Chapter Sixteen
What’d she’d just done was dirty and rotten and underhanded. She was struggling to feel guilty about it.
First, she really did want to give this to him. He’d done so much for her already and this was her gift back. And honestly, she was certain after their time in the carriage that she was going to enjoy whatever they did.
But she’d also needed to distract him and that was the part that made guilt squirm deep in her belly. He would not approve of her continued research on the subject of rakes. He thought it dangerous, but the truth was, as his wife, she was perfectly safe.
She had no intention of allowing any man to take liberties but she couldn’t very well research ocean creatures during the winter and so she’d have to fill her time with something. She leaned down to feather kisses along his neck. Luke was far too noble to provide any insight.
He started up the stairs, moving with a speed that left her breathless. How could he carry her so easily?
Making it up the second flight, he passed his own suite, heading for hers, and opened the door with a resounding thump. It then crashed back into place with another loud crack. His lips found hers as he slid her down his body, her feet finally touching the floor.
She wasn’t aware of his hands undoing the buttons of her dress until he stepped back to peel the garment off her body.
For a moment, heat filled her cheeks, but he crushed her to his chest again, and she forgot her embarrassment as desire throbbed through her.
When her corset came loose, she helped shove off the garment and then pushed at his coat. She had a powerful need to feel more of him and their clothing was getting in her way.
He gave her a wicked grin as he pulled at the knot of his cravat, sending his vest sailing across the room.
When he pulled her close again she could feel every ridge of muscle against her softer flesh and he groaned with pleasure. “Luke,” she moaned into his mouth.
He took a few steps until the bed pushed against the back of her legs. “Sit,” he murmured against her lips. “I want to take off your slippers.”
She did as she was told, and he nimbly worked the ribbons that held the shoes on until he’d stripped her of both. Then he sat next to her, undoing his own boots.
The pause allowed her to catch her breath and she wrapped her hand about his biceps. “I can’t believe we’re going to be married.” Being here with him now made their decisions more real.
He pulled off the second boot and turned to her, taking her hands in his. “I can’t imagine anyone I’d want more.”
They’d slowed the pace, but somehow, increased the emotion and Annabelle drew in a ragged breath. “Me either.”
He kissed her slowly and fully until her breath once again came in short gasps, but the mood had changed. This wasn’t just about desire, it was about…commitment. Annabelle could feel her heart shifting and she knew that she’d be Luke’s always. Not just in name but in her heart. “Whatever the future brings, I’m glad we have each other now.”
He reached for the strings of her chemise, slowly undoing them. “We have now,” he answered, his voice rough even as his fingers gently skimmed over her collarbone. “I want to see all of you,” he answered.
She licked her lips. “I don’t want to do it alone. You have to undress too.”
He chuckled. “Fair enough. We’ll do it together.”
“Together,” she mimicked. That sounded exactly right.
Luke knew he shouldn’t be doing this. They were supposed to wait until their wedding night. He shouldn’t have touched her in the carriage, shouldn’t have brought her home, shouldn’t be climbing into her bed with her. But he simply couldn’t stop himself.
Which begged the question, he’d been trying not to ask. How was he ever going to find the strength to leave her? He couldn’t bear to be apart from her for two days. Sure, he’d told himself that society wouldn’t notice that she was here. That they’d be married soon enough with no one the wiser. But in his heart, he began to understand his weakness where she was concerned. Unable to choose what was right because his need for her was so great.
He kissed her again and then slid to his knees on the floor to pull off her pantaloons and then shrug off his shirt.
Slowly, he slid his hands up her silky thighs, pushing the chemise up to expose her legs, and then her hips, a blonde triangle of hair coming into view.
His cock throbbed as he brushed his thumb over the curls. She gasped and he dipped the digit lower, feeling her slick flesh. She parted her legs for him, just a little.
If he were a better man, he’d stop. Instead, he made slow circles over her nub as she spread her legs wider for him.
When they’d finally fallen open, he dipped his face between them, breathing in her heady scent as he reached out to give her a lick. Her hips bucked from the bed as her fingers buried in his hair. Her reaction only spurred him on and soon she was writhing under his touch, her body chasing release. He knew the first time wasn’t likely to be pleasant, but he could give her this.
He slid a finger into her channel, its tight flesh gripping at him as she tumbled over the edge of her desire. Never had another person’s pleasure brought him such joy. But as he tugged at the falls of his breeches, staring down at her flushed face, he knew one thing for certain. Annabelle belonged to him.
As if in answer to his thought, she lifted her hands up to him, an invitation that he was unable to deny. He pulled her chemise over her head and then settled her more fully on the bed, bringing his weight on top of her as his hips settled between her thighs.
A possessive growl rumbled from deep in his chest. She looked so lovely and she was all his. Now and forever. He knew that. There would never be another woman who made him feel the way she did. And while he never wanted to hurt her, he wasn’t sure he could bear to leave her now that he had her.
“Annie.” He pushed out as the head of his manhood pushed at soft folds. “Say you’re mine.”
She stroked his shoulders, so soft and giving beneath him. “Always.”
He sunk into her depths, shaking with need as he attempted to go slowly. He didn’t want to hurt her, never wanted to hurt her. “Are you all right?”
“I’m wonderful,” she replied although he heard her breath catch, her body tighten, her fingers biting into his flesh. “But I have found pain is best gotten over quickly.”
That was all the encouragement he needed, and he thrust inside her, fully seating himself in her warm depths. She gave a cry, her nails digging into his shoulders, not that he cared.
He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to maintain control, while she adjusted to his invasion. When her fingers relaxed, he slid out of her again and then back in.
She let out a long breath. “Better,” she murmured, pulling him tighter to her body.
He nuzzled her neck. “I’m so glad.” But then he couldn’t speak as he slid out and in again. The rhythm was slow at first but as the tempo built, her hips became more pliant until they were rising to meet his.
He held himself off, feeling that her pleasure was building again, though he could barely see with the effort.
When her body tightened around his, he cried out, his own pleasure releasing and he collapsed on top of her. She tightened her grip about his neck, kissing his face in slow, sleepy sweeps. “That was…”
“Amazing,” he answered, rolling to the side and pulling her with him.
She gave a little laugh. “Amazing.”
He grabbed a quilt at the foot of the bed and pulled it up over their bodies, settling her against his side. “Do you know what the best part is?” he asked.
“What?” she murmured, barely audible as her weight sunk into his.
“We get to do it again,” he answered, kissing the top of her head. “As much as we want.”
She ran a hand down his chest. “Until we part ways.”
Her hand stopped at his stomach and coincidentally, it was the exact spot where a pit
of anxious doubt settled. How was he ever going to leave this woman?
She didn’t notice his mood shift, however, as she sighed softly and drifted off to sleep. For a long time, he lay there looking at her face as he tried to decide what he should do. He’d always known his heart would break, he’d just expected the event to take longer.
Chapter Seventeen
Annabelle woke to the sensation that something was wrong. She shifted in the bed and the apex between her legs gave a twinge of pain. She frowned as she shifted them. What had happened? Memories of the night before flooded back as she rolled onto her stomach.
She sat up clutching the blankets to her chest. She’d been intimate with Luke.
Her breath hitched at the memory. What an amazing night it had been. She reached out for him, which lead her to the second oddity. She was alone. She had vague memories of being held all night but now the space next to her was empty. She lifted her head and found Luke sitting at the vanity, clad only in his pants, reading.
She cocked her head, nibbling at her lip. What was he looking at? He’d already seen her field journal. But suddenly she remembered and she sat up with a gasp, clutching the blanket to her chest. The Chronicle. Her friends’ private stories. Her own note to future readers.
He didn’t turn as he kept his head down, and her heart began to pound in her chest. Surely, he’d heard her moving, breathing. Why didn’t he say anything?
The book closed with a thud but he still didn’t turn to look at her. Instead, Luke sat staring at the wall. “Were you ever going to tell me that you planned to keep researching rakes? I thought I’d made it clear that I did not approve of that activity.”
Her own spine straightened. “You made it clear that I was to be allowed to live my own life after I conceived your heir.”
He still didn’t turn around his hand gripped the top of the edge of the table. “Part of the reason I’m marrying you is to protect you.”
“You are.” She sat up, tucking the blanket under her armpits. “As your wife no one would dare to touch me. You read Caroline’s story. You understand what happened to her. Women need to be protected from ruin. Not everyone gets to be saved like me. Most don’t have a powerful marquess that sweeps in and offers marriage.”
“If we’re going to go through with the wedding, then I forbid you to do any more research.”
“If?” she repeated, allowing the blanket to drop. She wanted to curl into a ball. Instead she held her spine straight. “If?” She pushed herself forward onto her knees. “You took my virginity last night and now you’re not certain?”
He turned his head a fraction, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. “You’re manipulating me again. Or attempting to.”
That made her shoulders slump. She was completely exposed in this moment and he was going to reject her. “I beg your pardon.”
“I asked you about research and you avoided answering, bringing me to bed instead.”
She notched her chin. Arguing was something she did excessively well. “Technically, you brought me.”
He rose from the chair and it fell backward, crashing onto the floor. She cringed at the noise. “Did you see that? No, of course you didn’t. But I did. I frightened you and I’ll do it again. You’ll tell me half-truths and try to weasel your way out with smart words, and I’ll grow so angry that—” He stopped. “I knew this was a terrible idea.”
She swallowed, wanting to cover herself but she refused to do it. Instead she clenched her fists. “What was a terrible idea?”
He shook his head. “It’s my fault. You never lied, never pretended to be anything other than what you were. I always knew you weren’t the right woman for me, but I let my attraction…” He didn’t finish, but he didn’t have to.
Hot stabs of pain burned behind her eyes, her throat scratched raw with emotion. “You let your attraction lead you to terrible decisions.” She swallowed again, not allowing the tears to come. Inside, however, she died, her heart cracking as her hands came to cover the fragile organ as if she might hold the tender flesh together. Another man had decided she was too much trouble to care about. This was exactly what she’d feared. “It is not your fault either.”
He stood, “We’ll marry tomorrow as planned. I won’t abandon you now.” He crossed the room to the door. “After the wedding, you can begin the journey to Kent while I figure out how we’ll conceive an heir without living in the same county. But I must insist you discontinue your research on rogues until you’re pregnant with my child. I need to know I’m the father.”
Then he opened the door and walked out. Unlike when they’d come in, the door closed quietly with a delicate click. Yet the soft noise may as well have been a cannon. Once he’d shut it, her heart shattered into a thousand pieces.
Luke dressed, ate, and made his way to his office, but he couldn’t concentrate. His last words had been terrible and awful, and he regretted them. Running his hands through his hair, doubts about many of the things he’d said plagued him. Why hadn’t he just told her that he cared? He couldn’t bear the thought of her being at risk? Instead he’d been a cad.
Rising from his desk, he knew what he needed to do. Apologize.
“My lord,” his butler called from the open door. “A Lord Marksman is here to see you.”
Damn it all to hell. He needed to make things right with Annie. Now wasn’t the time. “Tell him to come back another time.”
“Not a chance,” Marksman called from behind the other man. “You’ve stolen the land and pulled the deal we’d started.”
Luke’s fists clenched. “Now isn’t the time, Pierce. I’ve more pressing business and short patience.”
“I don’t care.” Marksman stormed into the room. “You’ve robbed me of my future. I need that land to expand my profits.”
“Get out,” he said through gritted teeth. “I won’t say it again.”
Marksman stormed up into his face. “Have you married her yet? I hear the engagement is very short? Is she compromised? Maybe I’ll offer for her myself. Steal your future.”
His fist clenched as anger burned from his eyes all through his skull and down his spine. Without thought, he sank his fist into Pierce’s face. No one was going to touch his future wife. “You’ll stay away from her.”
Marksman’s nose spurted blood, but he wasn’t a dandy and he came back swinging, clipping Luke in the jaw with a hard right. The two men wrestled and tussled, landing on the floor with a crash. They turned, trying to gain the top.
Luke groaned as Marksman got him with a solid fist to the stomach. “Damn it,” he yelled, pressing his hand into the man’s throat. Marksman gurgled, the pressure choking his air.
“Luke,” Annie gasped behind him. “Let him up.”
“So he can kill me? I don’t think so.”
He heard the rustle of her skirts as she crossed the room, then pulled his arm. Marksman pushed his hand away and reached for Luke’s throat. Needing his arm, Luke shoved Annie back to give Marksman the left hook he deserved. But just as he raised his fist, he heard a crash.
Marksman’s hand dropped from his throat as both men stared at Annie, now a crumpled pile on the floor.
Sick dread. The sort that made it impossible to move, weighed down every limb in his body. Marksman pushed him off and crawled over to where she was slumped in a pile. “Lady Annabelle?” he called. Then he reached out a hand to touch her face.
Luke’s body switched back on and he scrambled over to her, pulling her toward him and cradling her against his body. “Annie?” His voice broke. “Annie, please.”
She didn’t move, she didn’t speak. He drew in a ragged breath, willing her to be all right. This was his worst fear come to life.
“Is she breathing?” Marksman held out a hand. “Can I just check?”
He closed his eyes and felt the steady thump of her heart against his. “No, no need. She’s breathing.” Then to his complete disbelief, a choking noise whistled from his throat as a tea
r rolled down his cheek. “But look at her and tell me where she was hurt?”
Marksman paused for a moment, staring into Luke’s face until he touched her head. He immediately drew it back. “She was hit here. In the temple.”
“Luke?” Annie murmured against his chest. “Is that you?”
Air rushed from his chest. “Oh love, it’s me.” He loosened his arms to look into her face as she blinked her eyes open. “Tell me you’re all right.”
“I’m going to have a powerful headache but I’m fine.” She reached up and touched her head. “I hit the window frame as I spun.” She trembled as her fingers explored her wounded flesh. “There’s a lump already.”
In response, he dropped his face onto her chest as another tear made its way down his cheek. His temper had nearly killed her. “I’m so sorry. I…” Words failed him.
She closed her eyes again, her hand groping for his chest. “It’s not your fault. I should have known better than to try to get between two grown men. Silly me.”
He shook his head and then pulled her closer again. Perhaps he shouldn’t marry her after all. He was a beast. Didn’t he look like one? “We’re not a good pair. I knew it, I just didn’t want to believe it, but I’ve endangered you by bringing you into my life.”
Chapter Eighteen
Annie lay in bed with a damp cloth over her eyes as the doctor examined her, touching her forehead with skilled fingers. “She should be fine. Keep her quiet for a few days, then she can resume normal activity.”
She was glad for the cloth, it hid her eyes, which would surely show her hurt. Not that he’d accidentally pushed her. She didn’t care about that a wit. But the fact he’d decided they were ill-suited, cut her to the bone.
So she allowed the doctor to talk with Luke as she lay there not saying a word. What else was there to do?
Well, actually, she knew exactly what she had to do. She needed to leave. And soon.
The Wicked Wallflowers: Regency Boxed Set (Chronicles of a Bluestocking) Page 28
