The Earl's Scandalous Wife (24 page)

Chapter Twenty-Six

After Stewart left the manor, Perry was exhausted.  The day had been a long and trying one, but it was over and Stewart would no longer be a problem.  He had expected
Stewart to reveal something, but it had been Paula who broke under the strain of the past week and told him the truth.  And in so doing, he saw just how much her past tormented her.  The last thing she needed was more condemnation.  What she needed most was to put the past behind her and proceed into the future with a fresh start.

“I’m sorry I
put you through this past week,” he whispered as he led her to her bedchamber.

“You didn’t put me through anything.  I did it to myself by letting my brother control me.”

“You were scared.  No one can blame you for what you did.”

They stepped into her bedchamber, and she turned to face him.  “Perry, I
tried to get the inkwell back but he wouldn’t let me and then I paid someone to make another one just like it—”

He closed the gap between them and pressed his fingers to her lips.  “The past is the past.  You can’t change it.  And to be honest, I’m not interested in your past.  I’m interested in your future.”

She clasped her hand around his and kissed his fingers.  “You have my future, Perry.  There’ll never be anyone but you.”

“I know.  And I won’t have anyone but you either.”

He leaned forward and kissed her.  After they undressed, he thought he’d do something playful and picked her up in his arms.  As he hoped, she giggled in delight.  The mood lightened considerably, something that was a great relief after the strain of the past week.  Grinning, he carried her to the bed, hardly noticing his limp as he did so.  It was funny how he used to be so self-conscious about it, but when he was with her, it was like he didn’t have one.  She accepted him—all of him.  He didn’t have to be someone else when he was with her.  He could be who he was, flaws and all.  And better yet, now she was free to be herself as well.

When he settled beside her on the bed, he took a moment to inspect her in the candlelight.  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, venturing to trace her soft skin with his fingertips, starting at the base of her neck then sett
ling over one of her breasts.

Her gaze met his and she rubbed his back in gentle circular motions.  “Make love to me, Perry,” she whispered.

He leaned forward and kissed her.  She responded to him, parting her lips to accept him into her mouth.  His fingers resumed their exploration of her breasts, first spending time on one then going to the other.  She seemed to especially like it when he traced the area around her nipples until they grew hard.  On impulse, he lightly squeezed her nipple which made her moan.

“You like that?” he asked, his voice soft in the quiet room.

“I like everything you do,” she replied.

“But I might not be good at what I’m doing.” He hadn’t meant to voice that thought aloud, but it slipped out and immediately, he wished he could take it back.  There was nothing that said inadequate like a gentleman
who said such a statement.

She shifted so that she could face him.  “There’s a difference between making love to a lady and having a meaningless dalliance with her in bed.  You make love to me.”

Considering her experience with Lord Holloway, he had no doubt she was right.

She cupped the back of his neck and pulled him to her so that his mouth met hers.  Relaxing, he decided he wouldn’t stress the book so much.  Sure, it had given him some ideas of what he could do, but in the end, what mattered most was that she knew that this act meant everything to him.  He wasn’t going to run off
and leave her.  He was going to remain with her.  She was the only lady he’d take to bed, and that was really what she longed for.

When their kiss ended, he brought his mouth to her nippl
e and traced it with his tongue.  He was rewarded with a contented sigh.  He continued to caress her breasts, taking his time to fully enjoy her.

At one point, she guided his hand to the dark curls between her legs.  “I need you to touch me here,” she whispered, slightly out of breath.

She slid two of his fingers into her and moved his thumb so that it was over a small nub.  She proceeded to demonstrate how he could best increase her pleasure by rubbing her nub in circular motions.  Then she rocked her hips in a gentle rhythm.  It didn’t occur to him right away that the book had suggested this very thing.  As much as it pained him, he supposed he should have read the thing sooner…though he’d never let Christopher know that.

Recalling something else the book suggested, he
moved lower down her body and repositioned himself so that his mouth was over her sensitive nub.  The book had claimed that either his hand or his tongue was sufficient for maximizing a lady’s pleasure, but he was now curious about the difference and was rewarded with a sharp gasp when his tongue touched that part of her. As he continued his ministrations, her moaning grew louder and her fingers dug into his shoulders.

Something he hadn’t anticipated was how arousing the whole thing would be, for either one of them.  There was a sense of euphoria in bringing her closer to sexual release.  And before long, she stilled and cried out his name.  Her body clenched around his fingers, pulling them further in.  When she relaxed, he got up and crawled on top of her, pleased to note the look of contentment on her face.

He lowered his head and kissed her.  She let out a soft sigh then wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her.  He entered her and she rocked her hips once more, this time not as impatient as before.  He wanted to prolong this experience.  He’d taken her to completion and even now her body clenched around him from the effects of it.

He hoped to give her sexual fulfillment every time they came together in the future.  While he believed that she was completely satisfied up to now, there was a certain empowerment in knowing he could take it a step further.

When he found his release, he held her close, murmuring her name and kissing her neck.  Few things were as wonderful as being wrapped in her embrace.  He remained with her for a long time, content to continue kissing her, loving how intimately they were connected.

Eventually, he settled next to her and pulled up the blanket to their shoulders before gathering her into his arms.  Resting his cheek on her head, he closed his eyes and smiled.  If anyone had told him how perfect his life would become, he wouldn’t have believed it.  But there was no denying how much better off he was because Paula was in his life.  And that was something he’d never take for granted.

***

The next morning before Paula woke up, Perry got dressed and went to the drawing room to see if Christopher or Agatha were up yet.  When he found Christopher reading a book with a cup of hot tea and a tart on the table next to him, he sat across from him.  “You’re reading a book.  Let me guess.  It’s either about pleasuring a lady or ways you can upset gentlemen at White’s.”

His cousin didn’t bother glancing up at him.  “It’s a shame when people think they’re funny but they really aren’t.  I mean, do you tell them the truth or humor them and laugh?”

“Humor them and laugh, of course.”

“Ha ha.”

Not to be deterred by his sarcasm, Perry leaned forward and saw the title.  “Gothic horror? 
You’re still reading those?”

He shrugged.

After a moment, Perry leaned back in his chair.  “I have a favor to ask of you.”

Christopher sipped his tea
then looked up at him.  “What favor is that?”

“I want you to ask Agatha to mention Stewart’s tendency to
manipulate people in order to rob them of their wealth.  It doesn’t have to be worded exactly that way, but make sure people understand he’s greedy and has no problems using people to his advantage.”

“What good is telling Agatha this going to do?”

“She needs to put it in the
Tittletattle
.”

Christopher, who was about to take another sip, dropped the cup and tea poured out all over the rug.

“What’s gotten into you?” he asked as he grabbed a cloth napkin to soak up the spill.  “I can’t remember ever seeing you so clumsy.”

“How do you know Agatha works at the
Tittletattle
?”

Perry grinned.  “You honestly don’t give me enough credit.  Out of all the gentlemen at White’s, you were the only one who would find out about the wager between Lord Pennella and Lord Davenport, and more than that, your engagement to Agatha happened right after the thing was exposed in the
Tittletattle
.  I might be many things, Christopher, but I’m not stupid.” Though, to be fair, he hadn’t figured it out right away.

“I suppose not.”

“There was no other way someone as lovely as Agatha would marry you unless she was afraid you’d expose her secret to the world.”

“Wait a minute.” He straightened in his chair, looking as indignant as he had at any of the times in the past when Perry caught onto what he was doing.  “Are you saying that I’m not good enough for her?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.  But,” he patted his shoulder, “since you are an expert in pleasuring a lady, I’m sure she’s found a way to be content with her lot in life.  As for my wife…  She’ll just have to be content with intelligence, good looks and wealth.  Though, she did ask me to come right back to her bed after I talked to you, so I better get going.  I don’t want to make her wait for me longer than she’s able to bear.”

He gathered his cane, his smile growing wider as Christopher tried in vain to come up with a clever comeback.

***

“You look happier today,” Agatha greeted as Paula came into the drawing room early that afternoon.

Heat rose to her cheeks.  She probably should have come down sooner, but Perry had distracted her during that morning…twice.  Then there was the long and relaxing bath.  It had been such a wonderful morning, the kind prompted by the newfound freedom she was now enjoying.  No more secrets.  No more lies.  Just blissful intimacy with the gentleman she loved.

Agatha chuckled and waved her to the settee where she was sitting.  “Come on over and have some tea and scones.  You didn’t have breakfast and you ate so little last night.  You must be famished.”

“Actually, I am hungry,” Paula admitted as she sat next to her.

“Perry will feel better when he knows you’re eating properly.”

“He was worried about whether or not I was eating?”

“He asked me to go to
your bedchamber and make sure you ate something last evening.”

“Did he?”

“Yes.  He loves you.  The poor gentleman wants nothing more than to dote on you.” Handing her a cup of tea and a scone, Agatha added, “You’re worth doting on.  You see him for who he really is and better yet, you appreciate him.  There’s nothing he’d deny you.”

“There’s nothing I’d deny him either.”

“Good.  Then make sure you eat.”

Paula laughed then quickly obeyed her.  She had no idea Perry fussed over her so much, but it was wonderful that he did.  “Where are our husbands?”

“Oh, they’re out riding their horses.  You won’t believe it, but Christopher is at a loss for words for the first time since I met him.  Perry’s been winning the battle of wits with him and Christopher doesn’t know how to handle it.”

“I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”

“In due time, I’m sure he will, but something tells me Perry won’t be so easily horrified by anything Christopher says again.”

Paula finished her scone and
tea.  “I’m sure Christopher will live with it.”

“He will.  If there’s o
ne thing he knows how to do, it’s adapt to change.”

The front door opened and as soon as s
he recognized Perry’s voice, Paula jumped off the settee and hurried down the hallway.  Before waiting for him to greet her, she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.  “I missed you.”

Christopher glanced at Agatha.  “Why don’t you greet me that way when I come home?”