“I’m ready,” she said even as her stomach twisted itself into a tight knot.
They said their farewells and thanked everyone for wishing them well, then took their leave.
“Are you nervous?” William asked once they reached the house where they would make their home and he’d escorted her inside. No servants had been hired yet since they’d decided to interview potential candidates together, so William served as butler, setting aside Eloise’s bonnet and gloves as she handed him each item.
She smiled. “I was before we arrived here, but now everything just feels right. And exciting, if I’m to be completely honest.”
Devilish glee lit his eyes. “My sentiment exactly.” He collected an object wrapped in brown paper and white satin ribbon from the hallway table. “This is for you. I bought it a while ago, right before you left for France. It was my intention to give it to you sooner, but so much else happened and I eventually decided it might make a nice wedding gift.”
“Oh, but I don’t have anything for you.” As sweet as his gesture was, it made her feel slightly ill-prepared.
He gave her a positively roguish smile. “You couldn’t be more mistaken. Now go on and open your gift so I can receive mine.”
Heat flooded her cheeks as she pulled at the ribbon, loosening it until the paper parted and a book came into view. Eloise sucked in a breath as she read the title.French Landscapes in Color. Her heart fluttered about with mad anticipation as she opened it up to the first painting.
“Oh, Will...”
“I thought this might help bring you closer to home.” His voice was a little unsteady.
Tears clung to her lashes. “This is my home now. Here, with you. But this book is the most thoughtful gift I have ever received, and I shall cherish it forever. Thank you so much.”
“I will always do my utmost to make you happy, Eloise.” Plucking the book from her fingers, he returned it to the hallway table. “This book is just the beginning.”
He moved in behind her, and his lips brushed the side of her neck. But before she was able to fully appreciate the pleasure the intimate touch wrought on her nerves, she was swept up into his arms. “Will!”
“You taste so good,” he murmured, carrying her up the stairs, “as sweet and delectable as your pastries.”
Her cheeks heated in response to his comment. She gripped the back of his neck. “Perhaps because I added a tiny dab of confectioner’s sugar?”
His hands clasped her more firmly and he quickened his pace, reaching the landing with record speed. Turning left, he marched them toward the end of the hallway. “Is that a French thing, I wonder?”
“I don’t believe so. Inspiration struck this morning when I went to check on the cake. It was very impromptu.”
“Well, now that I know your secret, I’m even more eager to explore every inch of your body.” They’d entered the bedroom and William set her carefully on her feet, then steadied her with his hand when she wobbled slightly.
Fire burned its way through her veins, and her heart beat with frantic anticipation. More so when she turned to meet his dark gaze. Her hand flattened against his chest both in reverence and in wonder. “You’re my husband.”
It still felt like a dream – a wonderful, magical, fairy-tale romance. He was hers, forever and always, hers to discover, to share her life with, and to adore. Her hands moved to his carefully tied cravat, untying it with measured movements since savoring the unwrapping process was just as important as the gift itself.
The length of white linen finally fell away, allowing her to pull his shirt open. A sigh swept past his lips when she traced the pad of her finger down the front of his neck and across the small dip at its base. “Eloise.”
She unbuttoned his waistcoat next and pushed it and his jacket off his shoulders before she leaned forward and placed a hot kiss right over his heart, dampening the fine muslin of his shirt. He sucked in a breath, and his arms came around her, holding her there for a long drawn-out moment while he remained remarkably still.
And then, as if the need for movement were a matter of life and death, his fingers were suddenly working the fastenings of her gown with lightning speed. Something tore – a seam no doubt – and they both muttered a curse. Pulling and tugging, he forced the silk and lace into compliance until she’d been divested of the hindering fabrics.
His shirt was removed in a blur, along with her stays and chemise, and then he was kissing her fiercely while shucking his shoes, hose, trousers, and smalls. She kicked off her slippers so only her stockings remained, but when she moved to take them off, he clasped her hands and wound them about his neck.
“Leave them,” he murmured. Upon which he lowered her onto the bed and proceeded to see to the task himself with torturous slowness. His eyes gleamed as his gaze roved over her exposed body. “If you’ll recall, you took your time with my cravat. Now it’s my turn.”
She gasped when his fingers traced over a sensitive spot at the back of her knee, then again when his knuckles scraped the inside of her thigh, until he was done with his task and his fingers found other places to explore, at which point she sighed with exquisite pleasure.
“You’re everything I’ve dreamed of and so much more,” he murmured when he settled between her thighs a while later. His voice was rough with emotion. “I love you, Eloise. I’ll always love you, and I promise to make this experience as perfect for you as I can.”
At which point he kissed her hard, distracting her from the brief pain that followed and sweeping her into a glorious world where only the two of them existed. It was bright and beautiful, complete with magnificent sensations she’d never before known existed – a place where flight became possible and exquisite bliss an absolute guarantee.
“How do you feel?” he asked, his voice more strained than usual.
“As if I could conquer the world,” she replied on a sigh while a sweeping sensation of tingles spread through each limb.
