Page 71 of Regency in Color

Her chemise was now hiked to her waist, but Thalia forgot about modesty when Stephen’s hand slid down the inside of one thigh. The pulsing and throbbing within her had centered in the place he now touched with gentle control. She threw her head back and choked down moans of delight as he rubbed and stroked, his touch producing a moisture Thalia would have found embarrassing if not for his reaction to it. He moaned against her ear, kissing her cheek and then her lips as he found the tiny nub of her pleasure and began to rhythmically circle his thumb over it. Thalia was lost, her fingernails digging into his biceps, her legs splayed wide and her back arching as he drove her closer to a coveted precipice. Tension coiled tight in her middle, and with every pass of his thumb over that bundle of nerves her urgency increased. A single finger probed into her opening, easing deeper as she raised her hips.

Thalia gasped as that finger stretched her, sending an ache through her core but doing nothing to diminish her pleasure. “Stephen,” she gasped out between throaty sounds of pleasure. “Oh God … Stephen!”

He clamped his mouth over hers just as he gave her a second finger, his thumb pressing down on her nub with startling precision. It was as if he lived inside her head and knew what she needed when Thalia herself hadn’t even known. She fell apart beneath him, thrashing and bucking and kissing him with a force born of the need for an outlet of some kind. The perfection of it was almost too much, sending her spiraling upward in a dizzying maelstrom.

Stephen chased her through her climax until she came crashing down, limp and shaking and panting beneath him. Easing his fingers from inside her, he inched closer, the thick tip of his cock pressed to her opening. He lifted his head to look at her, appearing almost drunk on the force of what was happening between them. Thalia didn’t feel quite herself either.

“This may hurt at first,” he said solemnly, his mouth set in a grim line.

She ran a hand up and down his back. “I don’t care.”

He nodded but still looked remorseful about pain he hadn’t yet inflicted. The tension in his face increased as he began pressing into her, sweat glistening along his brow. Thalia tensed as he worked his slow way through her channel, stretching her, invading her. The sharp burn of it took her breath away, while the fullness of it kept her in the moment. Stephen kissed her brow, the bridge of her nose, her lips, his deep groans muffled as he withdrew and plunged, easing farther in. He toyed with a nipple, combating the pain with pleasure. She melted beneath him, forcing her legs wider and clinging to him, accepting all he had to give. Above her, slivers of moonlight cut through the leaves of the treetops, and the stray pinpoint of a star glowed. Her every sense was heightened, overwhelming her with the scent of him, the warmth and solidity of him, the pressure of him taking up space inside her.

Face buried in her shoulder, Stephen began to move, his hips rolling in a rhythm that sent pulses of sensation through her. He was steady and sure, making it easier for her to relax as he found his way as far as he could reach, touching every hidden depth. The burning pain dulled to a throb as another sensation began to emerge, making her raise her hips to match his rhythm.

Overhead, fireworks began to light up the night, the pop and flare of various hues dancing over bare skin. The gasps and cries of delight from the crowd muffled the sounds of their loving, Stephen groaning and Thalia sighing and whimpering as he drove her back toward that daring precipice.

Slipping his hands beneath her, Stephen cupped her buttocks and held her flush to him, each roll of his hips stimulating her hidden pleasure spot. Thalia’s thighs clenched around his hips, back bowing as the final cresting swell washed over her, tipping her off the edge. She muffled a shocked cry against the side of his neck as the torrent of ecstasy unfurled from within her, culminating in breathtaking spasms that gripped him tight and rippled with stunning force. Stephen wasn’t far behind her, panting and murmuring against her temple as his movements grew sharper, deeper. He kept up his slow rhythm until the finish, only making haste once he jerked free and rolled off her to spill his seed.

Thalia lay back and stared up at the sky, exploding with light and color. Her limbs were like water and the light twinge of soreness lingered between her legs. Stephen turned back to her, fitting his body against her side and draping her in his leg and one arm.

They said nothing, simply breathing as one and holding tight to one another as the finality of what the end of the night would bring. The tears Thalia had been fighting began to spill in a euphoric rush. She closed her eyes and savored their final moments.

Soon, the time would come to say good-bye.

* * *

“Stephen.”

Prying open his tired eyes, Stephen glanced down at Thalia, who rested between his spread legs, her head rested on his chest tipped back to look at him. They had lingered in the ruins for another hour. Once they helped one another get dressed, they had assumed this position against one of the pillars, surrounded by the fading sounds of the masquerade coming to an end.

They had talked for a while, Stephen soaking in every tidbit about her life and history she would offer. He told her of his parents and how they’d come to meet while his father had been in Delhi on behalf of the Crown. His planned stay of a few months had been extended into two years once he had met and fallen in love with the woman who would become his duchess. Stephen had followed less than a year after the wedding.

He had been amused by tales of Thalia’s younger sister, a twinge of envy rolling through him. He had always wanted siblings, but his mother had barely survived birthing him. More Dryden children were out of the question.

Stephen had stopped himself short of asking Thalia if she wanted children. They were not yet ready for such talk. First, he had to convince her not to walk away from him now that their one night was coming to an end.

The look on her face was far too serious for his peace of mind.

He forced a smile and kissed the tip of her nose. “Ready for more, my dear?” he teased.

She frowned and pushed away from his chest. “That isn’t funny, Stephen.”

He took hold of her arm and gave her a tug, so she fell back into him. “I wasn’t joking,” he murmured, nuzzling the most fascinating patch of skin he’d discovered behind her ear. It made her wriggle in his lap. “Stay.”

“I can’t. The hour is late, and my family will surely be worried. I’ve tarried too long already.”

Stephen twined her spiral curl around his finger. “Let me see you home. I will walk you to your door.”

She knit her brow and goggled at him as if he had suddenly grown a second head. “Are you mad?”

“Yes,” he confessed. “And you are to blame. I am not yet ready to lose you, Thalia. I know we agreed to one night, but I cannot fathom we shall never share this again. It was never going to be enough. If I could have this with you every night, I’d die a happy man. Just think of it. I could give you so much, Thalia … and you could give me so much in return. Let me take care of you.”

Thalia didn’t respond for a long moment. Her face went completely blank, and she tore her gaze from his, staring off into the dark. Stephen was just about to ask her what was wrong when she sprang to her feet, hands on her hips as she glared down at him.

“How dare you? Do you think that because I agreed to a single night, you can now coax more out of me? And how many illicit encounters would be good enough, Your Grace? I am certain it will only be just enough of them for you to grow bored before you discard me.”

Stephen stood, but with far less grace than Thalia had. He was so shocked he could barely manage the feat without falling flat on his face. “Thalia, I think you’ve misunderstood—”