A Love Match

7 - Nicholas

I woke up with a start, my heart racing and my undergarments wet. I shouldn't have slept in Sophie's bed again, enveloped in her scent while my head was on her pillow. She has been gone for three days, and I've spent every night in her room, trying to feel close to her again. Then the memories and the smells would cause me to dream of her over and over again. The dreams, truly enjoyable while they lasted, only served to accentuate the heartbreak of daytime, to remind me of how truly miserable I was alone in this house.

"Did you sleep well, my Duchess?" I asked, burying my nose in her curls, pressing my lower body into her behind.

"I did, my love," she responded in a voice still husky with sleep. "And heaven knows I needed the sleep. My husband is a very demanding man."

"Is he now?" I turned her to face me and started kissing up the side of her neck, loving how her body immediately arched into mine.

"Y-yes. He is a big believer in exercising one's body, you see. Says it's healthy," she sounded breathless and it was driving me wild. We were still naked from last night, so I had easy access to her breasts, which were an extremely sensitive spot for her, as we have discovered since our marriage. I palmed one and used my thumb to play with its peak, drawing the most delicious moan from Sophie's mouth. My wife made the most arousing sounds when we were in bed together. In the beginning she tried hiding them from me - she used to press her lips together, or bury her face in the pillow, but once I discovered those lovely little whimpers and moans, I started telling her "let me hear you Sophie" and "I love the sounds you make, they let me know you are enjoying being with me", and soon she grew bolder and more relaxed, which unleashed a torrent of passion in me I hadn't even known I was capable of. The first time she yelled out my name in bed, I released that very moment. I myself could not believe the intensity of the feeling, and my wife was confused as to what had happened but didn't say anything. I laughed and gently explained how much I loved the sound of my name on her lips while we were together, and she obliged me many times since. Every time she did it, I tried capturing the sound with my mouth, I wanted to devour it, and soon our tongues would be tangled as well as our limbs and I would move quickly on top of her, chanting her name over and over again in her ear as her small hands clawed at my back while she chased her own pleasure. Afterwards we would just remain tangled, sweaty and content, and we would talk about everything and nothing. I told her about my horrible father, about my loving grandparents, about the beautiful summers my sister and I spent with them at Ashbury while my parents were travelling, I told her about the sister I hadn't had the courage to meet yet, my Eton years, my hopes for the future, I told Sophie about everything that mattered to me.

I heard the maid shuffling about my room next door, and I hoped she would leave quickly so I could sneak out of my wife's bed and go get ready elsewhere. A lot needed to be done today. Both Ian and Collins had done their portion of the work, and all that was left was for me to deliver the final blow. Lady Victoria would be meeting me in my lawyer's office today to learn the consequences of crossing me and approaching my wife. Sighing, I realized that as much as I was suffering for sinning against my wife, it was nowhere near enough.

While settling the last of the papers with Ian and Collins, the young secretary knocked and announced the arrival of lady Waltham. She sauntered in with false bravado all over her face, looking at all of us perplexedly.

"Good afternoon gentlemen. What is the meaning of this meeting?"

No preambles. Good. I nodded at my lawyer and he cleared his throat.

"Lady Waltham, good afternoon, please be seated."

She obeyed and looked at me expectantly. I kept my gaze on Collins.