Page 81 of The Bridal Quest

Irene moved her legs restlessly, digging her heels into the pillows beneath her and moving against his hand. He let out a little laughing groan, and then, at last, he moved between her legs. His hands beneath her hips, he lifted her and slowly, carefully, sank into her.

Irene gasped, pain flashing through her briefly and she tightened. Gideon paused, waiting, and gradually she relaxed. Gently, inexorably, he slid into her, filling her. Irene wrapped her legs around him, moving a little to take him in more fully. He began to move within her, slowly pulling back and thrusting in, and with each movement something tightened within her, coiling harder and tighter.

She sobbed, moving with him, yearning for something that she could not even name. And then she felt it explode within her, a pleasure so deep and intense that she was rocked by it. She shuddered, clinging to him, as Gideon thrust hard and deep inside her, crying out as his own release took him. Waves of pleasure washed through her, rippling outward to every part of her body. He collapsed against her, and Irene wrapped her arms around him, stunned by what she had felt.

Whatever happened, she thought hazily, whether Gideon ever came to love her or not, she knew that she had found her home.

Chapter Nineteen

The next morning, when Irene went downstairs to breakfast, she wondered a little nervously how she would act when she saw Gideon.

The night before, after their lovemaking, he had walked with her back to the house, his arm around her. They had said little, peaceful and content in the moment, stopping now and then to kiss or just to stand with their arms around each other. They had waited until after everyone else had gone to bed to return, and she had slipped in the back door and crept up to her room, while he had waited for several minutes before he came in more boldly. Tired and happy, she had gone immediately to bed and, hugging her happy knowledge to herself, had drifted off to sleep.

This morning, however, she could see all the problems that might present themselves. For one thing, it seemed likely that someone—or more than a few someones—would have noticed that both she and Gideon had been absent for the last part of the evening. What if someone mentioned it? What would she say? She could not allow herself to blush and stammer, for then it would be immediately apparent that she was guilty of some indiscretion.

But more than that, she feared that when she first looked at him, it would be clear to everyone what she felt for him ...

what they had done. And deep down somewhere there lay a little niggling fear that when he saw her, he would regret everything, that in the time since she had last seen him, he would have come to wonder why he had ever thought he wanted to marry her.

But when she walked into the dining room and saw him sitting at the table, all her doubts and worries disappeared instantly. He glanced up from his plate, and though he did not smile, there was a swift, intense look in his eyes that welcomed her more than any words could have.

"Lady Irene," he said, rising and stepping over to pull out her chair. "I trust you slept well last night, after all the exertion ... of the dance."

He looked down into her eyes, his own vivid green eyes brimming with intimate laughter.

"Thank you, Lord Radbourne. I spent a very pleasant night," she replied, casting back her own flirtatious glance as she took her seat. "It must be the air here."

"I always find country air most salubrious," Lady Salisbridge offered. "Though my two girls," she added with an indulgent smile, "are rather slugabeds this morning, I am afraid. But then, they do so love to dance."

"It was a wonderful ball," Mrs. Surton said. "Such talented musicians, such lovely flowers. I must applaud your talents, Lady Radbourne, to offer so excellent an entertainment in the country."

Everyone else joined in to compliment both the countesses, who received the praise with gracious smiles. Irene cast an amused glance up the table at Francesca, who gave her a slow wink in return.

Irene's gaze went next to Lady Odelia, who gave her such a regal nod and smile that Irene suspected Gideon had already told his great-aunt about their plans to marry. The thought of their marriage made Irene feel giddy all over again, and she turned her gaze back down to her plate to hide her smile.

When all the praise and rehashing of the dance the evening before died down, Francesca said lightly, "Now all that is left is to decide what we shall do today."

"Oh, yes," Miss Surton agreed with a giggle. "What shall we do? Lawn tennis was terribly amusing, was it not?"

"Particularly your serve, Ro," her brother Percy replied.

"Oh, you!" She made a pouting face at him. "You, I am sure, will want to go riding again."

"That sounds splendid," Miss Hurley was quick to agree.

"Where would we go?" asked Callie. "We have been all around the estate, have we not?"

Both the Hurleys and Mr. Surton looked rather bemused by the suggestion that any enticement other than being on a horse was needed.

"There are caves not far from here, near the river," Gideon offered. "I have not seen them, but I have been told they are quite interesting."

"The caves!" Lady Teresa gasped. "Oh, no, we cannot go there. They are too dangerous."

"What nonsense." Lady Odelia snorted. "I have been there several times. When we were younger, of course, eh. Pansy? There is nothing dangerous about them, providing one doesn't go wandering off and get lost, that is."

"Lord Cecil never allowed anyone to go there," Lady Teresa responded primly.

"No doubt he didn't want everyone poking about in them," Lady Odelia remarked. "One wouldn't. But I never heard of there being anything wrong with them, have you, Pansy?"