Page 27 of Wicked With You
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“What doI say when I see him?” Henrietta fretfully asked herself as she marched toward the cottage.
The last two days had been torturous. Normally not a weepy person, Henrietta had found herself sobbing her loss into Gran’s bosom. Her cousins had been sympathetic, and she had stayed all day in her room yesterday staring at the rose quartz.
If you led me to him, why are we not together?
Those were the words she had whispered, the aching inside her chest an agony. It was only this morning Henrietta had woken resolute and angry.
How dare he walk away from all they had shared. She could tell he had been falling in love with her. Simon had been so tender and amazing. How dare he leave her bed and chase after a paramour.
That anger had taken her to the cottage to plan what she would do next. Should she go to London as she thought and call upon his townhouse?
And what do I say?
“I’ll blister his ears,” she muttered. “And perhaps if he is properly contrite and did not go to her, I will kiss him. If he went to her, I would not forgive him.”
The silly tears came again, and she opened the cottage door and—
Henrietta faltered, shock stealing her breath as she stared up at the painting of Simon. Someone had hung it in the cottage right above the bed. She looked wildly around, pressing a hand over her mouth when she spied Simon leaning against the wall by the fireplace.
“You wretch,” she said, hating that she started crying. “I have been so miserable these last couple of days. Utterly wretched!”
His eyes gleamed, and his mouth curved into a devastating smile.
“You should not be smiling, Simon!”
“I must,” he murmured, straightening up. “On my way here, I was attacked by sudden doubt. What if she does not love me as I love her? What if she does not wish to marry me…what if… what if…? How I was tormented.”
Henrietta did not dash into his arms though she desperately wanted to. She narrowed her gaze on him. “Did you visit that courtesan?”
Wariness flickered in his eyes at the icy politeness of her tone.
“I did.”
Henrietta hurtled forward and slapped her palm against his chest. “How could you, Simon—”
He caught her mouth, stealing the words with a passionate kiss. She bit into his lower lip, and he ruefully chuckled at her punishment.
“I promise you, I left the moment I entered. You see, you were with me the entire journey to town. I could not stop thinking about you…could not stop missing you and wanting you. When I saw Vivienne, it struck me how much I love you and that I have not given her a thought from the moment I met you. I withdrew from the competition, told her so to her displeasure, and left to come to you, my sweet. I vow it.”
Henrietta stilled; such emotions pouring through her heart, she trembled. She peered up at him, smiling through the tears misting her eyes. His passion and sincerity glowed from his gaze, and she laughed, hugging him to her. “I love you, Simon, so much.”
He groaned and crushed her against his chest. “Forgive me for being a right fool.”
“Forgiven,” she said fondly, kissing the underside of his jaw.
“Will you marry me, Henrietta?”
Shocked and elated, she nodded happily. “Yes!”
Simon swept her into his arms, kissing her most thoroughly and walking her over to the small bed. His masculine scent infiltrated her senses, and she rubbed her cheek against his. The moment felt tender and sensual. Henrietta did not let him go as he bore her down, deftly removing her bonnet, dress, and undergarment between his drugging kisses. She felt as if her skin burned with desires she couldn’t hold back. When Simon pushed from the bed to remove his clothes, she came upon her elbows and unabashedly stared at his maleness.
Simon too watched her as he undressed. His gaze moved possessively over her body, lust and love gleaming from his eyes. His masculine beauty stole her breath and she wished then she had painted him fully nude. Powerful shoulders and chest adorned with black curls of hair which formed a thin line from his sculptured chest, arrowing down over his hard, taut stomach. Even his thighs and calves were perfectly shaped. Henrietta was enthralled with the sheer beauty of his body, its hardness and obvious strength.
Simon padded over, and they reached for each other. Henrietta moaned softly when he capture her mouth in a kiss so tender her chest squeezed. Gently he eased her down on the bed, and she opened her thighs to accommodate him. He fitted perfectly between her legs, and Simon braced himself on one elbow, while he used his other hand to sear a trail of fire over her throat and down to her breasts. Heat twisted her stomach in painful but exquisite knots when he caressed their fullness, rolling her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. She gasped against his kisses, as she caressed the length of his back, the feel of his strength arousing her to an astonishing degree. His lips burned a path down to her neck, then shoulders, before teasing a taut nipple with his tongue.
Henrietta moaned helpless with pleasure, her body sensitized, shivering and trembling under the breath-taking sensual assault. Simon roused her body to a fevered pitch until she was wet and aching for him.
