A sharp gasp of pleasure filled the air when he squeezed her breast in the palm of his hand. The ample flesh was firm and round, the perfect size to fill his hand. Her nipple hardened against his flesh as he applied more pressure.
“Livinia … Do you want me to stop?” He lowered his lips to her ear and kissed the tender flesh before growling.
“Please don’t stop, was all she could utter as he kissed a path down her neck and lingered with the tip of his tongue just above the swelling of her breasts.
Coming up straight, Benedict wasted no time in gripping her nightdress and pulling it over her head. Her naked body greeted his eyes as he took a moment to admire her sensual curves and ample breasts. The rosy buds were delicately enticing as he removed his shirt and cast it aside along with her dress.
An even sharper gasp of pleasure escaped her throat as he lowered his mouth to her breast and gently flicked his tongue over the hardened nipple. Her hands instantly moved to his head, her fingers tangling in the thick locks as she urged him on.
Taking his cue, Benedict kissed a path down the flat plains of her abdomen before lingering on her thighs and parting her knees. Her soft moans of pleasure guided him to sensitive folds as he sampled her beauty with his tongue. The tip of his tongue darted over the folds, searching frantically for the apex of her pleasure. It wasn’t until he felt her hips writhing beneath his hands that he stopped and gently kissed her inner thighs.
He wanted all of her, not just a sample of the sweet nectar that glistened on her thighs.
Kissing his way back up her body, he revelled in the fact that she was trembling for him. Her eyes were wild with lust as she waited to see what his next move would be. After positioning himself between her thighs, Benedict leaned down and kissed the lobe of her ear before whispering, “This will only hurt for a moment …” He felt her hand reaching for his as their fingers twisted hungrily through one another.
The look of shock that filled her eyes when he entered her body was quickly replaced by pleasure as she moaned his name and closed her eyes.
Their bodies moved together like a writhing organism with one goal, to keep the other imprisoned in the moment created by lust.
Livinia’s legs came up as she wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him closer with every thrust. Their pleasure filled the air as she panted for breath, nearly screaming his name before Benedict raised a hand and gently covered her mouth.
No one could know that he was in her bed, their lovemaking needed to be contained to the sheets that were quickly coming undone beneath their fervent movements.
A fine sheen of sweat beaded his back as Benedict moved with faster motions. The tightening of her core and the friction of her thighs around his waist let him know that it wouldn’t be long before she reached the climax of their desires.
The synchronization of their breathing culminated in ecstasy when Livinia cried out against the palm of his hand. Her muscles spasmed and contorted as she writhed from side to side, her back arching in pleasure as he grunted and collapsed onto her chest.
Their breathing began to ease as he listened to the beating of her heart with her breast against his cheek. He began to think he was crushing her, but the gentle motion of her breathing and the caress of her fingers on his back set his mind at ease.
Their souls had reached an understanding along with the rhythm of their breathing. No matter what happened beyond the night, they would always share in the heated moment when their desires had melded them as one.
The room was bathed in darkness when Benedict shifted his weight, pulling Livinia into his arms as he held her close. Something was intrinsically intimate about the moment as he held her against his chest. Her hair fell through his fingers like strands of gold as he caressed the lengths.
His breathing deepened when he felt her pressing the softest kiss against his chest.
Did she kiss my chest?
His heart beat furiously as he wondered if she’d done it on purpose, or if the kiss had been an accident caused by the shifting of her body against his. The comfortable way that she fit into his arms like a missing piece quickly had his eyes drifting shut.
***
Benedict awoke the following morning as a stream of light spilled through a gap in the drapes. The same gap that had allowed the moon to illuminate their bodies while he’d made love to the governess.
Reaching over, Benedict felt his mind filling with confusion. He was in Livinia’s bed, there was no doubt about that. Yet Livinia was nowhere to be seen. The pillows beside him in the bed smelled of her hair, but her physical form was missing.
Was all of that a dream?
He frowned before sitting up straight and searching the room. It couldn’t have been a dream. He spotted his clothes on the floor beside the bed, but Lavinia’s were nowhere to be seen.
An icy feeling of betrayal filled his chest as he stood and made his way over to her cupboard. The doors gave way easily and confirmed his suspicions. Sometime during the night after he had fallen asleep, Livinia had packed her things and left.
Chapter 25
Livinia sat on the simple cot with letters strewn about her legs. She wasn’t sure how many days it had been since she had left the earl in the middle of the night. It had to have been five; any more than that seemed like far too long. Light streamed through the dusty attic window. She had wanted to wipe it down, but anyone looking in from outside may have got wind of someone hiding inside.
The door to the tiny room creaked open as Livinia held her breath. She huddled as far back as she could into the corner of the room. Not that she would have been able to hide herself in the tiny nook, anyone coming into the room would spot her as soon as they entered.
“It’s just me,” Olivia whispered as she poked her head around the corner.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Livinia allowed herself to relax. She had been fortunate enough to run into Olivia while creeping onto the Fletcher estate. Anyone else would have given her presence away. Even Adelaide would have got too excited and blabbed to their mother. It had been a blessing in disguise once she had explained the situation to her former charge.
Olivia came into the room and shut the door, quickly opening a bundle hanging over her shoulder after placing it on the bed. She retrieved a neat envelope that had been hidden amongst the food.
“We have another reply,” she said before handing the note to Livinia.
It hadn’t been easy to track down the former servants of the Sheffield Manor, but once they had, the letters had come quickly and in droves. One of the former maids had even decided to show up in person. It hadn’t been easy to sneak her into the attic, but Olivia had somehow managed it.
Taking the note with care, Livinia quickly blew off the crumbs and opened the letter. The neat writing made her heart race.
“It’s another one confirming your suspicions, isn’t it?” Olivia asked before taking the cheese and apples from the bundle and placing them on the table beside the bed.
“Yes, she writes to say that Thomas was very unhappy and disgruntled during the time when the late earl and countess had been alive. A few of the other maids even suspected him of having something to do with their deaths.” Livinia folded the letter and placed it alongside the others on her bed.
The campaign that she and Olivia had launched in her time at the Fletcher mansion had proved more than fruitful, with various previous servants recounting their experiences to her in letters.
“What are you going to do?” Olivia sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Livinia.
“I’m going to see how many more will answer; perhaps if I get enough responses, the earl will have no choice but to see reason,” she said with a deep sigh and began to gather the replies. She had thought that Thomas was nothing more than a disgruntled servant who had fallen in love with the wrong person, but she wasn’t so sure now after reading all the letters. He had been greedy and above himself despite the warnings he had given to Livinia.
