Chapter 41

The door from his dressing room finally opened and Augusta looked up from where she sat on a footstool in front of the fire. He leaned against the door in a silk banyan and smiled wickedly.
"Promise me, wife, that you're going to do something to cheer this mausoleum up a bit. The house itself is wonderful, but the décor..." he broke off with an exaggerated shudder.
"It's all expensive, excellent quality," she agreed. "But a wee bit...dark?" She couldn't help but be delighted by the idea that he wanted her to take charge of his home.
Colin laughed. "Well, the view in this room has already improved considerably - just because you're in it." He crossed swiftly to her side and held out a hand to help her to her feet.
"And here I was thinking it had gotten better just in the last minute or two," she teased back. It still amazed her that although he'd only married her because of his overdeveloped sense of duty, he never failed to treat her as if this was a normal marriage. Even his mother had welcomed them all with open arms. There was a part of Augusta that couldn't help but wonder when the bubble was going to burst.
"I know you're tired," He began as he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her forward. "But I was hoping you're not too tired."
Less than a fortnight ago, she'd have blushed, but now the blatant desire blazing in his eyes excited her without causing the least bit of embarrassment. "Suddenly I'm not tired at all." She reached down to untie the knot on his banyan.
"Mm, me either," he murmured, nuzzling the side of her throat. "This bed may be ugly, but the mattress is good and it's nice and big."
"Lovely," she replied, as she pushed the silk robe off his shoulders. "I've missed you."
"Likewise." He lifted her old flannel nightdress up over her head and tossed it aside. He hitched himself up onto the edge of the bed, pulling her between his spread legs. She leaned forward to meet his kiss, her body pressed against him, feeling every inch of his skin along hers. The bed was high, so his erection pressed into the skin of her upper belly, the plump tip reaching just below her breasts. She flattened her hands against he crisp sprinkling of hair on his chest and rubbed his flat, tan nipples with her fingertips.
His lips ravaged hers. It had been far too long since they'd been alone together. She opened eagerly, welcoming his tongue inside her mouth and stroking it with her own. Wanting more, she pushed back, slipping inside the heat of him, tasting and feeling every surface and hollow. Her audacity was rewarded with a low moan that rumbled up from his chest, vibrating them both.
His approval gave her the courage to grow even bolder. She pinched his nipples then dragged her hands down to grasp his slim hips. Pulling her lips away from his, she ran a row of kisses down his chin to the strong column of his throat. She nipped lightly, burying her nose in the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply of his rich, masculine scent. His shaving soap had a slightly spicy aroma, as did his skin all over from his recent bath, but underlying it was an even more potent layer - the salty tang of aroused male and something indefinable, yet uniquely Colin. She could recognize him blindfolded in a crowded ballroom, just by his scent and it never failed to fuel her arousal. Squeezing her thighs together to assuage the ache at her core, she trailed her lips lower, to kiss then lick one firm, flat nipple. Though she longed to have him inside her right now, he'd already taught her the value of making the pleasure last. She flicked the taut nub with her tongue before lightly nipping it with her teeth.
He murmured her name and threaded his hands through her hair as the muscles of his abdomen clenched against her skin. Encouraged by his response, she sucked at his nipple, mimicking the act he'd so often done to her. His fingers flexed in her hair as his breath hitched in his chest.
Augusta swayed her body, feeling the hard length of his cock trapped between his belly and her breasts. It seemed only fair to spend time on his other nipple, so she did, making sure to wiggle her torso, teasing his erection as she did.
"You're a fast learner, love," he whispered into her hair.
"Mm," she murmured as she reached out one foot to hook the stepstool that sat beside the bedstead. Pulling it beneath the bend of Colin's knee, she positioned it between his feet, then let her kisses trail down along his taut stomach as she dropped to her knees on the top step.
"Augusta..." he began as she took his thick, heavy member into her hand.
She'd explored him enough to know the feel and shape of it, but she'd never studied it this closely, with her hands, eyes and...mouth. Suddenly ravenous for the taste of him, she wrapped both of her hands around his length and softly licked the tip, where a tiny droplet of fluid had beaded up.
The flavor was bitter and salty, but strangely appealing. Curious, she ran her tongue around the underside of the flared head of his cock, learning the subtle details of shape and texture, along with taste.
"You don't have to do this, darling," he said softly. "Many women don't find it pleasurable."
Augusta looked up, perplexed. "But you've used your mouth on me and I enjoyed it very much. Why would I not wish to return the favor?" Even as she spoke, she instinctively moved her hand up and down on his shaft, reveling in the feel of the soft skin over sturdy hardness. Her lips quirked into a grin. "I thought there was no such thing as proper in the bedchamber?"
His guttural laugh ended in a groan as she tightened her hand. "By all means, if you're having fun, continue. God knows, I'm enjoying it."