Fair warning: things are going to get very steamy. If smut isn't your thing, you might want to skip this chapter.
After Matthew told her about what was discovered in Haxby, Mary looked up at him and saw such love and devotion in his eyes that a powerful emotion overtook her, and she reached for him, embracing him with her right arm and kissing him fervently. The intensity of her love for him was overwhelming. She had no doubt how much he loved her, too. He had taken such good care of her during her convalescence—from brushing her hair nightly, to changing her bandages, to telling her silly jokes to boost her spirits. His hands were so gentle and his voice so soothing, she simply fell more and more in love with him as each day passed. She knew that talking with her about Richard obviously was difficult for him, but he did so out of love and because she asked.
Matthew responded to her kiss by taking her into his arms, careful of her still-sore body, barely able to contain the love and desire he felt for her. She smelled of lavender and rosewater, which made him long for endless nights of pleasure once they were husband and wife. Although they had shared passionate kisses and caresses in the past, they had yet to be truly intimate. Certainly there had been no chance for intimacy as Mary recovered. But now Mary was pressing her warm body to his, and he could feel her heartbeat against his chest and her breasts rising and falling with each breath she took.
"Mary," he sighed into her mouth as his arousal raged. As much as he felt he should rein in his desire, especially after the conversation they'd just had, it was almost impossible. She had survived a horrendous ordeal, her spirit and loveliness intact. He loved her so, and he sensed she was giving herself to him, her yearning as intense as his.
She used her good hand to push his coat off his shoulders. She loosened his tie, and her fingers then fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, searching for access to his skin. A hum began in the back of her throat as her hand went from his chest to his back, her nails leaving trails of heat in their wake. She could not kiss him deeply enough, and their tongues began a sensuous dance. The kiss intensified as she purred I love you I love you I love you with each breath, causing them to melt into each other, creating waves of passion neither of them was able to control.
Matthew pulled away and gazed at her intently, "My darling, are you sure? You're still so very fragile."
"Oh, Matthew, don't underestimate your hands' healing powers. I love you. I need you. Please."
His hands tenderly stroked her body, careful to avoid the bandaged wound in her side and only slightly thwarted by the cast on her arm. He bathed her in warmth as he moved to kiss her neck, and she leaned back to give him better access to the ivory expanse. He moved onto the bed, stretching out beside her and continuing to ply her throat and jaw with kisses. His hands went to the neck of her gown and undid five vertical aqua satin bows that ran down the front. He pulled back the fabric to reveal her breasts and exhaled deeply at the sight of her bare skin. He began to trail warm kisses from her neck down to her breasts. His mouth covered one of her nipples, gently sucking and tweaking it into a hard peak. He moved to her other breast, using his tongue to flit and stroke its nipple into a matching point, and Mary's back arched at the sensation. Matthew's mouth never had touched her in this way, and she began to gasp and moan, barely able to contain the desire kindled by his gentle ministrations. As his kisses continued, one of his hands moved beneath the covers and found its way to her hip and began pressing into her soft flesh, feeling her heat through her gown and massaging his way from her hip to her thigh and back again. His other hand fondled one breast as his mouth slaved over the other. They experienced overwhelming desire as their senses took over—touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, hearing—everything.
The left sleeve of Mary's gown had been removed to allow for the bulkiness of her cast, and her arm's immobility hindered her ability to embrace Matthew as fully as she wanted. Her good hand, though, found its way to his hair, and she pressed him harder to her chest, relishing the feeling of his lips and tongue on her breasts. She throbbed with desire, something she had experienced before with Matthew but never with this intensity. Her toes curled instinctively. Desire pooled inside her. She felt the urge to stretch her body to relieve the tension. It was as if a string were pulling her insides tighter and tighter while Matthew continued to stroke and kiss and knead and caress her body. She never had felt this kind of carnal hunger, and she was thrilled that her future with Matthew would be filled with ardent desire that only they ever would share.
"Please, Mary, may I touch you? I need to so very much," murmured Matthew as his hands continued to press against her flesh. He lifted his head from her breast, and Mary saw such love in the depths of his eyes that she momentarily was mute. She smiled her assent because she wanted his touch, wanted his hands to ease the throbbing in her core although she had no idea what she was permitting or what the end result would be.
As he reached for her, Mary whispered, "Please, Matthew, my gown. Take it off. All things will be permitted except…." Matthew nodded his understanding and moved the covers off her body, sliding one hand down her legs. Then he took the hem of her gown and gently raised it to her waist, her hips rising to ease its way. She grasped at his shirt, which he promptly removed. He raised her gown to her neck and helped her remove it, taking care not to jostle her arm. He stroked her exposed skin as she writhed under his touch. "I want us skin to skin. Please, my love, skin to skin. I want to touch you, too." Matthew stood, undid his belt, and removed his pants and undergarments. Mary stared at his body with expectant eyes. His body was perfect, she was sure—sculpted and trim. She really never had seen or touched a man's penis, despite her previous experience with Pamuk, so she was overcome with emotion when faced with Matthew's. "My God, you're so beautiful. I never imagined…." She took him in her hand and gently caressed his length, which elicited a moan that emanated deep from within Matthew's chest. "Come to me, Matthew. Please."
Matthew lay down beside her, kissed her gently, and ghosted his hand over her silk knickers. He touched between her thighs and moved up to her center where he discovered so much heat he nearly gasped. Mary moaned as his hand pressed against her core, her hips rising and falling in time with the pressure Matthew exerted on her. Then his hands moved to the waistband of her knickers and slowly pulled them down, exposing her willowy frame to the room's coolness and sending an erotic shiver through her body. Matthew could not believe how perfect her body was as his eyes drank in her radiant form. God, he almost had lost her! Her skin was silken and flawless except for the wound covered by the bandage. He stroked her trembling body from neck to hip and thought what a shame it was that something so perfect would have a man-made flaw. He pulled her leg gently toward him. He then moved his hand slowly up her inner thigh, found her center, reveled in the wetness he felt there, and proceeded to use his fingers to stroke her gently. He watched her reaction, aroused to see how quickly she responded to his touch and thrilled to know he would be the one who always would be the source of her fulfillment.
Nothing in her life could have prepared her for the feeling between her legs Matthew's hand generated, and as his fingers continued their pleasurable strokes, he began to kiss his way down her body, murmuring I love you over and over, causing her body to ripple with desire. He swept his tongue into her navel then moved farther down. When he reached her coarse curls, he looked up at her, and she nodded, her eyes chocolate pools of longing. What he indicated he wanted to do was something she never could have imagined, but the thought of his mouth replacing his fingers made her quiver. His mouth found her clitoris, and he began to suck and manipulate it, which elicited a groan from her that seemed to start within her very soul. He then held his vibrating tongue to the bud until she began to tremble. She clutched his hair and believed truly that she would come apart as he continued to lick and suck his way to her center. Matthew was awakening levels of desire in her she never knew existed. She knew only that she never wanted him to stop.
Sensing that she had almost reached her breaking point, he kissed his way back up her body, and his fingers returned to her center. She took his face in her hand and kissed him passionately. She tasted her own essence in his mouth, surprised at its sweetness.
"Oh, God, Matthew," she sighed. "Promise me…promise me you'll never stop wanting me that way."
He smiled into her mouth, "I promise, my darling. I'll never tire of loving you…I'll want you in every way…forever."
They lay together, legs tangled in the sheets, as they stared into each other's eyes and committed the moment to memory. Mary wasn't sure how the pressure inside her body would be released, but she knew she didn't want Matthew's fingers to stop until it was. She gasped as he stroked her, her body on fire with longing, and her hips began to thrust against the force of his fingers. His eyes were dark as his voice rumbled with desire, "God, you're so wet. I want you to go over for me, Mary. Please, I want to watch you spend." Although Mary had only a vague idea of what he meant, instinct told her what was approaching would be something she would never forget. She lay back and allowed Matthew to have complete control as his hands continued to work their magic. With one hand he massaged her breasts, and he sucked her nipples until she thought surely she would faint. With his other hand, he continued to rub her clit and gently eased first one finger, then another, into her vagina, stroking her until she began to tremble uncontrollably, her pulse racing. Matthew's silken voice continued its refrain, "Open your eyes, Mary. Look at me, my love. You're going to spend for me now. Look at me. Let go."
The heat that started in her lower body was the beginning of the most intense physical sensations she had ever known. Her mind barely functioned. The tension moved through her body gradually, building into something indescribable—a pressure that combined ache with pleasure. As Matthew pumped his fingers into her and rolled her clitoris with his thumb, she felt a vibration in her belly that turned into waves and waves of pleasure coursing through her. Her body throbbed and jerked and shattered. She pulsed around his fingers; muscles she never knew she had were expanding and contracting inside her body. Her screams of release were muffled because she pressed her mouth into Matthew's shoulder; if she hadn't, she felt sure she would have brought all the Abbey's residents charging into the room.
She lay breathless in Matthew's arms for a few minutes before she was able to speak. "My God, what did you do to me?" she moaned into Matthew's shoulder, as the pulsation gradually subsided.
He chuckled softly, "That, my darling, was a classic spend. Did you enjoy it?"
She blushed and smiled. "I shouldn't think you'd need to ask. Wasn't it obvious?" She noticed he was still erect. "But what about you? Surely, you want to spend as well, don't you?"
"Don't worry about me. It soon will take care of itself. We have all the time in the world to satisfy each other." He kissed her gently.
Mary was having none of that. She wanted to reciprocate for his leading her to what she considered a milestone in her life as a woman. She reached over and began to touch him gently. "If you'll tell me what to do, I want to help you spend. Please, my love, let me," she said softly.
Matthew took her hand and wrapped it around his erection, encouraging her to stroke it. Fascinated, she watched as his manhood came alive and became even more engorged as she moved her hand up and down the shaft. She was surprised at the softness of his skin. She noticed fluid coming out of the tip, so she used her fingers to smooth it down the sides. It was obvious from his reaction that Matthew loved what she was doing because he moaned every time she changed her grip or spread more of the fluid around the tip. Looking at his face, she saw that his eyes were closed. She leaned in and kissed him passionately, wishing her cast did not prevent her from caressing the rest of his body. As she stroked him rhythmically, she moved her mouth down to his neck, applying open-mouthed kisses as he groaned in response. Mimicking his earlier actions, she began to move down his body, plying his torso with kisses. She leaned down and pressed her lips against the tip of his penis as she massaged it slowly, causing him to look toward her in shock. She smiled at him and licked away the fluid, savoring his moans of pleasure. His head fell back onto the pillow as she used her tongue and lips on him—tentatively at first—finding the experience not at all unpleasant. His hands roamed through her hair and massaged her scalp as she took him fully into her mouth.
Matthew was in heaven. Her mouth felt incredible, but he knew he had to stop her before he lost all control. He pulled her up alongside his body and kissed her passionately. Mary's hand replaced her mouth, and her hold on him was firm yet gentle. Her desire to please him had allowed her to set aside any inhibitions she might have had, and she rejoiced in her power to please him. Her lithe body pressed against him, and she rubbed her legs against his, which caused him to gasp for air. And his hands were not idle, either. They cupped her breasts tenderly, teasing her nipples with his thumbs. He was on the verge of his own climax when he felt Mary pressing her lower body into his hip. He turned slightly and moved his hand between her legs. The sensation of her hand gently caressing and squeezing his penis as he stroked between her legs made him nearly insane with desire. Mary, too, began to respond, her breaths shallow and her pulse quickening. Matthew's climax came first. His warning of "Mary!" alerted her, and she pumped him steadily as he spurted forcefully into her hand and onto her belly. As he spasmed, his hand gripped between her legs, which caused her to pulse under his fingers once again.
Breathless, they lay side-by-side, Matthew's arm around Mary's shoulders and her head nestled against his neck. Each one lost was in thought and pleasantly lethargic. They shared words of love and commitment, Mary confessing she never knew loving him would result in such amazing pleasure and joy.
"Mmmmm. I can hardly wait for you to be inside me—for us truly to make love," she sighed, as she settled into his side.
He kissed the top of her head and replied, "I feel the same way, my darling." With a wry grin he thought to himself, Thank God, we don't have long to wait.
As content as he was, though, Matthew found himself again thinking about what he'd seen at Haxby that day. Getting that obscene portrait out of the house was his first priority because he knew Mary would be mortified if its existence were discovered. And his stomach twisted at the thought that Mary might never have recovered if Richard had managed to commit the disgusting acts he had planned. Matthew was not opposed to sexual experimentation and believed he and Mary would discover all sorts of pleasurable acts together, but the idea of hurting her to achieve his own sexual satisfaction was abhorrent to him. He knew sexual depravity existed, but it was so far out of the realm of possibility as far as his own fantasies were concerned he couldn't imagine what would drive someone to participate in those kinds of activities. The idea of his Mary, his darling Mary, being used and abused so heinously by that monster made him want to kill Carlisle all over again.
One more chapter to go….