Chapter Eight #3
“No, I don’t suppose it does.” It was odd to realize that she no longer felt anything for the man, save pity. Once, she’d placed all of her dreams upon the viscount. Thankfully, she’d awakened from what could have turned out to be a nightmare.
He released her and stepped back. “I’ll see you this evening.”
“Lord Castledon,” she interrupted, before he could leave.
“When we’re alone, you may call me David,” he corrected. “Or Hartford.”
She liked the name David, and it suited him. “David, then.” Amelia took a breath to fortify her courage. “I won’t ever try to take Katherine’s place. But neither do I want you to treat me like a stranger or a servant. We’re married now, and…that should mean something more.”
He didn’t realize what he was doing, Amelia thought to herself. The man was utterly lost with a second wife. And whatever decisions she made in the next few days would shape her life with him.
He said nothing to that but took her hand and squeezed it. “I will see you later tonight.”
Though Amelia was inwardly terrified of her wedding night, neither did she want to spend it in the servants’ quarters. Somehow, she had to push past his expectations and make a place for herself.
David avoided Amelia for the rest of the afternoon. He knew she’d spent time talking with the servants and making arrangements for her own lady’s maid. Her presence was quiet, but he’d known she was there. In fact, it was impossible to do any work at all.
An ordinary bridegroom would have spent the day with his bride, enjoying her presence.
But Amelia set him on edge, reawakening a dormant desire.
He hungered for her physically, and though he told himself that time and distance would solve the problem, his body had little interest in listening to his brain.
When he arrived at the dinner table, Haverford was waiting. “My lord, Lady Castledon asked that your supper be served upstairs in your bedchamber.” The older man’s face held a trace of color, but he continued, “She wanted to surprise you.”
Did she? David wasn’t certain what to think of that, but his suspicions sharpened. He didn’t let the butler know of his discomfort, but he merely nodded and walked up the stairs.
He had no idea what Amelia was planning, but he suspected that it involved seduction. He gripped the banister, gathering his control. He wasn’t certain if he would consummate the marriage tonight. It wasn’t wise, for he hardly trusted himself right now.
When he reached the door of his room, he opened it and found his wife waiting on the floor. She had spread a blanket there and had drawn the drapes to darken the room. Candles were lit all around, casting an amber glow over the furnishings.
Although she was fully dressed, he saw that she was barefoot. The blue gown set off her skin tone, and his eyes were drawn to the pearl necklace around her throat. He’d left the pearls for her as a wedding gift and was glad she’d found them.
“I thought we could have an indoor picnic,” she said. “Victoria told me about one she had with the duke, and it sounded terribly romantic.”
The soft anticipation on her face brought up his defenses. He had to put a stop to these ideas of romance before he broke her heart. “Amelia, you shouldn’t—”
“No.” She held up her hand. “This is our wedding day and our wedding night. At least let me fulfill one dream, to have a romantic evening with my new husband.”
David didn’t know what to say to that. When she pointed to a place across from her, he noticed a plate and silverware.
“Well, you have to eat, don’t you?” She sat down, tucking her bare feet beneath her skirts. “It might as well be with me.” When she uncovered a silver platter, he saw a spread of cheeses, bread, and thinly sliced meats.
He felt like the fly being invited to dinner by the spider. Though Amelia was untouched by any man, she was also far too na?ve about his control. Didn’t she realize how long it had been since he’d lain with a woman? Or did she not know how badly he wanted her?
With reluctance, he sat down, and Amelia picked up his plate. She began choosing food for him, and when she bent forward, her gown gaped slightly, revealing a dark blue chemise. The glimpse of lace made him imagine her bare skin covered only by the sheer material.
A jolt of desire went straight to his groin. But when he stared at her, she behaved as if nothing were amiss. When she handed him the plate, he caught a full view of generous curves and a darker nipple peeking through the swath of silk and lace.
“Jesus Christ,” he muttered beneath his breath. She was going to be the death of him.
Amelia glanced at him sharply. “What was that?”
He hadn’t meant to voice that aloud. Thinking fast, he blurted out, “I said some cheese would be nice.”
Amelia didn’t look entirely as if she believed him, but she gave him a selection of white cheese. “Which would you prefer? Hard or soft?”
God above.
He nearly choked at her words and said, “Either is fine.”
Wine. He needed a great deal of wine to make it through this meal.
“I prefer hard, myself,” she said cheerfully, and it was all he could do not to spew the wine across the tablecloth. But again, there was no sly look of innuendo—only the bright eagerness of a newly married bride.
When she handed him the plate, the gown slid down one shoulder, baring her skin. What on earth was happening to her clothing? The soft curve of her shoulder made him want to taste that skin, to watch gooseflesh break over her bare flesh.
“Your sleeve is down,” he pointed out, draining his cup.
“I know.” Amelia took it from him and refilled the wine. “I asked my maid to loosen my gown and corset so I wouldn’t need her help any more tonight.” Though she spoke the words calmly, he didn’t believe for a moment that it was a coincidence.
His new wife had planned this, and it seemed that she was making every effort to seduce him. The wicked side to him was more than willing, and his groin was aching at the sight of her.
David tried to distract himself with food, but he was acutely conscious of her bare shoulders and the rope of pearls nestled against the hollow of her throat. He imagined taking down the pearls, rolling them across her nipples, sliding the beads over her skin.
Amelia reached for her own glass of wine, and again, the gown slipped farther down, revealing the top of the chemise.
It was every bit as daring as he’d seen earlier—some frothy bit of lace and silk that showed far too much.
When he gave his full attention to his food, he inwardly wondered what Katherine would have thought of this.
Don’t spend the rest of your life grieving over me, she’d made him swear. And he hadn’t expected to. But neither was he ready for this, much as his body insisted upon it.
David drained his wine and poured himself a third cup. He was well on his way to becoming drunk at this pace, and frankly, he didn’t care. Amelia was talking about the servants, something about maids and God only knew what.
He’d finished eating, and she pushed her plate aside. “You’re not interested in any of this, are you?”
He was about to disagree, but she stood up and turned to walk toward the closed drapes. When her back was to him, he saw the unfastened buttons and the corset that hung open. She was silent for so long, he didn’t know what to think.
He stood up from the floor, and each step brought him closer to her. Her hands rested on the back of a chair, and from this distance, he could see the naked skin peeking through the lacy chemise.
She was a nervous bride, completely unfamiliar with any of this.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, still not looking at him. “I thought perhaps you could show me what it’s like to be a wife, even if there was never any love between us.”
He knew what she wanted and stopped just behind her. If he stretched out his hands, he would be touching her.
“When you kissed me, I felt—” Her words broke off when he moved his hands to the back of her gown. Beneath his palms, her skin was cool.
He eased back the sleeves and revealed more of her chemise and corset.
The garment was daring enough for a wedding night, designed to tease a man’s interest. Her corset was bound tightly beneath her breasts, and when he lowered the dress a little more, he saw that her breasts were exposed, with only a small bit of lace to cover them.
They were larger than he’d imagined, with darker peach nipples beneath the blue lace.
They were puckered from the cool air, and his erection grew tight at the sight of her.
All he had to do was strip away the gown and corset, and her body would be his.
He could lay her down upon his bed and claim the sweet flesh that tempted him.
He could feel her velvet sheath around him, clenching him until…
David silenced the visions by drawing her mouth to his, kissing her hard. She ignited his lust, making him want so much more. Her mouth tasted of wine and fervor.
He pulled the pins from her hair, freeing the dark blond masses around her shoulders.
Her gown slid down to the floor, and he gripped her hair, sliding his tongue into her mouth.
It was a kiss meant to punish her, to remind her that he was in command of this night.
She could wear whatever seductive clothing she wanted, but he would decide when to consummate the marriage.
But the moment her own tongue touched his, it became a new battle. Amelia was eager, seeking his touch. She pulled at his coat, and he let her take it off.
“Slow down,” he warned, sitting down in the wingback chair and pulling her onto his lap.
“Why? I like kissing you.” She tugged at his shirt, and when it was free from his trousers, her hands moved beneath the shirt to touch his bare skin.
“Because if you don’t, your first time with me will be in this chair.”
Her palms went still against his ribs, as if suddenly aware of what was happening. “Oh.”