Chapter Twenty-Three
Lord Oliver, Duke of Hayesford
It was my wedding night, and my stomach was tied in knots.
I stood inside my dressing room and shifted from foot to foot.
I’d dismissed my valet after changing into my nightshirt and robe, the uneasiness I’d been fighting all night holding me in its grip.
My mind screamed to go find Amelia, but my feet couldn’t seem to move from this spot.
Oh how I wish Noah were present to guide me.
I’d asked him to join us, and he’d turned me down.
In hindsight, it was a cowardly thing to do on my part.
The slight displacement of air drifted up under the hem of my robe, the cooling effect soothing my overly heated body. I looked up to see Noah striding across the thick carpet. He must have entered through the sitting room that was situated between my room and Amelia’s.
My wife. Amelia was my wife.
Knees weak, I locked my legs in place and willed my fears aside. “You came. Does that mean you changed your mind about joining us?”
“No, it means nothing of the sort. I just wanted to check on you and see if you needed any last-minute advice. There is no shame in admitting you are nervous.” Noah placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “Everything will be all right.”
“I pray you are right.” My hands were shaking, an utterly un-duke thing to happen. My father would be horrified if he’d seen me thus. Amelia would think me the worst sort of milksop when I desperately wanted her to see me as a man.
Warm lips settled on my cheek, his hand drifting down my upper back to relax on the curve of my bottom. I arched into his caress, his teeth tugging at my lobe. “Amelia is a sensual woman who welcomes your kisses. Be sure to play on that strength,” he said.
“I do enjoy her kisses.” It was one of my own strengths. I swallowed the uncertainty that rose into my throat. I hated to be horrible at anything, and successfully bedding Amelia was crucial to the happiness of my marriage. “It is the other part I worry about.”
He stepped in front of me. With an encouraging smile, he dragged his fingers over my belly and cupped my cock through the fabric. I gasped at the sensation, blood flooding into my groin. “You are overthinking this. Amelia is your friend. Tell her the truth. She will understand.”
A bark of incredulous laughter escaped. “Tell her I desire men? I don’t think even she will understand my unnatural desires.”
“Your desires aren’t unnatural.” He pumped my cock with more pressure, adding to my semi-aroused state. “They are honest and pure. It is society that’s the issue, not you.”
“We live by the rules of society, and I must comply, as must you.” I looped my arm around his neck and drew him in, my mouth finding his parted lips. He angled his chin, allowing my mouth to press tighter to his own.
A distinctive gasp sounded through the haze of passion enveloping me. “Oliver, oh my God,” Amelia said in a harsh whisper. “And Noah! Whatever is going on here?”
Noah stepped back, his frantic eyes moving from me to Amelia standing at the door. I cursed under my breath at my own imprudence in yielding to the impulse to kiss him.
“Amelia, it isn’t what you think,” I said, although I realized the foolishness of it the second the words escaped. I’d lost track of time, and my carelessness had resulted in an ill-advised confrontation.
“It isn’t what I think? I’ve been waiting for you to come to my room, and then I find you here kissing Noah.
You were kissing Noah!” She clutched at the neckline of her gown.
The white fabric was sheer, and the dusky tips of her nipples showed through the cotton.
I tried not to stare and averted my gaze to Noah.
“To be fair to Oliver, I was kissing him.” Noah exhaled a long breath, but his calm demeanor never changed. I wished I could be as cool under pressure and keep my panic from rising.
“And you think there’s a difference?” She shook her head, fury dotting her cheeks. Hurt also rested in her eyes. Standing erect, she glared at me and Noah in turn.
I felt like the worse sort of heel for kissing someone else while married to her. It was unfair, and I needed to explain. Except there truly wasn’t an explanation past the obvious. “Well, I know it looks bad. But it’s not what you think. Well, it is what you think, I suppose. I—”
Amelia lifted one arched brow, the muscle under her jaw jumping with fury. “That made absolutely no sense, Oliver.”
“Very true, very true,” I said, digging the hole of despair deeper with my bumbling words. Noah cleared his throat, and I inhaled a deep breath, needing to regather my thoughts before I made it even worse. “I owe you an explanation.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, color high on her cheeks. “You owe me more than an explanation. Both of you do.”
“I am sorry,” Noah said, rocking back on his heels as he settled his hands on his hips. “I was only trying to help.”
“You were trying to help Oliver do exactly what?” Amelia was not one to back down when she sensed foul play.
I gritted my teeth and forced my mind to formulate an explanation. “I was nervous about tonight, and Noah was trying to help calm my nerves.”
“By kissing you?” Confusion furrowed her brow. The fact she hadn’t bolted was a promising sign.
“Why don’t we all sit down and have a sherry, and Oliver can start from the beginning?” Noah suggested, walking out of the bedroom before either of us responded.
Amelia turned on her heel and stormed back toward her room, outrage in her stiffened spine.
This was not a promising start to my marriage.
I followed them both and entered the gas-lit room.
Decorated in shades of burgundy and gold, the room had a fireplace with real wood imported from the United States.
Two settees were situated on either side of the fireplace.
An eerie silence settled between us as Noah poured the wine from the sideboard. Amelia bundled her gown in her fingers, the fabric pulling at her legs. I wasn’t sure if she knew she was showing off more than was proper, but then I didn’t think she’d appreciate me pointing it out.
“I’m sure this is quite a shock for you,” I said, taking the seat next to her. She moved as far away from me as possible.
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to articulate what I wanted to say. “And while it looks bad, I assure you Noah was simply trying to help. If you are mad at anyone, it should be me.”
“How long have you two been, um, kissing?” she asked, looking at Noah as he approached. Hurt turned her lips down, her face ashen.
Noah handed a glass of sherry to her and one to me but said nothing. He was leaving this all up to me because this was my burden to bear.
I took the stemmed glass, the coolness a welcome sensation against my heated palms. I wanted to drink it down in the hopes of assuaging my guilt. I hurt her. The one thing I didn’t wish to do. “Only since recently.”
“Is that why you put off asking for my hand?” She drank deeply from her glass.
“I didn’t put off asking for your hand, Amelia. Grandmama was sick, you know that.” I had to clear up the misconception once and for all. “I always knew I’d marry you. You’re my best friend. I love you.”
Tears shimmered in her eyes. “I know you love me, Oliver. But do you desire me?”
“Of course I desire you, Amelia. I just, well, this has nothing to do with you. I...” My throat went impossibly dry, and I swallowed the contents of my glass.
I lowered the glass and stared into the empty crystal.
“I’ve never bedded a woman before, and I wasn’t sure.
..” I trailed off, unsure how much was wise to disclose.
“Noah was kissing you.” She tilted her chin and stared at him. He was standing in front of the fireplace, one elbow on the mantel. “Was what happened between us a lie?”
I snapped my head up, catching the flush of color that highlighted Noah’s face. He swirled the wine in his glass before he shook his head. “No, I desire you, Amelia. I told you as much. I also desire Oliver. I’m sorry if you are offended in any way, but things aren’t always as they seem.”
“What happened between you two?” I asked, my shock wearing off by the revelation.
It was Amelia’s turn to blush. “I was inebriated, and I went into Sally’s room to find a book when Noah caught me. We, well, you hadn’t proposed, so I wasn’t officially engaged.”
“So you bedded Noah because you thought I wasn’t going to propose?” I asked, my own temper pricked.
“No, not bedded. I am a virgin if that’s what you’re afraid of. We simply exchanged some rather heated...um, embraces.” Amelia plucked at the skirt of her gown again before she seemed to rally herself. “But if what you are telling me is correct, you are guilty of the same crime.”
“There’s no crime involved. Simply a misunderstanding,” Noah said.
“You are the one who’s in the center of all this.” Was he playing some sort of perverted game to pit me and Amelia against each other? “You seduced Amelia, and you seduced me.”
“Technically, no, he didn’t seduce me,” Amelia said. She tightened her lips together and blew out a breath. “I instigated our kiss, and when he tried to end it, I pressed the issue.”
“So you desire Noah as well?” I asked, caught off guard.
“It would seem both of us are enamored of him.” Amelia leaned back on the settee, and her lips started twitching. Irony shone brightly in her eyes. Noah finished off his sherry and settled the glass on the table next to my settee. “Well, his kisses anyway.”
“Now, this is a tangled bit of a mess.” Noah began to laugh, embarrassment reddening his cheeks.
“Indeed. You have been playing both sides of the fence.” The ridiculousness hit me as well, and I stretched out my legs, the tension leaving me. “If I didn’t know better, I would say you planned this all along.”
“No, I didn’t. I’ll admit to having the advantage of knowing both of your situations. However, I held my cards close to the vest.” Noah knelt down on the floor near Amelia, his eyes bright with intent. “Now I think I can lay them down and go where the cards are dealt.”
“What are you suggesting?” I asked, my mind spinning with the possibilities.
“If Amelia is open to it, I suggest we explore where our desires take us.” His irises turned a sultry brown as he swept his gaze over us, lust burning in the depths of his eyes. “If she says no, then I will respect her wishes.”
The ticking of the mantel clock chimed the hour as I waited for her answer. If she accepted, I would be the luckiest man alive. I loved her, and I loved him. I loved him to the deepest depths of my soul. These two people meant the world to me. It all hinged on Amelia agreeing to his proposal.
She angled her head in my direction, honey brown eyes bright with need. There was no struggle in her expression, only excitement. I could hardly credit how things were playing out. “I am open to it.”
I cupped her jaw in reply and skimmed my lips over her warm mouth.
She released a throaty moan as I draped my arm around her neck and drew her body tight to my chest. This was my wedding night, and I was sharing it with Noah and Amelia.
A twist of fate had placed us in this situation, and I was looking forward to what the night would bring.