They reached the pinnacle simultaneously, her cries mixed with his anguished grunts as their bodies bucked and shuddered against each other. Her cunnie felt awash in warmth, throbbing, grasping. He trembled atop of her, pushed his hips at her a final time, and collapsed against her. They took in large, heaving breaths, their perspiration mingling, as they lay joined together.
Gradually the thundering of her heart receded and she became aware of his weight upon her, pushing on the iron bar. He lifted himself off. He unlocked the shackles, kissed her ankles, and fell back once more beside her. He pulled her wrists to him and kissed the soreness there.
“Forgive me if I was rough,” he said. “You cannot speak to me in such a fashion. It incites a demon in me. A demon that compels me to possess you to the hilt.”
She sighed inside. She wished he could and would possess her in all ways. A part of her wanted to cry. Though she had done her best to downplay her emotions for the past three months, she had missed Rockwell greatly. And now she would have to start anew with her efforts to forget him. She ought not have come here tonight. She ought to have resisted his offer to take her home. She ought to have told him that she wished never to set eyes upon him ever again.
“I am not so fragile as you may think,” she replied, pulling her wrists away from him.
Her movement seemed to displease him. With his hair damp from perspiration, clinging in parts to his face, he looked quite provocative all naked and mussed. She turned from him, worried that
the sentimental feelings stirring inside her might lead to tears.
“Who were you speaking to at the gaming hall?” he asked.
“Pardon?”
“The fellow with the poorly tied cravat. As you were taking your leave.”
“Mr. Billings?”
“You seem upon familiar terms.”
His questioning puzzled her. “He is a regular patron there.”
“Have you feelings for him?”
“That would be none of your affair.”
Irked, she sat up and intended to rise and retrieve her clothes, but he caught her arm.
“Why did you change gaming halls?”
She looked at him sharply. “My lord, you have asked that already.”
“Yes, but I would have the truth.”
She wanted to scream. The glow of their lovemaking—if it could be called that—had dissipated, replaced by a confluence of anger, sadness, and even self-pity. She had brought this upon herself, true, but Fate had been most cruel to set before her a man to love but not possess.
“You meant to avoid me,” he answered for her.
His rudeness deserved affirmation.
“Yes. And if you’ve any noblesse oblige, you will not seek me again.”
She could not look him in the eye. This time when she made a move to rise, he did not stop her. Quietly, she pulled the shift over her body. She would be quite sore tomorrow, in many parts of her body.
“Your family has managed to exhaust over half of your funds in a mere three months. What will you do when you have exhausted the remainder?”
How did he know the balance of their account?
Aloud, she said, “I shall find a way. Perhaps I will marry.”
He watched her dress from where he was, still lying upon the pillows. “Whom? That fellow Billings?”
“That is my affair.”
“I can provide for you far better.”