rip it off her. I toss its remains on the seat, Clara looking like she might come if the wind changes.
“You know there are finite resources in the world. You might spare a few pairs of panties,” she says in a saucy voice that has me dreaming of putting her over my knee.
Later. Right now, I need to sink inside her and remind us both that no matter what’s coming, there’s one thing that always makes sense. I have her on her back in a second, her thighs opening like a flower bud. “I’d love to hear more about your panties. Later.”
“But—” she starts to object, but I cut her off with a kiss and a quick thrust of my hips.
Clara gasps against my mouth, her body clenching around my cock as she shatters. Her head lolls back as her fingers clutch my shoulder blades, holding onto me as she unravels. As much as I love watching her come, I’m not satisfied.
Still, I can’t deny that I enjoy the tight heat clamping my shaft. I piston inside her, rolling my hips to put as much pressure on her tender clit as I can.
“Oh fuck,” she moans, panting. “I can’t—”
“Yes, you can, poppet,” I coax, continuing to work her towards her next orgasm. “For me. Consider that a command.”
There’s a warm gush of arousal around my cock. She loves being dominated, told what to do, freed to give in to her every desire. Someday she’ll see that. Someday she’ll trust me enough to hand me total control—after I earn that trust. Not before. For now, I’m more than happy to relish the subtle gifts her body gives me. I hammer into her, taking another moment of rapture from her, this one claiming me with it.
“You win,” she says between pants as I gather her into my arms. “I’ll go to the country.”
I tip her chin up with my index finger and kiss the tip of her nose. “Of course, you will.”
She never had a choice.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
I’ve lost my bloody mind.
The thought occupies me so completely that I barely speak to Clara on the drive to Norfolk. There’s no way to prepare her because I hadn’t bothered to look at the guest list my office sent me. It’s not hard to guess who will be there. The usual sycophants always turn up for the hunt. There’s nothing more appealing to the aristocracy than chasing down a helpless animal and murdering it.
I just have to make sure they stay focused on the fox and not the woman at my side.
I’m out of the car as soon as we pull into the front-drive, making my way to Clara’s side of the car to help her out. I need to keep her with me as much as possible. It’s the best thing for her. A few valets are already bringing our bags inside. She pauses, looking around like she’s not sure if she should offer help or not.
“They’ll take it to your room,” I tell her.
“My room?” she repeats. “I thought I was here with you.”
I lift her knuckles to my lips, kissing her hand. “First rule of country weekends. Propriety must be observed.”
“So we sleep in separate rooms? Will they be sending a chaperone with us?” she asks dryly.
“You’ll find my family is all about appearances, poppet. Separate bedrooms are one thing, but that just leaves people to find new, exciting places to fuck,” I tell her in a lowered voice as we climb the stairs.
“Is that so?”
“I’ll prove it to you,” I say, allowing my wicked thoughts to edge into my voice. Finding dark corners to drag her into is about the only aspect of this weekend I’m looking forward to.
Manfred, Norfolk’s head butler, greets us at the door. “Everyone is in the parlor, Your Highness. Your bags are being taken to your rooms. Perhaps, you would like to freshen up before joining the guests?”
“Please,” I say.
“I will have Charles show Miss Bishop to her room,” he says.
“Is that necessary?”
“Your father asked for her to be placed in the southern wing,” he tells me stiffly.
And my room is in the north. “Naturally.” I force myself to stay calm. It’s not as though it matters where they put her. No one bothers to worry about the bed-hopping that goes on after dark, but I dislike sending her off.
“It’s fine,” she says, squeezing my hand before letting it go. “I’ll find you back here?”
I nod as a young valet appears to show her away.
“Will you