Teddy slammed his palms over his own eyes as if he could block out the vision.
Georgina made a sound of distress, pushed back from the table, and moved to his side, pressing one cool palm to his forehead. “What is it? What can I do?”
He groaned. “I don’t feel so well, pet,” he murmured, too grateful for her soothing touch to deny the truth and risk her withdrawing. “I have the headache. Afraid any further lecture will have to wait ’til tomorrow.”
She ignored the taunt and withdrew her hand. “Can you make it upstairs, my love?”
He slanted her a glance through slitted eyelids, taking in her beetled brows and worried expression. The prideful part of him wanted totell her to shove off. Another part wanted to take the comfort she offered, weak though it marked him.
“Perhaps I could lean on you a bit, sweetheart?”
“Of course.” She sounded so grateful for the opportunity to help him that he would have grinned if he could.
He pushed back from the table and rose. No more black spots darkened his vision, and his nausea did not return in a rush despite the lurking headache. He could make it upstairs on his own recognizance, he decided.
Nevertheless, when she wrapped one arm around his waist and snugged up against him, the scent of roses swirling up from her hair, he made no protest. Indeed, he slung an arm over her shoulder and leaned into her. She was soft and warm and smelled so nice. She felt very good, indeed.
They started from the dining hall at an awkward shuffle. He hadn’t realized how petite she was. He stood at least two heads taller than her. Glancing down at her shining head of chestnut curls, piled atop her crown, likely to give the illusion of greater stature, he tried to remember her. Tried to imagine a midnight assignation and an all-night trip to Gretna Green. He could not see it.
The image of the man came to him, instead, and his stomach clenched. Her brother, Drake, whom she’d mentioned? He had the same curling hair as Georgina, though he wore it cropped short. Still, he couldn’t say for certain.
But one thing he did know: The man, whoever he was, was dead.
His gut clenched. He didn’t want to think about that. Much more pleasant to focus on the soft, sweet woman at his side. To focus on this moment, and this moment alone.
They climbed the stairs. Moved to his guest chamber, though he glanced with longing toward hers, wondering what it looked like and if it smelled like her.
When they reached the closed door, she twisted to open it ratherthan release him and he almost felt guilty for playing up his debilitation. But why should he? They were a married couple. Or so she said.
The meager light from the burning wall candles framing his bed spilled into the corridor, and bathed Georgina’s face in golden light. She gazed up at him expectantly, then glanced into the chamber as if waiting to see if he meant to disentangle himself from her.
He most certainly did not.
“Mr. Danvers and Thomas will have delivered your things by now, no doubt. We haven’t a full complement of staff, so no one will have unpacked for you. I can help with that tomorrow if you like.” Shyness edged her tone.
But then, they hadn’t yet lived under one roof as man and wife. He wondered what else they had or hadn’t done.
She’d said they had spent some time “enjoying being married” following their ceremony. That could only mean one thing, surely?
He reached with his free hand, traced his fingertips over her cheek, purportedly to smooth one of her loose, corkscrew tendrils behind one of her ears. Really, he wanted to see if her skin was as silky smooth as it looked. It wasn’t. It was softer.
She shivered, and the vibration transmitted from her body to his.
His manhood stiffened with enthusiasm.
“Pet, I could use some help. Not sure if I can manage my boots, nor all these buttons, on my own.”
Her liquid-silver eyes widened and a flush of heat flooded her pale cheeks. “O-of course.”
Together they crossed the threshold and made their way toward the bed in the center of the chamber. It looked barely large enough to accommodate him, let alone the two of them, but he felt certain they could make it work.
Chapter Six
Georgina kept herarm locked around Teddy’s slim waist as they lumbered toward the bed. She felt strange. Some odd combination of giddy and guilty, exultant and dread-filled.
Holding Teddy close, having all his attentions focused on her, was all she’d ever wanted. But she’d known the desire to be a fantasy, with no basis in reality. Teddy had never given the slightest sign he felt anything other than friendship for her. Considering the way his hand kept flexing on her waist, inching up her ribcage ever higher, she could say with near certainty he had no intention of banishing her from his chamber, at the very least. And why would he not avail himself of her body? He thought they were married, thanks to her.
But they weren’t. If he knew the truth, if he knew how nattily she’d set him up to ruin her, he’d chase her out his bed chamber faster than she could blink.
