“Better?” he asked after a moment.
“Yes.” She lifted her hips against his, shifting him inside her, and it caused only a slight burn before building physical excitement replaced it.
“I never wanted to hurt you, and I swear that is the last time I ever will.” Derrick’s eyes glowed with such sincerity that she believed him. Then he withdrew a little from her body and slid back in.
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “Do that again!”
“Oh, I plan to, love.” He kissed the tip of her nose, and then the gentleness changed. He kissed her mouth hard, his tongue and lips dominating hers, making her melt beneath him. His hips pumped, the thrusts making the bed creak beneath them, and if she had had the breath for it, she would have giggled. But the sensation of his body pinning her down, his shaft stretching and filling her over and over, was exquisite. She dug her fingers into his buttocks, urging him deeper, harder, and he gave it to her. His animal-like possession of her body was the thing she needed most. Gone were the polite smiles and gentlemanly manners. She had Derrick in all of his rough, masculine perfection as her lover now.
Arianna threw her head back as pleasure the likes of which she had never imagined tore through her. She could only draw breath into her lungs as ecstasy rippled out from every part of her being. Derrick shouted her name and stiffened above her. A beautiful warmth flowed from her heart as he lowered his head to hers, his lips whispering against her cheek.
“You are everything to me,” he said, his forehead touching hers. “I was blind, but now Isee.”
There was nothing more wondrous in that moment than hearing Derrick’s words and feeling his body wrapped around hers as they both surrendered to sleep.
Derrick wokearound dawn when he thought he heard the bedchamber door open and then close ever so quietly a moment later. He glanced down at his future wife. She lay sprawled out, stealing all the blankets from her bed. He guessed Arianna’s lady’s maid must have peeked in and seen them and politely gone back downstairs to attend to other things until they woke.
“Little thief,” he chuckled and pinched her bare bottom. She kicked out in her sleep but missed. He sat up and squinted at the pale light coming into the windows of Arianna’s bedroom. He got out of bed and stretched his legs, feeling wonderfully changed after last night. It hadn’t been simply making love to Arianna. It had been finally having that waltz and her agreeing to make his life wonderful as his wife. He picked up her gown from the floor and smiled at the rumpled state of the fine silk. Moving to the window, he bathed his face in the early-morning light.
That was when he spotted the shape of a distant coach rambling down the snow-covered lane toward Asgil Hall.
“What the devil?” he muttered and glanced at the clock. Who could arrive at this hour on Christmas Day? He returned to the bed and shook Arianna’s shoulder gently. “Arianna, love, wake up. Someone is coming down the lane to the house.”
She rolled onto her back and presented him with a glorious view of her bare breasts. His body went hard at the sight, but he was not completely distracted.
“Pardon?” she asked sleepily.
“Someone is coming down the lane in a coach.”
She brushed her hair out of her face and slipped out of bed, retrieving a robe and pulling it on, dressing as quickly as she could. He then joined her at the window after pulling on his own clothes.
“Who do you suppose it is?” he asked.
“I do not know. Everyone we invited has already arrived. We had better go down and see.” She pulled the bell cord for her lady’s maid, and Derrick slipped into the corridor so he could get to his own bedchamber. Boyle was there, laying out clothes on his bed.
“Boyle, glad to see you. I must dress quickly.”
“Yes, my lord. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. The downstairs was quite ecstatic over the news.”
“Really? Well, I am glad to hear it.”
Boyle helped him with the task of dressing properly. When he was given the torn waistcoat with missing buttons, the poor man’s lip quivered.
“Easy, old fellow.” He patted the valet’s back. “I am sure it can be mended.”
Boyle arched a brow at the statement and heaved a dramatic sigh.
“My wife to be is an Amazon, so you had best get comfortable with a few torn clothes.” He could not resist teasing the valet.
His valet walked away, muttering about how Derrick ought to make sure a few bodices were ripped as well.
Fair is fair. Derrick chuckled as he left the bedchamber and hastened down the main stairs.
The coach had stopped outside the front door; he could see the dark shape of it through the frosted windows. The Asgils’ butler opened the front door, and Derrick followed him outside, only to freeze at the sight of Lucas leaping out of the coach and landing in the snow.
Dear God, he was not ready to face Arianna’s brother. For the last few hours, he had forgotten all about his quarrel with Lucas. He swallowed hard, afraid to face the knowledge that he might end up dueling for his life on Christmas Day.
He began to retreat but halted as Lucas, not having seen him yet, turned to face the open coach door, where a pair of feminine hands held out a small boy who could not have been more than two years old. Lucas took the boy and held him securely in his arms, then reached out a hand to steady the young woman who next exited the coach.
