Theirs are the lips moving in sync.
Their hands roamed each other's bodies. Sometimes they grasped, sometimes they held each other tightly, as if not wanting to ever let go.
A small gasp escaped her lips as they pulled apart to breathe. A possessive moan left his throat whenever she pulled away, only for him to chase after her, desperate to taste any part of that intoxicating skin he could.
If not lips, then cheeks, if not cheeks then neck. His lips were hungry for more, but above that, his hands coaxed her name in passion.
"Kate," said Anthony as he sucked on her skin in passion.
On the morning of their wedding day, the Viscount and his bride opened their eyes in their respective rooms.
How they got there or when they got there would always be a mystery to them because after sharing that first kiss last night and then many more, both of them were still too dizzy to remember anything else.
Anthony found himself still staring at the ceiling, a portrait of beautiful women that had been there for years, but somehow today, all he could see was the face of his bride.
He can vividly recall the feel of her warm body in his arms. The softness of her lips. Her innocent yet passionate eyes as they were lost to each other.
He gently touched his own lips, but he could not help but yearn for those soft, sweet lips.
Anthony, who has kissed and done much more with many beautiful women in his life, is now baffled by the effect that those stolen kisses with Kate have left on his soul.
He was not the only one affected by those kisses; in another part of the house, Kathani Sharma lay restless on her bed.
Her thoughts were far away; her mind still aflame with those moments of passion she had experienced last night. Not even those stolen kisses with Vijay compared to the effect Lord Bridgerton's kisses had left on her soul.
She gently touched her lips as her hands tried to mimic Viscount's touches, but no matter how hard she tried, she still yearned for his hands and his lips.
Kate closed her eyes as her hands roamed over her body. In her imagination, she could clearly see the viscount's handsome face.
His eyes held a strange sort of hunger for her, as if he wanted to devour her.
She could remember how he touched her with such care and yet in a possessive sort of way, as if he would never let her go.
A small moan escaped her mouth as she traced her neck, recalling his soft lips kissing and sucking her skin.
Kate felt wetness pooling between her legs as she ached to move, where no man had touched her since last night, but then again, would she have stopped him? Because, as far as she could remember, it was him who pulled away after inhaling her neck one last time.
She had never seen him so consumed by passion as he walked away, leaving her trembling in his wake.
Before Kate could let her imagination run wild, the door burst open as Mama, Lady Danbury, and Edwina entered her room, accompanied by several maids. "Rise and shine, Didi! It's your wedding day!"
While Lady Danbury and Edwina started instructing the maids, her mother walked closer and caressed her hair. "Did you have a good night sleep?"
Kate blushed and tried to nod her head, but then her mother gasped and her eyes zeroed in on something. "Beti? What is this?"
She touched her neck, and then her eyes widened, and her face turned red as she remembered exactly what Lord Bridgerton had been doing to her neck while inhaling her scent.
"Mama, I"
Before she could say anything, Edwina joined them in bed and noticed her sister's red face. "Look mama! Our Kathani is the most beautiful blushing bride and she is not even ready yet."
Mary smiled as she discreetly hid her daughter's neck with her long hair. "Yes, today Kate will be the most beautiful bride, and I am sure Lord Bridgerton will not be able to keep his eyes off of her."
"Not that he could," Lady Danbury quipped from Mary's back while giving Kate a knowing look, having also noticed the barely concealed love bite.
Edwina (oblivious to all this) laughed and hugged her sister close. "I can't wait to get you ready!" she exclaimed. "All these years it was you who made me beautiful, but today it will be my honor to turn my lovely Didi into a gorgeous bride."
Kate smiled and hugged her sister closer. "Alright, today you have free rein to dress me up, but in return, I get free rein to dress you on your wedding day."
Edwina blushed as she murmured, "No one has proposed to me yet."
"For now," Kate teased and then tickled her sister who then retaliated and soon Mary was laughing with joy as she was transported back to years past when often she and her husband would watch their young daughters engage in tickling fights.
"All right, enough both of you. Now come let me hug my Kathani before we transform her into the Viscount's bride."
As Mary embraced her daughter, all she could do was send prayers for her daughter's happy future.
Meanwhile, Anthony was getting ready while his brothers were nursing their hangovers.
"Why aren't you affected like us?" Colin complained.
Benedict mused, "Maybe he has a high tolerance."
"Or maybe your brother was smart enough to not get drunk right before his wedding," Simon said sarcastically, causing both of his brother-in-laws to pout at him. "You are no fun, Your Grace."
Anthony sighed as he untied his cravat while trying to ignore their bickering.
"What is going on! Simon, please take these two and oversee the arrangements in the chapel before the rest of our wedding party arrives."
"As you wish, my lady." Simon bowed to his wife before dragging both of the younger Bridgerton's with him.
Finally alone, Daphne stared at her nervous-looking brother who was still struggling with his cravat. "Come here, let me fix it for you."
Anthony sighed before turning to face his sister who gently untangled his messed up knots. "So dear brother, are you having cold feet?"
"Cold feet? Absolutely not," he replied confidently, but then his expression turned serious. "I will admit, though, that I'm feeling a little nervous."
"That's natural, Anthony! The nerves you are feeling are because your whole life is about to change after today."
Her brother was strangely quiet as he said, "Many of my peers claim that marriage does not change anything for them."
Daphne scoffed as she tried to make him understand. "Those men you know, they do not care about anything but their own happiness. But you, my brother, have always been different. I understand you thought you were like them, but your past dalliances do not change the most important things about you."
"Which is?" He asked, feeling unsure of himself.
To his surprise, his younger sister smiled knowingly. "The best thing about you, what sets you apart from all the other men of your acquaintance, is how deeply you care – not just for your family, but for everyone under your care."
Anthony smiled shyly as he realized that these Hastings seemed to have taken upon themselves to appreciate him these days. "I hope I did a decent job in my father's stead…"
He could not speak rest, but his sister understood him completely. "If Papa were here today, he would tell you how proud he is of you, and I am sure he would love your choice of a bride."
"Did you really believe that to be true?"
"I know it to be true. Papa would love any woman who could make you smile like he was able to make Mama. Yes, I am confident he would love Kate as your wife, and he would advise you to keep her happy, and everything will fall into place in your marriage."
With those words, all of his fears disappeared because, as long as they could keep each other happy, everything would be alright.
Anthony was feeling restless as he kept glancing at the entrance to the altar.
At any moment, his bride will walk through those curtains and his life will change forever.
Yet for the first time, he was not scared of this change, especially after experiencing how responsive she was to his seduction.
Before she came into his life, Anthony had been certain that he would seek out a mistress once he had his heir and spare, but now...
Anthony shook his head, a small smile appearing on his face. A memory of his wife's face flashed through his mind, causing him to smile wider. He could not even fathom betraying her; he was completely enamoured by her and Anthony knew without a doubt that no other woman would ever be able to make him feel the way she did in his arms.
As if to make this thought absolute, the curtains finally opened and the music changed.
"Ready, brother?" Benedict teased, but Anthony was only waiting for his future. "I am more than ready," he replied.
First came Miss Edwina, dressed in a pink gown. Anthony smiled at his newest sister and glanced at Bagwell, who looked star struck by her appearance.
Anthony never understood that look, but seconds later, he finally did. Once again, the curtains opened, and there she was, his future, his beautiful bride, walking toward him, her mother at her side.
Anthony felt his breath hitch because of all the weddings he had attended and all the brides he had seen; none of them looked as beautiful as his bride.
For once, not one of them had ever worn the deepest shade of blood red.
Her gown seemed traditional English, but the fabric she chose was traditional red from her country.
He could hear his brother letting out a low whistle, and no doubt Benedict must be seeing a vision in front of him. Anthony needed to have his wife's portrait painted in that red dress, but most importantly, he needed, no he yearned for his bride to hurry up so he could touch her skin, making sure she was real and not a figment of his imagination.
Apparently today his bride decided to torture him with her beauty and grace.
She had gone from being the girl he first met in the woods to feeling like she was born to be a Viscountess.
The way she walked, the way her eyes shone with determination, the way her head was held high in proud poise made him wonder how he could have missed seeing that she was destined to be his Viscountess.
Finally, after what seemed like endless minutes to him, he finally felt air return to his lungs as Lady Mary placed her daughter's hand in his.
As soon as their hands touched, he noticed how sweaty her palms were; he could feel it through her gloves. He then stared into her eyes and, despite seeing strength there, he could also see nervousness.
As they stood and heard the Pastor's summons about marriage, Anthony got his chance as he leaned towards her. "There is no need to worry, you look extremely beautiful and every bit like the future Viscountess."
She smiled gratefully and squeezed his hands back as she whispered. "Thank you; I was afraid to let you down."
Anthony's eyes widened, but before he could comfort her any further, the father turned his attention to them. "My Lord, please repeat after me."
Anthony began with his vows. "I, Anthony Edmund Bridgerton, take you as my lawfully wedded wife, to cherish and to protect from this day until the end of my days."
The Pastor then turned to Kate who, despite being nervous, looked completely calm and composed as she said her vows. "I, Kathani Kumari Sharma, take you as my lawfully wedded husband. To cherish, to respect and to obey from this day until the end of my days."
The Pastor then asked them to exchange rings, and Benedict handed him the ring. Anthony stripped off her glove and then he gently placed the ring on her bride's ring finger. He then held out his hand and felt her shaking hands as she placed a wedding ring on his ring finger.
Anthony squeezed her hand and felt her eyes glisten as she finally looked relieved about something.
The Pastor turned his attention to them. "By the power vested in me by this country and the Church of England, I now pronounce you both bonded in holy matrimony, from this day forward until the end of your lives. Please join me as we pray for their happiness together."
Anthony felt the loss of her touch as they began to pray, and while he kept looking at his bride, his bride was praying with dedication, her eyes closed and her hands clasped to her heart as if she was praying for something extremely importance.
At that moment, all Anthony could pray was for her wishes to come true.
It felt like a storm of emotions was brewing inside her heart as they finally said their vows, but now the deed was done. From this day forward, she would be Viscountess Kathani Bridgerton, and she had to play this role until her last breath.
It was not as if she did not know exactly what she was giving up. With Sheffield's deal, her family's welfare came at the price of losing them forever.
With this deal, Kathani lost her freedom, her dream of returning home, but in return, she gained not only a better life for her family, but now Edwina would truly have a happy life, and her mother would be taken care of. Best of all, she would be part of their lives – something Kathani had never even dared to wish for.
Not only does she get to keep her family, but now she has gained a new one; she never would have guessed it, but the Bridgerton's are now part of her heart, and she loves each and every one of them… well, everyone except one.
Are you ready to head home, Lady Bridgerton?
She barely managed to nod as her husband helped her into their carriage, and Kathani knew that it was too soon for them to be alone together. She needed to act fast, and luckily she had found the perfect people to help her. "Hyacinth, Gregory," she said, motioning them to join her.
She noticed her husband's surprised look and seemed a little disappointed. Both younger Bridgerton's looked at her with excited eyes. "Can we really sit with you?" Hyacinth inquired.
"Please, Mother," Gregory begged, "let us travel with our new sister." Kathani could tell her mother-in-law looked extremely uncomfortable.
Finally, it was her husband who cleared his throat. "It's alright, mother; let them ride with us."
"Are you sure?" she asked.
Kate felt guilty as Lord Bridgerton smiled at her reassuringly. "It is only a small ride, Mother," he said. "Let them come."
He turned probably wanting to sit beside her but his smile dropped when he noticed Hyacinth sitting at his seat.
She tried not to stare at his disappointed eyes, but she needed this time to prepare herself. After all, she had just handed over her life to a dangerous man.
Not that he would ever be cruel to her; no, Kate was sure he would be an excellent husband and keep his promise to take care of her.
He is a man of action, not petty words, and that exact quality makes him dangerous to her. Kate is certain that the more she gets to know him, the greater the chance of falling in love.
She cannot and will not break his trust in such a way because, despite everything, this was his biggest request; however, above all else, she cannot risk her heart knowing that her husband would easily break it if he were to find out about her feelings.
No, she needs to be a perfect Viscountess, a perfect wife, but she needs to protect her heart from Anthony Bridgerton, and for that she must take some careful measures.
As the rest of their journey passed, Kate began to formulate plans for her future within this marriage.
As soon as they arrived at Aubrey Hall, Daphne was there to take her away to her room.
They allowed her to remove her heavy veil and few jewels before she changed into a white dress. She was grateful that they accepted her request for her gown to be made from her Amma's old wedding dress, which turned out to be really beautiful. However, since more guests were expected, Kathani decided to wear a traditional white gown for the wedding celebrations.
Once she was dressed, Kathani stood before the mirror as the Viscount's bride, his new Viscountess. She reminded herself that from now on, this would be her life.
The Duchess of Hastings escorted her downstairs and presented her to the guests. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you all our new Viscountess, Lady Kathani Bridgerton."
They all applauded for her as she was joined by her husband and once again she felt herself taken by her dashing husband. "Can I have this dance, my Viscountess?"
"You may do so."
The music began and it was a waltz similar to their engagement ball. She was once again battling with the close proximity of being around him and how strongly it affected her.
She could feel his strong arms around her. Their synchronized movements seemed like they had been dancing together all their lives.
Finally, she blushed as his smile charmed her. "I cannot wait for tonight," he said.
She gulped, but luckily their dance was ending soon, and before he could try to take her away, Simon arrived and tapped her husband on the shoulder. "Can I dance with my new sister?"
"You can, but I want her back," Lord Bridgerton warned.
"Well, I'm sorry to inform you, Bridgerton but your wife's next few dances are taken," he said, showing them a dance card that had been signed by their names, followed by Benedict, Colin, Gregory, and Matthew.
"When did she get her card?"
"A few days ago before your arrival, we reserved her dance spots in advance, but fear not, we left the last two for you!"
She tried not to smile at her husband's disgruntled face, which she found too adorable.
'No, Kathani! Stop it.' She chastised herself once again for these growing feelings. To make this marriage work and be perfect, as the Viscount always wanted, she must now keep her feelings at bay.
For the rest of the celebration, she tried her best to present herself perfectly as Lady Bridgerton.
By the time most of the guests had departed and only family members remained, she found herself in the midst of conversation with her husband's aunt when out of nowhere, he appeared by her side. "My Lady, may I have a moment with you?"
Kate felt nervous as he looked at her imploringly; she could not refuse him.
She accepted his hand and Lord Bridgerton smiled brightly as he led her toward the refreshment table. "Let's see, if Colin left any cake for us," he said. "You know, my siblings were rather well-behaved today; even Eloise didn't object during wedding ceremony."
She watched as he delightedly picked up a plate of fruitcake from the table and moaned shamelessly as he took a bite. "I thought you tried it when we cut it earlier."
He gave her a sly smile and whispered, "I was more interested in tasting your finger."
She blushed and averted her eyes. 'Damn this charming man,' she thought while watching her husband lick the remnant of cake from his spoon.
"Would you like a taste?"
She all but squeaked before quickly composing herself. "No!" she exclaimed. "Sorry, my Lord, but I am too nervous to eat anything."
"First of all, there's no need to be nervous because everyone here already loves you, and second, and most importantly, you can call me Anthony now; it would really please me if you called me by my name."
She gaped at him and slowly tried to fulfill his request. "Anthony."
His eyes darkened as he put his plate on the table before taking both of her hands in his.
She trembled when he ran the pad of his thumb over the backs of her hands. "Kate, my beautiful wife, tell me honestly that you are as happy as I feel in this moment."
Her breath hitched as he pulled her closer, but before she could manage to say anything, a loud scream broke the moment.
"Yes! Yes, I will marry you."
They both dropped their hands as they watched Edwina and Matthew embracing each other in joy before Edwina screamed for them. "Didi! Jeju look, Matt just proposed to me."
Everyone applauded for them as Edwina showed them her ring, and as Kate embraced her sister, she smiled at the faces of her family and her husband, finally realizing that her feelings were nothing compared to their happiness, especially her husband's, who had made it all possible.
Now it is her turn to give him what he has always wanted.
After Edwina's announcement, they all celebrated for a little while longer, but apparently her husband's patience had finally run out; he faked a loud yawn. "All right everyone, it is time for us to retire."
Kate tried her hardest to remain calm as she felt an arm pull her close. "Shall we leave?"
"Excuse me?"
"Anthony! If you're so tired, then leave; but why must you take Kate with you? I was just going to tell her about this new author."
Kate smiled gratefully at her sister-in-law for delaying the inevitable, but apparently Anthony had enough. "You can talk about books with my wife all the rest of your life," he said, "but for now you will say goodnight – or so help me, I'll cut off your pin money for the entire year!"
Eloise's mouth hung open as everyone else stared at the spectacle in complete silence; although Kate was sure Benedict and Colin were making some kind of bet.
She could also see Eloise would not back down, and since she did not want this night to end in a family argument, she decided to be the peacemaker between these two headstrong siblings. "Eloise, I would love to discuss this writer some other time, but your brother is right; we are both tired."
Her mother-in-law sighed in relief as Violet came over. "Kate is right, come everyone; let us all say goodnight to each other, after all, we are leaving tomorrow, so let's get some rest."
She felt her husband relax as everyone said their goodnights and Penelope gave them an assuring smile before dragging disgruntled Eloise away with her.
Finally, they also began walking towards where Kate guessed were the Viscount's chambers.
Her nerves returned as soon as she stepped inside the room and heard her husband locking the door.
Before they could say anything to each other, a knock on the dressing room door startled them. As Clara entered, she said, "My Lady. I am here to help you. "
"Excuse me, my lord, but I need to change into this dress.
He smiled and kissed her hand. "It's Anthony, my dear," he said before letting her hand go. "Go, get ready, and Clara, please make haste."
Clara blushed as she bowed her head, and Kate shook her head once again stunned by how her husband's charisma affected others.
Clara followed Anthony's instructions to her heart and Kate soon found herself dressed in a lavender-coloured nightgown.
She covered herself in a matching robe and wore only her wedding and betrothal rings as jewelry, leaving her Amma's bangles and other jewelry with Clara to put away.
She opened the door and there stood her husband, dressed similarly to the night before in only a thin white shirt and trousers.
Kate gulped as she could clearly see light chest hair peeking from the gap and not hiding her husband's muscular form.
Anthony must have noticed her gawking because his smile grew even wider. "Darling, if you want, I can remove my shirt."
"I beg your pardon!" she exclaimed while averting her eyes to stare anywhere but his smug face.
He walked toward her until they stood closer than ever. She trembled as Anthony tilted her face to meet his eyes. "There is no need to be embarrassed; I am yours to gawk at as much as it pleases you."
She blushed once again, and Kate feared her cheeks would never return to their normal color, especially in the presence of her husband.
While you were away, I asked the maid to bring some food and champagne for you.
She thanked him sincerely, for celebrations had been gone for some time and she was getting quite hungry, especially since the celebration had just ended.
For a while, they did not speak as they ate in silence; he was serving her, while she was eating.
Finally, she was full, but she still finished her drink because she needed just a little bit of liquid courage to proceed with the rest of the night.
Apparently her husband also saw that as he stopped her midway. "Take it easy Kate, I don't want my wife passed out on our wedding night."
She begged for a little bit more and said, "This tastes really good."
"One sip," he said to her in a stern voice, and she quickly finished her drink in one gulp before coughing violently.
He said, "Here, drink some water." As she drank it, he sighed.
"Kate, are you really nervous about tonight? Please don't worry; if you aren't ready, we won't consummate our marriage tonight."
Kate gasps because everything is going wrong. "No! Please, I didn't mean for you to think that way."
"Then what am I supposed to think? You barely spent any alone time with me today at all."
Kate felt ashamed of herself as tears welled up in her eyes. "I, I am really sorry."
Her husband sighed before pulling her closer in his comforting embrace. "Please Kate, stop crying. Remember, I promised you your happiness. It would upset me if you pushed yourself into something you aren't ready for."
She said imploringly, "But I am ready!" She exclaimed. "I am ready to start our life together, to start this marriage with you. I just need a few moments to collect myself."
She waited a few moments before her husband spoke up. "All right, let's talk first. Tell me what are your expectations for tonight? Did your mother explain everything to you?"
Kate felt confused as she looked up to stare at her husband. "My expectations? My lord, according to what my mother told me and my own personal experience, everything depends on a man's expectations, not a woman's."
Her husband scoffed in reply and said to her, "I understand what you are saying, my dear, but please tell me from where did you learn such an absurd notion that love-making depends entirely upon men's expectations?"
Kate went to her mind to India, to Vijay's father library where he gave her that knowledge.
She cleared her throat, feeling nervous about discussing this with her husband, but she couldn't lie to him. "Vijay, the man I told you about, the one who was courting me while Appa was sick."
She could see her husband's face harden as he growled. "What did he do? Tell me, did he take advantage of you?"
She quickly assured him. "Nothing untoward ever happened! I swear on my Appa's memory. It was a short courtship where we only shared three chaste kisses."
Her husband relaxed a little but then he frowned at her. "Then what do you mean by him giving you knowledge?"
She said guiltily, "He showed me some illustrations on how to make him happy after our marriage."
For a while there was complete silence until… "And did he show you illustrations on how to keep you happy?"
Kate's eyes snapped up to his in confusion, and she could tell he seemed highly offended. "What a prick," He finally said angrily.
"My lord? I do not understand."
"I apologize for my crude words, dear, but that man was not worthy of your affection long before he forced you to choose between your family and himself."
He gently caressed her face before leaning closer to whisper in her ear. "Kate, please let me show you what you deserve; let me show you how a woman can have as much pleasure as she wants through this act. Let me show you many ways woman can be seduced."
Kate's breath hitched as her husband stared at her imploringly, waiting desperately to hear her permission.
"Show me how you can do it."
Anthony leaned down to kiss his bride, something he had been desperately trying to do ever since the moment he saw her walking towards him; however, for some reason, he could not seem to get any alone time with her.
He suspected she had tried to prevent being alone with him because she was nervous but
Now, with her permission, he would show her what real passion looked like.
Anthony watched her face filled with anticipation and wonder as he took her lips for their sweetest kiss.
For a few seconds, she was unable to respond, but when he licked her lower lip before diving his tongue inside her mouth for a taste.
His bride moaned against his lips as her hand reached out to grasp his hair, ensuring his head stayed in place while she responded passionately by kissing him to her heart's desire.
Anthony smiled when finally his wife started responding. His Kate was not shy at all, but there was an innocence behind this strong woman, and Anthony was all too eager to show her the ways of seduction.
While she was busy kissing him, Anthony tried to shift his attention and explore his wife further.
His hands roamed from her shoulder to her breasts, making her gasp when he touched them for the first time.
He watched Kate's reaction as she arched her body in surprise, her breasts bouncing under the silk of her dress as he squeezed one of her pert peaks.
"You like this?" he asks huskily, making his wife pull him closer as she breathes against his lips. "Yes, please show me more."
He kissed her twice before trailing his lips down the same path until he reached her breasts.
First he took off her robe, throwing it aside on the bed. Then he pulled her straps down and watched with hunger as her silk nightgown pooled down her waist, revealing a gorgeous body that was all his wife.
Suddenly, Kate became conscious of her naked form, but Anthony reassured her with a smile. "You are so beautiful; the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life."
"That can't be true."
He said, "Trust me." His voice was sincere as he pulled her in for another kiss.
Anthony allowed his wife to kiss him as he reached out to cup her bare breast. He thought her body responded to his touch.
She was left breathless when he lightly pinched her nipples before leaning down to suckle on them.
Her scent grew even stronger here, and Anthony wondered if she would taste as sweet as her lips had. He reached out to lick her breasts before covering his entire mouth with as much of her skin as he could get.
He could devour this woman, Anthony realized as he desperately suckled on both her breasts, leaving them shiny and wet from the heat of his mouth.
All this time his wife had been moaning loudly in a language he could not understand, but when he looked up at her, her face was flushed with desire for him as she pleaded, "More."
"A needy Viscountess," he teased and to his surprise, her eyes darkened as she pushed herself forward, removing her nightgown completely from her body.
She inquired while watching him seductively, "Are you going to undress or not, my Lord?"
"I think for tonight, my Viscountess should do the honors," he said slyly.
His wife scrunched her nose adorably before moving closer to him. First, she reached out for his shirt and slowly pulled it off his body.
He watched as her eyes appreciatively roamed over his naked chest. She reached out to touch his bare skin, making Anthony shiver under her touch.
Kate's hands mimicked his movements on her body as her hands explored the taut muscles of his abdomen. His broad shoulders. She even heard a moan escape him when she pinched his nipple, just as he had done to hers. "Do you like that?"
"I would enjoy anything you did to me."
His wife's eyes met his as she reached closer to kiss his neck before sucking his skin there.
He was getting hard as he held her tightly in his embrace as she kissed and sucked all over his neck and chest surely leaving similar love marks that he had left on her neck the previous night.
As he had thought when she left, Anthony could see a few red marks on his skin in his reflection from the nearby mirror.
While he was inspecting his love mark, his wife opened his trousers and tried to tug them down along with his underwear.
He could not help but feel pride in his form when his wife's eyes widened as they took in his naked body.
She was squeezing her thighs as her eyes zeroed in on his impressive member. "This? This does not look like anything in those illustrations." she said in a shaky voice.
Gently cupping her face, Anthony reassured his wife. "Thank you, my dear, and there is no need to worry about it because I will make sure you receive nothing but pleasure from me."
She nodded her head as he leaned to kiss her passionately, hoping it would distract her from her fears.
It worked once again because now she was responding to him with double passion as their hands roamed over each other's naked skin.
He could not help himself as he began to kiss and lick every inch of his wife's body.
He wanted to consume every bit of her delectable skin.
By the time he reached down towards her hips, his wife was panting and gazed at him lustfully.
"Do you want more? Say yes darling ."
She could only manage to nod as if he were a starving man who had just begun to feast on his bride's nectar.
"Ah!" "Anthony!
She was repeatedly moaning as Anthony licked and sucked her sweet cunny getting lost in her scent that was now etched onto his skin.
He looked up and made eye contact with his wife as he used his tongue and fingers to bring her pleasure.
He derived great pleasure from the sight, one hand gripping the pillow while the other rested on his head as she lay beneath him.
Anthony had to reach out to hold her down; he reached for her breast and Kate left the pillow she was clutching, bringing his hand closer to her heart.
"Ouch! Ouch!"
"Let it go, darling. Give me a taste of your sweet release."
He started worshiping her harder and soon he got a taste of her sweet reward as she screamed his name and released her sweetness into his mouth.
She gasped like her husband when he pulled her towards him and kissed her on the lips. "Thank you," she whispered against his lips. "I never knew that we women could experience pleasure too."
He smiled and kissed her flushed cheeks. "There are many ways to give you pleasure, and I can't wait to show you them all."
Her face morphed into desire as she ran her fingers along his wet lips. "That can wait; because now I want to experience pleasure with my husband."
Anthony groaned as his member twitched in response to her request.
He kissed her twice before asking her once again. "Kate, please tell me you're ready, because I can stop and wait for you."
In reply, she reached down to stroke his hardness with her warm hands. "I want you now," she said to him, determination shining in her eyes.
That was all the permission he needed as he used his fingers to see if she was ready for him; and when her hips started to match his movements, he pulled his fingers out and replaced them with something much bigger.
"Ah!" Her eyes widened in surprise as her walls adjusted to his size.
Anthony was trying to restrain himself from rutting and taking his pleasure as his wife's walls squeezed his member until he finally felt the thin skin of her barrier, making him realize the precious gift he was about to take.
He warned her, "This will hurt." She seemed prepared as he finally breached the barrier; she clutched his back, her body arching closer to his.
He kissed his wife's tears away, knowing she belonged to him in every way, just as he belonged to her, body and soul.
Finally, after waiting patiently for his wife's pain to recede, she finally gave him permission he had been desperately waiting for. "I am ready now."
"I promise, things are about to improve and from now on, all you will experience from this act will be immense pleasure."
Kate stared at him with trusting eyes as he began to move within her.
"Oh God!" Anthony moaned as the passion increased and her walls started milking and squeezing his member with every thrust.
Soon she started moving her hips in sync with his.
Her long legs wrapped around his back of their own, making him growl as he slid even deeper into her warmth.
"This! This is!" she cried as she clutched his back and dug her nails into his skin.
He groaned as he leaned down to suckle her nipple while his hips started thrusting faster.
The bed was banging against the wall as their screams of passion echoed through the night.
Their hips were making a snapping noise, and Anthony was trying to concentrate, but the pleasure became too much for him to think rationally.
"Never! Never have I felt like this before." He whispered against his wife's skin. He felt as if he could stay lost within her warmth forever and die as the happiest man.
He accepted some sort of pleasure from this marriage, but being with Kate was something he had never experienced before. Her body was made for him, and Anthony was losing himself in bliss as their passion reached its crescendo.
"Anthony!" She cried desperately as she moved her hips faster and clutched his shoulder, her eyes rolling back.
"Let it go, darling. I'm here to catch you; just let it go." He coaxed her gently, watching with fascination as she shattered in his arms.
His member was completely enveloped in her release, and finally, after several hard thrusts, Anthony found his bliss as he released his seed deep inside his wife's womb.
He collapsed on top of her, and for a while, they stayed there in a tangled mess of limbs.
Once his breathing had returned to normal and he was certain his wife would be returning from her blissful state, he slowly slid out of her. The first thing he noticed was the mixture of blood and their combined release seeping out from her vagina.
He said gently as he stood up and went to the basin to clean himself before returning with a wet cloth and gently cleaning her. She smiled at him with gratitude.
"Thank you very much!"
He bowed and returned to put the cloth away, but as he gazed into the mirror, he saw a different man, a happy, satisfied man staring back at him, who was smiling smugly at him.
Anthony chuckled, but that smile still didn't leave his face as he walked back towards his wife, hoping for a good night's sleep in her arms.
His smile dropped a little when he noticed his bride standing, her nightgown now covering her skin and her robe tied around her waist.
"Darling, why are you dressed?"
Kate looked startled before she smiled at him. "I just wore this in case Clara was there waiting for me."
Anthony frowned as he looked around. "Where? Did you call your maid here?"
It seemed something he had said confused her as she pointed towards the partition door. "I meant there," she said. "My Lord, I asked Clara to prepare a bath for me when I return to my chambers."
Something cracked inside him as his mind registered her words. "Your chambers?"
"Yes, the Viscountess suite," she informed him wearily and then flinched as she walked towards the room.
He didn't realize he had been standing in front of her until he spoke up. "Wait a minute," he said, trying to make sense of what she had just said. "You aren't going to share chambers with me?"
He watched as his bride looked surprised at this question. "Why would I share chambers with you?"
"My parents did." He mumbled, feeling pain inside his heart as she smiled in understanding and pity. "Anthony, theirs was a love match, but since you wanted a traditional marriage, I thought you wanted us to be in separate chambers."
He jerks in surprise at what she says. "You thought I wanted separate chambers?"
She yawned tiredly and gave him a curtsey. "You must be too tired to think properly, so I bid you good night, my Lord."
He tried to stop her, but what else could he say?
As he watched his wife close the door behind her, Anthony found himself confused; this was what he had wanted, but suddenly he wondered why getting what he wanted was causing him such pain.