Page 74 of Lady of Fortune
“Eddie!” she squealed now, but he didn’t release her until they stood in the doorway of what was now their bedchamber. It was masculine, yet with soft touches she had added — creams and golds to the crimson and navy walls, while curtains hung about the room and over the bed. The window looked out onto the street below, and when Julia walked to the window, she could just make out a few stars twinkling above them in the London sky.
Eddie stepped up behind her, bringing his hands to the top of her arms over the silk of the pale blue dress she wore, and he slowly inched down the puffed sleeves, exposing her skin so that he could place one kiss first on her left arm, the second on her right, before he treated her neck to the same.
She tilted her head to the side, closing her eyes as she reveled in his touch.
“Eddie, that’s beautiful,” she murmured, and he nodded into her neck as his hands dipped lower down her arms until briefly intertwining with her fingers and then coming to her waist. His deft fingers began to undo the buttons, removing them from the loops that climbed up her back to her neck. The slightest of breezes brushed against her skin through her thin chemise, and Eddie turned her around to face him before gently pulling the fabric down her arms, then her body, until it lay pooled around her feet. She stepped out, Eddie moving with her, and he then began to unlace her stays as her eyes remained on his, her breath catching in her throat.
Hesitantly, she lifted her hands to his jacket, and she could tell by the way the gold flecks in his eyes seemed to practically glow that he appreciated her initiative. She undid the buttons, then slipped her hands underneath the material, pushing it down and off his shoulders. Bolder now, she continued undressing him, divesting him of his waistcoat and his shirt, until he stood before her, his chest bare and exposed to her fingertips. She ran her hands over the skin, which was mostly smooth with the slight bit of hair dusting over his chest.
He wasn’t a big man, and yet Julia appreciated the sinewy muscles that lined his torso, and the way they bunched in his shoulders, and down his biceps. She explored all of them, every dip, every hard bulge, until he finally cleared his throat and looked down at her with glazed eyes.
“As much as I love the feel of your hands upon me, little one, you’re beginning to kill me with your touch.”
Her eyes widened at his words, and she purposefully allowed her hands to move down to the waistband of his breeches. When she reached her destination, she became fully aware of what exactly he spoke, and suddenly her mouth went dry, as she had no idea what to do now. Eddie, however, solved the problem for her. He lifted her in his arms once more, laying her down upon the bed. His lips found hers, and as he made love to her mouth, he began to raise her chemise, breaking their contact only long enough for him to raise it over her head, leaving her bare.
Julia had no time to be embarrassed, however, as Eddie was now ridding himself of his breeches, which was all that was left between them. And then it was completely skin on skin, and Julia didn’t think she had ever felt anything so wonderful in her entire life.
As they lay together, touching, exploring, loving, she marveled at just how well they fit together. Two people from such separate worlds, finding their perfect match — it was though it was always meant to be. Tears pricked at her eyes as she thought of it, and Eddie lifted himself on his elbows to look down at her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his face full of concern as he brushed a tear away.
“Nothing at all,” she said, forcing a watery grin. “I just cannot believe… that we are here together, that we’ve found one another, and everything has turned out to be so… right.”
He grinned at her now, kissing her just above one eye, then the other.
“It’s all because of you, love,” he whispered. “I’m a lucky man.”
His shifted slightly, his lips moving down her throat once more to her collarbone, and then lower still, until he took one nipple in his mouth and she squealed in both shock and delight. She could practically feel him laughing at her, as he paid attention to both breasts in equal measure.
“Wouldn’t want to leave one out,” he said as he switched sides, and she laughed — until his fingers began to drift lower still, slightly nudging her thighs apart. She took a swift intake of breath as he found her most sensitive place, but she lost her reservations when his thumb found her and began to move in a circular motion that was so unbelievable she couldn’t properly describe it. His fingers moved within her, and with all of the sensations he was causing over her body, she thought she was going to lose all sanity.
When she told him so, he laughed, though his laugh was not quite as carefree as usual, but instead rather strained. Eddie lifted himself up from her and positioned himself between her thighs. He looked her in the eyes, and she nodded at his unspoken question, more than ready to accept him as her husband, the man she would spend the rest of her life loving.
He eased into her gently and she accepted him willingly, lovingly, thankfully. He began to move, slowly at first and then, when she began to urge him on, with a quickened pace. Her own release into ecstasy allowed him to find his own, and Julia clasped him to her, knowing that this was more than the joining of two bodies — but also two hearts, two souls who belonged together.
EPILOGUE
“You seem fairly sure of yourself, little one,” Eddie said, looking over at his wife, confidently perched on Orianna. Julia had her own breeches now — fitted properly, unlike the castoffs of her brother. They fit her a little too well, Eddie often thought when he was riding behind her, but he realized the practicality of them.
The sun was beginning to rise over the trees that bordered Hyde Park, which was but a short distance from the St. Albans London townhome, which housed the stables where Orianna and Midnight Express currently resided. Soon enough the sun would be full in the sky and the park would be filled with people of all walks of life. At the moment, however, it was nearly empty, save for the two of them and their judges.
Today was to be the race that they never had the opportunity to ride in the Two Thousand Guineas — between Julia and Eddie on their respective mounts.
“I am sure of Orianna,” Julia said confidently. “And yes, my ability to ride her to victory.”
Eddie laughed as they found their agreed upon start line. Maybelle grinned at them from her place at the side, the white flag held in hand. Her husband, Will, was waiting a mile away at the finish line. It was a week past Epsom and they all welcomed the diversion from what had been a busy time — though Julia had told Eddie that it was rather pleasant not to have the obligation of attending a multitude of society events. Instead, in addition to writing her column for Phoebe’s paper, she remained at Eddie’s side — helping him prepare, watching him race, and providing him with her own thoughts and advice. To his own surprise, not only was she more than knowledgeable, but he also found he was a better rider with her voice in his ear.
Eddie knew that Julia longed to race herself, of course, but she could only keep up the charade of James Smith for so long. She found, however, that she was rather enjoying training the horses away from the track. An arrangement with her father seemed to have naturally come about, and now the three of them — owner, trainer, and jockey — worked together as a team that was proving to be unmatched.
But today — today she was back in the saddle herself. She had told him as they dressed that morning that she was looking forward to proving the ability of both herself and Orianna.
Maybelle called out a warning, and then she waved the flag and Julia and Eddie were off, riding into the wind. Julia laughed with an exhilarated thrill, echoing Eddie’s own soul. They thundered over the fields, side by side. Eddie was well aware that Julia knew his racing strategy nearly as well as he did, and he thought he would be best attempting to surprise her, to pull away quickly. She wouldn’t be able to help herself and would give Orianna more speed too early. Midnight Express would be able to hold the pace longer.
They were but a quarter mile through the race when he began to pull away. Eddie fought the urge to look back, to see where Julia was, but he became frustrated and a little bit worried when she didn’t join him. So she had kept her speed under control. Damn.
When they were about a quarter mile from Will, he heard a shout behind him and guessed her to be back about a length. She would be putting on the speed now. Eddie tried to urge Midnight Express ahead, but he was already running at full speed and didn’t have more to give. Julia and Orianna were gaining, but slowly, and Eddie could now only hope that she had waited too long to give Orianna the speed she longed for. But then they were pulling up beside him, and Julia looked over at Eddie, flashing him the slightest grin.
Moments after they crossed Will’s line, they were both smiling stupidly at one another, thrilled by not only the race but also by victory. They turned toward Will, each expecting to be declared the winner.
