Page 63 of The Lady and the Footballer
Nor could he return her to Ellesmere Park.
Instead, he told her to put her hood up as he led her to an inn at the far end of Salford. He could only hope that no one here would recognize her, likely because no one had ever been close enough to truly see her face.
The cut of her clothing was a problem, but he wasn’t overly concerned about that at the moment.
“A room for Mr. and Mrs. Thornton,” he told the innkeeper impatiently. The man was likely well aware that this was no Mrs. Thornton, but he had seen enough not to comment or even to change his expression as he passed over the key and told Colin where to find the room.
It was more expensive than he could afford, but he would do anything to see to Lily’s comfort.
Not that this entire night was exactly selfless, for it was everything he had been waiting for.
They said nothing as they walked through the tavern attached to the inn, then up the stairs and down the corridor,Lily’s fingers trailing over the balcony railing that overlooked the courtyard below.
Colin held up the lantern to read the room numbers, stopping in front of number eight. He paused before inserting the key into the lock.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked, giving her one last chance to walk away from him and this night together.
“Absolutely,” she said, her breath coming in a rush, and he nodded, his entire body heating at her intention, before turning the knob and opening the door, taking a step in before her to make sure nothing was amiss before he held the door open and allowed her to walk in.
The room was dimly lit, with flickering candles casting shadows on the peeling wallpaper. A large four-poster bed sat in the corner, its mahogany frame carved with intricate designs, while a lone chair sat near the waning fireplace on the other side of the room.
The furniture was well-worn and somewhat shabby, but it appeared clean from what Colin could see. He couldn’t imagine how it looked to Lily’s eyes, but this was the best he could do.
Colin closed the door behind them, his heart racing as he turned to face Lily. She stood before him, her cheeks flushed and eyes wide with anticipation. He stepped closer, reaching out to gently caress her face.
"Lily," he whispered, his voice rough as he could not hide his desire. “You must know that nothing needs to happen here tonight. All I want — all I have ever wanted — is to spend time with you, time that seems far too rare. I have no expectations."
She nodded, her lips parting slightly. "I feel the same. But Colin — I've never been more certain of anything. I want you. I want all that could be between us. I want… I want us to come together."
He needed no further encouragement. Colin captured her lips with his own, kissing her deeply as he pulled her into his arms. Lily melted against him, her hands clutching at his shoulders as she returned his kiss with equal fervor.
Without breaking away from her, Colin reached out to begin undressing her, desperate to see what she looked like beneath the high-necked, long-sleeved clothing she wore, but was shocked to see his fingers trembling as he unlaced the ties of her cloak. The heavy fabric slipped from her shoulders, falling to the floor with a “thunk” as it pooled at their feet.
Conscious of her gaze upon him, he reached around her back, running his fingers over the buttons down her spine. One by one, he unfastened them, reveling in the feel of her smooth skin beneath his fingertips as more of it was revealed. Lily shivered as the cool air met her heated flesh, and Colin pulled back to look her deeply in the eyes, drinking in the sight of her standing before him in her undergarments.
"You're so beautiful," he murmured, trailing his hands down her arms, taking the fabric of her sleeves with him. "I can scarcely believe this is real, that you're truly here with me."
"I am," Lily breathed. "There is nowhere that I would rather be. With you, like this."
“Do you honestly wear this many layers of fabric every day?”
He knew he might be ruining the moment, but he couldn’t help to take a moment to stare at her in astonishment. While she no longer wore the two pieces of her gown, she was still wrapped in a bone-structured corset, more layers of fabric around her waist, and her chemise beneath. And that was only what he could see.
“Yes,” she said with a laugh that sounded like tinkling music to him. “This is my everyday clothing.”
“It makes me glad to be a man.”
“Among other reasons, I’m sure.”
He nodded, reaching out and drawing her close to him. “The most important one being that it gives me this opportunity to be with you.”
“Would you like me to help with the rest of this?” she asked, her lips tilting upward.
“As unromantic as that would be, it would be appreciated.” He laughed before his face turned more serious and his tongue slid over his lip. “Leave the chemise to me, though, please.”
It didn’t take her long to shimmy out of the rest of her layers until all she wore was her thin, breathy chemise.
Colin smiled softly before capturing her mouth once more. As they kissed, he gathered the hem of her chemise and slowly pulled it upward, savoring the view of every glimpse of skin exposed. Lily raised her arms, allowing him to draw the garment over her head and toss it aside.
