He did not think he felt the same way about her that day as he did right now, for instance.There had been pity and a desire to protect a young lady in terrible circumstances, but he’d had no urge to cuddle her at that moment.Not the way he was cuddling her now.If she’d had a megrim, he would have felt badly for her, but he did not think he would have been overwhelmed by the desire to try to make it better for her.
So, no.He did not think it had been love at first sight, nor second sight, since technically, he’d met her at the house party originally.He had not paid her much attention while they were there.His coin had not even indicated he should dance with her at the time.
He wondered what would have happened if he’d asked it about marrying her then.
Perhaps the timing had not been right.
Matthew did not often question how his coin worked, but right now, he could not help but wonder why she could not have been spared the night of the auction.Was wanting her to have been spared that also love?
How did one know for certain?
He glanced over at his coin on the side table, but Johanna’s head was pillowed on his arm.He would not be able to reach for it without disturbing her.The itch to do so remained, but he forced himself to stay still.Letting her sleep was more important than his coin.
Last night had been difficult for her.Rose had mentioned she occasionally had megrims.Hopefully, they did not happen too often.Matthew did not like to see her laid so low.
Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to the back of her shoulder.He was not trying to wake her; he just… wanted to kiss her.And that was where he could reach.His cock was hard, as it always was in the morning, but he was not going to touch her like that unless he was completely assured that she was well.
With a soft sigh in her sleep, Johanna snuggled back against him.She felt so small, so frail in his arms.Perhaps Dr.Syme would have a suggestion for her head, something that Rose had not yet thought of.
“Matthew?”Her voice was soft, sleepy.
Blast.He hoped he had not woken her with the kiss.
“Shh.You do not need to be up yet.”He kissed her shoulder again, in the same spot as before.An apology for waking her.
Yawning, she shifted so she could turn onto her back, one hand coming up to find his.The arm that was under her head shifted so he could curl his fingers around hers.Half-lidded violet eyes met his, and she smiled at him.The smile gave him a wave of relief.Surely, if she was smiling, that meant she was feeling better.
“Good morning,” he said in a low voice, just in case her head still hurt, leaning forward to kiss the tip of her nose.
“Good morning.”She tilted her head back, and he obligingly gave her a kiss on the lips, a very brief one.
“Are you feeling much improved?”he asked.
Her eyes widened, some emotion twisting her expression, then disappearing almost as quickly as it had come on.There was something different about the way she looked at him, though he could not quite put his finger on it.A kind of wariness?
Perhaps she thought he meant to push her for marital relations, and her head was still not fully recovered.
“I am,” she said after a moment.“I am sorry about last night.”
“Do not be,” he reassured her.“You could not help it.Rose said you sometimes get megrims.”
“I… yes.”She gave herself a little shake, turning into him and pulling his hand with her so that it was wrapped around her shoulders.Matthew’s cock stirred as she pressed herself against him.“Iammuch improved this morning, though.”
Breathlessly, she pressed her body and her lips against his, and Matthew groaned.
His wife’s head was so much improved that they spent the morning with her learning how to ridehim.Which meant Matthew got to enjoy seeing her bounce up and down on his cock, her pale hair falling around her body, breasts jiggling, as she moaned and worked herself to frenzied pleasure.With his hands gripping her hips, he thrust up into her as she ground down atop him, crying out with pleasure together.
Married life certainly was most enjoyable.
Johanna
Guilt surged inside Johanna after her husband returned to his own bedroom.She was still throbbing from the pleasure he’d brought her to—the pleasure she did not deserve.She was not lying to him exactly, but it was a lie of omission at the very least.
Thankfully, being married meant Rose would not come barging into her room this morning, demanding explanations.Johanna needed to think of something to tell her.She wondered if her cousin would believe that she’d truly had amegrim.One could always hope.
Perhaps she could convince Rose that she was afraid of facing theton, and that’s what had caused her absence from supper.There was some truth to that, although it was not nearly as stressful as trying to figure out how to feed the family had been.
Staring up at the ceiling, Johanna took a deep breath, acutely aware of her breasts and the sweet ache between her thighs.First things first.She needed to speak with her mother today.Alone.
