Page 37 of A Countess Captured for the Captain
Nox thought for a moment, but then he shook his head.
“It is as though the fog comes down and I can remember nothing, Samantha, as hard as I try. I do not think it will make a difference if it is a maid who tells me these things, my uncle, my aunt, or even the Regent, himself. These are my memories, and I must somehow see through that fog on my own. Until then, it is only a history, as you say, though I am glad to hear it, particularly that I was a mischievous child,” he said, smiling at her.
“And why do your uncle and aunt insist on my being absent when you discuss such important matters? We have only been in this house a day and already I have been barred from overhearing almost all your conversations,” she said, shaking her head.
“My poor, dear, Samantha. You would have no interest in such matters. They barely interest me. There is a great deal I have to learn, and my uncle is trying his best to impart his knowledge to me. I learn new things about my family, the estates, my title – more than I can possibly remember. It will not always be like this, I promise. Very soon we will go together to one of the estates, and then we can alone. We can even go to the Caribbean if that is what you wish,” he said, coming to kneel next to her and taking her hand in his.
“I do not wish to go anywhere, I only wish to be where you are, but today it has felt as though you have been taken away from me at the very moment when such thoughts are supposed to be behind us. We have fought so hard for our marriage, and so often I have thought it to be a hopeless possibility. Now that the happy day has come, I do not want to lose you,” she said, giving him a weak smile, as he stroked her arm.
“You have gained me, and I have gained you. I could not be happier. We have this time together now. My uncle and aunt have gone to bed. There is no one to disturb us, unless you insist upon inviting this maid into our company,” he said, giving her a mischievous look.
“You are insatiable, Nox,” she said, feeling a delightful shiver run through her, as he began to kiss her neck, his lips working their way up to hers, meeting in a gentle kiss.
“I am, but then it is you who cause such passion to be aroused in me,” he said, kissing her again, his hands moving to her waist, so that his body was arched over hers.
Their kiss became more intense, the passion of newly found delights and desires overwhelming them both. He pulled at the straps of her dress, the bodice pulled back to reveal her breasts, which earlier she had so delicately powdered and scented. That scent now filled the air, lavender and roses, and she gave a sigh, his hands running over her body, pulling at the dress so that she was entirely caught up in the moment, all thoughts of his uncle and aunt gone.
“Will it always be like this?” she whispered, as he brought his lips to hers again, his hands now searching her out, as she pulled at his shirt, exposing his chest.
“I cannot imagine my passion for you ever being dulled,” he replied, and now they needed no further words, caught up as they were in the delights of knowing one another, no longer in snatched scandal but in the delights of marital union.
A fire was blazing in the hearth, the sitting room lit by candles, and Nox took Samantha gently by the hand, leading her down onto the rug, as he pulled his breeches off, exposing himself to her as she smiled, caught up in the delights of what they now would share. The door was unlocked, but the servants had surely all retired, and no one would disturb their passion – even if they did there was no scandal, only the exuberance of newlyweds who now clasped one another in the throes of passion.
Nox’s lips were upon Samantha’s breasts, her body arching, as he traced a trail down her side, his touch gentle, causing gooseflesh to rise, as she shivered. Now, his tongue sought her out, a penetrating warmth which caused her to gasp, his hands fondling her, her own pulling at his shoulders, desirous of that intensity to increase. She lay back, allowing him to pleasure her for a moment, before he looked up at her and she smiled.
“Yes,” she whispered, and he rose over her, his fullness exposed, before bringing his lips to hers, his body arching over her.
She knew what to expect now, the first shudder of pain which turned then into pleasurable delight, their bodies becoming as one, entwined together, as he too gave a gasp. She put her arms around him, his strong shoulders and muscular outline encompassing her, arching her back so that she too might join the rhythm which was their shared pleasure.
But Samantha wanted more, not to be a passive observer, but to take charge of her pleasure. With a deft movement, she swung her hips up, taking Nox by surprise, so that he rolled onto his back and now she straddled him, causing him to gasp, as his hands slid up her hips and she sat over him, her hands upon his chest, smiling down at him. Now, the sensation seemed even more intense, her body controlling his pleasure, at first slowly and then becoming faster, so that Samantha felt the ecstasy building inside her, that now familiar heat rising in her loins and then subsiding as she slowed.
Nox was feeling it too, but he allowed her to take control, at first fast and then slow, their bodies as one, enjoying the sensation of time – they had all the time in the world. She leaned forward to kiss him, their bodies still as one. The kiss was passionate, intense, the kiss of lovers who now know one another intimately. Samantha knew now what she wanted, what she desired, and how she desired it. There was no mystery, only the need for heightened pleasures.
“You are feisty this evening,” he said, and she pressed a finger to his lips, sitting up again, desirous of her climax.
Now, she moved rhythmically upon him, slowly at first, as he slid his hands up her body, fondling her breasts. She could feel the heat rising again, but rather than slowing to prolong the sensation, she quickened her pace, the climax building. Nox too was growing ever more impassioned, his breathing quickening, his whole body stiffening. With a sudden cry he climaxed, and Samantha felt his seed spilling through her, as her own ecstasy reached its heights.
With a gasp, he pulled her toward him, their lips meeting as the heat ran through her. She could think of nothing but the pleasure which now filled her, the two of them collapsing upon the rug in a breathless entwining, as he subsided, their kisses now gentle, his arms embracing her, as he rolled her onto her side, and she smiled at him, knowing just how much she loved him.
“You were right,” she whispered, and he looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“What about?” he asked, and she gave him a mischievous look.
“About not calling the maid to tell stories of your childhood,” she replied, and he laughed, rolling onto his back, before sitting up and pulling on his shirt.
“I do not need such memories to enjoy pleasure in the moment,” he replied, as Samantha sighed and lay back, feeling nothing but delight from what they had just shared.
Chapter Nineteen
Nox was happy. It had crept upon him unexpectedly, but now that he had had time to consider his new situation, he realized how terribly miserable he had been. His life onThe Rosa Mysticaseemed like another age. He was no longer a pirate but a gentleman, an Earl, no less, and one with a beautiful wife and the prospect of much fortune to come. This happiness would have been complete but for one thing – his memory.
Try as he might, Nox could not remember. It was as he had told Samantha, like a fog had descended over those memories which were most important. He wanted desperately to remember, to have a clear vision of what had happened on that fateful day and in the years before. A veil hung over his life before the shipwreck, and despite everything that his uncle and aunt told him, all the evidence about the house, and the fact that there was no doubt of his lineage, he simply had no recollection of anything in the past.
“It will come, my boy, it will come,” his uncle reassured him.
The thought was coming to preoccupy him. It had not mattered before, not when he was sailing the high seas with Strap and the others. He had always just assumed that his loss of memory made no difference. Strap had told him what he needed to know – that he had been brought on boardThe Rosa Mysticafollowing a shipwreck, that his parents had died and that was that. It had been easier not to have memories, for without memories there could be no sense of tragedy or loss – how could one grieve for something one had no recollection of?
But now, it seemed different. Nox wanted to remember, he wanted to know the truth, but try as he might he could think of nothing which would bring those memories back. He would stand in front of portraits of his parents or hold objects which his uncle had told him were remnants of his childhood, but all was in vain and he was growing ever more frustrated with himself and with his memory.
