Matilda kissed him back after a moment. She was shy, very hesitant to touch him, so he ended the kiss with no regrets. But he was painfully aroused, as he had been last night by the time he’d left her in bed. Kissing Matilda made him long for more. For permanence, passion, and punishment as a regular part of his life. But he wanted a willing partner who knew all his vices. Someone who would enjoy those private moments, anticipate the next ones as much as he would.
Someone willing to be tied up, masked, and disciplined properly with an array of implements before being pleasured all night long.
He drew Matilda to her feet and without further discussion dressed her in a modest gown of sky blue even though he ached to run his hands along her arms and bind her with silk strips. He clenched his hands, forcing them to his sides. “Reticule, hat, gloves.”
Matilda spun around at his tone. “William, what have I done wrong?”
“Nothing at all. The fault is mine.” He went too fast, as usual. He took a deep breath and forced a smile. “I’ll be below in the little parlor. Do not make me wait long.”
He turned away quickly and hurried from her presence. He wanted Matilda to want him as he did her. He though he wanted her to stay beyond the time of their bargain. But was it possible to convince her that their marriage was the best thing that could have happened to either of them? Could he persuade her to explore every dark sin and vice he craved forever?
Sixteen
“What is this place?” Matilda asked for the third time as William unlocked the front door and gestured her inside. The cold hit her first and then the emptiness of an abandoned country house. “Does anyone live here?”
She shivered when the front door groaned closed again as William shut them inside. His footfalls rang loudly as he led the way. “This could very well be home if my man of affairs is correct about the suitability of the space.”
“My home?”
“I suppose you could say that.”
She glanced up at the cobwebs drifting on the currents created by the opening of the door. It could take a long time to bring this place up to scratch. She almost rubbed her hands together at the challenge of so much work to occupy her time. “This might be a bit large just for me. I wanted to stay closer to the city.”
“It occurred to me that it would be a good time to invest in property. I have no faith that my involvement with the navy will suddenly increase, even if I were to pester the admiralty daily for a new command and ship. I have time to spare and am in need of a diversion. I have lived in my grandfather’s homes for ten years, but I will eventually need additional income to support a family. This will be my first investment.”
“You’ll move here?” The idea of William living so far from London seemed impossible. He had friends in London. Family. It had taken an hour by carriage just to reach this place.
“For now, and there will be others to manage.” He nodded and set his hand to the doorframe, smiling down at her, his expression unreadable. “After the separation, you will remain mistress here if the house pleases you. If not, you can choose another closer to town.”
She blushed and glanced away. He had said they would discuss the separation, but she had not expected the conversation today. Not after last night’s spanking, which she was ashamed to say she had thoroughly enjoyed, or after this morning’s flirting, which had appeared to arouse them both.
William had left her breathless and strangely happy both times. Especially the part after the spanking where he’d held her close to his chest. The tenderness after the punishment had been a revelation about him. She had not thought he wanted her affection, but he had proved otherwise. Matilda had been the first to pull away. She wished she’d not done so soon after. She would have liked to spend the night in his arms, but he had taken himself off and she’d fallen asleep alone.
She had missed him. She had missed his occasional snores and odd twitches.
Matilda took stock of the features of the property even as she was astounded by her own revelation. She did miss William when he was elsewhere. However, she was merely a temporary part of his life, just like this property would be the first of many conquests. Her life with him would come to a close very soon, and he would eventually have a real family.
His beautiful sisters had three firm contenders for their hand in marriage so far that she could tell. Victoria had charmed an aged duke, Audrey a gentleman of modest means, and Evelyn, even though she was not out in society yet, had charmed an entire horde of gentlemen
as they called on her sisters. Her bargain with William could be over before long. “When we made our bargain, I hadn’t considered moving so far.”
“And you don’t have to if you don’t wish to. I have already enquired about a house in London that might suit you. It is one extra block farther away from my family than where we currently live. Close enough that you will not be removed from the friends you make in society in the coming months. Remember, you’re my wife until my sisters marry, and no matter how long that takes it is my intention that we stay friends.”
“I would like that too,” she whispered. The discussion of endings made her sad though. She glanced around, studying the raw space with fresh eyes. It needed a great deal of attention to make it a home, and making it suitable for William could be a good distraction from thinking about the future.
“For as long as we decide to remain married, I would have you comfortable, and I am also thinking beyond that too for my own life,” William said.
He moved away, drawing her attention to his body. A body she had seen very little of but had imagined when she was alone.
“This room should do for a drawing room,” he said, “and those rooms for a study and dining room.”
She moved slowly through the house in his wake, imagining it how William described. Soft reds and muted greens would make the house very pleasant. Not that she expected to have a say in the decoration if William moved into the space before their parting.
He moved on, opened two sets of doors, and stepped into a glass-walled room. “This space should be sufficient for your butterfly house.”
Her jaw dropped. “How did you know I like butterflies?”
“I’ve made it my business to discover everything I can about you since the day we met. You are fascinated by butterflies.” He smiled slowly, and the effort transformed his face. Her heart did a little leap and he leaned close. “You used to chase after them whenever you came on our picnics. Hands in the air, you’d leave us behind in an attempt to lure them to kiss your skin.”