“Oh.” She lifted her gaze to meet his. “Does my satisfaction matter too, then?”
“It does to me.” She found herself blushing under his scrutiny. When he squeezed her hands and released them, she automatically rubbed them together, feeling inexplicably chilly. He stood. “Shall I ring for a maid before I go?”
“Please, no! They act like they know something I don’t. Which is probably true.” Glumly, she arose and faced him.
A quizzical smile played about his mouth. “We could remedy some of your ignorance tonight.” Her eyes opened wide as he slid his hands around her waist to pull her closer. Before she could protest, he brushed his lips over hers.
She gasped as a shiver ran down her spine. Taking advantage of it, he pressed his mouth gently but firmly onto hers. Vague awareness of the textured embroidery of his robe entered her mind as her fingers kneaded his shoulders. Heavy muscles shifted under her hands as he pulled her closer.
As he deepened the kiss, her focus centered on the sensation of their mouths slanting over each other. When his tongue slid between her lips, she opened farther, seeking to explore his with her own. He gave a muffled sigh that aroused a warm tingle in her nipples and between her legs.
Then she was free. Fearing her legs would give way, she clung to his arms and stared up at him.Finding her voice, she asked, “Did I do something wrong?”
“No!” He seemed as shaken as she. His chest rose and fell in heavy breaths, and his eyes had darkened to green. He stared down at her with frightening intensity. “You’ve never kissed before?”
She shook her head, not understanding why he asked. He did not enlighten her. Instead he gently stroked her cheek. “You did nothing wrong at all, sweetheart. But I must say good night now if you want those few days.”
With another caress, he let her go and walked to the door.
“Kieran?”
He turned back to her eagerly.
“Thank you for giving me time.” A wry laugh escaped him as though someone had played a joke on him.
“Only a few days, remember.” His eyes darkened again as they swept over her body. “I’m holding you to that.”
He left then. After standing in place for a long minute, Diantha crawled back between the sheets. Compared to her husband’s warm body, the sheets felt cold. As she twisted and turned to get comfortable, Diantha realized that she regretted being in bed alone.
Curling onto his side between lavender-scented sheets, Kieran sleepily reflected on the kiss he had just experienced. Intending only to discover her reaction to basic physical contact, both their reactions surprised him. When she had addressed himby name, he had hoped for an invitation to her bed after all.
He shifted restlessly. His sense of the ridiculous appreciated the irony of being thoroughly aroused by a virgin, but that did not ease the ache between his thighs.
Part of his response had to stem from months of near-abstinence. His engagement had necessitated only a few discreet meetings with tactful professionals.
Most men did not take such care to keep their liaisons hidden, of course, but he had no wish to make himself the subject of gossip. Besides, to flaunt a mistress during one’s engagement was the height of bad manners.
Before drifting off to sleep, he congratulated himself on such foresight. His bride demonstrated more passion than he had dreamed possible in a sheltered girl. He looked forward to introducing her to more sensual delights, ones that would provide both of them with a great deal of pleasure.
Kieran put his plan into action the next morning. An habitual early riser, he enjoyed a cup of tea and read theNew York Timesfront to back before hearing anything through the door to her room.
He tapped lightly before entering, to see his bride grab her robe and hold it in front of her with one hand. The other brushed her loose hair out of her eyes. “Your lordship! What are you doing in here?”
He stifled a sigh. These nervous starts of hers made him jumpy. Hiding his exasperation, he gave her the smile that usually coaxed women into doing as he wished. “I thought we might enjoy breakfast together.”
An expression of confusion crossed her face. “I expected we would, sir. Breakfast will be laid out downstairs by the time we’re dressed.”
“I meant up here. And I thought we were on a Christian name basis after last night.” He added a mournful note to the last sentence. She rewarded him by coloring a little.
“If you would prefer it, sir—Kieran.” Her shy manner disappeared the next moment. “But Mama and Papa do not allow trays in our rooms. We must go down to breakfast.”
“My dear girl, I have no intention of permitting your parents to run my life.” He strode to the bellpull and tugged. A maid scurried in a few minutes later. When he ordered two breakfast trays brought up, she gulped and nodded weakly before hurrying back out.
“That should take care of that.” He turned to his wife.
“I’ve only been allowed to eat in my room when I was too ill to stand. Mama will be furious.” Having shrugged into her robe, she observed him with a mixture of glee and apprehension.
“Really? My aunt does so on a regular basis, and, of course, my mother seldom comes down to the table.” He prowled the room, taking in the overdone decoration.
