His horrified expression from seconds ago transformed with a laugh. “Very well, though I’m not sure what you hope to accomplish with a letter opener. They’re not that sharp.”
“It’s not the sharpness I require.” She moved toward him, raised her hand, and instantly saw apprehension return to his face even though he made an effort to hide it. “I promise not to hurt you, my love. Please trust me.”
“I do,” he said, and her heart melted all the more because he agreed to do so despite his concerns.
“All I want is to nudge this knot open. After that, I’ll use my fingers.” She pried the tip of the letter opener into a teensy tiny gap in the linen. “One would think this was tied by someone who did not want you to take it off. Is your valet really that diabolical?”
“I don’t have a valet.” He cleared his throat and spoke while she worked. “I’ve been dressing myself for years, Ada. So I tied this one just as I’ve tied a thousand others. But I was nervous today and may have used added strength to make certain it wouldn’t unravel.”
She pressed her lips together and willed herself not to laugh. He was simply too adorable for words. So she kept her gaze on his neck and told him honestly, “I was nervous too. More than I’ve been before in my life. It’s a relief to know I wasn’t alone.”
“How about now?” he asked when she finally managed to pull one edge of his cravat loose. “Are you still nervous?”
“A little,” she whispered, then amended that statement by admitting, “quite a bit, if I’m being perfectly honest.”
His fingertips found the curve of her neck and trailed over her shoulder. “Don’t be.”
She shivered in response to his touch and the sizzling effect it had on her nerves. Her stomach tightened even as she managed to undo the rest of the knot at his throat. “That’s easy for you to say. You’ve done this before, have you not?”
“If you are referring to getting naked and tupping a woman, then yes, I have. But I’ve never considered what she might think of my physical appearance or worried whether or not her experience would be a memorable one. It was just a need that had to be sated. But with you it’s entirely different. With you my heart is racing a million miles per second and I constantly feel like I’m breaking out in a sweat. I worry I’ll disappoint you, which is something I’ve never considered with any previous partner.”
His honesty was humbling and put her more at ease. It helped knowing she wasn’t the only one who felt like a novice, even if he did have the experience she lacked. “If the kisses we’ve shared are any indication, I’m sure I’ll be more than pleased by your efforts.”
She pulled the length of white linen from around his neck and barely managed to toss it aside before he kissed her with wild abandon, wrapping her tightly in his arms and pulling her close. His palms flattened over her spine, pushing heat under her skin and increasing her need for something more.
Getting him out of his waistcoat and shirt would be an excellent start, she decided when he went to work on her stays. So she broke their kiss and leaned back, catching his smoldering gaze as she started undoing his waistcoat buttons. Her stays fell forward and she pulled her arms free so the garment could be tossed aside. His waistcoat followed and then she was tugging his shirt loose from his trousers while he began to bunch her chemise.
His nails scraped her thighs, sending a series of sizzling sparks over her flesh. She gasped and he chuckled while bending to press scorching kisses against the curve of her neck. The thin lawn fabric of her chemise fluttered against her stomach as it was hitched higher.
Eager to see what her husband looked like in a state of undress, she pushed him back slightly so she could wrestle his shirt over his head. Laughing, he helped her free his arms and even managed to send her chemise flying in the process.
His eyes widened while Ada took a sharp breath, her fingers tentatively reaching and trailing over the firm chest before her. He shivered slightly beneath her touch. She felt his heart leap as she pressed her palm to it, and when she traced the hard bands of muscle comprising his stomach, they flexed in response.
“You’re stunning,” she whispered while letting her gaze roam over his powerful arms before dipping back down to his narrow waist. “I never imagined…”
“Neither did I.” His voice mirrored her awe and her gaze snapped to his. She’d been so distracted by his perfection she’d completely forgotten that she stood before him, completely naked, except for her stockings.
Self-awareness rushed through her and she instinctively raised her arms.
“No,” he murmured, catching her wrists before she could shield herself from his view. “There will be none of that, Ada.”
“But—”
“You’re everything I desire and so much more. Don’t hide that from me, my love. Revel in it.” As if to lend encouragement, he undid his placket and took off his trousers and smalls. A roguish grin tugged at his lips. “See?”
She sucked in a breath. “Oh my.”
“Precisely the sort of response I hoped to receive,” he teased as he swept her into his arms. He strode to the adjoining room where a lovely canopy bed dressed in white linen waited.
A deep kiss followed as he lowered her onto the bed. He settled himself beside her, his fingers gently exploring her while his mouth coaxed her into a restless state of inexplicable need. She sighed, a little embarrassed by what she suddenly wanted – his hands, everywhere.
Shifting, she tried to adjust her position so he’d be encouraged to touch her in the right places. Instead, the wicked man merely chuckled against her shoulder and playfully nipped her with his teeth.
He added a soothing kiss. “I wonder what you desire.”
The urge to smack him was equal to her wish for him to continue with his seduction. For that was surely what the annoying man was about. Either that, or he meant to drive her mad.
“Anthony,” she implored. Abandoning all her scruples, she allowed her legs to fall open.
