Dangerous in Diamonds - Madeline Hunter [101]
Her mind started to darken, the way it did as fulfillment beckoned. The pleasure and her essence reached for that wonderful ecstasy. He held her hips still and took over so she could not escape the way he moved and how he made her come alive to that erotic pressure.
There was no crash of release this time. Instead an eddy of sparkling pleasure coursed through her body. No obliteration of self occurred. No escape either. She remained fully aware of every nuance of how that flow moved and affected her, until it seemed to enter her heart and soul.
She collapsed on him, spent, without any defenses to the mood now. And so she could not ignore the shadow of sadness in her, still there once the pleasure that had obscured it passed.
It was because of Katherine, she supposed. She had to smile at the way she still thought of her as Katherine, because she now knew for certain her name was not Katherine Johnson at all. She had not pressed for the real one. As long as Katherine remained in England, it would be best if none of them knew her real identity.
Castleford’s arms encompassed her, as if he guessed her sorrow and knew the reason. He had not seen their parting, of course. But as soon as Mr. Edwards had called for that carriage, Daphne had known that she would never see her latest sister again.
She felt his kiss on her hair. “I think that makes it five times today,” he said. “We are a better pair than I imagined. I am pleased to discover you are as insatiable as I am.”
She had to laugh. She had required this fifth time. She had felt so bereft when she saw Katherine roll away in that carriage with Mr. Edwards that she had turned to a friend for comfort and initiated matters on her own. Whoever had expected her to see this man filling the role of comforting friend and in this way?
“Where do you think they are?” she asked. “How far would they have gotten by now?”
“I don’t know what you mean. I expect Mr. Edwards to return from the bank any minute now.”
She turned so she could see his face. “Since you may be asked questions about them, it may be best if you know what will be said so you are not too startled.”
“I get to know all of it, and not only ‘enough’ this time? I may faint from shock at the honor.”
She did not miss the sardonic note in his voice or the allusion to another “enough.”
“She ran away after protecting herself from the brute. She cut his arm when he began beating her one night, and she dared not go back after that. He might only beat her worse for it, or he could have her transported by laying down information.”
“In other words, you have been harboring a criminal at The Rarest Blooms.”
“In a manner of speaking, perhaps.”
“Unfortunately, there is no other manner of speaking about this. Still, I am doubly glad that I sent Mr. Edwards on that errand today.”
“I know that I am.” She kissed his chest. “I am also very grateful to you for doing this.”
He made a display of looking at how they remained bound. “For this? The gratitude is all mine, I am sure. I was delighted that you insisted on dragging me to bed, even if it was not my bed. This one is much smaller. I did not even know this chamber was on this level.”
The housekeeper had known, however. She had brought Daphne here to refresh herself.
They could have gone to Castleford’s bed, of course. It wasn’t far away. When she lured him into passion, however, she discovered her heart rebelling against lying with him in that bed where so many women had lain before.
“I favor this chamber myself,” she said. “I was speaking of helping them. But, yes, I am grateful for this too. It was the best comfort for a sad heart.”
That pleased him more than she expected. He turned them both so he could nestle above her. She realized, as she looked up at his face, that