“Get your dress on. I need to take you home so we can do this again.”
Her eyes lit up. “Again?”
He smiled that devastating grin that lit up his whole face and crinkled the corner of his eyes. “Yes, again and again.”
“I love you so much, Ryon Ward. Have I ever told you that?”
“I believe you have, but feel free to say it often and freely.”
“Well then, I love you, husband, and I mean it. It’s scary in a way.”
The way he sighed told her how he felt more than words could. He understood exactly what she was talking about, and he agreed.
“Pen, love isn’t something I feel for many people. You’re it for me. And that’s all there is to it.”
They set off into the night for home, joking about their horse, which had become untethered and run off. It was the best walk she’d ever taken, because she had her husband holding her hand the whole way.
Chapter 19
Three Weeks Later
Penelope glanced at her husband coyly for the fifth time since he’d come into Prima Donna’s.
She was just wrapping up her shift at the dance hall. The ballet business was booming more than ever, thanks to all the mishaps surrounding her Claiming Ceremony. Plus, it helped that she married the greatest war hero alive. With the new burst in audience attendance, Penelope and the other dancers were in talks to create longer shows. It was all exciting because it meant she could dance more. Second to her love of her husband, was her love of dance.
Her husband waited near the back of the hall where he could easily slip backstage and go to her room. Ryon had been very busy of late, leaving less time for them to eat a meal together, let alone spend any real time together.
She was itchy—with want. From the look of his bunched shoulders and furrowed brow, her husband was pent up as well. Oh how she looked forward to rectifying that.
Penelope and the other dancers finished their reel and strolled off stage to the crowd’s applause.
“Great run!” a dancing girl told her.
“You too!” Penelope replied, already turning toward her room.
Ryon stepped into the hall from the opposite end of the tunnel backstage and they each marched toward her dressing room. She was so hot for him—did he know?
His eyes caressed her body with hungry sweeps over her sequined, fitted dress. Her breath caught in anticipation.
He opened her dressing room door. She stepped inside, and he followed behind her. The door shut with a soft snap. Nerves tingled in her belly.
As soon as she turned around, he was there swarming her, cupping her cheek and leaning down for a kiss. The kiss turned wet and hot. Her back hit the door.
“I missed you too,” she said, kissing her way up to the stubble covering square jaw.
He grunted. She was learning he wasn’t much for words once the foreplay started. Unless they were to praise her, which he did often.
He cupped her breasts, pulling them out of their binding as she worked quickly on opening the ties at the back of her costume. The snaps opened, ties became loose, and he slammed his mouth down on hers as he worked on pulling her panties down her legs.
She opened his trousers, stroking his cock as she found it.
“Damn, I missed you,” he said.
She smiled. He lifted her up, her bare bottom finding the cool wood door, her feet wrapping loosely around his hips. His cock nudged her wet folds. She twitched, ready for him.
Then everything came to a crashing halt.
A knock on the door. Penelope jumped. She nearly screamed, so startled was she, but Ryon slapped his hand across her mouth in the nick of time.
“Who’s there?” The words came out more like, “Oo’s dare?” with Ryon’s hand covering her mouth.
Talk about poor timing. Neither she nor Ryon appeared to want to stop.
In fact, he nudged her wet folds with his cock, teasing her with what could be.
“It’s Tarina, your boss. Great show, but I wanted to talk to you about the next program.” The door knob rattled.
Penelope and Ryon froze. Luckily, one of them had remembered to throw the lock. They collectively sighed in relief.
The locked door was enough privacy for Ryon. He settled in with his hands holding her up by the waist—and his cock pressed to her slit entrance.
On a wet glide, he slid in.
To keep from moaning, she bit her lip—then his neck as he started working his long length in and out of her. Oh, God, it felt incredible! It’d been far too long since she’d had sex with her husband. How was it that he felt even bigger and harder than before?
“Can we talk about it later?” she gasped.
They’d been days without this. Going from having making love often to not at all had been like torture. The pleasure now was too exquisite. She was going to come apart in a matter of seconds. Ryon knew it too, as he started rubbing her bud with his thumb and sinking into her harder.