The Midwife and the Marquess

Chapter 23: Acceptance

He hadn't planned to bring it to this.

He'd intended to sit down and simply have a conversation with Maria. She'd been noticeably upset by the confrontation with the duke, and he'd wanted to give her a moment to recover. But now her body was pressing into his, her bottom and stomach and breasts all supple flesh under his wandering hands. Her lips spread over his as she kissed him deeper, longer.

How had it come to this again? His thoughts swam in a murky pool of good intentions and lust, mixing together until no origin of thought was recognisable. Had he wanted her on his lap for his own pleasure or to amuse and comfort her? He'd said what he'd said and did what he'd did and he regretted none of it, but he had had good intentions, right?

Just moments ago, he'd told her something he'd never revealed to anyone before: his suspicion of an early death and his desire for marriage, for love, before it was too late. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. He inhaled deeply through his nostrils. The air between them was heavy with the smell of perfume and skin.

He broke the embrace and pulled away just enough to look at her. Her face glowed in the dim light with obvious desire.

Fuck.

He'd missed this. He'd missed her. It'd been over a month since he'd last seen her. Now that he finally had her back in his arms he realised the magnitude of that deprivation. He bunched her skirt in his hand, pulling it up high on her legs, then he glided one hand between her thighs. He squeezed her flesh there, teasing her. He wanted to hold on to her forever. He wanted to lay her down on the carpet and slowly peel off each layer of clothing one by one, until she lay before him dressed in nothing but the pearls around her neck and the stockings on her legs.

Maria smiled and brushed his hair away from his forehead, kissing him there. "You have to go back. Your family will be wondering where you are," she said.

He almost whimpered. Instead, he checked his pocket watch, closing the lid with a pleased snap. "I've only been gone ten minutes. I have a good five more before anyone misses me."

"A whole five minutes?" she asked playfully.

"Indeed."

"And what are we to do with an entire five minutes?"

Pictures flooded his mind, filling it all at once. Evan opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

A grin broke out across Maria's face as she laughed. She tapped a finger on his nose. "I have an idea," she said. "But you'll have to be good and do what I say." One brow raised in question.

"I can be good," he said.

She bit her lip. "There are rules."

Oh lord. She was making a game out of this. He swallowed. "Go on."

To his dismay, she slipped off his lap and stood before him. She held out her hand and he took it, pulling himself up, the movement propelling them a few steps backwards. He pressed her against the wall. "Go on," he repeated.

There was something in the way that, despite being the one cornered, she so easily relaxed against the fabric wallpaper; something in the way her head tilted to the side and her lashes fell over her warm, dark eyes as she observed him, that compelled him to give in and follow her lead. She was a goddess, completely and utterly sure in her capacity to do as she pleased with him. And he would like it.

"Tell me, darling, and I will do anything you say," he whispered into her ear.

He felt, rather than saw the shudder that went through her.