor but even he could see that there was color in his mother’s cheeks and her eyes were more alert. He used the time to catch up on all the paperwork he’d willfully neglected, realizing that his father had amassed a lot more wealth than Arthur had imagined. He still felt quite ambivalent about keeping any of it, but he had his future children to think of now.