Blind Man's Bluff (Ace Of Spades Book 1), page 4
One by one he freed the pearl buttons running down the back of her gown, and then slid his large rough hands inside, caressing her upper back and spreading the back of her gown open. She rolled her head back, letting herself be lost in his touch, but he quickly abandoned her back, walking around to her front and unbuttoned the line of ten pearl buttons running up from wrist to forearm on both sleeves. When he returned to her back, he slid his hands into the back of her dress again and guided the sleeves down her arms, bringing the rest of the dress to fall in a billowing heap at her feet. Standing there in her corset, chemise, and petticoat he leaned his head down, his hot breath scorching her delicate shoulder and lightly pressed his lips to her bare skin. Gooseflesh rose up on her arms and every nerve tingled at the sensation of his kisses as he moved over the ridge of her shoulders, paying special attention to the back of her neck.
The ties to her petticoat and corset were quickly released and soon she was stripped completely of every bit of clothing with the exception of her stockings which were secured to her thigh with blue ribbons tied in a bow. Circling her feet lay her clothes, discarded from her body and leaving every sensitive bit of flesh exposed to the heat that breathed from the fire and the chill that emitted from the windows. Her skin was an orchestrated borage of sensation as he began to kiss a line down the center of her back, dragging his lips down, lower and lower until he reached the top of her rear. Taking special care, he distributed his lips attention on both sides of her rear, kissing the cheeks and kneading the soft flesh with his hands, there was a growing intensity to his attention and she clenched her legs together, feeling the wetness of her arousal spread.
It had been years since she had felt such a feeling from the touch of someone, but they had both been too young and inexperienced to know what they were doing and she had never felt so aroused. Suddenly she was struck with guilt, realizing that she had failed to omit a key detail that he should have been aware of before the marriage agreement was stuck.
“Please,” she whispered, unable to find her full voice, it took her a few more times, until he took notice of her speaking and paused, “I must tell you, before this goes any further, I fear you might have been deceived.” She could feel the moment he stood up and walked around to face her. “I fear there is a detail that my father probably did not share with you… I don’t know if it was out of shame or simply his deceitful way, but I am not a virgin.” Despite the fear she felt saying that out loud, she still felt as if a weight had been lifted off her chest.
He did not speak and neither moved for some time until at last it was left to him to break the silence.
“Is there any reason I should be concerned?” his question left her confused which he could clearly see in her clenched brow and he elaborated on his question. “Are you already with child?”
“No,” she answered quickly, caught unaware that he would assume that it had been a recent affair.
“And should I be concerned over any scorned lover challenging me?”
She knew there was no hope in that, Gabe was gone and would never return.
“No,” she said almost mournfully.
“Then am I safe to assume that you are now mine?” there was a strange thrill that came over her at his acceptance of her shame and readiness to still claim her as his bride.
“I am now, and from here on, yours, but can you forgive me that I am not…” the truth had been a secret shame she had carried with her for the past ten years.
He crooked his finger under her chin and raised her head up, she could sense him looking down at her and held her breath in anticipation of his forgiving kiss, or condemnation.
“This only means that I no longer have to fear hurting you. I have been told that the experience can be painful for a woman.” He kissed her deeply, all hesitation gone, wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close to his fully clothed body.
Lifting her again in his arms he deposited her on the bed with a slight bounce, Gwen lowered her hands on either side to stabilize herself and listened to the rustling sound of him dispensing of his clothes. First the coat, falling to the floor, then his shirt and pants. Sitting there, she was a victim to her own imagination of what he looked like standing before her, and she absentmindedly reached out to search for him only to be startled when her fingertips brushed the firm warm flesh of his stomach. He took one of her hands by the wrist and raised it up to kiss her fingertips before placing her hand over his heart, the strong beats, hitting the palm of her hand. Down his torso, he pulled her hands, feeling the topography of his body until she felt the thick girth of his arousal. Frightened by the size and startled by the intimate touch, she tried to pull her hand back, but he held her hand in place and guided her fingers to close around him.
“You inspire passion in me,” he told her and leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss.
Gwen leaned back onto the bed, under the guiding pressure of his body as he lay over her, her hand still grasped firmly around him. He kissed her lips, her cheeks, over the blindfold, planting a kiss over each eye. There was a strange disconnection to her eyes that left the rest of her body wanting for his attentions. Slowly he roamed down the side of her face, along the column of her neck to the rise of her breasts, her sensitive soft breasts that had always proven to be a hinderance to her, something to bind and compress. For the first time in her life she felt free from the shackles of her sexuality, discovering under his adventurous lips that her womanly curves were not something to be ashamed of, hiding beneath layers of clothes day after day, but instead her body was a delightful treasure of pleasurable sensations laid out for him to explore.
Pressing on one shoulder he rolled her onto her stomach, she complied without resistance or hesitance, feeling freed under his touch. He kissed the back of her neck while his fingers began to pull the pins from her hair, until her chestnut locks came tumbling down in ringlets over her shoulders, he brushed away her hair from her side turned face and over the other shoulder. She hadn’t realized how tightly her hair had been pulled into the bun until he released it easing the pain that had been building up in her temple’s since early that morning. She preferred her hair down and free and judging by how his fingers combed through her hair, he took pleasure in it as well.
Slowly and strategically he paid special attention to her back, her narrow waist and then her soft and pliable rear until he spread her legs apart and kissed the inside of her upper thigh. Gwen gasped in surprise at the intimate kiss, and he brushed the side of his face against her before kissing again, higher and higher, until he reached the apex, her wet and hungry sex. She turned her face down, crying out into the bed when his tongue first touched her most sensitive and sacred parts. With his hands reaching under her he lifted her up onto her knees and kneeled on the floor to help bring his mouth to her entrance, closing his lips over her and drawing out a shattering sensation that exploded from her core and burst out to every limb. She felt her body shake under the convulsion of the first wave, feeling her pleasure wash over her.
There was no shame or humility in how she was on display for him, only the climactic surge of pleasure that he brought to her. Pulling his lips away he stood up behind her and slowly fed himself into her passage. He was wide, stretching her with every inch that he slowly glided in. Reaching out she closed her hands tightly, taking hold of the bedding under her and bit down on the quilt fighting against her need to cry out for him. Once he was buried deep, filling her completely she felt the agonizing loss of him pulling out nearly to the tip, but then he was quick to slide in again. Driving himself deeper and deeper with every thrust. It wasn’t long until she felt her whole body quake under another climax, but to her surprise he did not surrender to his own completion just yet.
Lodged in her he lifted one of her legs and turned her over onto her back, keeping himself buried deep inside and only adding to the mind-blowing sensation. Falling over her, he did not hold back, but broke free from the gate, kissing her madly while he thrust deep inside her over and over again, bringing them both up to the cliffs of their pleasure until they leaped into ecstasy together.
Gwen lay in the bed, exhausted, lost in blissful sleep. The bedding had been tossed about, some abandoned to the floor, leaving a quilt draped over her, tucked under her chin. Her hair was spread over the pillow and she had one hand tucked under her head. The blindfold had been discarded in her sleep and now he could see her long lashes closed over her eyes completing the angelic glow of her face.
Caspian sat in the chair, one leg crossed over the other with his eyes focused on her. The day had passed by long ago and he had already abandoned her bed to rebuild the fire. For hours they surrendered to the curiosities of sex, exploring each other’s bodies and taking in all the pleasure to be found leaving them both drained.
There was no telling how long he had slept, other than the observation that the sky was still gray outside and at that moment it was pitch and the clock sitting on the mantle struck ten. Nearly an hour had passed since he’d awakened with her curled in his arms, it had taken all his will to unwrap her body from his and remove himself from the bed. Even now, watching her sleep, he longed to join her again, but he couldn’t risk her finding him in the morning without the blindfold in place. It pained him to not lay there with her, but this was a safer choice if he were to keep to his plan.
He took a sip of the tea that had been brought up on the tray hours earlier. The tea was cooled, but it was still refreshing to enjoy while he sat there reflecting on the day’s events. This was the prize he had not counted on, a detail that he had not included in his plan, but still she had unknowingly served well as a pawn in his game.
Breathing a sigh, Gwen turned her head away from him, leaving her arm crooked over the pillow beside her head and dislodging the quilt exposing her neckline, and the side curve of one breast. She was a vision to see even when sleeping, a temptation in the flesh that he could not resist. Draining the tea from his cup, he dispensed of his sudden dry mouth and slid from his chair, reaching out for the bed and the quilts that covered her. The silk blindfold had been discarded and it would take some time to search for it among the tangled bundle of linen on the floor. He would need to be creative.
Caspian lowered himself to the edge of the bed, sitting with his bare feet on the floor he reached over to brush away a few wayward curls from her face. The light touch was enough to pull her from her sleep and she stretched and sighed with lazy satisfaction as her eyes began to blink awake. Lightly he placed a hand over her eyes and the side of her face and her lips.
“Keep your eyes closed, my sweet,” he told her and waited until she responded with a lazy smile.
The quilt was light and without any other bedding beneath it, he had no difficulty lifting one side and crawling beneath it, enjoying the tranquil pleasure in breathing in her scent as his lips kissed the arch of one foot in sultry reverence. Caressing her leg, he raised it up over his shoulder as he moved up her body, keeping himself concealed under the blanket.
“Please, let me see you,” she pleaded with him, but he knew that despite asking he could trust her.
“That is not possible, but we can be so much more than what our foolish eyes may see. Trust in me and let me guide you to a new light. Close your eyes and put your trust in me.” He could hear her soft whispers of “I will” repeated over and over again as he returned to his journey up the inside of her thigh and to the treasure that he sought.
Wet and waiting, he slid two fingers deep inside her, exploring her inner sexuality then brought his head down to take a taste of her sex. From the crest of her entrance up to the jewel of her sex, her pearl. He stroked the sensitive nub and took delight in how her legs, kicked out in surprise and her hips rolled bringing her pelvis closer to him. Reaching beneath the blanket, she ran her fingers through his thick hair, closing her hands into fists and pulling his hair while holding him steadily there.
She was his to take, his to command. She willingly surrendered herself to him and while he now possessed her in every way, he knew that she was dangerous to him. She may legally be his, but he realized how easily he could lose himself while worshiping at her feet.
Chapter Four
A new day
The morning light came through the bedroom windows like a choir announcing a celestial arrival. Gwen reached to her right and pulled a feather pillow over her eyes trying to escape the daylight with an agonizing groan. She took in a deep breath, inhaling the sweet rich aroma of hot brewed chocolate. Slowly, she pulled the pillow down, testing her eyes against the light, fighting through the pain until her vision adjusted and she was able to see clearly.
“Good morning Madame.” One of the maids from the day before greeted her, picking up her discarded wedding clothes from the floor.
“Good morning,” she replied shying away from the maid’s chores, well aware of the scene that her disheveled room displayed.
Gwen tried to sit up in bed, but she was not able to will her body to move, her muscles ached and her joints were exhausted. The labors of her wedding night had taken their toll on her that morning. With every aching move she was struck with erotic images of the night before, and the thorough education she had received from her new husband.
It was a struggle to modestly hold the quilt over her naked breasts, realizing that she was in a far too inappropriate condition for even the maid to see her.
“Please allow me, Madame.” The maid came to her assistance with a dressing gown and once her modesty was concealed, she helped Gwen sit up and placed fluffed pillows behind her back. “It is the morning after your wedding night, you had best rest.” The maid’s bluntness and directness caught her off guard, but she proved to Gwen to be a reliable source of honesty.
“Thank you…” she paused, embarrassed to realize that the only member of the staff she knew by name was Cardiff.
“Gale Caldwell Madame,” she said with a curtsy.
“It’s good to know you, Gale.” Her father’s staff may have been limited at the time, but when her mother was alive, she had been well schooled in how to conduct herself as the lady of the house, and from what she had seen so far from her husband’s home, she expected a step up from her father’s most successful years.
Gale wheeled a bed tray up to the side of Gwen’s bed and positioned it to extend over her lap with a silver tray on top adorned with a ceramic pitcher, steam rising above it, and a plate with toasted bread and butter. Her mouth watered as she watched Gale pour the rich chocolate into her cup and she fell in love with the first sip.
A few bites of toast and soon Gwen was ready to try and stretch her legs and take in the view. Cup in hand she walked to one side of the room where the sun sparkled on the rain sprinkled windows. The view was stunning with all the town laid out before her. It was the first time she had seen the town from a bird’s-eye view and she took a moment, sipping her chocolate as she made out a map of rooftops. She felt like a princess in a fairytale tower and had to fight off a bubbling giggle at how her morning was playing out. All she was missing was her prince charming and then, right on cue, two men on horseback rode into view, one she recognized as Judge Harkens, dressed in a tan duster and hat that resembled the cattlemen who rode into town. He had a lean in the saddle that boasted of a lifetime of rough riding. The other man rode with a command in the saddle, one hand on the rein and the other resting absentmindedly on his thigh. He was dressed in a black great coat that accentuated his wide strong shoulders and a black hat that was situated on his head concealing his face from view.
“That would be the Master,” Gale announced behind her, looking over Gwen’s shoulder with a bundle of bedding in her arms.
At first Gwen was filled with excitement realizing this was the most she had seen of her new husband, but then the realization hit her and she turned away from the window before the men both leaned back to look up in her direction. There was no need to explain anything to Gale, as if well-rehearsed the maid discarded the linen on the bed and picked up a lavender strip of silk from a tray that had gone unnoticed by Gwen. The tray was a beautiful display of silver craftsmanship with five other strips of silk each a different color and carefully folded in a row.
“The Master told me that he intended to pay a visit after his ride and to be sure that you were ready.” Gale paused holding the silk in her hands and politely waited for Gwen to respond.
There was a strange sense of order, of normalcy as she stood there holding her cup while Gale tied the blindfold over her eyes and then guided her to a soft stuffed chair turned to face the fire. Gale departed the room quietly and Gwen sat there, still holding her cup, waiting. When she first heard the sound of his boots climbing the stairs, she held her breath and when the door opened her heart leapt, but it was when she felt his lips on her that she melted into the welcoming joy that the night before hadn’t been a sinfully wicked dream.
“Good morning Mrs. Flags,” he greeted her with a warm sensual voice.
