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 naïve 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…
