Page 61 of Beauty and the Rake
When he withdrew, he laid her on her back and entered her. This time she met him stroke for stroke as he drilled into her. She finally trembled beneath him as her eyes widened. Her back arched to take him deeper as he called out her name before his cock spilled his seed deep inside her. She called out his name as she climaxed.
“Graham?” she finally said as she ran her hand across his chest.
“Yes?”
“Will it always be like this?”
He kissed the top of her head. “God, I hope so.”
“You know this is new to me. Casper never wanted anything to do with me once he learned I was with child, and he wasn’t a particularly caring lover.”
“I’ll try to remember that and be a little more conscientious for the immediate future.”
Remembering her gift for her husband, Roxanne smiled and wrapped a sheet around her. “I almost forgot… no, you made me forget. I have something for you. I just need to retrieve it from the countess’s rooms.”
“I’m intrigued,” he said, propping himself up on his elbow.
It was all Roxanne could do not to stare at his chest as she walked to the door separating the two rooms. His upper bodywas muscular, and he had a distinct patch of dark hair on his chest. She diverted her attention to something else, anything else, because she found herself wanting to return to the bed. She breathed a little easier as she entered the living area in the countess’s suite. She had wrapped the book a couple of days previously and placed it in a drawer for safekeeping.
Picking the volume up, she held it to her chest before retracing her tracks back to their shared bedchamber. When she walked through the door, she found Graham nowhere to be found. Placing the book on the bedside table, she removed the sheet she’d been using to cover herself and crawled onto the mattress.
She called out for Graham, not wanting to look for him. He may have needed some time for himself. “Graham? I’m back.”
Silence filled the room, but a moment later Graham appeared holding two glasses and a bottle of champagne. “I thought we should celebrate.” He moved to a table by the window, set down the two glasses before uncorking the bottle. He then filled the glasses and passed her one. Interlocking their arms, they toasted to their new future and new life together.
Graham opened a drawer and withdrew a box. He turned and carried it to his bride, placing it in her hands, saying nothing.
Roxanne, in turn, placed the wrapped book in her husband’s hands. Sitting on the bed still, she carefully opened the box. She gasped as inside lay the most exquisite sapphire and diamond necklace. In a separate box she found not only a matching bracelet but earrings and a brooch. She was at a loss for words.
“I don’t know what to say, Graham. These are magnificent. I will treasure them always.”
“I’m glad you like them. They belonged to my mother, and before that they had been my grandmother’s. My father’s mother. As my bride and countess, it’s only right that you wear them.”
“Thank you. I will cherish them always. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen such a deep shade of blue.”
“I know. My mother would have adored you, so it’s only fitting you enjoy them as much as she did.”
They shared a kiss before he ripped the paper off the book like a child would do. He stopped once he realized what he was holding. “Shakespeare. It’s in pristine condition.” He opened the book and saw it was a first edition. “A first edition? Do you know how difficult it is to find a first edition, not to mention one in such amazing condition? I will cherish it always.”
Taking the necklace from its box, Roxanne held it to her throat for an idea of what it would look like. It was exquisite, something she would never have expected. The cut and clarity of the diamonds and sapphires were amazing. She looked up from the mirror and saw Graham watching her. He was now behind her and picked up the bracelet, putting it on her wrist. That was followed by him securing the necklace so she could get a real idea of how breathtakingly beautiful both pieces really were. “I will treasure them always.”
“Only the best for my bride,” he said.
“What shall we do tomorrow?”
“Anything or anywhere your heart desires, though I must say I’m a bit hurt you don’t want to spend all our time in bed making love.”
“You’ll get over it,” she quipped.
“Now I’m really hurt,” he pouted, thrusting out his lower lip for maximum effect.
“We could go on a picnic in the gardens.”
“The gardens? You don’t want to go to one of the parks or drive a ways out of town? Or did you have the gardens in mind for maximum privacy?” He waggled his eyebrows and grinned.
She uncharacteristically snorted at his remarks. “This is supposed to be time just for us. There’ll be plenty ofopportunities in the future. Let’s enjoy each other’s company because I don’t want to share you with anyone.”
“I agree. I was afraid you might get bored if we stayed here.”
