Page 56 of Persuasions of an Earl's Daughter

In spite of his protest, she pressed harder, and his cock jerked and pulsed in response.

“Stop.”

He stepped back and clumsily removed the rest of his garments. He wanted to make this last, but he couldn’t cope with another moment of not being flesh and flesh with her. He snatched the cloth from her while she watched wide-eyed as he performed a cursory wash then he took a moment to enjoy the way her gaze flitted over him. The desire flaring in her eyes and making her chest rise and fall faster removed any lingering doubts. She needed him as much as he needed her.

Then he was upon her, pressing her against the bed. Lilly’s fingers curved around his rear as she sank onto the mattress under his weight. She was wet—so wet.

He paused long enough to connect with her gaze. “If we do this, Lil, there is no going back. For either of us.”

She nodded, biting down on her bottom lip. She had to understand the enormity of it all. For a woman to give herself to a man, she had to be certain, just as he was.

August still had to press the point. “I will not let you go after this.”

She nodded again and he edged forward, weight supported on one hand with the other pressed under her rear. They locked gazes and he sank into her, inching in. She inhaled deeply as he invaded her, slowly, carefully.

His heart felt like it was going to explode out of his chest as they were enveloped in a world of their own. Everything was hazy, even the feeling of their bodies melding. All he could focus on was the widening of her eyes and the parting of her lips. When they were fully joined, he waited a heartbeat and felt the fluttering response of the warmth of her body closing around him.

“August,” she whispered.

A primitive sense of belonging flickered inside him. One that perhaps he had recognized in her from early on. Here he was, a barely wanted bastard child living a lie, and she gave herself fully to him, accepting every flawed part of his history.

When he started to move, she arched into him and tightened her legs around him. They moved in an easy, flowing motion, as though they had always been lovers. His pledge to never bed anyone might have seemed foolish and simplistic, yet he couldn’t regret it, not when he got to share his first time with Lilly.

“August,” she whispered again.

“I know.”

As he moved, he kissed her cheek, the corner of her lips, before sealing his mouth over hers.He shifted his hips and swallowed her sounds, and it took mere moments for her release and a muffled cry touched his lips.

He felt the ripples of her body, of her tightening about him. By some miracle, he held it together as she gripped his trembling arms, and he opened his eyes to find her observing him. A groan escaped him, and the tension slipped from his muscles as the pleasure built to a peak. With a gasp, she climaxed and drew the bliss from him as he thrust in one last time.

Expelling a long breath, he offered shaky kisses, and dropped down beside her while keeping her close. He already knew everything would be different after this, but he had no idea quite how much it would feel like he had offered her his heart and soul in that one moment. And he was certain she had done the same in return.

It left him in no doubt that once they found Icarus, he would be asking Lilly to marry him.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Igive up!”

August gently took the reins of the cart from her and guided it down the busy thoroughfare. The maze of buildings was worse than London to Lilly’s mind. Too haphazard, too close together.

If she was trying to be reasonable, she would argue there were plenty of parts of London that were just as busy and as confusing as Grantham, but she didn’t feel like being reasonable and it didn’t matter that she hadn’t set foot in London since she was younger and likely couldn’t find her way around Town either.

A whole day of searching for nothing. She huffed out a breath and peered at each shop and building they passed as though the windows filled with hats and fripperies and books might offer some insight into where Icarus was.

They called at every inn and stables they could find, and no one recognized the description of Icarus. Or else they were lying and in league with the thieves of course, however, Lilly didn’t believe they’d been lied to. August swung between threatening to genial with ease and everyone was eager to offer him any snippet of information they might have.

Which was, unfortunately, none.

She stole a sideways look at him. She had to wonder how he did it. How he played pretend all these years. Since leaving Oakfield and their lovely hosts, who made them promise to return and update them as to how things went, they’d discussed his upbringing a little more and his time aboard.

Lilly imagined whilst he travelled, he hardly had to pretend anything. Skipping from country to country would allow him not to get too close to anyone. Her desire for adventure felt foolish now. She’d been brought up in comfort and with loving parents who tried their best to instill confidence in her. Escaping from too much love was a ridiculous notion now she knew of all the beatings and beratements August had endured. No wonder he’d needed to leave England.

“We won’t give up.” August slipped a hand over hers and she rather missed the bare touch of their hands, even if they both looked more respectable in their purchased gloves and hats.

She tried not to think about how unrespectable they had been on their last night in the village before the roads had cleared as it would leave her smiling oddly to herself and she couldn’t have August questioning her yet again as to what she was thinking of. He’d think her a harlot if she confessed all she could think of was their lovemaking.

Besides, it made her feel guilty. Icarus was the most important thing here. He’d spent too long in the hands of thieves and who knew how well he was faring.

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