She wanted to feel his skin against hers. She couldn’t get enough of him. Reaching for his jacket, she pushed it off his shoulders, wanting him to rid himself of the constricting garment. She wanted to feel the bunch of his muscles under her palms.
But with a shaky breath, he captured her hands, kissing the fingertips of each one.
“Lass, as enticing as ye are right now, and believe me, ye are verra enticing,” he growled. “Howe’er, ye deserve more.”
Confusion furrowed her brow. “Pardon?”
“Our first time to lay together should not be in the cramped confines of a carriage. I want to see ye splayed out beneath me on the finest linens. Your hair free from pins so that I may run my fingers through the long locks. I want the opportunity to look upon every inch of ye. Savor ye as ye deserve to be savored.”
She felt her skin flush. Her initial reaction as to what she thought was rejection was gone and now replaced with the beauty of his words. They were heartfelt. Nothing so romantic had ever passed Harold’s lips.
Nodding, she straightened, bringing her hand up to her lips, swollen from his kisses and smiled. “I think I would like that very much.”
The smile that he gifted her with was dazzling.
As they continued their journey home, sitting side by side on the bench seat, her hand enveloped in his, she fought to understand how but only a few days ago, they didn’t know who the other was, and now they were bursting with unchecked desire.
Of course, a marriage needed more than that to survive. But how many marriages were loveless? Passionless? If they had those attributes, they could overcome anything. She believed that to her very core.
A core, that right now, yearned for the handsome man sitting beside her, his fingers softly stroking hers.
Chapter Seventeen
It had beentwo days since he and Whitney had nearly come together in the carriage. Since then, they had both agreed that it would be best if they waited until after they were married to go any further.
Today, the day had finally arrived. The days had seemed to drag on forever.
The magistrate had arrived a short while ago, and they only waited for Whitney to descend the stairs with her mother.
Christopher found the wait excruciating. But once he got a glimpse of the lass, his breath caught in his throat. The wait was well worth it for the vision appearing in front of him.
She was beautiful. The satin gown she wore fit her perfectly and accentuated her slim figure. Her hair was piled high on her head, and he had a vision of pulling out the pins one by one later, watching her hair cascade down her shoulders tendril by tendril.
He caught her gaze, and her smile was dazzling. For a brief moment, he felt a surge of guilt for not inviting his brother. But Alexander would be an issue that he would deal with later. He didn’t want those memories sullying the memories of his wedding.
Whitney didn’t deserve that. She deserved his full attention, and she would have it.
Once she joined him at his side, and he took her hand in his, the ceremony was a whirlwind. Brief, it only lasted a few short minutes before they were pronounced man and wife, and they kissed in front of her parents and the magistrate. Sealing their lives together for the remainder of their time on earth.
It was surprising that he had looked forward to the union. Last week he would have sworn up and down he would never marry—or at least not any time soon. But here he was, a week later, most definitely married.
And to the most beautiful woman he had ever had the pleasure of laying his eyes upon. The morn was early and they had decided the night before that they would stay at Colthrop Hall for tonight. Tomorrow they would start the journey to Scotland.
“Are you happy, Christopher?” Whitney asked beside him, her brow creased with worry.
He smiled, casting away thoughts best kept for another day. “Splendidly so. Are ye?”
“I am. I don’t know if I should be, but I am.”
He laughed at that. “We do make an odd couple, do we no’?” He dipped his head in her parent’s direction. “Your parents, however, seem elated.”
She giggled. “They have wanted to see me wed for so long. Look at what they went through to see that it happened?”
“I have ne’er been happier to have a gambling habit.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“Dinna fash, lass. ’Tis only because it brought me to ye. Without it, I wouldna find myself here with ye in my arms and calling ye wife.”
