"Lord, Elis, what are you doing to me?" He groaned when she opened her mouth and drew him in, sucking the head. The sensations were too much for Royce, and he didn't think he would be able to last anymore.
"Stop." He said on a pained note and helped her up.
"Why? Was I doing it wrong?" She frowned, and Royce kissed her forehead.
"No, sweets, but when I come, I want to spill my seed inside of you." Elis blushed at his words.
Royce turned her around and settled between her thighs, his hand seeking her face for a sweet caress.
"I love you, Elis." He said as he took his cock and positioned it at her entrance. He thrust inside, ever so slowly, not wanting to hurt her.
"I love you too, Royce." Elis took his head in her hands and placed a swift kiss on his lips before she angled her hips so that he slipped wholly inside of her. They both gasped.
"You feel so good, love." He started moving in and out of her at her steady pace.
"Faster, Royce." Elis wrapped her legs behind his back. He picked up speed, pistoning in and out of her until he felt his climax nearing.
With unpracticed moves, he slipped his hand between their bodies and found her nub, touching her so that they could both find bliss together.
One stroke. Two strokes. And he came, her channel spasming around him.
Royce collapsed on top of Elis, and she held tightly onto him.
"My Elis..." He murmured.
He rolled them over so that Elis could rest her head on top of him.
"Was that... was that good for you?" He finally dared to ask, afraid that he had not been on par with her former lover.
"Oh, Royce. It was marvelous. So much better than the first time." She sighed, a dreamy expression on her face.
"First time?" He frowned at her words.
Her eyes snapped open.
"Royce... I have something to tell you. But please, don't be mad."
"What is it?"
She took a deep breath and confessed.
"I don't even know how to say this... the night of your party when I came to celebrate. We slept together." She was biting her lip, awaiting his reaction.
"What do you mean we slept together?"
"We made love... and then you didn't remember the following day, so I didn't say anything because I was afraid of ruining our friendship... and I didn't want you to marry me out of a misguided sense of honor."
"Wait." Royce suddenly lifted himself up so he could look at her better.
"You mean this is not the first time we've been together?"
Elis shook her head slightly.
"I'm so sorry I kept this from you, but I really didn't think you loved me... I didn't want you to be shackled with me just because of that."
"And the fellow...?" He trailed off.
"There was never anyone else." She admitted, lowering her gaze.
"Then the baby you're carrying... It's mine?"
"Yes. I'm so, so sorry. You have no idea. I didn't think I'd get pregnant. And then I didn't want to force you to take responsibility for something you didn't even remember." She started telling him all about that night and how she was guilty of taking advantage of him when he'd tried to stop her.
"Are you mad at me? Please don't be mad at me." Elis burrowed her face in the crook of his neck, and he felt the wetness of her tears.
"Shh, dear. I'm not mad."
"Promise?" She whispered.
"Promise. I'm maybe a little frustrated that you didn't tell me, but you have no idea how happy I am that it's my child you're carrying." His arms tightened around her.
"I love you, Royce, I truly do. I think I've loved you forever, but I was too stubborn to realize it."
"Ah, my dear Elis. It doesn't matter anymore, does it? We're married, we've consummated the marriage, and we have a baby on the way. I'd say things turned out better than I would have ever dared hope."
"Love you." She said again as she started peppering kisses all over his face.
"Love you more." Royce challenged and started tickling her.
Elis giggled and launched her own attack.
Indeed, Royce could never be mad at Elis. He might have been a little put out by the time they'd spent apart, each masking their feelings for the other's sake.
But they were together now, and he'd never been happier.
EPILOGUE
"An animal!" Miranda, their ten-year-old daughter, exclaimed. Elis nodded vigorously at the assessment and proceeded to make a show of licking her paws.
"A cat! It's a cat!" Elijah, their youngest, proclaimed, stepping in front of his sister and trying to steal the attention.
Miranda, not being one to lose at anything, shot him daggers from her eyes before tackling him.
"Easy children." Royce interrupted, coming inside the drawing-room with Hayden, their six-year-old who was clutching a book to his chest.
To distract Miranda from the game, Elijah ran towards Hayden, stealing his book and making for the veranda doors. Hayden's eyes widened like two saucers before bursting into tears.
At the sound of his sobs, Elis stopped what she was doing and dashed to Hayden's side, taking him into her arms and comforting him. Out of all their children, Hayden was the most sensitive one. He was also slightly different than the others, with an uncanny capacity for learning and memorization.
"Shh, dear. It's ok. Let me get you another book." Elis lifted him in her arms, and giving Royce a knowing look, she took Hayden towards the library to provide him with something else to focus on.
Royce shook his head at his children's antics
