Matthew ushered Priscilla into their carriage, pretending that the twisting knots in his belly stemmed from his anger towards Lord Boden and his cheating accomplices. The tight pain in his chest he attributed to inhaling the smoky air at The Diamond Club.
“You should have a care around the likes of Boden,” he said as they settled into opposite seats. There was a hard edge to his tone that he couldn’t suppress. His sour mood was reflected in the way he yanked down the blinds. “The man covets anything unusual and rare. From the look he gave you, I expect he will look for an opportunity to further your acquaintance.”
“But he knows we’re married.” A frown marred her brow. No doubt her pure heart struggled to accept Boden’s assumption that she would be unfaithful. “Why would he waste his time?”
“Based on my reputation, he will presume we share a relaxed attitude to matrimony.” Damn. In taking her to a gaming hell, coupled with her comments about the scandalous antics at his parties, Boden would think Priscilla game for more than amorous flirtation. “He will attempt to seduce you.”
A snigger burst from her lips. “You make me sound like the catch of the Season. Or a famed actress with the ability to rouse a man to sin with nothing more than a pout.”
It was no laughing matter. Some men did not seek permission but merely took what they wanted. “Don’t underestimate the lure of a woman with a strong will. Men like Boden thrive on power.”
“Oh, so you mean it is not my beguiling eyes or curvaceous figure that has him captivated?” Despite her apparent amusement, there was a thread of disappointment in her tone.
Matthew noted the same flash of inadequacy in her eyes that he’d witnessed that night in Lord Holbrook’s garden. “I didn’t say that. My excessive salivating is surely a testament to your physical attributes. But every man is searching for the one unique quality that speaks to his soul. Boden’s happens to be competence.”
She raised a curious brow, and he knew what question would follow. “And what of you, Matthew? What quality speaks to your soul?”
“I sold my soul to the Devil the moment I entertained his flock for money.”
“You didn’t sell it. You merely placed it elsewhere, locked away in an iron chest for safe keeping. But from what little I know of you I suspect honesty is the unique quality you seek.”
“You’re right.” He knew what it felt like to be betrayed by those one loved the most, to be sacrificed for a lie. “The moment I doubt a person’s motive, is the moment I cast them out of my life.”
Priscilla straightened and shuffled to the edge of the seat. “Do you trust me, Matthew? Do you believe all that I tell you?”
He wanted to say that he would never trust another soul ever again. But he trusted Tristan. He was still learning to trust Uncle Herbert, hoped one day to feel the same way about Priscilla.
“I imagine trust takes many years to build.” The lie left a bitter taste in his mouth which forced him to add, “Then again, it is often those you’ve known the longest that prove to be a disappointment.”
She stared at him. A few drawn-out seconds passed before she spoke. “Then believe me when I tell you that whatever happens between us tonight, happens because I want it to. Not because I feel it is my duty as your wife, or because of some silly wager we made earlier. The desire to be close to you is overwhelming.”
“Well, you promised to show me your gratitude for taking you to the gaming hell.” He sounded like a cad, a man detached from reality who made light of any emotion as a way of avoiding the truth.
Without warning, she crossed the carriage and fell into the seat next to him. “Tonight I will give you all I have. I w
ill give you myself wholeheartedly. Completely.” A dainty hand came to rest on his thigh. “I will hold nothing back. You will feel the truth in my touch, taste it on my lips.” Her fingers crept higher. “I am yours to take in any way you desire. But first, you must agree to give me something in return.”
“Oh, I intend to give you everything I have and more.”
“I’m pleased to hear it.”
She stroked the evidence of his growing arousal. Remarkably, all other thoughts dissipated leaving nothing but the urge to bed her. With nimble fingers she unbuttoned the placket of his breeches, her warm hand slid down and curled around his cock. The slight tremble in her fingers enhanced his pleasure.
Bloody hell!
His minx of a wife massaged his manhood, her inexperience heightening his excitement. The realisation that she had never touched another man like this before made his heart swell just as much as his cock.
“I want to try something I witnessed in the garden,” she said still pumping his erection. “I want to show you that your happiness is important. But it demands that I trust you to be mindful of my lack of skill.”
Lack of skill? The lady was doing remarkably well. Amidst the hazy fog of desire disturbing his mind and vision, he struggled to put a picture to her words.
“I’ve thought of nothing else all evening,” she purred, “and in return, I want your trust.”
The word caught him off guard, dampened his ardour, only somewhat. He blinked, attempted to form a question, but events took a sudden unexpected turn that left him speechless.
Priscilla pushed him back against the squab, held his cock in her hand and lowered her head. Past experience did little to prepare him, for his wife liked to tease, liked to rain kisses on the head, down the shaft, lick the tip to determine if she liked the taste. Soft lips settled over him, and he entered her moist mouth … Holy hell! The rush of pleasure forced his head back. He had married the goddess Venus in the guise of a vestal virgin.
Inexperience proved enticing. Perhaps fearing taking him fully into her mouth, she practised bobbing up and down, stopping a short way past the head. Seven shallow sucks were followed by a long deeper one. Then six shallow, two long. A pleasurable hum resonated in her throat, the sound sending vibrations through his cock. At five shallow sucks, he knew she’d found a rhythm.