Chapter Text
“Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?” Anthony flashed her that singularly devastating half-grin, sliding his hand up her thigh, bunching up the silky purple fabric under his palm.
“You have, actually,” she said casually, forcing herself not to shiver at the teasing touch. Anthony had some special thing for her in purple, so she could hardly pretend to be ignorant of the reaction it would elicit. But she was curious how far he might be interested in taking it. They were only a few minutes from their destination, the Bridgerton Ventures’ end-of-year employee party. Not enough time to make anything happen properly, but maybe…
“Stunning.” His breath scorched her neck as he took her earlobe between his teeth, pulling a sharp inhale from her lungs. Kate shifted in her seat, feeling the first bolts of arousal shoot straight to her core. It took frustratingly little to make her melt into his touch, and that smug arsehole knew it. Even with her eyes fluttering shut, she knew he was smirking.
Anthony’s hand dipped beneath the hem of her dress, meeting bare skin. More than he’d expected, judging by his low, drawn-out groan. “Fuck, Kate,” he growled as his fingers traced her exposed center.
“The dress didn’t look good with knickers,” she explained breathlessly, arching her back as he swiped his thumb over her clit, gathering the beginnings of her slickness to smooth his path. That was mostly the truth, although Kate was enjoying the secondary benefits of her decision as well. She slid one hand behind Anthony’s head to grasp at his hair, the other clapping over her mouth to stifle her mewl of pleasure. The partition would keep their driver, William, from getting a show, but Kate did still have at least one shred of decency left. Far too many members of the Bridgerton family and their various staff had caught her and Anthony in compromising positions already.
Kate usually put up a valiant fight to maintain their collective dignity, but…fuck it, he was her husband and he was so damn good at this. He had two fingers curled inside her, his thumb working determinedly over the knot of nerves, while he gently pulled down the neckline of her dress to suck a mark into her skin where no one else would see it. As if the pearl ring on her left hand wasn’t enough evidence that she belonged to him, now and forever.
She whimpered against her palm, the familiar flames of climax licking at her lower abdomen, her grip tightening in Anthony’s hair as he doubled his efforts and drove her straight to the edge of…
“We’re here,” William announced, knocking twice against the partition. In her haze of desire, Kate hadn’t even noticed that they'd stopped.
She turned to Anthony, who was trying his hardest to suppress a laugh. “Get rid of him!” she hissed, pleading with her eyes. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d dismissed William for a backseat romp, and while her orgasm was slipping further and further out of her reach, she was still drenched and desperate to finish on his hand.
“I have a better idea,” Anthony whispered, eyes darkening. His fingers swept her loose curls back and he leaned in until his lips were brushing the shell of her ear. “I can tell William to give us some time alone and make you come now. Or I can leave you like this, wet and aching, during the party. If you’re a good girl and don’t touch yourself, I’ll give you the best fucking orgasm of your life.” He sat back, blinking at her through dark eyelashes, waiting for her response. Kate knew he would never leave her unsatisfied unless she was willing, but she couldn’t ignore the sharp sting of excitement that flowed through her at his proposal. They’d only started to experiment with orgasm delay, but the results were never short of explosive.
“Okay,” she breathed, smoothing out her dress and his hair as best she could and taking his hand as he led her out of the car. Kate was glad she didn’t have to deal with the annoyance of soaked knickers; the arousal spread on her inner thighs wasn’t uncomfortable, but it did make her feel absolutely wicked as they entered the party and were immediately swarmed by guests.
They didn’t attend as many events as they had when Anthony was trying to become the CEO of his family’s company, but they were still obligated to attend at least a few a month. She kept the dresses now, or passed them onto Edwina if her sister had a proper occasion to wear them.
By the time Violet made her way to them, followed by Daphne and Simon, the immediate burn of her denied orgasm had passed, and Kate only felt a heightened awareness of her body, an electric current running beneath her skin, a dull pulse where Anthony had left her wanting. She could do this. Hell, she could probably outlast Anthony. Patience was not his gift.
It wasn’t until they were seated for dinner that Kate realized Anthony intended to make this a true challenge. “I can’t stop thinking about how wet you are,” he murmured in her ear, making Kate freeze in the middle of cutting a piece of fish. Violet was sat right next to her, fortunately engrossed in a conversation with Daphne. “I wish I could climb under this table right now and eat you out.”
Kate squeaked, immediately covering it up with a cough. She slapped his hand as it reached for her thigh, and he moved away, chuckling to himself. Fucking bastard.
Anthony didn’t let up for the whole next hour. His hand on her back, sliding down to squeeze her arse when no one was behind them. Did you buy this dress so I would rip it off you later? Or did you skip the knickers so I could slide right into you with the dress still on? His hand dropped from her backside just as Martin Elliott came to chat with them, Anthony’s pleased grin tipping her off that he had timed it that way, and Kate could have punched her husband in the stomach.
Pulling her close as they danced, his thumb and forefinger toying with the thin strap of her bodice, her skin on fire with every brush. You remember when we danced at that charity event? I had to walk away, or I was going to push you into some dark corner and fuck you right there. He nuzzled her jaw with his nose, sending a dangerous thrill down her spine. Now you’re my wife, and I can do whatever I want to you. I’m going to make you scream tonight, and everyone will know how good I take care of you. Right, baby?
Christ. Her knees almost gave out, and Anthony only held her tighter, his gaze downright predatory. She was so tempted to torture him back. Whisper filthy things in his ear about how badly she wanted him inside her, how the slickness on her thighs was all for him, how he could take anything he wanted from her and she would welcome it. Beg for it.
But that wasn’t the game they were playing. Not tonight, anyway.
Tonight was for her. It was overwhelming, still, being the sole object of his passion and desire. Being wanted so badly, so thoroughly. Being wanted for everything that she was. It seemed like a lifetime ago that her husband had been Anthony Bridgerton, notorious rake, card-carrying skeptic of love and commitment. Hiding behind his vices, choosing to tear himself apart rather than give someone else the power to break him.
Despite his past, Kate knew she had nothing to fear. Everything she needed was in him, and everything he needed was in her. If she’d ever had any doubts that she was enough for Anthony, he had devoted himself entirely to dispelling them. Even when they argued and bickered and pushed at each other’s limits, Kate never stopped trusting him, wanting him, loving him more than she’d ever believed herself capable of.
By the time Anthony got up to give his speech, Kate’s resolve was close to breaking. She was almost painfully electrified, her body crying out for relief, certain that if she slipped away to the bathroom now, it wouldn’t take more than a few swipes of her own fingers to leave her shuddering.
But she wouldn’t give in. If there was one thing she knew about Anthony, it was that he followed through on his word, and he would give her the earth-shattering orgasm he’d promised.
Hopefully sooner rather than later, or she might murder him first.
Kate pasted on the smile of the adoring, proud wife (she was both adoring and proud, really – Anthony as CEO was everything she knew he could be), but her eyes betrayed her pure want and she felt the glow of victory when Anthony’s gaze landed on hers and he swallowed visibly.
He wrapped up his speech, of which Kate had caught nearly nothing except a few mentions of his father and the importance of his family, and how the fuck could this man give a speech right now, there was no way he wasn’t at least half as frantic as her.
Anthony smiled, stepping off the stage, and Kate didn’t have time to offer her congratulations before he was snatching her hand and dragging her away from the crowd. It was Kate’s turn to smile smugly, keeping pace with his fast stride so it wasn’t quite so obvious that they were sneaking off like a couple of horny teenagers.
“Where are we going?” she asked, genuinely confused when Anthony led them to the elevators instead of his office. Truthfully, his office was hardly scandalous territory now – they’d hooked up there so many times that Anthony finally bought a couch, which he’d feigned as a place for quick naps, although Kate had noticed that Violet and all of his siblings studiously avoided sitting there.
Joke was on them, really. There wasn’t a spot in his office they hadn’t christened.
Anthony didn’t answer, pressing the button for the third floor. Kate clutched his hand tighter, the anticipation of the night reaching a boiling point. It felt like the barest touch might set her off, like she could come just from Anthony demanding it.
She followed him into a conference room, glancing around as he locked the door behind them. Kate had been in meetings here on occasion, but there was nothing particularly special about it.
“I fantasized about this,” he explained at her questioning look, taking several steps forward until Kate was crowded against the large, oval-shaped mahogany table. Her breathing went shallow, her core throbbing at the closeness. “That night we danced. I dreamed about taking you to a room just like this and making you mine. I wondered what it would be like to hear you moan my name. I touched myself thinking about you.” It shouldn’t have felt so forbidden, considering how often they’d been intimate since then, but his confession still sent a fresh wave of moisture down her inner thighs. She clamped them together, trying to relieve the pounding ache in her clit. “I’ve never wanted anyone like you, Kate. Only you, always you.”
“Anthony,” she whimpered, feeling like she would shatter if he didn’t put his hands on her soon. He could crush her to dust and make her feel like a queen in the same breath. Exert his power over her while never letting her forget that she owned him. It was intoxicating. “Anthony, please, I need…I need you, I need…”
“Sit on the table,” he ordered, stepping back abruptly. Kate was shaking as she pushed herself onto the hard surface with weak arms. “Spread your legs, baby.”
Fucking finally. Anthony knelt before her, pushing her skirt up to her waist, meeting her eyes with a dark look before he licked a long stripe up her cunt. Kate moaned loudly at the first touch of his tongue against her swollen skin, her hips jerking on their own accord.
Anthony wrapped his arms around her legs, hands firm on her thighs to keep her in place, flicking his tongue over her clit before delving deeper between her folds. Kate arched her back, grinding against his mouth, yanking her dress down to free her breasts. Anthony groaned against her as she pinched and tugged at her nipple, heat flooding her body alarmingly fast, her thoughts going blurry. “Good girl,” he encouraged, pressing two fingers into her and finding the spot that made her cry out. “You were made for me, Kathani, so perfect, come for me.”
He returned his attention to her clit, sucking harshly as his fingers drove into her and Kate’s vision went white, bliss overcoming her and making the whole world narrow to the sensations flowing through her body. Her arms gave out and she collapsed back against the table, gasping for breath, only tangentially aware of Anthony gently working her through the aftershocks.
After what felt like an eternity, Kate blinked, the world coming back into focus. She hadn't been conscious of screaming, but her throat was raw. Anthony leaned over her, a grin on his face and concern in his eyes. “How do you feel?”
“Like I might never move again,” she answered, only half joking. “Incredible.”
He lifted her hand, scattering kisses across her knuckles. “You were incredible. I’ve never seen you come like that.”
“It was well worth all the times I wanted to kill you tonight.”
Anthony laughed, curling a hand underneath her back to ease her up and kissing her gently. Her legs still felt wobbly and drawing air into her lungs was taking some effort, but Kate was not yet satisfied. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, content to make out with her gorgeous husband until the feeling returned to her body. “More,” she whispered against his mouth.
He pulled back, surprise in his expression. “Are you sure?”
It warmed her heart, knowing that he would give no thought to his pleasure as long as she’d found hers, but languid and loose-limbed as she was, the ache to have Anthony inside her was insistent. “More,” she confirmed, nipping at his bottom lip, both of them smiling into the kiss.
Anthony helped her off the table and Kate sighed gratefully at the stretch. She hadn’t realized how much her legs were cramping up.
He dropped kisses onto her shoulder as he loosened the zipper, dragging it slowly down her back. “Are we okay to do this here?” Kate asked, moaning quietly as his fingers skimmed along her newly bared skin. She knew Anthony would never put her in a truly dangerous position, and the CEO getting caught fucking his wife at a work event was hardly a huge scandal, but sex in the office was typically a clothes stay on affair in case they were interrupted.
“No cameras. The door is locked. And everyone is on another floor. Surely even I can’t make you scream that loud.”
“Well, you can try.”
“Minx,” he said, shaking his head affectionately. The purple dress dropped to her feet, joined shortly thereafter by her lacy black bra, and without warning she was against the wall, Anthony’s chest pressed to her back, no space between them. His fingers dropped to her clit, circling lazily as he sucked at the juncture between her neck and shoulder.
She ground back on him, the rough texture of his trousers just the right amount of friction against her sensitive core. “Am I going to be the only one naked here?”
“Do you want that?”
Kate thought for a moment, trying not to be distracted by the desire mounting in her from his light touches. “Shirt unbuttoned, keep the trousers on.” She didn’t have quite enough energy for a full roleplay, but him being mostly clothed while she was completely exposed lent a certain dynamic to the encounter that Kate found herself very much craving. It was exhilarating to cede control to Anthony, knowing he would always take the responsibility seriously, always care for her.
She sighed when his bare flesh met hers, the warmth of his chest heating her up from the inside out. Kate heard him rustling with his belt and then the blunt head of his cock was nudging at her entrance, catching on her tender clit and making her gasp. He pushed into her slowly, Kate flattening her hands against the wall for leverage, his lips trailing a path over her flushed skin.
The angle was perfect, Anthony curved into just the right spot as he fucked into her with rhythmic strokes, a strangled moan betraying how painfully close he was to his own finish. She worked herself back onto him, his name falling from her lips brokenly, relishing how well he filled her, how complete she felt when he was part of her like this. “Faster, baby, take what you need,” she urged, reaching behind her to grab at his collar. Anthony thrust harder, deeper, her own body responding effortlessly, working up to another peak. One hand rested on the wall to steady himself as the other slid into her wild curls, tugging a little roughly, and Kate went taut, whining out a release that was smaller than the first but seemed to come from the deepest recesses of her soul.
Anthony couldn’t fight the relentless clenching of her walls around his cock and he shouted out her name, exploding inside her, warm and comforting. Kate slumped back against him, exhausted and sated, his arms sliding around her stomach to keep her upright. She laughed airily, nothing but endorphins and contentment flowing through her veins.
“It’s really obnoxious how much I love you,” she murmured, tilting her head to look up at him. Anthony smiled down at her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“Oh, I think I have you beat for obnoxiousness, Mrs. Bridgerton.”
“I wasn’t suggesting otherwise.”
He chuckled, crushing her tighter against him and burying his face in her hair. “I really fucking love you too.”