Page 115 of The Moonstone Hero
But it was only a moment before he shifted off her and rolled onto his back with a contented laugh. He turned to her, smiling in smug conquest. “Lord, that was good. Ella, love—did I hurt you?”
Her little noises and purrs ought to have told him everything he needed to know, but she assured him anyway: “No, Caden. It was wonderful.”
She nestled against him when he held his arms out to draw her up against him. “I thought so too,” he murmured, kissing her on the forehead.
But after a moment, he rose.
She thought he was going to leave her now, but he only went to the washbasin and wet a cloth, which he then wrung out before returning to her side with it. “This was your first time,” he said with affection. “There might be some blood on you. Not tomention some ofmeon you, too.” He gave a ragged laugh. “I did a fairly poor job of maintaining my control.”
“Were you supposed to keep control?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, dear. Was I not supposed to—”
“Heavens, you were the perfect amount of wanton. But you are innocent and I am experienced. I just thought… Well, no point in dissecting it. You were perfect, and I was lost to you. This is exactly how it ought to have been.”
After taking care of her, he left her side a moment to set the cloth back beside the basin and then returned to take her in his arms. “Ella, I know you are worried I will leave you now.”
She nodded against his chest.
“I have no intention of sleeping apart from you ever, unless you demand it. But I hope you won’t.”
“Oh, Caden. I would hate for us to sleep apart.”
He kissed the top of her head. “We’ll have to do a little rearranging of our two rooms. I’ll ask my grandfather for permission to make those changes. First thing in the morning.”
She looked up at him. “Don’t fight him if he refuses.”
“He isn’t going to refuse. He likes you, probably more than he likes me,” he said with a chuckle. “We Seaton men are going to be puppets in your hands.”
“I doubt either of you can ever be manipulated. You are both too strong-willed.”
“Not when it comes to you. I am completely in your thrall, my Moonstone siren.”
She nestled against him once more. “A siren? That’s rich. I’m glad you think so. I love you, Caden.”
“Heaven help me, I am so in love with you, Ella. Those moonstones must be lighting up half of Cornwall tonight.”
She glanced up at him again, smiling as he absently stroked her hair. “That’s twice you’ve mentioned moonstones in under a minute. You believe in them too. Don’t you?”
He nodded.
“I’m glad you do. After all you have been through, you deserve a bit of magic in your life.”
“Ella,” he said with aching tenderness, “you are the magic. It has always been you.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Caden made loveto Ella once more in the night, inhaling the warm scent of her body that reminded him of meadow flowers in summer. She was so achingly lovely. One look at her in that black silk nightgown when he first walked into her bedchamber had sent a surge of desire through him powerful enough to drop him to his knees. Then to see all of her, the pink buds of her breasts and the gold of her hair, the green of her eyes framed by dark lashes, had his heart in a rampant beat.
She looked like a fairy princess.
She had cast her magical spell from the first moment he had set eyes on her. Those eyes would be watching him today from the spectators’ gallery as he addressed Parliament. He knew what he was going to say, knew what sort of man he needed to be for Ella.
Theherohe needed to be for Ella.
He stirred at first light, for he had to start getting ready for the day ahead. Ella was still asleep, curled up against him as soft as a kitten. He wanted to wish her good morning and kiss her, but he was not going to disturb her sleep for this.
He was disappointed, but still smiled as he recalled what they had done last night. Their coupling had been better than anything he had dreamed possible. None of it had quite gone as planned. A bit of fumbling. A lot of moaning and grunting. Ella so tight, she aroused him quickly. But he had been determinedto have her experience her pleasure first before he turned into a wild, grunting ape and claimed his own release.
Even afterward, he needed more of her.
