Page 35 of A Virgin to Trap the Earl of Thornhill
She stepped closer to him, and it was the only invitation he needed. He bit back an oath and crushed her against him. His lips descended on hers, hard and demanding at first, full of pent-up desire. But she met him kiss for kiss, matching his intensity. His hands roved over her, exploring her wet form through the soaked fabric, sending a wave of heat through her.
As the kiss deepened, she found her hands clutching at his sodden shirt, pulling him closer. She felt his hands move lower, tracing the curve of her waist, sending a shiver down her spine.
His hands moved to her dress, and his fingers searched for her stays. When his exploration bore no fruit, he yanked his head back and growled. “Blast it! Where are your stays?”
Eris let out a small laugh. “Allow me, William.” Feeling bolder than she ever had before, she reached behind herself, her nimble fingers quickly locating and undoing the fastenings of her stays. His eyes, now darkened with desire, watched her every move, the intensity of his gaze sending another thrill coursing through her. “Satisfied?” she teased, her voice husky and lower than she intended.
“No,” his voice was guttural as he reached out and slowly eased the dress from her shoulders. She shivered, but it wasn’t from the cold. His gaze was hungry as he moved closer and bent his head to lick a droplet of water that trickled from one tendril of hair down between her breasts. He then tugged the dress down until her breasts were bare. Eris tried to cover them with her hands, but William caught them in his own. “Don’t. I want to see you. All of you.”
Eris, feeling the warmth rise in her cheeks, dropped her hands and stood still like a Grecian statue as he looked down. His finger traced around each breast, and her nipples puckered and stood erect. She reached for him, but he moved just out of reach. He dropped to his knees and slowly kissed his way down to the slight curve of her belly. With one swift movement, he tugged the dress from her, and she stood there with only the sheer linen of her undergarments to shield her from his gaze.
His hands grasped her hips. Leaning forward, his teeth tugged at the stays, and with one quick jerk of his head, they puddled at her feet. Eris had never felt so vulnerable yet so filled with desire. She wanted nothing more than to feel him inside of her, but to succumb to her wants was sure to end in disaster. “William, we should not.”
“And we will not. I only want to taste you.” And without waiting for her response, his hands parted the nest of curls that was the final barrier to him, and he leaned forward, and his tongue licked the small nub between her moist folds.
She let out a whimper at the jolt of pleasure that coursed through her body. Barely realizing what she was doing, she kicked her dress from beneath her and parted her thighs. She had only a moment to see the small smile of satisfaction that crossed William’s face before he once again flicked his tongue across the center of her pleasure. His hand moved from her hip to the slick v between her thighs while the other held her steady. His fingers entered her. His tongue moved in slow circles as his fingers gently thrust in and out. Eris felt the pleasure grow. She panted with the sheer intensity of it. She had not known it would be like this. Eris had imagined fumbled kisses and the awkward joining of two bodies in the dark. But this… this was like nothing she could have dreamed of, and it was so much more. As his tongue flicked a slow drumbeat, she felt herself ride the wave of pleasure that began in her toes and raced up her legs until it exploded between her thighs. She bucked against him and screamed out his name as the wind lashed against the small hut, drowning out her cries to everyone but him.
When the final shudder of her body stopped, he stood tall and gently lifted her chin with the crook of his finger, drawing her eyes to meet his. His gaze held a mix of emotions she could not quite decipher, but it made her heart flutter uncontrollably in her chest. Lowering his head, he planted a tender kiss on her lips. It was a kiss filled with promises, an entirely different energy than the fiery kisses they had shared earlier. The warmth of it spread through her, leaving her breathless and wanting.
Taking a step back, he bent down to retrieve the drenched cloak from the wooden floor. “You will need this,” he said, his voice much calmer than she expected. He held the cloak out to her, the fabric still damp but certainly preferable to her soaked dress.
Eris, still shaky from their intimate encounter, pulled her cloak tighter around her as if it could shield her from the raw vulnerability she felt. William, on the other hand, seemed utterly composed.
How did he do it? How did he manage to share in such an intimate act and then regain his composure so easily?
“We should not do this again,” she said quietly, refusing to meet his gaze.
“Because it is just pleasure?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
“No,” Eris protested, finally looking at him, “because I might end up like Lily.”
His amusement faded, replaced by a genuine concern that made her heart ache. “What do you mean?”
And so, she told him. Eris took a deep breath, marshaling her thoughts. “My sister, Lily, is with child,” she began, her voice a mere whisper.
William’s eyes widened slightly, but he remained silent, urging her to continue with a small nod.
“My parents panicked,” Eris went on, her gaze fixed on a point in the distance. “They didn’t know what to do, so they sent her away to the countryside to avoid scandal. But she’s scared and alone, and I am here, unable to help her.”
“And,” William filled in, his expression solemn, “your parents turned their matrimonial hopes on you.”
Eris nodded, wrapping her arms around herself as if to ward off the chill of the revelation. “Precisely.”
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The tension was palpable, thickening the air between them. Eris glanced at William, preparing for the blow of dismissal or disinterest, but he drew in a deep breath and met her gaze squarely.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you for trusting me with this.”
His honesty took her aback. She blinked at him, her brow furrowing slightly. “Why are you thanking me?”
“Because,” he began, his gaze intense and unwavering, “you’ve allowed me to see you, the real Eris. And in return, I should show you the same courtesy.”
He paused, and then as if making a decision, he continued, “I feel a weight, a burden that often feels too heavy to bear. The title of the Earl, it’s not just a title. It comes with a multitude of responsibilities and expectations. There are days when it feels like I am sinking beneath the weight of it all. I am still trying to find my footing — to find my own way of carrying these responsibilities. Sometimes it feels like I am drowning.”
Eris tilted her head, studying William’s features. In the dim light, she saw the worry lines etched into his brow, the tension in his jaw, and the tiredness lurking in his eyes.
“You’re stronger than you think, William,” she said softly, the use of his first name slipping out. “You’ve faced your fears and challenges with grace. It takes great strength to bear such a burden.”
A wistful smile tugged at the corners of William’s mouth. “Perhaps, but it was thrust upon me before I was ready. My father’s passing was sudden, and I had to pick up the pieces. I didn’t even have time to grieve properly before I had to step into his shoes and play the part of the dutiful Earl.”
