Chapter 18
The coach pulled into the yard at Riverview in late afternoon.
Unlike their last visit, the sky was clear and the road dry—and they had a coachman.
Sixty, with a hitch in his gait, Tom had been sad to hear of the loss of the former coach, but he’d done what he could to make the new one ride as smoothly as possible.
Tom opened the door for them, and Bennet climbed down before helping his wife from the coach.
His wife.
Would that ever sound normal to his ears?
She took his arm, and they went to the door of the inn where Bennet knocked.
The door opened to reveal Mrs. Logan, who gasped.
“Allow me to present the Viscountess Glastonbury,” Bennet said with a wide smile.
“My goodness, how wonderful! Come in, come in.” Mrs. Logan grinned enthusiastically as she stepped back and gestured them inside.
Bennet closed the door behind them. “Tom is seeing to the coach—we’ll just be here overnight, assuming you have room.”
“Certainly. The window still isn’t repaired in the second room, but you can have the one you used on your last visit.
Let us hope the weather doesn’t prevent you from leaving this time.
Though, Mr. Logan and I enjoyed having you here for so long.
” She clapped her hands together. “How wonderful that you are married!”
“Just this morning, in fact,” Bennet said.
Mrs. Logan’s eyes rounded. “Oh! Then this will require something special for dinner or dessert. My goodness, I will do my very best.”
Prudence took the woman’s hand. “Anything you prepare will be lovely, truly. Do you require any help in the kitchen?”
“I couldn’t ask that,” Mrs. Logan replied, looking slightly horrified. “It’s just…you’re a viscountess now.”
Prudence smiled. “I’m the same person who baked bread here with you, so my offer stands.”
“Well, you’re newly married, and you’ll be wanting to spend your time with your husband.” She winked at Bennet. “Do you want me to show you to your room?”
“We can find it,” Bennet said with a chuckle.
The stable master’s lad dashed through the common room bearing their cases. He must have brought them from the coach.
Mrs. Logan pivoted toward the kitchen. “I can’t wait to tell Mr. Logan you’ve come. Dinner will be at half six, but then you already know that.” She bustled toward the kitchen, happily mumbling, “So much to do!”
“I hope she doesn’t go to too much trouble,” Prudence said as they turned toward the stairs.
“Nothing you say can sway her, so just enjoy it.”
“True.” She preceded Bennet up the stairs and, when they reached the top, stepped aside so the stable master’s lad could descend.
He touched his forehead with a nod. “My lord, my lady.”
“Thank you, Davy,” Bennet said. He went to open the door to their room for Prudence.
She moved inside, and he followed, closing the door behind him. Leaning against the wood, he watched her walk to the hearth, where it looked like Davy had started a fire.
Untying her bonnet, she removed the hat and set it on the chair he’d slept in that first night they’d spent together here.
Her profile was so lovely—the graceful sweep of her lashes, the pert tip of her nose, the provocative pucker of her lips.
He’d been waiting all day to devour them.
Indeed, he’d planned to ravish her, at least partially, in the coach, but she’d dozed off almost immediately and hadn’t awakened until just before they’d arrived.
“Are you still tired?” he asked, pushing away from the door. He stripped off his gloves and hat and set them atop the dresser.
She gave him a sheepish look. “I didn’t realize I was tired. I’ve heard that carrying a babe can make one inordinately sleepy, especially in the beginning.” Her cheeks flushed, and she returned her attention to the fire.
Bennet came up behind her and wrapped his hands around her middle. “It’s not your fault,” he whispered. “Neither of us wanted this.”
“But here we are,” she said quietly, her breath hitching. “Do you feel trapped?”
He thought before speaking. “Yes, but not for the reasons you think. My father trapped me in an impossible situation when he gambled away every last shilling and failed to run the estate so that it would be profitable.” He pressed his lips to her neck just below and behind her ear.
“You didn’t entrap me. As I said, neither of us planned for this to happen. ”
“No, you said neither of us wanted this. That is not the same thing.”
“I suppose it’s not.” Her scent and proximity were making it hard to think. “But that wasn’t true either, because I want you rather fiercely.”
“Wanting me and wanting to be saddled with me and a baby forever aren’t the same thing either.”
He moved his hand down her abdomen and pressed his palm flat against her.
There was the child they’d created. He didn’t doubt its existence.
For whatever reason, Bennet knew he or she was there.
Just as he knew he was terrified for them and their future.
But sensing Prudence’s trepidation and hesitance, he wouldn’t share that with her. Not now.
Her hand crept over his, but she was still wearing gloves, and he wanted to feel her skin against his. “You truly don’t mind being married to me? I’m not what you could have wanted. Not just because I have no money. I’m a paid companion. Worse, I’m illegitimate.”
Bennet turned her in his embrace so that she faced him.
He lifted her chin to catch her gaze, then caressed her cheek.
“Not only do I not mind being married to you, I threw over another woman so that I could do so. My only regret remains that I mistakenly kidnapped you in the first place—and only because I put you through a terrible ordeal.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” she breathed.
He took one of her hands and tugged the glove from her fingers. “I recall what you looked like when you arrived. It seemed that bad. You were rather angry, and you had every right to be.”
“Fine, it wasn’t pleasant, but it could have been much worse.”
After dropping the glove onto the chair with her hat, he moved to her other hand, removing the glove and consigning it to the growing pile of her accessories. “Worse than being stranded here with me when you wanted to shoot me?”
“I never wanted to shoot you.”
He spun her about again to face the fire and began to unlace her gown. “You should have.” He kissed her nape, feeling her shiver as he worked her gown open.
“Why are you removing my clothes?” she asked. “We have to go downstairs for dinner later.”
“Aren’t you going to change?” he asked innocently before spreading the gown open and pushing it down to her waist.
“I brought one evening gown, and it hardly seems appropriate for dining in the common room downstairs.”
He slid his hands to her front and cupped her breasts through her corset and chemise. “I suppose I could help you put this dress back on. Or we could take advantage of your current state.”
“That was your plan all along,” she said, arching into his touch.
He flicked the laces of her corset, loosening the garment so he could easily slip his hand against her heated flesh. He caressed her, pressing his cock against her backside. “I admit it was.” He lowered his mouth to her neck, kissing her with a wild hunger as he pinched her nipple.
She gasped. “You are distracting me horribly. I wanted to talk to you about your family. That was my intent when we got into the coach, but then I fell asleep.”
“Ah well, they will have to wait. In fact, can we delay that conversation until we arrive at Aberforth Place? I want to spend our journey there focusing on just us. More specifically, I want to direct all my attention to your spectacular body and the wondrous responses I can arouse.”
He teased her breast while he licked and bit at her neck. She tipped her head, giving him free access to a silken expanse of her delectable flesh. He wanted nothing more than to sink into her and let all their stress and worry fade away.
“I think you’re trying to put me off. I might even wonder if you’re hiding something.”
Bennet froze a moment. He was, but he didn’t want to talk about this now. He knew he was delaying what he had to reveal, but they were in this together now—for better or worse as the vows said. He just hoped she wouldn’t think it was for worse.
He snagged her earlobe with his teeth. “The only thing I’m hiding is my unadulterated lust for you. But I think I’m doing a very poor job of it.” He pulled on her nipple.
“Very,” she said between raspy sounds of desire.
Bending his knees, he swung her into his arms and carried her to the bed, where he set her on the edge. He knelt, quickly removing her boots, but leaving her stockings in place.
“You’re not taking those off?” she asked.
“As you said, we only have an hour. Also, there is something undeniably erotic about a woman who is just partially clothed.” He pushed her corset down and tugged the neckline of her chemise over to bare one breast. “Like that,” he growled before dropping his head to draw her nipple into his mouth.
She clutched him, her fingers digging into his scalp.
If he’d doubted that she was with child, he wouldn’t now. Her breasts were so different—heavier and…firmer. There was no turning back.
Bennet tore his mouth from her and shoved her skirts up to her waist. Putting his hands on her thighs, he spread her legs and bent to taste her sex.
She cried out the moment his tongue touched her folds. “Bennet!”
“Lie back.” He slipped his finger into her wet heat and sucked on her clitoris. Her legs shuddered around him, and the muscles of her sex gripped him tight as he thrust in and out of her.
She still clasped his head, pulling on his hair as her hips rose to meet his mouth and hand.
He gripped her hip and positioned her leg over his shoulder.
She slid her other thigh onto his other shoulder.
Now, he was definitely trapped. But there was nowhere he would rather be.
Surrendering to her completely, he devoured her flesh, burying his tongue deep inside her.