the one satisfying her?”
“Me, of course!”
“Are you sure she’s talking about you?”
“Yes.”
“But how can that be possible when you haven’t read the book? I know you came into your marriage as pure as the day you were born, so you haven’t had any experience in this area.”
“I don’t have to read the book to know what to do to make her happy. These things are guided by instinct.” Why was he wasting his time? All Christopher wanted to do was goad him along, to get a reaction out of him. When was he going to learn to act as if nothing his cousin said or did could bother him?
“You know what I think?”
Narrowing his eyes, he snapped, “No, and I don’t care to.”
Not to be deterred, he continued, “I think she told you she’s satisfied with you because she didn’t want to hurt your feelings.” When Perry shook his head, he added, “Are you familiar with how a lady cries out or how her body clenches when she climaxes?”
This conversation was much too personal. Perry could only blame himself for letting it get this far. He turned to head out of the room when his cousin darted in front of him, a knowing grin on his face. Perry stepped back, quickly using his cane to regain his balance.
“You would know exactly what I’m talking about if you read the book,” Christopher pressed. “The book is a gift I gave you for Paula’s sake. It’s not hard to satisfy a gentleman but it can be tricky to adequately satisfy a lady. You needn’t look so offended. I read the book. Contrary to what you believe, I hadn’t known a lady intimately before I married Agatha. What I read in that book helped me immensely. And I’m not the only gentleman who’s read it. Your good friend Nate has too, and we both know how happy his wife is. There’s no way she’d be smiling otherwise.”
“Nate is good to Claire.”
“Only in bed.”
“He’s good to her at other times, too.”
Christopher shook his head. “You have a blind spot when it comes to your friend. But it is what it is, so I must accept it. Listen, I’m not trying to be mean by giving you that book to read. I just want you to have the kind of intimate life that I have. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do your part to pleasure your wife. It’s not a sign of weakness to learn how to do that.”
“You’re much too bold in areas you shouldn’t be. Now, if you don’t get out of my way, I’m going to hit you with my cane.”
For the first time since he’d become Christopher’s guardian, he stared at him, silently challenging him to make him use his cane to knock some sense into him. After a tense moment, Christopher finally looked heavenward and stepped aside.
Relieved, Perry headed out of there, moving as fast as he could with his limp to slow him down. He didn’t feel like staying here anymore. He found the ladies in the drawing room, giggling at something Claire said.
Agatha was the first to notice him. “Perry, is something wrong?”
“I don’t wish to stay here anymore. Paula, would you mind going home early tonight?”
Paula shook her head and rose to her feet. “No, I don’t mind.” Smiling at the ladies, she added, “Thank you for a lovely evening.”
He offered a bow before he escorted his wife out of the room, glad she didn’t argue with him. It’d been apparent that her evening was going better than his, and she probably wanted to stay longer. It wasn’t until they were in the carriage that she asked him why he wanted to leave early.
“I just didn’t feel like staying,” he replied.
Even as he said it, he knew it was a weak answer. But he couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth. With any luck, she’d never find out about that blasted book and how insistent Christopher was that he read it.
“All right.” She kissed him on the cheek. “It just means we have more time alone.”
Growing uneasy at the thought of doing
“Me, of course!”
“Are you sure she’s talking about you?”
“Yes.”
“But how can that be possible when you haven’t read the book? I know you came into your marriage as pure as the day you were born, so you haven’t had any experience in this area.”
“I don’t have to read the book to know what to do to make her happy. These things are guided by instinct.” Why was he wasting his time? All Christopher wanted to do was goad him along, to get a reaction out of him. When was he going to learn to act as if nothing his cousin said or did could bother him?
“You know what I think?”
Narrowing his eyes, he snapped, “No, and I don’t care to.”
Not to be deterred, he continued, “I think she told you she’s satisfied with you because she didn’t want to hurt your feelings.” When Perry shook his head, he added, “Are you familiar with how a lady cries out or how her body clenches when she climaxes?”
This conversation was much too personal. Perry could only blame himself for letting it get this far. He turned to head out of the room when his cousin darted in front of him, a knowing grin on his face. Perry stepped back, quickly using his cane to regain his balance.
“You would know exactly what I’m talking about if you read the book,” Christopher pressed. “The book is a gift I gave you for Paula’s sake. It’s not hard to satisfy a gentleman but it can be tricky to adequately satisfy a lady. You needn’t look so offended. I read the book. Contrary to what you believe, I hadn’t known a lady intimately before I married Agatha. What I read in that book helped me immensely. And I’m not the only gentleman who’s read it. Your good friend Nate has too, and we both know how happy his wife is. There’s no way she’d be smiling otherwise.”
“Nate is good to Claire.”
“Only in bed.”
“He’s good to her at other times, too.”
Christopher shook his head. “You have a blind spot when it comes to your friend. But it is what it is, so I must accept it. Listen, I’m not trying to be mean by giving you that book to read. I just want you to have the kind of intimate life that I have. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do your part to pleasure your wife. It’s not a sign of weakness to learn how to do that.”
“You’re much too bold in areas you shouldn’t be. Now, if you don’t get out of my way, I’m going to hit you with my cane.”
For the first time since he’d become Christopher’s guardian, he stared at him, silently challenging him to make him use his cane to knock some sense into him. After a tense moment, Christopher finally looked heavenward and stepped aside.
Relieved, Perry headed out of there, moving as fast as he could with his limp to slow him down. He didn’t feel like staying here anymore. He found the ladies in the drawing room, giggling at something Claire said.
Agatha was the first to notice him. “Perry, is something wrong?”
“I don’t wish to stay here anymore. Paula, would you mind going home early tonight?”
Paula shook her head and rose to her feet. “No, I don’t mind.” Smiling at the ladies, she added, “Thank you for a lovely evening.”
He offered a bow before he escorted his wife out of the room, glad she didn’t argue with him. It’d been apparent that her evening was going better than his, and she probably wanted to stay longer. It wasn’t until they were in the carriage that she asked him why he wanted to leave early.
“I just didn’t feel like staying,” he replied.
Even as he said it, he knew it was a weak answer. But he couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth. With any luck, she’d never find out about that blasted book and how insistent Christopher was that he read it.
“All right.” She kissed him on the cheek. “It just means we have more time alone.”
Growing uneasy at the thought of doing
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