Page 21 of Loving a Dowager
Walter stilled at her words and pulled back. “We don’t…”
She placed a forefinger to his lips. “My decision remains unaltered. Yours?”
He shook his head, and she boldly turned her back to him. Walter released each button. The material of her gown loosened, and she breathed easier. The gentle pressure of his fingertips against her back stirred the shock waves that had unnerved her as a girl. Henrietta held her breath in anticipation as her gown fell to the ground. She shifted to turn once more, but Walter held her still as he tugged on the ties of her stays. Freed from the boned bodice, Henrietta’s lungs filled with air. The hem of her shift grazed the back of her calves. Walter removed the last barrier swiftly and she raised her arms to assist. She hadn’t stood naked before a man in a very long time. The warmth from her cheeks spread throughout and as the cool night air hit her skin, she slowly swiveled to face the man she’d shared a kinship with as a child but was now intent to explore as a man.
Absolutely breathtaking.Walter lowered his gaze to memorize every inch of Henrietta’s glorious body. Unforgettable. He clenched Henrietta’s shift in his hand while attempting to remain still. The woman of his dreams lifted her hands to unbutton his jacket. She had lowered her guard, which was a rarity, and gave him full access to undress her. He wanted to do the same, but it was extremely difficult to refrain from touching her. His breath hitched and the soft linen material dropped from his hand as she smoothed her palms over his chest, divesting him of his jacket. His arm brushed against the side of her full bosom as he pulled it through the sleeve. The flare of excitement and desire in Henrietta’s eyes echoed his own wishes.
Deftly she loosened his cravat but before she could tug it free he stilled her hands. “Please take a seat, my lady.”
Henrietta glanced back at the settee and then sank down as if she was fully clothed and about to offer him tea and not her delicious body. Walter sank to his knees. Henrietta was offering him a lifetime of fantasies, but knowing how his kisses had perturbed her earlier, he was determined Henrietta would not regret her decision to further their relationship.
He cupped her knees and gently parted her legs. A blush kissed the tops of Henrietta’s breasts and cheeks. Every heartbeat he anxiously awaited her command to stop, and when her lips curved into a smile, Walter swallowed his fears and seized the opportunity. His hands skimmed the tops of her thighs, pausing at the pretty lace garter that was adorned with pink bows. “You’ve always had a fondness for pink.”
“Have I?” Her lazy smile transformed into a sensual, teasing grin. “I’ll warn you, not all my preferences have stayed the same. Have yours?”
“I remain partial to pink also.” He rubbed his thumb over the soft tender skin of her inner thigh. “Have you outgrown your abhorrence to being tickled?”
Henrietta squirmed in her seat but did not dislodge his hold upon her. Edging his fingers closer to his prize, he spied the small bead of moisture that told him her body was ready—but was her heart? His gaze wavered between the delicious delight before him and her sparkling eyes. He inched his hand closer to her slit, and when the tip of his finger grazed against the edge, Henrietta’s eyes fluttered closed. He replaced his fingers with the tip of his tongue and circled the delicate hood over her core. Henrietta’s muscles tensed beneath his palms as he continued to pleasure her with alternating long broad strokes and quick flickers of his tongue. He savored the flavors that were entirely Henrietta; a sweet, salty mix. The heady scent of her filled the air as he buried his face between her lush thighs. Intoxicating as her soft moans.
Walter shifted and firmly drew her intimate bud between his lips which were covered with in her juices. Henrietta’s moans increased in intensity, encouraging him to continue. Her inner muscles clenched around the tips of his two fingers placed at her entrance.
Henrietta weaved her fingers through his hair and tugged. “Oh, god, don’t stop.”
The possibility of halting what they had begun was remote. Being physically intimate with Henrietta only strengthened the strong emotional bond she had held on him. Warm satisfaction engulfed him—a reward for his patience all these years. Slipping his fingers in her passage, Walter resolved to give Henrietta a night of pure pleasure that would haunt her nights like it was surely going to reoccur in his dreams. He pushed deeper into her, searching for the elusive spot that would make her come undone. Suckling and thrusting his fingers in and out until finally Henrietta arched her back and called out his name. The strain in his breeches reminded him of his own needs, but they would have to wait. There was no need to rush Henrietta.
He raised his head and smiled at the pink flush that graced the woman’s beautiful body and face. “Henrietta…”
She released her grip on his hair. “Yes?”
He arched a brow, like he had as a boy when she begged for him to continue pushing her on the tree swing. “Ready?” Not waiting for her reply, he dipped his head and skimmed the tip of his tongue over her sensitive core over and over until she was writhing and moaning his name once more.
Walter rose and picked up Henrietta’s limp and sated body. She curled into him, but her movements were tentative.
He peered down at her. “No regrets?”
She shook her head but did not meet his gaze. “None.”
Walter carried her through the connecting door into her dark bed chamber. With no fire lit, there was a chill in the air, and he hugged Henrietta’s closer. Instead of seeking out his warmth, she stiffened in his arms. A sharp ache radiated through his chest. Henrietta may have denied having regrets, but her actions said otherwise.
He strode to the large, canopied bed and laid Henrietta upon the mattress. She quickly ducked under the coverlet and pulled it up to her chin. Walter turned to leave, intending to retrieve a candle. It was unlikely she’d invite him to join her.
Henrietta called out, “Don’t leave.”
Walter halted with one foot through the threshold. He looked over his shoulder.
Henrietta’s smile was timid, unlike her normal bold, daring grin. “Please.”
The ache in his chest deepened. He nodded and said, “I shall return.”
He scanned the empty room. His pulse sped up as he spied the pile of silk and linen next to the settee. He had waited years—decades—to have the opportunity to be with Henrietta in an intimate manner. Now that he’d experienced the taste of her upon his tongue, his lungs filled with her unique scent, his heart thrumming with the sounds of her desire, he was uncertain he could slip back into loving her from the shadows. For the two years Henrietta was in mourning, Walter watched as she built barriers around her. She avoided social events, restricted visitors, and devoted herself to raising her boys and fulfilling her oath as a PORF. Those walls of defense were steadfast, yet she had allowed him to breach them this eve, and he needed to know why.
Grabbing a candle from the abandoned dining table, he shielded the flame and walked back to Henrietta’s bed chamber determined to extract the answers that would determine his future.
Striding directly to the fireplace, he glanced over at Henrietta, who gave him a broad smile. Her outward display of bravery bolstered his own courage.
The sound of his knees cracking echoed through the room as he squatted to ignite the tinder in the fireplace. “Henrietta, there is something…” The flame flickered as a whoosh of air brushed against the back of his neck. He turned to see Henrietta throwing back the sheets in a flurry and rushing to his side.
Naked and kneeling next to him, Henrietta cupped his face, “Are you well?”
