Trapped with the Earl of Sin

Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

S usanna’s eyes fluttered open, the haze of pain and confusion gradually giving way to the dim light of the room. The first thing she saw was the ceiling, unfamiliar and oppressive.

She blinked, trying to orient herself, her thoughts sluggish and fragmented. Slowly, she became aware of a dull, throbbing pain in her arm.

She shifted slightly, wincing as the pain intensified, and turned her head. The sight of Martin sitting beside her bed, his face etched with worry and exhaustion, filled her vision. Relief washed over her, mingled with confusion. What had happened? The memories came rushing back—the sound of a gunshot, Edwin’s crazed eyes, and the searing pain as she leapt in front of Martin.

“Martin,” she whispered, her voice hoarse and weak.

Martin’s head snapped up, and his eyes filled with a mix of relief and concern. “Susanna, thank God,” he said, his voice trembling slightly. “You are awake at long last. How are you?”

Susanna tried to smile, but it felt more like a grimace as she worried about everyone else first and foremost. “What… what happened? Is everyone alright?”

Martin reached out, gently taking her hand. “You were shot, but the bullet only grazed your arm. You are going to be fine, Susanna. The physician said you were very lucky.”

Susanna nodded slowly, the pain in her arm throbbing in time with her heartbeat. “Edwin… where is he?”

Martin’s expression darkened. “He has been arrested and locked away for his crimes. He will no longer be able to hurt anyone else.”

Susanna let out a shaky breath, relief mingling with lingering fear. “Thank goodness. I was so afraid… But this means Mary can continue to live her life. She does not need to be worried any longer.”

“That is right.” Martin squeezed her hand reassuringly. “It is over now. Edwin can’t hurt you, or anyone else, ever again.”

Tears welled up in Susanna’s eyes, and she blinked them away, not wanting to appear weak. “I was so scared, Martin. I thought… I thought I might lose you.”

Martin leaned closer, his eyes softening. “You saved my life, Susanna. I do not know how to thank you.”

A tear slid down her cheek, and she managed a weak smile. “You do not have to thank me. I could not let him hurt you. I could not bear the thought of losing anyone… but when I saw the gun pointed at you , it made me feel ill. I could not stand it.”

Martin wiped the tear away with his thumb, his touch gentle. “You are so brave, Susanna. You did something incredible. Everyone is impressed with you.”

Susanna closed her eyes for a moment, letting his words wash over her. She felt a deep sense of relief, but also a gnawing worry for what the future might hold. “What about Mary and Luke? Are they alright too?”

“They are fine,” Martin assured her. “Mary was worried sick about you, but she is alright. Luke… he’s still in shock, I think. But they’re both safe. We are all safe, thanks to you.”

“And what about the wedding?”

Martin smiled at her. “You know that Mary wants the wedding to be perfect, and it will not be perfect without you. She will wait until you get better.”

Susanna’s eyes widened, a mix of relief and guilt washing over her. “She is delaying the wedding because of me?”

Martin squeezed her hand gently. “Mary loves you, Susanna. She wants you to be there with her on her special day. Besides, after everything that happened, everyone could use a little time to recover.”

Susanna nodded, feeling a lump form in her throat. “I just do not want to be the reason for any more delays or problems. Not after everything that they have been through.”

Martin’s smile was warm and reassuring. “You are not a problem, Susanna. You are family. And family looks out for each other.”

Tears welled up in her eyes again, but this time they were tears of gratitude and love. “Thank you, Martin. I do not know what I would do without you.”

“You don’t have to find out,” he said softly. “I am here, and I am not going anywhere.”

Susanna closed her eyes for a moment, letting his words soothe her. She felt a sense of peace, knowing that Martin was by her side. The events of the night had been terrifying, but they had also shown her the strength of the bonds she shared with those she loved.

“Can you stay with me for a while?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Of course,” Martin replied, pulling a chair closer to the bed. “I will be right here.”

“Martin,” she said softly, looking into his eyes. “I… I am so grateful that you are here. You always seem to be right here when I need you the most.”

He smiled, a genuine, heartfelt smile that made her heart ache. “I would not be anywhere else. You are important to me, Susanna. More than you know.”

Susanna felt a warmth spread through her, banishing the last remnants of fear and pain. “And you to me, Martin. You mean so much to me.”

Martin leaned closer, his forehead resting gently against hers. “We will get through this together, Susanna. We will heal, and we will move forward. But right now, you need to rest. The physician said you need to take it easy.”

She parted her lips, about to say something terrifying. Something she did not think that she would ever say to anyone.

“Martin,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “There is something I need to tell you. Something I have been holding back for so long, and after everything that has happened, I cannot keep it to myself any longer.”

Martin’s expression shifted, a mix of curiosity and concern playing across his features. “What is it, Susanna? You can tell me anything.”

She took a deep breath, feeling her heart pound in her chest. The words she was about to say were the most important she had ever spoken.

“I love you, Martin. I have loved you for a long time,” she gasped out desperately, a weight lifting from her chest. “I thought I could keep it to myself, that it would be enough to just be near you, to be your friend. But when I saw that gun pointed at you, I realized that I could not bear the thought of a world without you in it. I love you, and I needed you to know.”

For a moment, there was silence, the weight of her confession hanging in the air. Susanna could feel her pulse quickening, the fear of rejection almost overwhelming. But then, Martin’s hand tightened around hers, and he leaned in closer, his eyes locked on hers.

“Susanna,” he said softly, his voice filled with emotion. “I have loved you too. I was always too afraid to say anything, afraid it would complicate things, that it would ruin our friendship. But seeing you risk your life for me, it made me realize how precious you are to me. I love you, Susanna. More than words can express.”

This time, she knew he was not teasing. She could see the genuine emotion in his eyes as they both expressed feelings they did not think they would be able to.

He was being careful with her heart now, and she would do the same for him.

It might not have been easy for either of them to get to this place, but the danger that Edwin had presented forced them into it.

Perhaps that was for the best, even if it was horrifying at the time. Otherwise, they might never have had the courage to speak their truth.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, but this time they were tears of joy. “Martin,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I never dared to hope that you might feel the same way.”

He brushed a strand of hair away from her face, his touch tender and loving. “I do, Susanna. And I promise you, I will be by your side, always. We will face whatever comes our way together.”

Susanna’s heart swelled with happiness, the pain and fear of the past few days melting away in the warmth of Martin’s love. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment, feeling a sense of completeness she had never known before.

“Rest now,” Martin said gently, kissing her forehead. “We have all the time in the world to talk about this, to build our future together. But for now, you need to heal. I will be right here, watching over you. I am not going to go anywhere, I can promise you that.”

With a contented sigh, Susanna let herself drift off to a peaceful sleep, her hand still clasped in Martin’s, knowing that no matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them together, bound by a love that had been tested and proven true.

The next few days passed in a blur of rest and recovery. Susanna was tended to by the physician and doted on by Mary, who refused to leave her side for long. Martin visited frequently, bringing news and keeping her spirits up with his gentle humor and unwavering support.

One evening, as Susanna sat up in bed, she was surprised to see Luke enter her bedchambers, especially at this late hour. His usual jovial expression was tempered with concern, but he smiled warmly at her.

“How are you feeling, Susanna?” he asked, taking a seat beside her bed.

“Better, thank you,” she replied. “I am sorry for all the trouble I have caused.”

Luke shook his head, his expression serious. “You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, we should be thanking you. You saved Martin’s life and helped us stop Edwin before he could do any more harm.”

Susanna looked down, feeling a mix of emotions. “I just did what I had to do.”

“And we are all grateful for it,” Luke said firmly. “I just wanted to let you know that it is not all for nothing.”

Susanna sat up a little straighter in her bed. “What do you mean?”

“He has been officially sentenced for his crimes, and evidence of what he did to Duncan has been discovered. Without you, I do not know if that would have been solved. I do not know what would have happened to me.” Luke met her eyes. “How can I repay you?”

Susanna smiled. “Just be good to my sister. That is all I need from you.”

Luke’s eyes softened, and he nodded. “You have my word, Susanna. Mary means the world to me, and I will do everything in my power to make her happy.”

Susanna’s heart warmed at his sincerity. “Thank you, Luke. That means a lot to me.”

As Luke backed out of the room, she quickly realized that she had yet another visitor. One who was always welcome.

“Martin!” she declared with a smile. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Luke slipped out of the room rapidly, leaving the two of them alone.

“I had the urge to come and check on you. To see how you are this evening.”

She nodded happily. “Well, I am doing much better these days, as I am sure you can tell.”

He perched on her bed beside her. “I most certainly can.”

Ooh, was that fire in his eyes? The flickering of a flame which of course set Susanna’s body alight?

She edged a little closer to him as her body began to burn with desire. Was there a meaning behind this late-night visit, now that she was improving?

They were content with one another now, safe in the knowledge that they were in love, so why not explore one another a little further? There was no harm to be done and a lot of fun that could be had…

“Come here,” she murmured as she grabbed hold of him. “Come closer.”

Luckily, Martin did not need to be asked twice. He rolled on top of her, the weight of his body pressing down on her as their lips collided once more. Thank goodness… Susanna had been craving this for far too long.

The sensation of Martin’s body pressed against her as she sank deeper into the sheets was everything. There was a lot of this broad, muscular man, so Susanna could feel every inch of him as their tongues invaded one another’s mouths.

But merely kissing did not last forever. It was not long until Martin’s eager fingers started to push her nightdress around her waist. She had felt his fingers sliding under her clothing before, but this time it almost caused a scream to escape her lips. Susanna had to bite her bottom lip hard to stop the noise from bursting free and waking up everyone. The last thing she needed was for this moment to be interrupted—it was utterly glorious.

Dizziness overcame her in heady lust as his lips started to kiss the exposed skin of her throat, and her trembling fingers tried to unbutton the shirt this gorgeous man was wearing. She had not yet seen all of his body, and she could not wait to know what he looked like.

As the material seemed to simply melt away, Susanna was lucky enough to be able to run her hands all over his abs and muscles. The feel of his wonderful body left her utterly breathless and blown away.

“Oh, Martin,” she moaned while touching him because Martin was not leaving her body untouched.

He had started to caress her core, massaging her most intimate place. Her toes curled instantly as she succumbed to the dizziness. How did this man always know just how to touch her? How to make her feel so many things all at once? He really was a phenomenal person, and the way her core tightened with desire… Susanna could feel herself slowly slipping away.

“Martin, do not stop.”

He plunged his fingers deeper inside her, holding on to her while he caressed her. Susanna arched her back and rolled her hips, grinding hungrily against his hand even more. She needed this intense pleasure, she craved more of this—every part of her ached for him.

Although Susanna was not quite sure how this happened, it was not long before Martin was completely nude too. Finally, she could reach out and run her hands all over his thick, throbbing erection. Susanna surprised even herself with this confidence as she curled her hand around him for the very first time, but there was something about Martin that made her feel free.

This made her head spin. She immediately knew that she wanted more, so much more.

“I need you,” she murmured, writhing underneath him, trying to pull him towards her. “I want you, Martin. I cannot take it any longer. I need to be with you, for real.”

He let out a deep, guttural groan that seemed to come from his most primal parts. Susanna loved that sound; she wanted to hear it endlessly. She crashed her lips to his, lacing her tongue around his as he finally rose onto his hands while he angled himself perfectly.

The dark, hooded desire dancing in his eyes caused a flush to spread through her entire body. It was almost as if her blood had started to bubble and boil within her, heating her innermost core. The unspoken loving words flowed like lava between them. Susanna wished that she could express everything aloud, but this man had stolen her breath in the same way that he had stolen her desire.

Eventually, just as Susanna was about to scream with frustration, Martin caved and gave her everything that she wanted. He thrust deep inside her, filling her up in the most phenomenal way possible. Susanna held on to Martin, clinging to his back, so he could not move for a moment while she adjusted to this beautiful brand new sensation. His heavy, ragged breaths fell into her ears, which allowed her to bask in his pleasure for a moment…

But then she was ready for more, so she released her grip on him and started to buck and writhe underneath him, connecting to him even deeper. Martin rested his forehead on hers in the way that Susanna loved the most. She adored looking into his eyes like this. It was so wonderful—the best thing that had ever happened to her.

While they were thrusting against one another, that look of desire and love was even more intense and powerful. Susanna absorbed every moment of it. She clung to it, committing it to memory forever.

But she could only do this for so long. The pleasurable pressure started to build quickly, surprising Susanna. Martin’s thrusts were hitting all the right spots, causing an explosion of sensations.

Susanna crashed her lips to his once more when she knew that she could not contain herself any longer. Her whole body had frozen as this man took her to the peak of the mountain, building up the bliss within her by the minute. Susanna was surprised that this was so different from the last time that they were together, when he had worshipped her with his tongue. Having him inside her was brand new, and she adored it.

And then she fell.

She tumbled over the edge into the abyss of pleasure, drowning in the tsunami of joy that overcame her. Susanna could no longer contain herself; she could not keep her blissful noises from exploding free. The orgasm caused her to cry out as it absolutely shattered through her. No number of kisses from Martin could keep her quiet now.

But he loved it. She could feel just how much he adored it. He held her carefully and loved her tenderly, drawing out her pleasure as long as he possibly could. It rolled over her in endless waves, permeating every single part of her. Susanna felt wonderful.

“Oh my goodness, that feels so good,” she finally just about managed to gasp out. “I never want this to end.”

But he was not done with her yet. He still needed her, and this was the moment that Susanna finally felt like she was in control of the situation. As she watched Martin’s face crumble with vulnerable pleasure, a sense of confidence washed over her.

She met each thrust, loving every moment of it. Martin moaned, half in agony, half in ecstasy. It made her feel beautiful and powerful to have this effect on him, to know that she was the one setting him alight this way.

As Martin’s body stiffened with tension, Susanna picked up the pace, grinding against him as deeply as she could until she started to feel him tremble and shudder all over. Watching him crumble underneath her, feeling his body shift and change all because of her, was glorious.

Was pleasure building up in Susanna too? Again? She had no idea if that was even possible. But the more she thrust against him, driving him to the edge of desire, the more she felt herself tumble once more. The burning hot bliss was coming for her yet again, and there was nothing that she could do about it.

The next time Susanna tipped over the edge and lost herself once more, she was not alone. Martin lost himself at the same time. Crying out with pleasure at the same time with this man, clinging to one another, was an even more powerful and overwhelming experience than anything else she had ever been through before. She craved every part of it.

Collapsing into his arms and falling against his chest to listen to his racing heartbeat, Susanna could not stop the smile from spreading across her face. This really was the happiest day of her life. She could not wait to see what happened next…