Her hips shifted down onto what was quite clearly a growing erection. "That's it," he murmured. His single finger made lazy little circles over the seam in her pants, which rubbed against her.
She could feel her muscles tightening, feel him bringing her closer and closer to an orgasm. She clung to Byron as his finger moved faster. Her legs started to lift in response to the strain of trying to keep quiet, but Byron used his elbow to keep them down. "Do you need to come?" he whispered against her neck, his breath caressing her bare skin.
She nodded, struggling to breathe without uttering a sound. She wanted him inside of her, wanted to feel the weight of his body pinning her to the bed. She wanted to be his. God, how she wanted to be his.
"Say it," he said, and for the first time she heard how ragged his breathing was. "Tell me you need to come."
"I..." He pressed against her and held firm. Her body pulsed around his and she was afraid if she tried to talk, all she'd do was scream.
"Say it," Byron said again. "Say how much you need me to let you come."
"I need to come. Please."
Her words came out as a garbled moan, but at least Byron understood the gist of it. Without hesitation, he pressed and rubbed harder and faster until Leona came apart in his arms. Her back arched so far that, if he hadn't been holding her, she would have fallen right off his lap.
But Byron held her close as the waves of orgasm rolled through her. His touch against her sex slowed and then the pressure lightened until he was gently stroking her. When she fell forward against him, he curled both arms around her as she struggled to get her breathing back to normal. Byron stroked her hair, his arms strong around her. She could still feel his erection hard against her bottom. "You're so beautiful, babe. I want to do that to you every night."
"Just that?"
He laughed. "I'll get some new condoms or whatever you want to use, I'll cover it. Because that," he added, pausing only to kiss her on the lips, "was only the beginning."
Thirteen
Byron didn't have much to pack. He'd only taken a few suitcases with him to Europe. Everything else had gone into storage and it had stayed there when he'd moved back into the mansion.
The beds had been delivered yesterday. For some reason that was beyond his grasp getting mattresses only took a matter of days but the rest of the furniture Leona had ordered would take a couple of months. The baby furniture had also come quickly, but that was because Byron had refused to take no for an answer.
He'd arranged for the rest of his things to be delivered on Monday-his pots and pans and his knives-things that wouldn't have exactly cleared security for the flight over to Paris. He had some basic furniture that would fill the gaps until the rest was delivered.
He was loading his T-shirts into a bag when someone knocked on his bedroom door. He cringed-he didn't want to go around with Frances again. "Yes?"
But it wasn't Frances who poked her head into the room-it was Chadwick. "Hey," he said, looking stern. "Got a moment?"
It was hard to see how this visit would be a good thing. Chadwick had always been the cold, serious favorite of their father, so Byron hadn't even tried. He'd been George's favorite and that was what had mattered. As long as Byron didn't screw up any of Chadwick's plans, they existed in relative harmony.
Harmony that looked like it was about to be broken. "Sure. What's up?"
Chadwick shut the door behind him before he pulled out the chair at the antique writing desk and sat. Not good, Byron thought.
Chadwick watched as Byron tried to keep packing his bags. They'd never been close. Byron was eight years younger and Chadwick and Phillip-Byron's other, older half brother-had always been locked in a battle of wills with Matthew. Byron and Frances had been an afterthought, if anyone had thought of them at all.
Finally, Chadwick spoke. "Is there something you need to tell me?"
Damn. The only real question was who had talked-Frances or Matthew? Byron would put his money on Matthew. He ran the new Percheron Drafts with Chadwick. "Actually, I'm planning on getting married."
Chadwick's eyebrows jumped up, but he didn't say anything. He just waited.
Damn it all. Byron forced himself to keep a casual tone. "And I bought a house, so I'm going to be living there from now on." He tried to smile in a jokey manner. "I appreciate the hospitality, though."
Chadwick waved his hand dismissively. "Anytime. This will always be your home as much as mine."
Byron shrugged and started loading his socks into another bag. "So, the future bride," Chadwick went on. "Anyone we know?"
"Frances met her once. She's an old girlfriend. We broke up before I went to Europe but now that I'm back, we're together again." Which was true, in the strictest sense of the word. He was not lying. He was just omitting. Big difference.
A guilty thought hit him. That was what Leona would have thought-what she had thought.
Hell.
"I see," Chadwick said in a severe tone that made it clear he was disappointed with Byron's answer. Damn it, someone had squealed. "So the fact that our lawyers want to run a prenup with a custody agreement past me has no bearing on the situation?"
Oh, hell-the lawyers. On the bright side, at least Matthew hadn't ratted Byron out. But that probably just meant that he, Matthew and Frances were all in the doghouse for holding out on Chadwick.
"I didn't think it was relevant. I was merely taking steps to protect the family business."
"Ah." Chadwick lounged casually in the chair. He was wearing a suit, of course. Byron had trouble remembering a time when Chadwick hadn't worn suits. He probably even showered in the damn things. "Forgive me, but I fail to see how the fact that you've fathered a child is not relevant. For that matter, I don't see why you felt it was necessary to protect the family without actually telling any of us about it. Forewarned is forearmed."
Byron slumped onto the bed in defeat. "Fine. I didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd freak out on me."
"I do not 'freak out,'" Chadwick replied. "We're not children anymore. It's not like I'm going to ground you. If you have a situation and you think it might affect the family, you can tell me."
Byron had his doubts on that one. "I'm planning on marrying Leona Harper. She had our son six months ago. I only found out about him when I hired her to design the restaurant."
Byron wasn't actually sure what Chadwick freaking out would look like. As it was, he sat in the chair without moving-without even blinking. The only change was that the blood drained out of his face.
Byron waited. He supposed this was always going to happen-sooner or later Chadwick would have found out.
But he'd kept this part of himself secret for so long-with only Frances knowing anything about his entire relationship with Leona, both the good and the bad-that to announce it felt wrong.
"Leona Harper?" Chadwick actually sounded a little shaky. "As in, Leon Harper?"
"She's his oldest daughter. She has a younger sister, May."
Chadwick began to tap one finger against his pant leg faster and faster. "You're marrying into the Harper family?"
"I knew you'd freak out."
"I am absolutely not freaking out," Chadwick announced in a too-loud voice. "I'm just- She's an old girlfriend of yours?"
"We saw each other for about a year," Byron admitted. "She knew who I was, but I didn't make the connection until her father showed up at the restaurant where we both worked. I thought it was over. That's why I left."
"And the baby?"
"I didn't know she was pregnant when I left. She didn't know if I was coming back."
Chadwick suddenly leaned forward and dropped his head into his hands. "And just so I'm clear on the situation, this is the same woman who's designing our restaurant?"
"Yes." Byron had to make this sound better than it did, so he added, "She cut ties with her father shortly after we broke up. But she's concerned-legitimately, I think-that Harper might pull some stunt to try to get custody of the baby. That's why I want to get married as soon as possible-as soon as the ink is dry on the prenup."
"Harper," Chadwick muttered. "Of all the people in the world, you had to go fall for the old goat's daughter." His head popped up and he glared at Byron. "Do you have any idea what that man will do when he finds out you're back?" He shuddered.