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The door to their private quarters had barely shut when Colin pressed Penelope up against it, his hands in her hair as his lips pressed urgently against hers. Penelope’s own hands grasped at the lapels of his coat, pulling him closer to herself as she kissed him back with equal fervour. She still couldn’t quite believe that this was happening, that Colin was touching her like this, kissing her like this.
From the moment that they had finally cleared the air between them at the Butterfly Ball, when he admitted that he had been envious of her writing and her bravery to share her writing with the world, something had shifted between them. She finally understood the true depth of his anger and frustration and he in return had realised that as much as her writing was important to her, he was equally important. For the first time in Colin’s life, someone loved him enough to be willing to give such a large part of themself away for him. Not just that, she was willing to step away from their marriage in an attempt to protect him and his family.
No one had ever wanted to protect him like that. He knew how much Penelope loved him, how much she had wanted him, so knowing that she was willing to walk away from that to protect him… Well it did something to him. It unlocked feelings he had never felt before and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he couldn’t let her go. There was also the matter of him never wanting Penelope to lose a part of herself for him. Whistledown was as much part of her as Penelope was, and he couldn’t allow her to give up part of herself. He loved her for who she was, for her entire self. He loved her witty comments and her sarcastic remarks. But he also loved the way she blushed whenever he caught her looking at him, the way her breath hitched when he touched her… He wanted her, all of her.
Colin also felt like his insecurity wasn’t beating down on him any longer. He knew there was no shame in being the husband of a successful woman. He wanted to be there for Penelope, behind her, supporting her no matter what. Regardless of what came their way, he was going to stand by her and be the husband she deserved to have. But that was a matter for the future. Right now, in this very moment, all he wanted was to be with his wife, to hold her, to allow himself to melt into her the way he had been dreaming of doing.
Breaking their kiss, Penelope cupped Colin’s face, gazing into his beautiful blue eyes. Brushing her fingers over his cheeks, they carried on up into his hair, grasping as she pulled his face back to hers, rising up on her toes as she kissed him with everything that she had. Hands splayed on her back, Colin pulled her into himself, her breasts pressing into his chest and he couldn’t help but groan into the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers. Even through the layers of clothes, he was almost certain he could feel her pebbled nipples pressing against his chest and he wanted nothing more to remove all barriers and feel her skin against his.
Coming up for air once more, Colin registered just how dark Penelope’s eyes were and he was certain his looked the exact same. From the way she was looking at him and the way she was moving against him, there was no doubt in his mind that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Though, in a way, it wasn’t a surprise. Only days ago, she had expressed that she wanted him to hold her, to kiss her, that she wanted to experience pleasure with him once more. And god, he wanted all that. More than anything.
Just as Colin was preparing to move in once more, Penelope stepped away from him slightly.
“Pen…”
“Will… Will you come to bed with me tonight?”
For a moment, Colin was thrown. As bold as Penelope had been previously in expressing her wants and desires, this felt… This felt more. He was no fool and he knew she wasn’t either. From the way they had been behaving since they left the ball and from the way she was looking up at him with wide eyes, they knew where they were headed.
“Do you wish for me to accompany you to bed?”
“More than anything.” Penelope replied honestly, her voice a mere whisper.
Colin nodded, feeling a little dazed and Penelope took his hand as she began leading them to their bedchamber. Her hands were clammy and shaking slightly, but she held her head up high as they entered their private space. They had spent minimal time together in this room and they were both more than aware of what was happening. Penelope shut the bedroom door behind them and came to stand in front of Colin, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She had done her bit, she had brought him into their room, now he needed to take the lead. She needed him to take the lead.
On cue, Colin closed the distance between them again, his hands on her waist as he pulled her into himself, lowering his face to hers as his lips ghosted over hers. Goosebumps littered Penelope’s face as she his breath mingle with hers, his cologne tickling her nose. Their lips met once more, slower this time, firm against each other as their hands slowly perused the others body. Penelope’s hands slipped up from his side up to his shoulders, sliding under his coat, wanting to touch his skin though she couldn’t find it. Colin’s hands skimmed up and down her body, feeling every curve and wanting nothing more to than to lay kisses on every inch of her body. He wanted to strip her out of her clothes, lay her on their bed and kiss and suck on every curve. He wanted to tease and lick and make her squirm with need and desire before sinking into her and making her cry out. Hands dropping to her ass, Colin pressed her up against himself as he kneaded the firm flesh of her butt, angling her body up against his throbbing erection. Gasping into his mouth, Penelope pulled back slightly, her eyes wide.
“Colin…”
“I need you.” He groaned against her ear, pressing himself into her again.
Penelope swallowed hard, her brain beginning to go fuzzy with overwhelming desire.
“I need you too.” She whispered, her fingers tightening on his shoulders.
Colin surged in again, his lips a new level of frantic against hers as he squeezed her derrière, gently rolling his hips against her. Penelope’s insides tightened and she had to press her thighs together in an attempt to quell the ache that was developing down there. God, she wanted her husband. Penelope had always thought her love and desire for Colin was intense before, but now that she knew what transpired between a husband and a wife, now that she had experienced it, she needed it more than she needed her next breath of air. Beginning to back them up, Colin guided her towards the bed, his hands moving up her back and beginning to unbutton her gown.
“Tell me you want this Pen.” Colin ground out between kisses.
“I want this.” She replied breathlessly, chasing his lips.
“I think we need to consummate our marriage before you think about annulling our marriage again.”
Giggling between kisses, Penelope shook her head.
“I will not mention it again.”
“Good, because it is not an option. I cannot let you go. I will not. You are my wife and I wish to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Heart swelling, Penelope nodded as Colin carried on undoing her gown, finding the ties of her corset too, pulling on them in an attempt to undo it. Similarly, Penelope scrambled to undress Colin, finally getting his jacket off and then fiddling with the buttons of his waistcoat. As she pushed it off and began to fumble with the button of his shirt, Colin caught Penelope’s hands and gently lowered them. She looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed, not understanding why he was stopping her.
“Colin…”
“Your blue nightgown, was that for our wedding night?”
Lust was still fogging up Penelope’s brain and she truthfully had no idea what Colin was talking about.
“What?”
“Your blue nightgown.” He repeated, his hands brushing up and down her sides. “The one you were wearing the morning after our wedding.”
“Oh, yes, that…” Penelope blushed as she looked down at the floor. “That was for our wedding night.”
“I want you to go and put that blue nightgown on so I can slowly take it off you the way I’ve been dreaming of doing for weeks now.”
Eyes wide, Penelope gave Colin a little nod as she backed away from him, moving towards her wardrobe. Before she could move too far away from him, Colin caught her hand and brought her back to himself.
“Do you want me to help you take off your clothes?”
Cheeks flaming, Penelope shook her head. She could already feel the back of her gown gaping and he’d already undone enough of her corset that she was certain she would be able to take the rest off herself.
“No, I think I will be alright.”
“Alright, then I shall wait outside while you change. Call me inside when you’re ready?”
Smiling shyly, Penelope nodded and she watched as Colin left their room, shutting the door quietly behind him. With the door shut, Penelope rushed over to her wardrobe and took out her night clothes before closing it again. Moving over to the mirror, with fumbled fingers Penelope removed her jewellery and her gown. Looking down at her hands, unsure what the protocol was in regards to her rings. Should she take them off? Would they get in the way when she and Colin… Shaking her head, Penelope decided to leave her rings on. If they were an issue and she needed to take them off, she could do that later. Turning her attention back to the mirror, Penelope removed the remainder of her clothes, and grabbed for her nightgown, slipping it on over her head. She picked up her robe, ready to put it on but then set it down again and she grabbed her bottle of lotion off of her dresser. Conscious of how long Colin had been outside, she made light work of moisturising her body and then sprayed herself with a little bit of her perfume. Slipping her robe on, she tied it around her waist and quickly cleared her face of the make up that Rae had put a great effort into doing for her earlier in the day. Penelope looked at her powders and pomades on her table but decided against applying anything to her face. While she didn’t like her freckles being on show, she didn’t see the need to hide them from Colin.
Taking one last look at herself, Penelope nodded at her reflection, content with that she was seeing. Picking up her discarded clothes, she hastily folded it up and shoved it into her wardrobe, making a mental note to sort them tomorrow, but she didn’t have the time now. Stepping towards the door, she was unsure whether she should open the door and tell him to come inside or if she should call out to him. Just before she decided on what to do though, she decided she wanted to do a few little things so round their room to set the mood, the way Rae had done on their wedding night. As quietly as possible, Penelope went around the room, dimming some of the lanterns while turning others off completely. For their wedding night, Rae had laid their bed with different sheets, satin one, but Penelope didn’t think she had the time to do that. Taking inventory of their room one last time, Penelope decided she had done the best she could. It was time for her husband to come back.
“Colin?” She called out and the waited.
She could hear him shuffling on the other side of the door and then it slowly opened as he came inside. Penelope’s breath hitched as she watched her husband tentatively enter their bedroom, his shirt off and his suspended off his shoulders. She had only seen him like this once before, and she felt her mouth go dry as she took in the hard planes of his body, the smattering of dark hair on his chest that trailed down his body and into his breeches.
Shutting the door behind him, Colin walked over to Penelope, his eyes darkening with every step he took towards her, his eyes moving from her face to her neck to her chest. She watched as he swallowed, his eyes fixed on her chest. Looking down at herself, Penelope noticed how her gown and robe did little to conceal the fact that her nipples were tight peaks, waiting for his attention.
“Colin…”
In one swift move, Colin drew Penelope into himself, her body pressing against his, his breath tickling her face as he struggled to maintain his composure. With a gentle finger, he tilted her face up to himself, bringing her face to his.
“You have no idea, how desperately I want you. How thoughts of you in this gown, splayed out on our bed for me, has plagued my mind. I close my eyes and there you are, in this gown, urging me to come to you, to touch you.”
A shiver ran down Penelope’s spine as she rose up on her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“I wish to strip you of your clothes, tantalising slowly, until you beg me to stop torturing you.” Colin continued, his hands moving up and down her arms.
“Colin…” she moaned against his lips, her fingers tightening at the base of his neck. “Please.”
“Do you want that Pen? Do you want me to unravel you slowly?”
“Yes, please!”
Content with her response, in one swift movement, Colin lifted Penelope into his arms, causing her to squeal in both shock and delight.
“Colin! What are you doing!”
“Carrying my wife to our bed so that we can begin our wedding night.”
“Put me down! I am much too heavy.”
“No, you truly are not.”
Walking over to the edge of the bed, Colin gently placed Penelope down onto the sheets, noticing the way she gulped as her fingers stayed on the back of his neck, keeping him close to herself. Placing his knees onto the bed, Colin moved over her, his lips finding hers in yet another fierce kiss. Settling over her comfortably, Colin tilted his head to the side slightly as he coaxed her mouth open, his tongue finding hers once more as they duelled for dominance, his hips moving on their own accord against hers. Penelope moaned at the feel of his hard, thick length pressing into her and she found her legs falling open on their own volition, needing to get a better feel of him. When one particular roll of his hips brushed against her just right, she grabbed at his waist, lifting her own hips against his and rolled her body against his experimentally. When she felt that friction again, her head tipped back in pleasure as she moaned his name.
Looking down at her flushed cheeks and her kiss swollen lips, Colin couldn’t help but smile. Holding her hips against himself, he moved his body against hers with renewed purpose, controlling his movements just so that he could keep brushing against that spot that was making her moan like so.
“Do you like that Pen?”
“Mhmm… Please don’t stop.”
Stopping had been the last thing on his mind so knowing that she wanted him to keep going was more than enough to motivate him. As he kept a firm hold on her hips, he lowered himself to her face again, kissing her cheeks and then trialing his kisses down her face. Penelope grasped at Colin’s strong arms, her fingers pressing into his bicep as she kept moving against him, feeling a coil begin to tighten within her. Pushing at her robe, Colin exposed Penelope’s shoulder to himself and he truly felt like a green lad the way his cock stiffened at the sight of her smooth, creamy skin.
“Oh Pen…” Colin groaned as he kissed along the side of her neck and then onto her shoulder and chest.
Head beginning to fog, Penelope looked down at her husband whose hands were beginning to squeeze her experimentally. She watched as he brought his hand up to her breast and squeezed ever so lightly, making her insides flutter once more. With renewed purpose, Colin pulled one side of her nightgown down as much as he could, revealing the swell of her breast to him as he squeezed her flesh gently with the other hand.
“You are so beautiful Penelope.”
“I… You are too.”
That made Colin chuckle and he took the opportunity to pull away from her slightly. With his arms around her, Colin pulled Penelope up into a sitting position and he ran his fingers along her cheek once more. Pushing at her robe, Colin watched as it slid down her arms and pooled around her on the bed. Even in the dimmed light of the bedroom, her skin glowed and Colin found himself unable to stop himself from pulling her into his arms, bringing her onto his lap as he kissed her again, his lips urgent and hungry against hers. Wrapping her arms around him, Penelope sunk her fingers into his hair, pulling his face even closer to hers as her tongue tangled with his, making them both groan.
Hands planted on her hips, he squeezed, her insides clenching with need. The soft silk under his fingers had Colin tensing, needing more. Pulling her gown up, he bared the lower half of her body, leaving only one layer of clothing between them. Penelope blushed at the feel of her naked self against his breeches, the friction causing havoc to her senses. But it felt so good and she found herself rolling her hips urgently against him, chasing the feeling that was building between her thighs. Penelope clutched at Colin’s shoulders, her fingers digging almost painfully into his skin. Unable to hold back any more, Colin grabbed at the hem of Penelope’s night gown and dragged it over her head, throwing it aside and letting his eyes feast on her perfect, curvaceous body.
“Oh lord.” Colin groaned, watching her nipples pucker up under his gaze.
Feeling uncomfortably tight in his breaches, Colin undid the button and loosened his belt, wanting nothing more than to pull his trousers away, but he knew that if he did that, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from plunging into her, and right now, he wanted to make up for lost time, wanted to make her feel good before he concerned himself with his own pleasure.
In one swift move, grabbing her by the hips, Colin lay Penelope down onto the bed, his eyes dragging over her body as he took in every inch of her. She squirmed under his gaze, her hands coming up in an attempt to cover her breasts, but he caught hold of them, shaking his head.
“Do not hide yourself from me. I need to see you Pen.”
“Colin…”
“Spread your legs for me.”
“Wha-what?”
“Spread your legs, so I can see how much you want me.”
Eyes widening, Penelope hesitated for a moment, unsure if she could dare to be so bold, but one look at Colin’s wrecked expression was enough to reassure her. Her experience with men and with intimate relations was limited, but there was no doubt that her husband wanted her. His eyes were almost black and he looked as though he would cry if she denied him. As Colin scooted back slightly, Penelope slowly spread her legs, keeping her eyes on her husband. She watched as his eyes went from her face to her breasts to between her legs and she noticed the way he licked his lips. Spreading her legs just enough, she stopped and waited to see what Colin would do next. His breathing hitch, swallowing hard as he closed the distance between them again.
“God, Pen…” he moved slowly, his hands squeezing her thighs before carrying on higher up her body.
Lowering himself to the bed, Colin went down onto his belly, two of his fingers pushing into his wife, making her jolt slightly. Pulling his fingers back out, he held them up to Penelope showing her his fingers coated in her wet, slippery moisture.
“Would you look at that Pen, it seems you do want me.”
Blushing, Penelope nodded. She knew enough to know now that when there was moisture between her legs in this manner, it was because of her husband. She had never experienced it before, not until she and Colin had begun to get intimately acquainted, but she found herself feeling moisture gather between her legs more and more whenever she thought about Colin or about the things that they did together. Penelope watched Colin with rampant fascination, watching him examine his fingers. What would he do? Would he wipe them on the bed?
Turning his attention back to Penelope, he looked her in the eyes as he slowly, ever so slowly brought his fingers to his mouth. Surely he wasn’t about to… Penelope’s mouth fell open as Colin sucked his fingers into his mouth, his eyes shutting and a deep guttural groan leaving him. Unable to believe that he’d done that, Penelope kept watching him, unsure what he was going to do next.
Eyes opening, his midnight blue ones met her sky blue ones.
“You’re delicious Pen.”
“I…”
Unsure what to say, Penelope settled on shaking her head, not knowing what else there was to say.
“If I can never eat anything again but as long as I had you, I would be satiated.”
“Colin…”
He lowered himself down the bed, his face moving close to her body once more. He kissed her hip, gentle kisses while ever so slowly moving around to her pelvic bone and placing the lightest of kisses there. Penelope jolted in surprise, but she looked down at her husband, curious to see what he would do next. One hand crept into his hair, clutching ever so slightly while the other was on the sheets beside her. Pressing a few more kisses, he looked up at her, trying to get a read on what she was feeling. She was looking back at him with curiosity and fire in her eyes. That was enough for him.
Lightly dusting more kisses to her pelvic bone and moving down, Colin used his fingers to he open her up to himself. Penelope curled her fingers in his hair and the sheets, her body tensing ever so slightly, but the moment his lips touched her there, she felt herself unfurl, her head falling back against the pillow.
“Oh goodness…” Penelope moaned, her fingers pressing into his scalp.
Taking her contented moans as a good sign, Colin licked her, from top to bottom and then up again. Clutching his hair, Penelope rolled her hips against him, urging him to go on. He kept up his ministrations, licking her at a languid pace before finally wrapping his lips around her clit and sucking. Penelope’s back arched off the bed, her eyes wide as she grabbed onto his hair for dear life.
“Oh lord!”
Draping his arm across her stomach, Colin scooted closer as he held her down, his lips firmly around her clit, sucking as he pushed two fingers inside her. Penelope squirmed and twisted, her fingers almost painfully tight in Colin’s hair but he had no intention to ease up. She was close, he could feel it in the way her muscles were contracting around his fingers. Her moans were getting progressively louder, his name falling from her lips over was over again like a prayer. Lifting her head, Penelope looked down at her husband, who raised his own head upon feeling her moving. He gave her a lopsided grin, his perfect curls falling onto his forehead before he dipped his head again, carrying on his ministrations, his fingers pressing against that spot deep within her and coaxing her towards the finish line. Penelope flopped back down onto the bed, her thighs beginning to shake uncontrollably around Colin’s head. As Colin curled his fingers and caressed that spot deep within her while simultaneously sucking her clit, Penelope fell off the edge, bright white light exploding behind her eyes as she felt her entire body twitch and convulse. Colin slowed the movement of his fingers, as he pressed gentle kisses to the tops of her inner thighs, working her down from her high.
While her body was still twitching from overstimulation, Colin moved back up her body, kissing her gently as he cupped her face.
“Are you alright?” He murmured against her lips.
“I… What was that?” Penelope asked breathlessly, her eyes still partially glazed over with lust.
“Did you enjoy it?” Colin asked simply as he wrapped his arm around her waist and rest his head on the pillow beside hers.
“Well I… Yes I…” feeling her entire body heat with embarrassment and desire, Penelope fell silent as she tucked her face into Colin’s neck.
Chuckling quietly, his finger found her chin as he lifted her face out from the crook of his neck so that he could look into her eyes.
“You have no reason to feel shy Pen. What happens between us in our marital chamber, is our business. It does not matter what we do and how we do it, as long as we have each others consent and we are making each other happy, we are free to do whatever we wish with one another.”
Biting her lip, Penelope nodded as her fingers played with the hairs on his chest. She didn’t know what to say, there was nothing for her to add to what he had said, but his words were reassuring. It was good to know that they had the freedom to explore their desire for one another, that she didn’t need to feel restricted to what they could or could not do. Curious to where the boundaries were, she moved closer to him, her lips brushing over his as her hands began to wander. With a featherlight touch, Penelope toyed with the hairs on Colin’s chest, twirling the strands with her finger and then slowly dragging her finger down his chest, following the line of hair. Her fingers ran over his torso and she felt the way his stomach tensed under her touch. His body was so hard, so muscular compared to hers. She carried on following the line of hair and only lifted her eyes to his when she reached the waistband of his breeches. His eyes were dark, almost black as he looked back at her, waiting with bated breath to see what she would do.
With slightly trembling fingers, Penelope attempted to undo the remaining buttons of Colin’s breeches, her eyes flicking from him and then back down to her task at hand. She swallowed hard as she noticed the way the bulge in his breeches looked bigger than when she had first started attempting to undo his clothes. Her hands were shaking noticeably and Colin noticed that she was struggling to undo his buttons. Catching hold of her hands, Colin stopped her in her tracks and Penelope lifted her brows, curious as to why he was stopping her.
“What are you trying to do Pen?”
“I… I wish to undo your breeches.”
“Why?” Colin asked simply.
Cheeks turning red, Penelope’s mouth fell open, taken aback that he was asking her this question. Wasn’t it obvious why she wanted him to undress? Slamming her mouth shut, she shook her head as she attempted to move away from him slightly, but Colin caught hold of her arm.
“Do you wish for me to be as naked as you are?” Colin questioned, a filthy grin on his lips.
Penelope hummed in response and Colin decided to go easy on his wife. There was no need to tease her, not tonight of all nights. Moving back, he rose onto his knees and hastily pulled off the belt he had already undone and then made light work of the remaining buttons on his breeches. With the last button undone, he pushed his trousers down, his cock springing free. Penelope’s eyes widened as she looked at his thick, hard length, standing proud and ready for her. She wanted to touch it, wanted to know what it would feel like in her hands. Reaching for it, she ran a gentle finger along the length of it and gasped as she felt it twitch under her touch. Her eyes flew to Colin’s and he simply nodded a little nod, urging her to go on.
With a little more confidence, Penelope wrapped her hand around his length, initially just holding it and then giving it a little squeeze.
“It’s… It’s very hard.”
“I…” He was struggling to think straight. Here was his wife, butt naked with her hand around his cock. “I am extremely aroused at the moment, so yes. I… It gets hard when…”
“Is it because of me?” Her question was innocent, a touch of insecurity in her voice.
Colin couldn’t stand for that, he couldn’t stand it that his wife was unsure whether or not this was a physiological reaction he was having because of her. He needed her to know that she did this to him. That no one else ever had him throbbing in his breeches the way she did.
“Yes Pen, this is all because of you. Having you here, in our bed, touched you… My body is aching for you Penelope.”
Knowing the impact that she had on him was thrilling and Penelope tightened her hold on his manhood, giving it another little squeeze. Colin groaned, the feeling of her hand on him only heightening his need for her, his need to claim her.
“Run your hand up and down it.” Colin ground out, needing her to do something before he embarrassed himself by coming from just being held by her.
It took Penelope a second to figure out what he meant, but when she did, she gave him a little nod and her hand began to move, slowly at first. She stroked down his shaft, keeping a relatively firm hold on him, and when she got to the base, she pulled back up again. She watched as her hand moved up and down his length, fascinated by the way the skin moved with her touch. A bead of precum glistened at the head of his cock and Penelope ran her thumb over it experimentally, curious as to what to do with it. Keeping her eyes on his, she spread it out with her thumb and used it to lubricate the top of his shaft, as she ran her hand down his length again. She liked the way her hand moved down his length more easily and from the look on his face, she figured he liked this too. Penelope kept up her ministrations, her eyes going from Colin’s face to between his legs, a sense of thrill running through her knowing that she was able to elicit such reactions from her husband.
Colin could feel his pleasure building and as much as he was enjoying himself, Colin didn’t want to come in his wife’s hand, not before he’d even had the opportunity to sink inside her. Catching hold of her hand, Colin shook his head as he pushed his breeches down his legs and pulled them off, throwing them aside. He noticed the way that Penelope’s eyes widened as she took in the full expanse of his naked body, her lip catching between her teeth.
Laying her back down onto the bed properly, on her back, Colin moved over her, nudging her legs apart and settling between her thighs as his fingers brushed through her hair, lowering his mouth to hers. They shared a hungry kiss, teeth nipping on lips, tongues pressing against the other before curling together. Penelope rolled her hips against Colin’s, relishing the feel of his hard length pulsing against her. She wanted him so much, needed it more than she needed air. Breaking the kiss, Penelope looked at him with glazed eyes, chest heaving, her heavy breasts rising at a hypnotic pace.
“Colin…”
“I want you.” He groaned, his hold firm on her thigh.
“I do too.”
“I have been thinking about this, about us, for longer than I wish to admit.”
“I have too.” Penelope whispered, her breath hitching.
Groaning, Colin felt his cock stiffen again, all his blood running into his already too hard appendage.
“I can’t wait anymore.” Colin ground out as he rocked his body against hers.
“Neither can I.”
Giving himself a few solid pumps, Colin brought himself to Penelope’s entrance. She looked up at him with eager eyes, her body arching towards him in anticipation. But looking into her beautiful, trusting, kind eyes, Colin felt his resolve falter.
Shaking his head, he moved off of Penelope, covering his face with a hand. He couldn’t do this. Not after… He couldn’t.
Confused, Penelope pulled on the blankets to cover her body as she sat up slightly, reaching for his hand.
“Colin, Colin what is the matter?”
Without removing his hand, he shook his head again.
“Colin please, tell me what the matter is? Did I… Did I do something to…”
“No!” Colin pulled his hand away quickly and shook his head. Regardless of what was going through his mind, he couldn’t allow Penelope to believe that he was pulling away because of her. “No, you didn’t do anything. I just…”
“What?” She asked gently, her hand running up and down his arm.
“I do not think… I am not…”
With a frustrated groan, Colin shook his head again as he looked away. Unsure what to do, Penelope simply sat beside him, her hand stroking up and down his arm as she waited. The desperation she had been feeling for him was beginning to subside and concern filled her body.
“Please speak to me Colin. Do not pull away from me again.”
Taking a deep breath, Colin nodded and sat up, leaning his back against the headboard as he pulled the covers up to to his waist. Penelope sat comfortably beside him, waiting for him to tell her that the matter was.
“I do not feel worthy of you.”
“Colin…” Penelope let out a exasperated sigh as she leaned into him, placing a hand on his thigh. “Please, not this again.”
“No I… I do not know how I am supposed to make love to you when I let you down the way that I did.”
“You have never let me down Colin.”
“I did. When I went against your wishes and went to speak to Cressida. When I made things worse and when she demanded more money from you… I failed you that day and I… It is my responsibility as your husband to take care of you, to ensure no one can harm you and I-“
Covering his mouth with her hand, Penelope shook her head.
“No, stop.” Penelope shuffled closer to him, her hand cupping his face. “I can tell you are spiralling again and I hate that you feel like this, but I need to remind you, you are not at fault for anything that happened. I do not wish to talk about all of that anymore though, I want us to move forward.”
“I want that too! But the guilt I feel…”
“Please Colin.” Taking his hands into her own, she squeezed, shaking her head. “Please push the guilt aside. If you allow the guilt to creep up on you, we will never be able to move forward.”
“You truly still want to be with me and move forward with me even though I’m incapable of doing the simple task of protecting you from a blackmailer?”
“As I told you before, I can take care of myself.” Penelope stated clearly. Noticing that Colin was about to protest, she squeezed his hands before carrying on. “I know, I know you want to save me and protect me. I know you feel like you need to be able to do that for me and everyone around you because you feel you are not useful otherwise, but I am telling you, as your friend and as your wife, that I don’t need you to do that for me. I simply need you to be here for me. To be present in our life together. And I need you to… To be my husband. There are many things I can do for myself, such as dealing with the likes of Cressida, but I cannot hold myself the way you do.” Penelope reached for his cheek again, cupping it as her thumb ran over his sharp jaw. “I need you to be my husband, Colin. I need you to be mine and I wish to be yours. I do not wish to be another project you feel you need to solve. I just wish to be your wife.”
Feeling his heart swoop with relief and admiration, Colin leaned into Penelope, gripping her chin and bringing her face to his in a slow, deep kiss. She ran her hands along his body, letting go of the blanket as she pressed up against him, her fingers digging into his back as she attempted to pull him closer to herself. Without breaking the kiss, Colin took ahold of the back of Penelope’s neck, cradling it as he lay her back down and moved over her. As he lay her down, she parted her thighs, giving him sufficient space to settle between them and a gasp left her as she felt his hard length brush against her folds. Breaking the kiss, Colin looked down at his wife, her flushed cheeks, her swollen lips and her heaving chest enticing him, begging him for attention.
Reaching down, Colin gave his cock a few sharp tugs, bringing himself back to optimal stiffness as he rolled his hips against hers, his hard length brushing through her folds each time.
“I love you Pen.”
“And I love you.”
It was silly, but Penelope felt her eyes fill with tears and she pulled him back to herself, kissing him to hide the fact that she was on the verge of tears. For weeks, she had believed that Colin would never love her, that he would never want her, not after everything. But here they were, in their marital bed together for the first time, so close to consummating their marriage. Without missing a beat, Colin rolled his hips against hers one more time before finally sinking into her. Back arching, Penelope’s nails dug into his shoulders as her hips lifted to meet his.
“Oh god.” Penelope moaned as Colin groaned into her neck. He held still for a moment, his cock throbbing and pulsing at finally being inside her once more.
Penelope had been anticipating some pain, but unlike last time, Colin simply slide in, no pain whatsoever. When they had made love the last time, Colin had told her that the pain would only be for the first time, but she had been slightly sceptical. Not that it deterred her from wanting to do it again, but she had braced herself for the sharp pain but nothing came.
“Are you alright?” Colin finally asked as he felt himself regain some composure.
“I’m good.” Penelope confirmed.
She wanted to ask him to move, that she needed him to do something but as far as they had come since the first time they had lain together, she still wasn’t sure she knew how to ask for what she wanted. Perhaps he had heard her thoughts, or perhaps he was just ready to move, but Colin pulled back ever so slightly, rising up onto his arms, his eyes finding hers as he slid back in again, burying himself to the hilt. He moved slowly, caution of how tight she was, relishing in the way it felt to be enveloped within her. She rolled her hips against his, meeting him thrust for thrust, urging Colin to keep going, to let him know that she could take it.
“I don’t think I can be gentle this time.” Colin ground out, his hand on her thigh, pulling it up his waist, opening her up wider, pushing into her deeper.
Penelope’s eyes rolled back into her head, her entire body on fire under his touch. She didn’t care if Colin couldn’t be gentle, all she knew was that she needed her husband. She needed him to take her however he wanted so long as he didn’t stop.
“Don’t be gentle.” She replied breathlessly, her fingers sinking into his hair to keep his head in the crook of her neck.
Wrapping her legs higher up his waist, Penelope held onto Colin as he braced himself, shifting so that he could grab ahold of the headboard with one hand and her waist with the other.
What happened next was frantic and urgent and intense. The sound of skin slapping against skin was obscene and perhaps, if Penelope wasn’t craving her husband as much as she was, she would have told him to slow down, that she didn’t want their staff to hear them. But after weeks of unresolved sexual tension and after almost losing Colin, Penelope couldn’t find it within herself to ask him to slow down, nor could she find it within herself to keep her voice down. Moans of his name and ‘god yes’ filled their bedroom as Penelope dug her heels and her nails into Colin. Colin too struggled to keep quiet as he kept muttering over and over again how good she felt, how much he loved her. He rocked into her hard and fast, one hand gripping onto the headboard for dear life as he used the other to keep ahold of her waist. He had a feeling he was going to leave marks on her, but he couldn’t find it in himself to loosen his grip and she didn’t seem to mind either, too caught up in the passion.
As he kept fucking into her, Penelope held onto him, keeping her eyes locked on his as best she could, urging him to go on, feeling her entire body tighten around him. Colin could feel she was close and dropped his hand to where they were joined, seeking out the bundle of nerves that would send her over the edge. With a few firm passes of his thumb, her legs shook around him as her inner muscles spasmed tightly until she finally came, practically in tears as she creamed around him. Colin worked her through her high, coaxing her down as he carried on thrusting lightly, his own building orgasm subsiding slightly.
Breathing hard, Penelope’s eyes fluttered open as she gazed up at her husband, brushing aside his hair that had fallen over his forehead. His hand stroked up and down her thigh, his hips still working in and out of her slowly. Penelope felt her entire body twitch from overstimulation and part of her wanted to push Colin off of herself, unable to handle all the sensations she was feeling. The feeling of him hot and hard and thick inside her, was enough for her to know that he was far from done with her yet, and knowing that alone had her roaring to go once more.
“Colin…”
“Onto your hands and knees sweetheart.” Colin murmured into her ear.”
Eyes wide, Penelope hesitated for a moment but the look of desire in Colin’s eyes was enough to make her spring into action. Though she had no idea what was about to happen, she knew that it was time for round two.
*****
Falling face first into the pillows, Penelope practically cried in pleasure as she felt hot ropes of Colin’s release hit her back and arse. Hand still pumping furiously at his cock, Colin waited until was milked of every last drop before finally letting go of his length. Every one of Colin’s limbs was screaming at him, but he ensured he cleaned Penelope and himself off before finally collapsing onto the bed beside her. Feeling her own body beginning to work again, Penelope rolled into her back and shuffled towards Colin who draped his arm around her waist as he pulled her closer, kissing the side of her face.
“That was…” Penelope started but simply shook her head and tucked herself into her husband when she struggled to verbalise her thoughts.
Colin knew what Penelope was thinking and he was thinking the exact same thing. He had never thought it could be like that. In his mind, the act of making love was always slow and gentle, but with Penelope, looking at her while she looked up at him with so much trust and adoration in her eyes, it unlocked something within him. He felt like an animal, untameable, insatiable. He wanted to consume her, completely overwhelm her and he had, that is exactly what they had done. But while he had always thought making love in such a manner would feel wrong, like he was disrespecting the woman he loved, he was feeling the complete opposite now. If anything, it felt like he had done a good job of showing her just how much he wanted her and only her.
The feeling of Penelope wrapping her arms around him and tucking her face into his arm was what brought Colin back to the present. Moving onto his back, he pulled Penelope onto his chest as he held her tight against his body.
“Are you alright?”
“More than alright.”
“I didn’t hurt you?”
“No, absolutely not.”
Colin noticed the way her eyes were beginning to droop and he felt his own doing the same, sleep almost tangible, threatening to take over. Kissing the top of her head, Colin pulled the covers over them, murmuring his love into her hair.
“I love you too Mr Bridgerton.”
“Our honeymoon begins tomorrow.”
“I cannot wait.” Penelope replied while stifling a yawn. “I have many beautiful nightgowns to show you.”
“That won’t be necessary, there is nothing that can beat your blue silk gown. Besides, why bother with clothes when you know I am simply going to have you naked in my arms the whole time anyway.”
Lighting slapping his chest, Penelope giggled as she got cosy under the covers, clinging to her husband.
After weeks of uncertainty and turmoil, they were finally on their way to happily ever after and neither of them could wait to see what life had in store for them next…