Chapter 8
Eight
Sunlight streamed through the windows as Nicole blinked her eyes open. Had she really slept through the afternoon and the eve? She had not slept well in weeks, so it wasn’t entirely unplausible. She rolled over onto her back, and the familiar canopy over her bed came into focus.
How had she returned to her chamber? Felix.
The mere thought of him had her skin prickling as she recalled their intimate encounter.
As she sat up, her muscles groaned, and she slowed her movements.
The glorious languid feeling of yesterday was gone, and while she was eager to see Felix, her body seemed more inclined to simply lay abed.
The door to her room opened, and her father peeked his head in. “A good morn to ye, lass.”
“Good morning, Father.”
“Dinna want to wake ye, but it’s the nooning hour and, well…” Her father entered with a silver tray of sandwiches and bowls of fruit. “I thought ye might be hungry.”
Nicole arranged the pillows behind her and smoothed out a spot next to her for her father to set the tray upon and sit. “I’m famished.”
Her father chuckled, and his cheeks flushed pink.
She leaned forward and pressed the back of her hand to her father’s forehead. “Are you not feeling well?”
“Imma well enough.” Her father picked up a sandwich and took a healthy bite.
Nicole did the same. After eating her fill, she asked, “Are you going to tell me what is bothering you or are you waiting for me to figure it out?” Her father sputtered and coughed, and she jumped out of the bed to pound on his back. “Good gracious, Father, what is the matter?”
Her father pounded on his chest and cleared his throat. “Felix.”
Fear seared through Nicole as she grabbed her father by the shoulders. “Has he left?”
Her father shook his head violently and then was consumed by another coughing spell. Nicole’s hands fell to her side as she waited for her father to regain his breath. A sudden numbness came over her.
“He’s abed.”
“Is Felix ill?” Nicole turned to rush to the door but was stopped by her father.
“If ye will give me a moment, I’ll explain everything to ye.” After a few deep breaths, her father took both her hands in his. “Felix visited me after… well… let’s just say late yesterday eve.”
Nicole sank back onto the edge of the bed. Felix surely wouldn’t have shared with her father that she’d ventured to his chambers alone. Yet as she peered up at her father, whose cheeks were now bright red, she wasn’t entirely certain. “What did the two of you discuss?”
“He wants to fetch both a blacksmith and the minister to wed ye.”
“Good gracious, it’s not as if we’re in Gretna Green.”
Her father’s eyes lit up. “Aye, those were me very words.”
Nicole and her father laughed in unison. Felix wanted to marry her, not once but twice. Only Felix would want to make doubly certain they were married. “We can’t deny a duke, can we?”
“I have no qualms objecting to such absolute daftness, but if you are set on marrying the lad, I’ll defer to your mind.” Her father gave her hand a squeeze.
“I’ve waited years to marry Felix. If I must wait another three weeks for the banns to be read, I believe I’ll live.”
“Och, ye’ll not have to wait. Felix has a special license and wants to be wed on the morrow. Mind, the servants willna be best pleased at hosting two feasts in a single day. Not to mention, the neighboring lairds will take it right ill to be left out of the grand affair.”
“Didn’t you explain that to Felix?”
Her father shook his head and stood. “Me? Naw, I’ll leave it to ye to manage yer own husband.”
“Where are you going?” she asked as her father picked up the tray and headed for the door.
“I am off to order a hunt, seeing as we’ll be providin’ for multiple feasts.”
A bubble of excitement formed within Nicole. “Will Felix be accompanying you?”
Her father narrowed his gaze at her. “To be sure, he’ll be on the hunt beside me. Ye never thought I’d leave the pair of ye on yer own now, did ye?” He gave her a smile and added, “That would be highly improper, lass.”
She glared back at her father, who could volley between his Scots brogue and polished English charm in a blink of an eye, whereas once she fell into the habit of speaking in her native tongue, it required months to tutor her tongue and round out her vowels.
If she was to be the Duchess of Strandon, it was best she did not succumb to the desire to speak her mind and in a Scot’s accent.
“I’ll wait no longer than three days. That’ll be plenty of time for the lairds to arrive and for you to hunt. ”
“My, my, aren’t ye the generous one today?” her father replied with a broad grin.
Nicole smiled and sank into a regal curtsy. “As the future Duchess of Strandon, I feel it is my duty to grant you three days.”
The hearty chuckle from her father she’d hoped to garner filled her chambers, and Nicole skipped over to her wardrobe to fetch a clean day dress. In three short days, she was going to be the Duchess of Strandon, and she couldn’t be happier.
His hair full of purple heather, Felix strode through the castle in search of his fiancée.
He needed a word with Nicole, and after three days in the company of the baron and his clan allies, he was of the mind to steal her away and never let her return to the Scottish Lowlands.
There were far too many willing and more capable Scots than he’d like to admit who would be better suited to marry Nicole.
Standing in front of Nicole’s chambers, he raised his hand to rap his knuckles against the hard wood that stood between him and his wife to be, when the door swung open. “Nicole—”
She wrapped her arms about his waist and looked up at him. “You made it back alive.”
“I did, but I—” All thoughts flew from his mind as Nicole rolled up onto her tiptoes and kissed him soundly. He walked her backward and closed the door behind them. Heaven. It was heaven to have Nicole in his arms again.
Breathless and lips plump, Nicole drew back and asked, “How was the hunt?”
“Bloody awful,” he blurted. “I can’t compete with those men.”
“Compete? I thought you were simply out to hunt for the feast.”
“That’s what I believed too, but oh, no, at every turn, I was challenged by one chap or another. Can ye toss yer knife? Can ye shoot a bow and arrow? Can ye…”
Nicole’s burst of laughter turned his frown into a smile.
Hands pressed to her stomach and slightly bent over, she heaved a breath and said, “Stop. Please, stop. Your imitation of a Scottish accent is… Well, it’s terrible.” Nicole’s giggles subsided.
“Marry me. Let’s not wait. Marry me now.”
She cupped her hands about his face to bring it down so she could stare directly into his eyes. “I’m not leaving, and neither are you. We will be wed in the morn by the reverend and then again in the afternoon by the minister, just as you requested.”
“I can’t wait. Please don’t make me wait,” he pleaded but she shook her head.
Nicole placed her hands upon his chest and fiddled with the buttons of his coat. “You won’t have to wait much longer.” She eased his coat off his shoulders, and he freed his arms in order to pick her up and carry her over to the bed.
“Don’t tempt me. I’ve not yet bathed,” he warned. His voice was suddenly rough and cutting. Damn, he wanted her.
She threaded her fingers through his hair at the nape of his neck. “Hmmm, the thought of me being a siren is rather intriguing.”
“Only you can lure me into throwing caution to the wind.”
Nicole’s eyes twinkled. He’d seen that spark years before when she took his hand and led him out to dance.
Happy to see her confidence returned, Felix pulled back the bed linens and laid her upon the bed.
He shrugged out of his rumpled clothing with such haste, it had Nicole in a fit of giggles once more.
“Laughter, my dear, is not the response that a man hopes for when he bares himself naked to his wife.”
She scooted to the edge and sat upon her knees. “Och, you must forgive me, Your Grace. I didn’t mean to offend ye.” Her gaze dropped to his cock that was engorged and at the ready. “May I?”
He inhaled sharply. Would he ever be able to say no to this woman? Never.
He nodded, and Nicole placed her hands upon his hips. Felix’s gaze was affixed to Nicole as she ran her tongue over her bottom lip before bringing her mouth closer to the tip of his erect manhood where a bead of cum had escaped. It took every ounce of self-control to remain still.
When the tip of her tongue circled the sensitive rim of his cock, his toes curled, and a guttural moan escaped him.
She was going to be the death of him if she didn’t take him into her mouth soon.
But Nicole wasn’t done exploring him. Her right hand grazed his thigh, then rose to cup his stones.
The intimate caresses had his hips jutting forward and his cock slid between her lips.
He filled her mouth, and if he’d not spent the past three days in the woods, he would have joined her in the bed.
Instead, he stood in place and allowed Nicole to pleasure him until his knees were about to buckle.
“Nicole… I can’t… I need…” His incoherent words had Nicole taking his cock deeper into her mouth, stroking him until he couldn’t remain still.
With his eyes shut tight, he thrust his hips forward and was consumed by a wave of rolling heat that converged at his core as his release tore through him.
Felix untangled his fingers from her hair and gazed down at Nicole, who was licking the corner of her lips like a cat that had just finished a dish of cream.
She was magnificent, and he was a damn lucky man.
“Speechless, Your Grace?” Nicole rose and linked her arms around his neck.
Still dazed, Felix nodded.
“Then I shall not be hearing any further objections to waiting ‘til morn for the wedding.”
Felix shook his head slowly from left to right and back again.
Nicole gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Grand.” She hopped off the bed, grabbed his clothes, and held them up for him. “Now off with you, Your Grace. You’ll want to look presentable for supper.”
As if she’d drained him of all words and thoughts, he obediently dressed and left her to return to his own chambers to bathe and do as she bid—once again resume his duties as the Duke of Strandon.
He’d be patient and wait out the next few hours, but as soon as he made her his wife, Felix fully intended to keep her abed for the same duration as he’d been forced to be kept apart from her—three full days and two long nights.