“Do that more,” she said in an exhausted, but content whisper.
“I think I can help with that.”
I rearranged her skirt before lifting her back into the passenger’s seat. Then I bent to retrieve her heels from the snow, brushing them off and tucking them near the SUV’s floorboard heater.
“Thank you.” She gave me a swift kiss. I closed her door, brushing wet droplets from my hair as I returned to the driver’s side.
“Are you cold?” I stole a glance at my wife. Despite the weather, her cheeks were flushed from our lovemaking. A grin carved across my face when I realized I’d managed to keep her warm, even in the snow.
“Don’t look so smug,” she said, smacking my hand lightly.
“A man should always take pride when a wife is lit up like a full moon after he’s fucked her.”
“Is that right?” She leaned over the console to kiss me. Settling back into her seat, she pulled down the rearview mirror and gasped when she saw her makeup. “Lit up like the moon,” she repeated. “Bollocks. I look like I was left out in the rain too long.”
“Don’t.” I said when she went to fix the lipstick that had smeared from her lower lip. “If I promise to get you inside without anyone seeing you, will you keep it like that?”
She paused, turning from the mirror with a curious look. “Why?”
“Because it reminds me of how good you look with my cock in your mouth,” I growled. I reached over and brushed my thumb across her lower lip, smearing it more. “It makes me think of all the filthy things you can do with that mouth of yours.”
“Like talk back?” she teased, but her breath caught as I pushed my thumb past her lips and dragged it over her lower teeth.
“Oh, it’s a smart, pretty, little mouth,” I told her. “I love everything that comes out of it—almost as much as I love putting things in it.”
Belle practically vibrated as I plunged my thumb deeper inside. Her red lips closed over it, sucking it lightly.
Fuck, she was perfect. “Can’t wait to have me back in your mouth can you?”
She shook her head, her eyes round saucers that shone with captured moonlight. A hand crept over the console to my lap, but I slapped it away.
“You’ve already had that tonight,” I reminded her. “Maybe I want something in my mouth.”
She whimpered, squirming in her seat. I loved seeing her like this. Loved knowing how much she still wanted it. I had so much more to give her. Tonight and every night after.
“Do you want to go home? Or should I fuck you again in the backseat?” I demanded.
Belle pulled away, running her tongue over her lower lip as if to savor the taste of my skin lingering there. Her eyes hooded lustily. “Whatever pleases you, sir.”
Christ. We would be lucky to make it home tonight, at all. At least, the Range Rover had plenty of gas and heated leather seats. But before I could get back out of the car and shove her pretty little ass into the back seat, my mobile began to ring. Instantly, the air thickened around us. I pulled it from my pocket, checked the screen and answered immediately. “Is everything okay?”
Across from me, Belle’s demeanor shifted in an instant. She reached for her seatbelt and strapped herself in, casting terrified glances in my direction.
“Everything is under control, but you should come home,” Georgia said. “There was an incident.”
“What kind of incident?” I asked, throwing the SUV into gear and pulling back onto the snow-covered road.
“Nora has had some sort of allergic reaction. Paramedics are here.”
“What?” I roared.
“Everything’s fine. She’s fine. It was some type of misunderstanding. I figured you’d want to get home, though, since—”
“I’m on my way,” I cut her off and hung up on the phone to concentrate on getting us back to the estate.
Next to me, Belle had crossed her arms over her chest protectively. She looked too scared to ask what happened.
“Nora had some type of allergic reaction,” I said, trying to keep my tone as even as possible. “They had to call the paramedics.”
“I didn’t know she had any allergies,” Belle said, looking stunned.
“Everything is under control. Georgia is there, and Penny is fine.” I didn’t mention that I hadn’t even asked about the baby. I assumed that if something was wrong with my child, Georgia would lead with that.
Belle looked unconvinced next to me. “Smith…“
“Yes?” I asked as we raced home.
“Is anyone safe at Thornham?”
I was beginning to wonder the same thing myself.
10
Belle
The paramedics were still there when we arrived. Smith pulled the Range Rover into the drive, and we shared a worried look.
“I think I’d better…“
“Yes,” I said, sensing what he was thinking. Smith jumped out of the SUV and headed quickly toward the house. With my heels on, I was forced to take my time, carefully following him so that I wouldn’t fall in the snow. Thanks to Rowan and his foresight putting down salt not much had collected. Still, I walked slowly in part to navigate the slush but also because I dreaded going inside. Every time I left Thornham, I didn’t want to return. Tonight was worse than usual. I ascended the stairs, clutching the stone railing. As I got closer, I heard Penny sobbing. Panic ignited me and I dashed up the last few steps, kicked off my Louboutins in the entry, and ran up the stairs to the nursery.
I found Georgia, looking more harried than I’d ever seen her, pacing the room while trying to comfort my daughter. Before I could think better of it, I held out my arms. “Give her to me.”
Georgia didn’t hesitate to pass Penny off, which either meant she trusted me more than everyone else or that she desperately wanted a break from the baby.
The moment I brought Penny to my shoulder, her crying faded to a punctuated tremble as she began to calm down. “It’s okay. Mummy’s here.”
Relief rolled through me as I savored the feeling of my daughter in my arms. When Smith’s mobile had rung on the way here, I’d known instantly something was wrong. On the drive, my mind had played a continuous reel of hypothetical accidents that could have hurt her. Nothing felt better than having her safely with me again.
Georgia crossed toward the door, and the solace I felt gave way to a sharp stab of panic.
“Don’t leave me with her!”
She turned, her dark eyes flashing before she composed herself and shook her head. “She’s safe with you.”
“You don’t know that,” I said quickly. Smith wasn’t here to chaperone me, and he must not have told Georgia about the arrangement.
“I do know that. No matter what you think, it’s obvious that you would never hurt her.” Her hand lingered on the doorknob as she spoke. She made no move to open it.
“You weren’t there,” I reminded her. “You didn’t see how close I came to doing just that.”
“Look, I get beating yourself up. Believe me. But you’re as sane as I am. I’ve been watching you,” she admitted to me, surprising me a bit. Georgia hadn’t seemed to show much interest in me since her arrival. She was usually busy having hushed conversations with Smith or taking mysterious trips into the village. “You’re going to have to believe it. Now, I really want to check on Nora. She scared me.”