Mad Jack (Sherbrooke Brides 4)

Laughter helped, but not much.

He brought her tightly against him, kissing her ear, her jaw, his hands wild on her back, then beneath her gown, and he felt her hips. He froze.

She moved and he simply couldn’t take it. He grabbed her leg and said against her neck, “Open your legs wider, Jack. Then push yourself against me as hard as you can.”

He hadn’t imagined how that would feel if she did it. His hands came from her hips around to her belly. He felt her suck in her breath. “No, no,” he whispered. “It’s all right. I’ve seen all of you, your belly included. It’s a nice white belly. Just like your bottom is nice and white, and I’ve seen it too. Remember when you were leaning out the window at the inn? Well, I was behind you, enjoying the back of you. We’ll talk about your legs later, and your feet, remind me not to forget your feet. Nice feet as well, but that’s not what’s important right this moment. That’s right, Jack, just lay your face against my shoulder and let me feel you. No, ease back down and let me hold you on my hands. Ah, try to relax, but don’t go t

o sleep, all right?” His breath hitched. His fingers eased inward to touch her.

She jumped, pulling back. “Gray? I’m feeling rather strange.” He was but a layer of wool away from her.

“You don’t know the half of it,” he said. He unfastened his breeches, eased her open with his fingers, and came into her.

She was staring down but couldn’t see him for the froth of her petticoats. But she felt him, oh, dear, did she feel him. “Oh, my goodness, can you really do that? I don’t know, Gray. No, stop.”

He stopped and she froze. Still he came deeper because she was damp and her body wanted him deeper. He said against her mouth, “It’s all right, Jack. No, don’t move. Let’s just stay like this for a moment. My sex is inside you, just a little way inside you. Can you feel me? It isn’t so bad, is it?”

She shook her head against his shoulder. “I don’t know. It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever felt in my life.” He pushed her just a bit further onto him. She moved. “No, don’t, Jack. When you do that it makes me explode. Trust me on this. I don’t want to explode just yet.”

“We can’t dance,” she said against his chin.

He laughed and pushed her forward just a bit more. “That’s for next Tuesday. Lie back against my hands.”

She slowly leaned back, supported by his hands. Her hands fluttered around his arms. “You’re inside me,” she said. “I never imagined another person hooking up to me like this.”

He stared at the mouth that had said those words and wondered how he could possibly survive much more of this. He eased her forward, bringing himself deeper, and felt her maidenhead.

He closed his eyes. Naturally she had to have a maidenhead, all girls did. “Don’t move. Don’t do anything. I’m praying for fortitude. I’m a good man. I deserve fortitude so I will remain a good man. I don’t want to degenerate into a clod. A man who’s a clod doesn’t deserve much of anything. We’re going to go slowly here. Tell me I’m going slowly enough for you, Jack.”

“Since you’re not moving, I suppose it’s slow, but it hurts, Gray, sort of burns and pulls and feels raw. Does it burn you as well?”

“Oh, yes,” he said. “Oh, yes.” He brought her up again until she was tight against his chest. He was holding her up with his hands, controlling his depth. When she was positioned just right, he let himself push upward with all his strength.

Jack yelled, then her voice broke into sobs. She hit him with her fists, and even damned him once, twice.

As for Gray, he was beyond thought, beyond anything but finishing this business. And he did. He was deep inside her, breathing so hard he thought his heart would burst. When finally he was through jerking about and heaving like a palsied man, he managed to say in a voice so dark and harsh that he hardly recognized himself, “It’s over, Jack, all over. Are you all right? It doesn’t hurt so much now, does it?”

She didn’t say a word.

He stroked her back, closing his eyes at the feel of that soft white flesh, all his. He was deep inside her, and he knew the pain he’d dealt her had to lessen soon. He wasn’t about to leave her, not just yet. He would let her get used to him. Yes, that was a noble approach, and practical as well.

Within minutes, though, all nobility had fled the carriage. He was hard inside her again and she pulled back to look at him. “Gray, what are you doing? I can feel the change in you. At least we’re all wet so it doesn’t hurt so bad anymore, but—”

There was a shot. Then another. Leonard, the St. Cyre coachman, shouted and cursed, then pulled up the horses, making the carriage lurch wildly.

He was deep inside her. There was simply no time. Nor was there a gun inside the carriage. Robbers? During the day? On his damned wedding day?

He pulled the bodice of her gown back up. She held the front together with both hands.

When Arthur and an older man jockeyed with each other to peer into the carriage, Jack was seated on him and he was still deep inside her, her skirts and petticoats frothing all over them.

Arthur didn’t understand.

The older man understood very well, and he yowled. “No, I don’t believe this. You’re a bloody gentleman, yet look what you’ve done to her. Here, in your carriage. Are you witless? I don’t believe this. Hell and damnation. Arthur, get on your horse. There’s nothing for it now. Even if we shoot him, it wouldn’t matter. He’s had her. She could have his child in her womb even now.” He cursed some more, turned and slapped Arthur, then strode away to the horses.

Arthur shouted after him, “But she probably isn’t with child. Let’s take her. She’ll have to marry me.”

“You bloody fool, her virginity was your only leverage. You have no leverage now.”