Naomi gazed backat Luke and was reminded of how, back at Milton Cottage, he’d assured her that she must grieve in her own way. Despite the mistakes she’d made last year, he’d done nothing but provide his support, his protection, and then later, his love.
“I’m not nervous anymore, Luke.” She took it upon herself to reassure him this time, reaching her arms up to twine around his neck. All she wanted in that moment was to be as close to him as possible.
Pressing her mouth against his, her first thought was that he tasted of the outdoors. Firm, but then his lips softened and parted, and the familiarity of his taste both comforted and excited her.
Without breaking the kiss, Luke grasped hold of her thigh and shifted her so that she straddled him.
He’d said they needed to reacquaint themselves with one another. He was correct. She loved him with every fiber of her being despite the distance of the past year or the pain of his absence. Perhaps she loved him even more for having suffered it.
But they would come to know one another as only husband and wife are privy to. They would share their thoughts, their emotions. Their bodies. One flesh.
Their hands tangled with one another while she reached to unfasten his falls and he tugged at the material of her dress.
They sighed at the same time, when skin touched skin. She lifted herself and hovered. Luke stroked himself at her opening. She was wet, slick. Ready for him. She relaxed her weight and impaled herself on him.
She heard and felt his moan at the same time she released one of her own.
“Luke.” Had he made her feel this whole before? He lifted her slowly and then lowered her again. Her spine turned to jelly as he moved beneath her. And then they were both moving.
“I can’t last long,” he breathed. “You feel too damn good.”
He slowed, staring into her eyes, holding her gaze, hiding nothing of his feelings, pushing up, penetrating her, claiming her.
“I love you.” His voice rasped.
“Love you.” Naomi could barely hold her head up as sensations and emotions overwhelmed every part of her person. “Love you.”
She went to close her eyes, but he stopped her with his voice. “Stay with me.”
He pistoned his hips up and her eyes rolled back. Still, she forced herself to fight the heaviness and meet his gaze. “With you.” She exhaled, gasping as he stroked inside of her.
Tingling spread from her chest to her arms and even her fingertips as she rode him. When she finally closed her eyes, intoxicated by her surge of release, white stars flooded her vision.
Luke thrust deep, deeper, grasping her hips against his, and then with a guttural sound, surrendered to his own release.
Words were not necessary as they clung to one another, catching their breath, listening to the sounds of their heartbeats returning to normal and the thrumming of the waterfall landing in the pool.
“This was the first time with my husband,” Naomi finally murmured, smiling as she rested her cheek against his chest.
“As my wife.” Luke’s voice rumbled beneath her.
“Lady Lucas.” And then she leaned back. “I don’t want to wait. We’ve waited long enough already.” But they could not simply tell the world they were married.
Luke’s gaze met hers. “You are willing to accept possible ridicule?”
Her parents were finally prepared to acknowledge her again. “If they love me, if they wish to know their grandchildren, they will have to make their own decision. We’ve already waited too long, Luke.”
“You are certain?” Brilliant sapphire eyes studied hers.
“I am.”
He slowly stretched his mouth into a grin. “Shall we have the banns read this Sunday, then?”
“Yes.” She nodded slowly. “It’s time.”
EPILOGUE
Barely three weeks later, on a warm October Sunday afternoon, Naomi watched as her husband, Lord Lucas Cockfield, signed their marriage certificate with an unusually elaborate flourish.
