Page 24 of A Virgin to Trap the Earl of Thornhill
“I do, but I have never…” Eris ducked her head. “I don’t know…” Her face already flushed, turned rosy.
William gave her a gentle nod and kissed her neck, soft as the wings of a butterfly. He guided her hand downward to his erection. “Touch me.”
Eris’ hand reached out and clasped the top of his breeches and yanked them open. When her hand found his hardened length, she grasped it. “Like this?”
“Yes.” William bit back a groan and plunged his fingers into her. As his hands rocked gently in and out of her, she mimicked his movements with her own. A soft hiss erupted from him as his own pleasure increased.
He kissed the nape of her neck as his thumb swirled around the center of her pleasure. Her head dropped back allowing him to kiss his way down to her bare breasts. When his mouth captured her nipple at the same time his fingers slipped in and out of her, she arched her back and cried out. Her hand squeezed around his shaft, and he felt himself erupt with her.
Their world had shrunk to this moment, to the shared rhythm of their climax, to the heat of their bodies pressed close as their very souls intertwined in a dance as old as time itself.
Neither of them knew how long they stayed in that state, caught in the spell of their shared desire. But for now, the world outside ceased to exist. There was only them and the simmering passion that threatened to consume them both.
Their passionate embrace eventually came to a halt, both of them catching their breaths, their foreheads pressed together in the dim light of the library. Her soft, ragged breaths against his cheek were almost more intoxicating than the kisses they had just shared.
Eris was the first to break the silence, her voice shaking slightly. “This was a mistake.”
He tightened his hold on her, the fear of losing her sudden and visceral. “Eris —” he started, but she cut him off.
“No,” she said firmly, sitting up. She struggled to pull her dress back over her breasts. She stood and stepped away from him, putting a physical distance between them that felt like a chasm. “This should never have happened. I am not trying to trap your brother, My Lord. And whatever this is, it can’t happen again.” Her cheeks were flushed, and a damp sheen of perspiration glistened between the swell of her breasts.
Her words felt like a punch to his gut. He could hardly comprehend what she was saying. “Eris, I —”
But she shook her head, her cheeks flushed, her eyes filled with regret and something else he could not quite identify. “No, William. Goodnight.”
And then she was gone, leaving him alone in the library. The scent of her lingering in the air, the taste of her still on his lips, and the memory of her in his arms, burning brighter than any fire he had ever known.
William stood there, the reality of her departure sinking in. He cursed under his breath, running a hand through his hair. How had he let this happen? Why had he let his guard down, let his desire for her overrule his sense? He should have known better. He should have stayed away.
But he could not deny the truth. Despite all his resistance, despite all his attempts to keep her at arm’s length, Eris had found a way into his heart. He yearned for her more than ever. He was drawn to her, like a moth to a flame.
This woman is going to be my downfall…
ChapterFifteen
What have I done!
Eris slipped through the castle’s corridors, her heart pounding in her chest. The library’s door closed behind her with a soft, definite click, locking away the memory of what had just happened between her and William. She adjusted her dress, doing her best to appear as though she had not just spent the last hour lost in the throes of passion.
When she reached her chambers, Nanette was sitting by the fire and darning a pair of stockings. The older woman looked up in surprise, taking in Eris’ flushed face and disheveled state.
“Miss Eris, you look positively ill,” Nanette fretted, setting aside her work to rush over. “Are you unwell?”
“No, Nanette,” Eris choked out. “Just a bit winded from the excitement of the evening.”
Nanette didn’t look convinced but nodded, helping Eris undress and prepare for bed. As she slipped between the sheets, Eris could still feel the warmth of William’s hands on her skin, the taste of him lingering on her lips.
With a trembling hand, she blew out the candle beside her bed, plunging the room into darkness. As she lay there, staring up at the canopy of her bed, her mind was a whirl of thoughts and emotions.
Tonight had changed everything. She had never expected to be in this situation, her heart tangled in a web of desire and fear. She was fearful of the potential disgrace should their actions be discovered. She was fearful for her family’s honor. But, more than that, she was fearful of the intensity of her feelings for William.
The encounter in the library replayed in her mind, every touch, every whisper, every shared look etched into her memory. With a soft sigh, she closed her eyes, knowing sleep would be elusive tonight.
William Thornhill, the man she should avoid at all costs, was the only one she wanted. She was trapped in the sweet torment of her desire for him, the sensation as intoxicating as it was terrifying. As she finally drifted to sleep, her last thought was of him. Of the passion they had shared. Of the uncertainty of what was to come. She would avoid him at all costs for the remainder of the fortnight. There was too much at stake for her to succumb to a fleeting affair with a man who was set on exposing her family’s desperation. As tempting as his touch was, as intoxicating as his scent, Eris knew she could not afford to entertain the idea of another rendezvous with him.
Sleep finally claimed her as she resolved to stay as far away from William as possible. Her dreams, however, offered no such sanctuary. They were filled with vivid images of him, of the passion they had shared in the library. Of the longing that burned within her, a flame she didn’t dare feed.
Upon waking, her resolve was even stronger. She would spend the next two weeks focused on the tasks at hand — supporting her family, establishing a good rapport with the estate’s guests, and maintaining an amicable relationship with Cassian. After all, her family’s future hung in the balance.
