Chapter 15 Lust II
He knew he’d never let her go, not now, not ever.
Heaven moaned, biting her lip to stifle the sound, terrified of being caught in the silent Richard Estate.
Her body trembled, caught between guilt and the fire he ignited.
Maverick’s hand slid between them, his fingers finding her clit, drawing fast, relentless circles.
“Ah…” Heaven’s hips bucked against him, pleasure coiled tight inside her, building until it hit its peak. She couldn’t hold back, her scream rising but he silenced her, crashing his mouth over hers, swallowing her cries.
His other hand teased her nipple, pinching as her orgasm tore through her, leaving her shaking beneath him.
He wasn’t done. Maverick flipped her onto her stomach, her face pressed into the bed. Heaven whimpered as he shoved into her again, chasing his own release.
His hips slammed against her, consistently. He pulled her up, her back hitting his chest, his hands cupping her breasts, squeezing hard.
“You feel so fucking good, Heaven,” he growled, thrusting harder, his voice raw with need. “So fucking good for me.”
With one final, brutal thrust, Maverick groaned, his release spilling into her, hot and thick.
His body shuddered, and they collapsed together, his arms still locked around her trembling frame, sweat gummed their skin.
He pulled out, and rolled to the side, their heavy breaths and the smell of sex filled the room. The fire that had consumed him dulled.
"Fuck, you satisfy the hell in me, Heaven."
Heaven was spent, her body heavy, her mind blank. She didn’t want to think about Boyle, about guilt, about the sin they’d just drowned in.
She closed her eyes, letting exhaustion pull her under.
Maverick’s phone rang, he listened to the other end, his expression unreadable. Without a word, he stood, put on his clothes, and left.
\~~~~~~~~~~
Heaven stood dazed in the kitchen the next morning. When she had opened her eyes, the space beside her was empty; he had left like he had never been there.
The ache in her body was the first reminder of the events that happened the day before.
Just hours earlier, she had bowed a hundred times before Boyle’s altar, each kneel a punishment for leaving the house while in mourning only to return and submit to his brother’s ruthless claim.
In between her legs were sore, her steps awkward, yet she forced herself to move. Duty pressed down on her chest. She needed to go to Boyle’s altar, to light the incense, replace the wax, and play the part of the grieving widow.
It was her role, one she couldn’t escape no matter how tainted or guilty she felt inside.
She saw her reflection in the mirror as she passed. Her brown hair was tangled from the night before. Her hazel eyes stared back at her. She was drawn between the wife she was supposed to be and the woman she had become in his hands.
She had even begged him to….
He had been careful not to leave marks on her body but he had left one far deeper, carved into her mind.
His voice still echoed in her head “You’re mine to ruin.”
“Young madam,” a voice called softly behind her.
Heaven didn’t hear, lost in the fog of her thoughts.
“Young madam!” The tone sharpened, and a gentle tap on her arm startled her. She blinked, her daze breaking.
The teacup in her hand had overflowed. The hot liquid had scalded her skin, but she hadn’t even felt it.
“Oh!” She gasped, dropping the pot. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry,” she stammered, grabbing a cloth with trembling hands.
The servant looked horrified, her eyes wide. “Young madam, your hand….!”
Heaven sat silently moments later as Butler Rose dabbed ointment over the burn. The sting on her skin was nothing compared to the ache twisting through her chest. Her life had become too tangled, too fragile to make sense of anymore.
“She wasn’t usually like this,” Butler Rose murmured after a long silence.
“Huh?” Heaven looked up, blinking.
“Your mother-in-law,” Rose said softly. “She was kind once. Full of life. Until the young master’s death.”
The older woman sighed. “She blames herself, you know. They argued the day before he left for the mission. She believes he went to his death because of it.”
Heaven’s swallowed and asked what had been meaning to know.
“What was my husband like?” her voice barely above a whisper. She needed to know something about the man she was mourning.
Rose’s lips curved faintly, a wistful smile touched her face.
“The young master was gentle. Warm. He treated everyone with respect, regardless of rank. He… had an accident a few years ago. It changed him and the family. After that, he didn’t want to marry. He said he couldn’t give a woman children so he didn’t want to trap anyone in a loveless bond.”
Rose hesitated, her gaze flickered towards Heaven. “The rumors were cruel. The madam… she couldn’t stand them. So she decided to find him a wife...” The older woman stopped herself, realizing she’d said too much.
Heaven’s eyes lowered. She already knew her husband was impotent.
But at least the man who she prayed for every morning and night… The man who she had married without meeting was kind, and gentle. That was something.
Rose hesitated again, her tone shifted slightly. “Young madam….”
Heaven looked up.
“The night I asked you to send the second young master’s uniform to his room…” Rose’s voice trailed off, eyes searching Heaven’s face.
“Did you meet him there?”