Lessons in Pleasure

Montgomery arched an eyebrow. “Have you ever been to the Priory? I wouldn’t say those girls’ morals are in any doubt at all. I’d say they are quite delightfully irredeemable. No need to send them to a workhouse; it wouldn’t take.”

“Christ,” James muttered as Montgomery laughed.

“Come, James. You’ve been married for weeks now. Time to get back to the hunting grounds. I’d planned a trip to the Priory myself tonight. Come along and I’ll give you a tour.”

James glanced out the window to see how close they were to his house.

“Good man.” Montgomery slapped his shoulder and leaned forward conspiratorially. “Listen, they’re a bit pricey, but there are a pair of twins—rather fleshy, but they’re identical twins, you understand—and they will absolutely devour your—”

“No.”

“I’ll treat. Consider it a belated wedding gift.”

“Bugger yourself, Monty.”

“What?”

“I’m in love with my wife.”

Montgomery’s hand froze on James’s shoulder, then dropped back to his side of the hack as if he feared contagion. “Pardon?”

James glanced up to find his friend watching him as if he’d just announced that he was running off to Timbuktu with a stable hand. He couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m in love with Sarah.”

“Since when?” Monty scoffed.

Since the day I met her, he wanted to say, but didn’t. “None of your business. Just watch your mouth if she ever deigns to invite you to dinner.”

He scowled. “I can’t imagine when that will be. I don’t think she likes me.”

“Hard to fathom.”

His friend’s confusion wasn’t feigned. He’d flirted with Sarah the way he flirted with every woman and grew more dumbfounded each time she responded with annoyance. Most women loved Montgomery. Sarah did not. James felt inordinately pleased.

“Well, this is intolerable,” Monty complained. “You were enough of a stick-in-the-mud before.”

“Then it’s not much of a loss, is it?” When James saw familiar doorways begin to pass by the window, he smiled. He’d had no choice but to attend this dinner meeting, but now he was home and his pretty, surprising wife awaited within. He had the door open before the carriage rocked to a stop. “Good evening, Monty.”

His friend snorted in disgust as the hack pulled away, but James only grinned wider. Half an hour, tops, and he planned to have the taste of Sarah on his tongue. He’d spent a good quarter of the day hard. At every opportunity, his mind turned to the image of her sex spread wide for his enjoyment. How pretty and delicate she was down there, how perfect as she shuddered against his lips.

His mouth watering, he inclined his head at Crawford’s greeting, then contemplated holding on to his hat to avoid embarrassing the servant.

“Sir?” the butler intoned.

James gave in and turned over the hat, spinning quickly toward the parlor in an attempt to flee with his pride intact. “Is Mrs. Hood still up?”

“No, sir. She retired a half hour ago.”

“Ah. Wonderful.” He’d already made it halfway up the stairs when Crawford’s next words reached him. “Madam was suffering from the headache and decided to retire early.”

“Oh.” He froze, one foot already on the next step. Was she sick or was she laid out naked in anticipation of his arrival? He thought of the blush that so easily overtook her, and revised his fantasy. Not naked, perhaps, but still anticipating his return? “Thank you, Crawford.” He continued on, hopeful.

There was no hint awaiting him in his dressing room. Tugging off his tie, he dropped it on a table as he passed through to the dark bedroom beyond. His cock throbbed in anticipation as he moved toward the bed.

“Sarah?” he murmured.

“Hm?”

“Are you unwell?”