“No. Of course not. But you have to admit it’s an added benefit.” She gave him a wry smile. “But the fact is, we’ll still need an income. Of course I’ll keep writing, but with a decent piece of land, you could earn a living too from the very thing you dream of doing. We could in fact end up getting exactly what we’ve both wanted for so long much quicker than if we were to refuse your mother’s kindness.”
“I dunno.” He glanced at his mother.
“I can just see you managing a shop full of plants on some village high-street,” Charlotte murmured. “Say yes, and give her your thanks.”
He promptly did as she asked. The edge of his mouth twitched. He shook his head as laughter seeped into his eyes. “Am I to be managed by ye in this way for the rest of my days now?”
“Not at all,” Charlotte quipped as she leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I promise never to try and sway your opinion on Sundays.”
Everyone laughed in response to that swift rejoinder, then raised their glasses in celebration of the newly married couple. It was later agreed Blayne and Charlotte would leave for London five days later together with Mrs. Callanach, Hannah, and Daisy, since this would allow Marcus the time he needed to learn if he would be staying in Edinburgh or not.
“Have I ever told ye how stunning ye are?” Blayne asked Charlotte when they retreated to his bedchamber later. Leaning against the door, he watched her move around the room with a restless energy. “I remember the very first moment I saw ye, sitting at a table at The Black Swan. Ye were the bonniest lass I’d ever laid eyes on, but it bothered the hell out of me that I couldnae discern the length of yer hair.”
She stopped at that and turned toward him, her expression one of puzzlement. “How curious.”
“It was hidden beneath yer bonnet.” He pushed away from the door and moved toward her. “The next day, when I came to yer home, I learned yer hair must be quite long and thick to produce the voluminous knot at the nape of yer neck. Now, I finally get to discover how long it really is and how it feels between my fingers.”
Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink as she gazed back at him with endless wonder. Lips parted, he could not resist. He closed the distance and captured her mouth with his while pulling her flush up against him. God, she tasted divine, and the way she wound her slim arms around his neck until she clung to him for support was enough to drive him mad with longing.
His hand stole its way up her back until his fingers connected with the first hairpin. Pulling it free he sought out another, and another, and the one after that, until her lustrous black locks fell over her shoulders.
“Christ, ye’re divine,” he told her when he managed to get a good look at her. “I want ye like this every day from now on.”
“It really wouldn’t be proper,” she said with a shy smile that urged him to kiss her once more.
“It will when we’re alone together,” he told her while pulling her back in his arms. “And just so ye ken, lass, I plan on that happening a lot.”
She answered him with a kiss of her own and as he deepened the caress, he lost himself completely in her warmth, her scent, and her flavor. She was perfect in every way and he craved her – craved the nearness they’d have without all this fabric between them, and the bond they would share once they joined their bodies together.
Eager to progress to that point, Blayne popped the first button at the top of her gown and proceeded from there. He kissed his way along the side of her jaw while easing the sleeves down over her arms, then along the length of her neck as he went to work on the laces holding her stays. His mouth traced the curve of her shoulder, eliciting lovely mewls from deep in her throat. And she was no passive bystander either. Her deft hands had already pulled his shirt free from his trousers and snuck their way underneath. The effect was so provocative, he struggled to think straight.
“Blayne?” Her voice was a sensual murmur of pure enticement.
“Hmm?” he purred against her skin.
“Take off your jacket, waistcoat, and shirt.”
How could he deny her? Without hesitation he shucked his jacket and tossed it aside. His waistcoat and shirt swiftly followed.
“You’re stunning too,” she whispered with so much awe he felt like Zeus himself. And then she reached out and trailed the pads of her fingers across his chest, over his arm, and toward his back.
Blayne stiffened in response to her intake of breath. Lord help him, he knew he wasn’t perfect. He’d also known his wife would see the ugly welts crisscrossing his flesh. Perhaps he should have better prepared her so she’d not be put off?
“Your father did this?” Her fingers carefully traced the scars.
“Aye.” There was no denying his past any longer. No matter the shame.
“I don’t think I’ve ever hated anyone more. Not even Seamus.” Her voice cracked. “Perhaps I’m awful for saying this, but I’m glad your father’s dead.” She pressed a hot kiss to his back.
Pleasure ignited within every cell of his body. A groan rumbled through him. He turned, and caught her in his arms. “Charlotte.”
A smug smile of pure satisfaction curled her lips. “Feel good?”
“Aye.”
As if emboldened, she leaned in and kissed him again, right over his heart. Blayne wrapped his arms more fully around her and hugged her close for a moment, until her hands slid to his waist and dipped inside his trousers. At which point he lost all reason.
Her clothes were completely removed in seconds, the rest of his own discarded immediately after, and then they were on the bed, his skin against hers.
