He eased back again and slipped his hand between her thighs. She hissed sharply when he parted her folds. When he delved between with the tip of his finger, discovering her excitement had made her deliciously wet, she curled her face into his chest.
“You’ve no reason to be shy with me,” he whispered. “We are both excited. Both eager.”
He slipped his finger inside her a short distance, thrusting just enough that she relaxed. He slid up to her clitoris and circled slowly.
“What are you doing to me?” she whispered as he continued to tease her.
“Making you mine. Forever,” he leaned down to kiss her curls.
Although tasting her cream and bringing her to completion with his mouth was tempting he wanted to join with her more.
He parted her thighs urgently, laid his hips between and moved into position. He hovered on his forearms and met her gaze. The flush of color to Julia’s face suited her.
Valentine pushed into her as gently as he could, unable to prevent her pain or hold back. She squeaked out a protest, but instead of pushing him away, she drew his head against hers, encouraging him to make love. He cradled the back of her head with one hand and with the other he squeezed her bottom. When he looked in her eyes, he saw his own excitement, his own desires reflected back at him.
He moved
in her carefully, determined to make her feel him, feel his desire and make her experience the same. Julia curled around him suddenly, her arms and legs rising to embrace him completely. They rocked, almost wrestling again but with his cock buried deep inside her body the sensations were intense. He was fast losing this fight against her allure.
He fought against her clinging embrace so he could thrust into her wildly, reveling in her warmth and heavy moans. There was no one like her in the world and he counted his blessings that he’d captured such an adventurous spirit.
When she gasped suddenly, nails digging into his back, he paused to look into her eyes. However, they were scrunched up tight and she shook and strained against him the next moment. Only then did he understand just how excited she’d been. She’d climaxed without any guidance from him.
When her body grew limp, he pinned her wrists to the rug and lost himself in her. She smiled sleepily as he spilled his seed deep inside with a hoarse shout, overcome by the most mind-melting release of his life.
He rolled them as soon as his senses returned, placing himself beneath her, and fought for breath. Julia cuddled against his chest—and then suddenly started to laugh.
She snorted and then covered her face with both hands.
He’d never had that reaction to his lovemaking before. “What’s so funny, pet?”
She met his gaze solemnly but she seemed on the verge of another chuckle. She stretched out one hand and brushed over the rug’s weave. “I was just thinking how much I have always admired how perfect this rug is for this room.”
“I see. And now we’ve been intimate upon it…”
“It holds an even greater place in my heart,” she said, suppressing a smirk. “It is indeed a very stylish and comfortable rug.”
Valentine brushed her falling hair back from her face as she continued to laugh loudly. “It’s the perfect size for the space. I love it too. But not as much as I love you,” he whispered softly beneath her chuckles.
Thirteen
“Melanie, how good of you to visit.” Julia hurried to her future sister-in-law and kissed her pale cheeks. “I’m so glad you have come to visit me again.”
She led her into the parlor, where the two women sharing the settee across the room, Lady Watson and Teresa Long, exchanged a glance full of sarcasm and then murmured a cordial if brief greeting of, “Miss Merton.”
“Lady Watson.” Melanie settled onto a high-backed chair, but fidgeted with her reticule. She shot a glance at her cousin. “Miss Long. What a surprise to see you here. I understood from Father that you were expected to be elsewhere this morning.”
“No.” Teresa fiddled with the sleeve of the new gown they’d just been admiring. “I told him I would call on my friends. Father must have thought it unimportant to tell you the particulars.”
Melanie shook her head. “He is my father and he likely forgot what you said the minute you spoke.”
Teresa’s face flickered with upset at the cruel taunt but she soon masked it. “No matter. I’ve had a lovely visit and now it’s time for me to leave.”
Miss Long stood and gripped Julia’s hands firmly. “I’m sure he will come around eventually. He only wants what is best for his son.”
Julia thought the man cared very little for what Valentine wanted. It seemed Valentine was a possession to Mr. Merton, and she didn’t like that idea very much. She saw Teresa to the door where a maid waited, actually very glad to see her go. She felt uneasy around Teresa, and her earlier insistence that her word to Mr. Merton would carry more weight than Melanie’s had been a startling suggestion she couldn’t place much faith in.
Melanie was the one he should be listening too. Mr. Merton should also be listening to his son, and wanting him to be happy above all else.