“Do it,” she pleaded.
He rolled her onto her back and lifted her legs high on his sides. He gave her seconds to adjust before he poised himself at her entrance.
“Tell me you love me,” he urged.
She cupped his face in her hands and whispered against his lips, “I love you.”
And he thrust inside her.
Deliciously full, she grabbed his back to pull him in deeper. He choked out a gasp, pulled out fully, and pushed back in. She wrapped her arms around his neck and threaded her fingers through his coarse curls, rocking with him while he ravished her.
As if they were dancing, she allowed him to take the lead, letting him love her the way he wanted. He claimed her body and commanded her totalk—to tell him how itfelt. And yes—yes—sheliked itwhen he had her on her knees, sliding into her from behind. When he pulled her hairjustenough, his firm grip digging into her hips, and his ruthless pursuit of her pleasure. He had her in ways she didn’t know werepossible—didn’t know her body could bend like that.If she had a limit, they didn’t find it as he brought her from peak to shuddering peak.
And then he laid her down and gently rocked against her. The desperation subsided, and she held him close to her heart. With soft, slow kisses, he worshipped her with tender touches and whispers of how he loved her, how he waslucky—sounbelievablylucky—to have her as his wife. She told him how she was made for him and how much she loved him. They made love until the sun rose, until she begged himfor mercy.
“I know you’re spent,” he whispered, thrusting slowly inside of her. His fingertip circled her oversensitive nerves and she sobbed.“You have one more in you… give it to me.”
As he wrenched every drop of pleasure from her, she tightened around him. With another jerk of his hips, he spilled inside her, shuddering with his release. He lingered above her on his elbows and kissed her until he softened and separated from her. The warmth of his body left hers for a moment before settling next to her. Exhausted and trembling, Jasmine mustered enough energy to rest her head against Matthew’s chest. His rapid heartbeat thumped under her ear, as if beating only for her.
She had the absurd notion of thanking him, and a laugh bubbled out of her. “We are going to have so much fun.”
A half-laugh rumbled from his chest, and he sighed, drawing her closer. He pressed a kiss to her sweat-soaked brow. “You don’t know the half of it.”
After a few hours of sleep, she would be up for learning. As she opened her mouth to say so, a sigh left his lips. His arms slackened around her, and she smiled at her husband—fast asleep. His breathing deepened, and his face relaxed into a carefree expression that warmed her heart. She nestled into him and closed her eyes. And right then, she didn’t want to be anywhere in the world other than where she was, falling asleep in Matthew’s arms.
Like married couples did.
Chapter Thirty-One
Across the breakfast table from Matthew, Jasmine huddled over paperwork with Honora and Aunt Valentine—planning the next charity event they intended to drag him to.
He stared as Jasmine lifted a teacup to her lips, blew the steam from the top, then took a careful sip. When her tongue darted to the corner of her mouth, visions danced in his mind of where her mouth had been earlier that morning.
Even two weeks after their wedding, he couldn’t keep his thoughts off her—let alone anything else. His day revolved around her. Waking in her arms to the tender kiss she left on his cheek before he left for work. He carried that kiss with him until he returned home to her, when he would ask for a new one. Passionate nights were followed by sweet mornings when they loved each other slowly. Jasmine matched his sexual appetites and at times exceeded them. Endlessly imaginative, she often surprised him with her nightly requests—and that reminded him…
He needed to replace their headboard.
Shifting in his seat, he returned his attention to the newspaper, hiding his blush from the rest of his family. Everyone had fallen into a routine, including Saturday breakfast at the Reeves’ residence in Mayfair. Seth had bought a larger table to accommodate Jasmine’s parents. Between the Coopers, the Reeves, the Sinclairs, Honora, Zeke, Blackmoor, and the children underfoot, he would be better off expanding the room.
Matthew glanced over at Cassandra and her growing belly and thought Seth should get started on that soon.
Following the events at Duke Kendall’s ball, Matthew had wished to move everyone back to Lincolnshire. Seth had agreed, but Cassandra was past the point of travel. She would soon enter her confinement and needed to be close to her physicians.
After careful consideration, he and Jasmine pushed back their honeymoon until after the baby was born. Jasmine wanted to be by Cassandra’s side in her time of need. As did Matthew, but more for Seth’s sake. The poor man was beside himself, catering to Cassandra’s every need—to her growing frustration.
Seth lifted a fork with a slice of ham to Cassandra’s mouth. With a glare, she snatched the utensil from him and took a deliberate bite.
“I can feed myself,” she tutted around the food in her mouth. Once she finished chewing, she addressed Matthew. “Could the two of you box today? I need some peace.”
Jasmine looked up. “Oh, that would be perfect. Lady Alverton and Mrs. Winslow are dropping by for tea this afternoon. I need Matthew out of the house—the ladies get so flustered when he’s around.”
“It’s because he looks at you like you’re a meal. It makes everyone uncomfortable,” Honora drawled. “Now pay attention…”
Jasmine returned her eyes to the paperwork with reddened cheeks, but listened dutifully to her mentor. Wishing to establish herself as Viscountess Lincolnshire, she took every word Honora said as gospel. Every conversation of theirs was a strategy meeting where they developed a battle plan for their reemergence into society.
Their schedule was a careful dance of avoidance.
Aside from daytime functions like garden parties or tea, the family declined most social invitations once they learned Duke Kendall would be in attendance. The man seemed to be everywhere, limiting their options, and that created the other shadow hanging over thefamily.