Page 23 of A Virgin to Trap the Earl of Thornhill
It was him. Lord Thornhill had arrived.
ChapterFourteen
An undercurrent of anticipation ran through William as the evening festivities wound down. He had spent the better part of the night nursing a glass of brandy and engaging in lengthy conversations about estate management and wild boar populations with Viscount Harlington, yet his attention was perennially pulled toward the form of Eris.
“Ah, boars can be quite a menace, I agree,” he murmured to the Viscount, his thoughts far from the topic at hand.
With his peripheral vision, he saw Eris rise gracefully from her chair and offer her goodnights. The faintest trace of a smile graced her lips, the mirth not quite reaching her eyes. He tracked her departure from the corner of his eye, his heart rate unconsciously quickening as she slipped out of the room unnoticed.
“Indeed, Lord Thornhill, it’s about high time someone took charge,” Harlington replied, oblivious to William’s distraction.
Feigning a sigh, William drained his glass of brandy, the liquid burning a path down his throat. The fire in his chest ignited a newfound resolve. “Yes, Viscount, it seems there is much to be managed,” he said, setting his glass down with a firm thud.
With a courteous nod to Harlington and a brief “If you’ll excuse me,” William excused himself from the conversation, his thoughts singularly focused on one thing — his rendezvous with Eris. Every step he took toward the library was weighed with the anticipation of what was to come. This was not a simple late-night meeting.
As William quietly pushed open the library door, his eyes instantly found Eris. She stood bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the tall, narrow windows. His heart gave an involuntary lurch at the sight. Clad in her nightgown, her fiery hair loose and cascading over her shoulders, she looked ethereal, almost otherworldly.
His entrance had not gone unnoticed. Eris turned, her eyes met his, and something akin to an electric current passed between them. She was on guard, her posture stiff and defensive. A harsh reminder of the reason for this secret meeting.
“Lord Thornhill,” she acknowledged, her voice low and steady, “why are you following me around? Why are you watching me as though I am a criminal?”
Her blunt question hung heavy in the air between them. He had intended to begin differently, to confront her with a controlled display of righteous anger, but seeing her in this vulnerable state, all his carefully rehearsed words evaporated. In a few strides, he closed the distance between them, his gaze intense.
“I knew there was something… sinister about you from the moment I laid my eyes on you,” he began, his voice barely more than a whisper. “And now, seeing you with my brother, I know I cannot stand it.”
He paused, struggling to find the right words. “I know everything, Miss Eris,” he continued, his gaze never leaving hers. “Your plans to seduce Cassian, what your family has asked of you.”
The color drained from her face, leaving her looking paler than he had ever seen her before. She blinked at him, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. “Then why have you not thrown us out?” she questioned, her voice trembling slightly.
The question hung in the air, a poignant reminder of the chaos of his feelings. Heshouldtoss her out.
“That is my problem,” he confessed, running a hand through his hair. His heart pounded in his chest, and for a moment, he allowed himself to be brutally honest. “I should throw you out, but instead, all I can think about… all I want to do is kiss you instead.”
His confession was raw, stripped of all pretenses. It hung heavy between them, a potent mix of accusation and confession that added another layer to the already complex web of emotions that entangled them. The ball was now in Eris’ court, and as he looked at her, waiting for her response, he realized that no matter what she said, his life would never be the same.
Eris stared at him, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. The silence stretched out between them so taut that it felt like a tangible thing. Then, very slowly, she licked her lips, a nervous gesture that sent a jolt of anticipation through him.
“Eris,” he murmured, his voice husky as he stepped closer. His pulse thrummed in his veins, every instinct screaming at him to close the gap between them. But he held himself back, waiting for a sign, any sign, that she wanted this as much as he did.
The seconds stretched out, time seemingly standing still in the dimly lit library. And then, she gave the smallest of nods, a silent permission that broke down the last of his restraint. William closed the remaining distance between them in a heartbeat, his arms encircling her waist as he pulled her against him.
Their lips met in a passionate, desperate kiss that ignited a flame in both of them. William cradled her face in his hands, his fingers tangling in her loose hair as he deepened the kiss. Her hands clung to his shoulders, her nails digging into the fabric of his shirt as she responded with equal fervor.
His hands roamed over her, tracing the curve of her waist, the dip of her lower back, the outline of her hips. Each new discovery sent a thrill of desire through him. Eris whimpered into his mouth, her body melting against his as she arched into his touch.
His fingers trailed up, tracing the line of her spine, causing her to shudder against him. He pulled back slightly, his gaze meeting hers. Their eyes locked, heavy with unspoken promises and barely restrained passion.
He traced a line down her neck, his lips following the path his fingers had made moments before. Eris gasped, her hands tightening on his shoulders as her head fell back, giving him unrestricted access to the column of her throat.
Every sound she made, every tremble that coursed through her, drove him further. His touch grew more confident, more possessive, as he explored her, memorizing the feel of her under his fingertips. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, the air around them thick with desire and anticipation.
He bit her lips gently then used his tongue to tease her lips. Her lips opened to his exploration, and he didn’t hesitate. Their kiss deepened until he felt her knees weaken. He released her mouth, only to drop his lips to the swell of her breasts. William groaned in frustration as the fabric of her dress stopped his exploration. He tugged the dress off of her shoulders, and she gasped as her breasts were laid bare to him.
William pulled back and gazed down at the rosebud pink nipples. Leaning down, he captured one perfect nipple in his mouth. He could feel it harden, and his own desire grew. When Eris arched herself against the length of it, he struggled to not explode. He pulled away and scooped her into his arms and carried her to the nearby chaise. Laying her down on it, William didn’t hesitate. Didn’t give her a chance to protest. Lying next to her, he parted her legs with his own and reached down to the hem of her dress.
“William, no… it is not right…” Eris began, but she shifted and allowed his hand to explore the soft flesh of her thighs. Her expression shifted as his hand traced softly upward until it found the moist cleft. When his fingers thrummed against the hardened button, she let out a small whimper, and her legs widened.
“I have wanted to do this since the moment I saw you that first day,” William whispered. “Tell me you don’t want this?”
