Page 55

He raked his hooded, sleep-heavy gaze over her, pausing a half-second too long at the dark shadows her light chemise failed to conceal completely.

“Is something wrong?

“Are you ill?

“Does your shoulder pain you?

“Should I call for the physician?”

His questions came rapidly, one after the other, giving her no opportunity to answer.

“Shh.” Laughing, she put two fingers on his mouth, both astounded and exhilarated at her daring.

His lips presented a tantalizing paradox—unexpectedly firm, yet also silken soft.

How Georgine yearned to have those lips upon hers again.

“I am fine, Robyn.” Then added when a doubtful pucker wrinkled his forehead. “Truly, I am.”

The two creases on his forehead revealed he remained unconvinced. “I cannot imagine a reason you are not abed at this hour unless something is amiss.”

In for a penny, in for a pound.

Georgine inhaled, bracing herself. “Nothing amiss that sharing your bed would not remedy.”

There.

She had said it.

Asked her husband to bed her.

Well, practically said it.

She wasn’t so audacious or bold as to demand he take her to his bed and rid her of her virginity.

Yet if subtlety failed—again—Georgine supposed she could topple onto the mattress, tug her shift scandalously high, and hope he took the hint.

Robyn’s eyes went impossibly round, and if the moment hadn’t been so fraught with tension, and her nerves were not dancing about like drunken sailors, she might have laughed at his flabbergasted expression.

A moment later, smoldering fire lit his eyes, and he regarded her with half-closed lids, a primal smile of delight splitting his face. “Forgive my blunt speech, but I want to make certain I understand, sweetheart. You wish to come to bed with me?”

“Oh, for pity’s sake, Robyn.

“How forward must I be?

“I’ve hinted for days.”

She threw her hands up in frustration, her shoulder twinging the merest bit at the sudden movement. “At this rate, I half-fear I shall expire of old age before you think to tumble me properly.”

Laughing heartily, Robyn threw his head back, his Adam’s apple standing out against the strong column of his throat.

Chagrined, she stiffened. “It is not that funny.”

Embarrassment made her voice sharper than she had intended.

“Come here, darling.”

Robyn pulled her against his chest.