Scoundrel With A Noble Heart (sequel of Disgraceful)

Chapter 76

Dear readers, sorry for the long wait. I hope you'll like this chapter. Please keep dropping your opinions and comments. I can't reply to each one of you, but I read all the comments, every one of them. I'll try to deliver the next chapter faster. Thank you and enjoy!

*****

The last couple of hours had been pure hell.

Matthew had spent every minute trying to convince himself it was a good thing he finally managed to get rid of that troublesome chit, but it could do nothing to dispel the gloom that engulfed him. The insides of the carriage only served to remind him of his torrid moments with her, and the long hours of enforced idleness and silence had nearly driven him off his head. He couldn't seem to stop reliving the moment he caught Arabella with Jeremy in the deserted shed. No words could possibly describe what he felt the moment he entered the shed and found her in Jeremy's arms, letting that wretch touch her intimately. She offered no resistance when Jeremy ran his filthy hands over her buttocks and breasts. It almost seemed like she enjoyed it. Perhaps she even encouraged it.
Why would she wear that flimsy nightgown anyway?

Without him being able to stop it, the images of Arabella and Jeremy play through his head. In his mind's eye, Arabella let Jeremy run his hands all over her and she enjoyed his touch. She whimpered the bastard's name and threw her head back as he toyed with her feminine flesh, just like she did with him. He remembered she'd teased him, saying that he had clever fingers because he was quick to learn how to make her come with his hand, but this time, it was Jeremy who had the privilege to feel her flesh throbbing gloriously and her whole body shuddering uncontrollably in delight. He knew she would go limp after the first climax, and she would lie on her back. Then she would let Jeremy put his mouth on her sated cunt and bring her to yet another climax. He could almost hear Arabella cry out Jeremy's name in the throes of passion. And she finally, finally granted him consent to have his way with her. To possess her completely. Matthew's fist clenched at the vivid images of that bastard putting his filthy cock inside her and fucking her with a triumphant grin on his face. Again and again...

Suddenly the salty tang of blood in his mouth startled Matthew out of his imagination. That was when he realized that he'd been unconsciously biting the inside of his mouth as he imagined those things.

Unable to stop himself from shutting away his mind in the small confines of the carriage, Matthew decided to switch into another mode of transportation. Despite the signs of an oncoming storm, he chose to travel on horseback.

Ten minutes into the ride, ominous dark clouds started to gather overhead, causing other riders to pull by the nearest shelter but he continued riding. Before long, it began pouring. As far as the eyes could see, taverns and inns lined both sides of the street, but he passed them by without a single glance. He needed to keep moving to distract himself from the thoughts. He needed to feel numb to stay alive. It hurt so much to know that after what he'd done for her, he'd meant so little to her. That everything that they shared these past few days meant nothing. Nothing but an empty fling.

Again he was jolted out of his dark thoughts when the horse skidded on the slippery road. It tried to regain its footing, but fell, sliding several yards further down the road with Matthew still clung to the saddle. Fortunately, both he and the horse managed to come away from the accident unscathed, apart from some scratches and bruises. A farmer who happened to pass by leapt out of his cart and rushed to help him. Dragging Matthew to the side of the road, the older man snapped reprovingly.
"Hey! What's wrong with you, young man? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!!!"

Instead of feeling grateful to have a narrow escape, Matthew found it a bitter irony.

Perhaps it would be a good thing if he got killed. So he wouldn't have to feel this pain for another moment.