Page 25 of The Baroness of Sin
“I like to think of it as assertive determination,” James said confidently and traced fingers affectionately over her side.
Martha became suddenly very aware this was the first time that they were completely alone with virtually no chance of being discovered. Her heart thudded in her chest, but she didn’t feel afraid. In fact, the realization made her want to press against him all the more. Still, she hesitated. Not from apprehension, no, but from anticipation. Like biting into an especially crisp apple. One knows the sweetness will be there in just a moment, and to fully appreciate it one must know its absence a moment longer.
“I’m glad you came,” Martha said breathily, feeling slightly winded despite the short walk.
“I struggle to think of what could have kept me away,” James said with a smirk.
“My Lord, I didn’t realize you were so drawn to me?” Martha said coyly as she came closer.
“An unfortunate malady, I must admit. Sitting so close at dinner and being unable to reach out was its own type of agony.” His fingers traced over the edges of her clothes as he spoke, and he tugged at her gently, willing her to come closer.
They may have moved at the same time, or one of them may have moved first; it was hard to say especially when it didn’t matter to either of them. All they wanted was each other. They kissed, passionately, the sweet embrace of their lips not calming their needs. All it did was fan the flames and cause them to burn away at the couple’s reason.
Martha felt James' hands tug apart the buttons that secured her pelisse and smiled into the kiss. She had forgotten to tell him the surprise she had in store for him, though, she supposed that it was a much better surprise now.
She had worn only her nightdress beneath her pelisse. In the light, it would have been fairly obvious, but in the dark of the garden, James would only be able to tell once he had touched her. What he expected was the modest half dress she had worn to dinner reinforced by her corset beneath. Instead, his warm firm hand gripped her hip with only the thin sheer fabric separating her skin from his touch. She shivered in delight and smiled even wider in the dark when she heard his breath catch in his throat.
“You aren’t dressed!” he whispered as excitement and surprise wrestled for control of his voice.
“Should I be? Are we going somewhere?” Martha asked innocently.
“Tart.” She felt his hand slowly slide down her side, and she was forced to bite her lip to remain quiet. In truth, the small touch was enough to set her aflame, especially with how close he was to touching her bare skin.
So close.
Then, with the bravery she would soon come to expect from her gentleman friend, his hand slid up to her chest. The hesitation that had seeded their earlier relationship was gone now. He knew what he wanted, knew she knew what she wanted. He cupped her breast in his hand, gently squeezing the soft and sensitive flesh.
The touch, the hidden taboo, the chilled night air just short of touching her bare skin, all these things were pushing Martha to an edge she had only just discovered. She didn’t know the passions of the body could feel this good, and they had barely even brushed the surface of what she had experienced with her husband. There was so much more to explore, and Martha wanted it all. Wanted to know how good it was all supposed to feel and let James show her over and over.
She pushed herself into his touch and dug her finger into his back to pull herself even closer to him. James kissed her again and again, more roughly and needily, and Martha was surprised at how much it excited her. She never imagined being able to reciprocate this need, this want, but she knew she wanted James as much as he wanted her.
When they broke their kiss, Martha felt her breaths coming in long shudders, puffing in the cool spring air. His lips had moved to her neck; his one hand was still firmly on her chest. She felt his thumb rub the soft fabric of her nightclothes over the sensitive flesh of her nipple.
“Oh James, I, Oh my I…” Martha was unable to grasp her thoughts as they wound through her head too quickly. She was feeling so much at once that it was hard to understand everything that was happening.
There was a long moment of bliss before she realized that James had sunk to his knees in the moist rich earth of the garden. She worried for a brief, silly moment that he would become soiled, but almost every thought left her head as he began to kiss up the inside of her leg and thigh.
“I want to do something for you,” James said softly. “Something to you,” he added hotly.
This was something that her former husband had never done, and, frankly, Martha had no idea what to expect. She was nervous but not frightened. She trusted that James would never hurt her.
She felt his lips tracing higher and higher up her legs, his strong grasping hands squeezing her and pushing the small amount of fabric out of the way. Eventually his lips came to a place she never expected, and it took much of her willpower not to cry out.
“James, oh my, I’ve… I’ve never felt anything like that before.” Her finger swept through the soft dark hair on top of his head, feeling its gentle rocking motion as he moved with her.
She was shocked, not just by the act alone but by the pleasure it brought her. Pleasure in broad sweeping waves would mount and overlap one another. She could feel his lips, tongue, and fingertips trace the hidden intimate regions beneath her skirt with a shared eagerness and gentleness that her only other partner had lacked.
“Don’t stop, James.” Her fingertips dug into the muscles of his shoulders. “I don’t ever want you to stop.”
He made her feel incredible, and each sensation as he licked her, kissed her, and touched her was the most amazing she had ever felt. The touch would be quickly outdone by the next.
“James I- I, I…” I love you was what she wanted to say, but the words didn’t come. Not for the sake of hesitation but due to the inability to command her body any longer. The pleasure had locked her up and hidden her rational mind away from her body.
The finale was another thing she could not have anticipated. She had this sense that the pleasure was all building to something but never understood what until that moment when James pushed her past the precipice. The feeling was beyond description, despite Martha’s rather vocal attempts to do such.
She placed her hands gently on James’ shoulders, using him to support her as her legs had grown weak.
James pulled away immediately. “Are you okay?” he asked gently, the fire that had been in him moments ago cooled by concern for the lady he cared for.
