Have Yourself a Merry Little Scandal: a Christmas collection of Historical Romance (Have Yourself a Merry Little... Book 1)

by Anna Campbell

“Oh.” She looked around from the frothy light green drapes to the cream-colored bed coverings and plush velvet chair of the same shade, most all of them accented with gold trim or patterns of light green. “It is beautiful,” she said.

  He stepped beside her and placed a hand on the small of her back. “I am pleased you like your suit. All the same, you have leave to redecorate any rooms in the house that displease you.”

  “You are very kind, husband.” She gave a sweet smile. “Though I can assure you, I will have no need to redecorate. Your home is stunning as it is.”

  “Our home,” He took a step into the chamber, “and I am glad you like our home, but do not hesitate to make changes. I want you to feel that Clear River Run is your home, too. You are my duchess.” He placed one finger beneath her chin and angled her head until their gazes met. “This is your home. Never forget it.”

  Perhaps he emphasized the point of it being their home a bit overmuch. Still, it was exceedingly important to him that she came to think of the estate as such. He wanted her to be comfortable here just as much as he wanted her here with him. Most of all, Giles desired Juliet to want to share his home with him.

  She turned to him and studied him through lowered lashes as she nibbled at her lower lip.

  “What is it, darling?” he asked.

  “Will you stay with me?”

  “Always,” he replied, then drew closer.

  The woman was a temptress, though he would bet she did not know it. His loins tightened as he studied her. Full pink lips beckoned him to join her, while her body’s curves begged him to explore them. He inhaled, fighting the urge to take her in his arms and ravish her, for he did not dare think that was what she was asking for.

  Juliet turned toward the bed, then took two tentative steps before turning back to him. “The sun has set.”

  “Indeed.” He wondered where she was going with this line of conversation.

  She continued to the bed, then sat on the edge of the overstuffed mattress. “I am ready to become your wife.”

  Bloody hell, was she attempting to seduce him? He stared at her for a moment before he found the words to reply.

  “You are already my wife.” He cocked a curious brow as he turned her words over in his mind. Did she mean for him to bed her now? His cock jumped at the thought, but he remained in place, studying her.

  She patted the bed as she averted her gaze. “On paper, yes, but I will not truly be yours until you bed me.” She returned her eyes to him, her cheeks now covered in a brilliant blush. “I want you to consummate our union.”

  He very much wanted the same thing. But he wanted to do it right. He could not move too quickly. But if she were attempting to seduce him, he did not want to deny her.

  Giving a tender smile, Giles held her gaze as he moved to join her on the bed. He pulled her close as he brought his mouth to hers. A tender kiss that morphed into a passionate melding of lips and tongue.

  She demanded more, pulling him closer and kissing him with a ferocity that required answering. His wife may be innocent, but he believed she knew what she was asking for in this case.

  He laid her back on the bed as their mouths molded together, tongues swirling and sparring. His blood heated as his body pressed to hers. He wanted her—maybe worse than he’d ever wanted a woman. The realization should have startled him, but instead, he found comfort in it.

  After all, shouldn’t a man long to bed his wife?

  Juliet shoved at his coat, then tugged at his shirt as she kissed him with a hunger that matched his.

  Giles reached for her skirts and worked them up her legs as he trailed fervent kisses down her neck to her chest. When he had the yards of silk gathered at her waist, he stroked his fingertips over her mound, through the soft curls that shielded her quim.

  She went rigid at his touch. Her eyes closed for a moment as she swallowed.

  “Do not fear me, darling. I will not hurt you if I can help it.” He knew they could not entirely avoid it, but meant to make their first time as comfortable for her as possible. Even if it killed him, he would go slow with her.

  He took her lips tenderly and stroked her bare flesh as he waited for her to relax. Or throw him out of her room.

  Dear God, do not let her cast him out now.

  When she opened her mouth to him, he deepened the kiss. Her body softened against his as he trailed kisses across her cheek, and along her jaw, before pulling his gaze back to hers. All the while, Giles stroked the silken flesh of her thighs and abdomen.

  “You are the most alluring woman. I want to see you wearing nothing save for my rings.” He sat up, then offered her his hand. “Let me remove your gown, darling.”

  A light blush covered her high cheekbones as she allowed him to help her from the bed, but she did not act coy. Instead, she gave a sultry pout, then turned her back to him.

  He unfastened the tiny buttons running down the back of her gown before he allowed it to slide down her body. He angled his head and nuzzled his face against her neck, trailing kisses across her heated flesh as he loosened her corset ties.

  A small sigh left her lips, causing him to pull away enough to look at her face. “Do my ministrations please you, darling?” He reached for her stays, working to free her from her remaining garments.

  “Yes,” she said, her tone breathy. “Do you think me wicked for it?”

  “I adore you for it,” he said before he nipped then kissed her neck.

  Once he had her stripped down to her sheer white shift, Giles moved to stand before her. He trailed his gaze over her, absorbing every detail of her from the top of her head to her silk-covered toes.

  She was a goddess with her blond curls and blue eyes, a sensual grin playing at her lips. He lifted her hands to his chest and rested them against his heart before leaning in to take her lips once more.

  She ran her hands over his chest, searing his skin through the fabric of his garments. Hesitating at a button on his waistcoat, she began to play with it. He walked her back toward the bed, his lips never leaving hers.

  Juliet broke the kiss and lowered herself onto the mattress. She fumbled his waistcoat open. Then tugged at his shirt as he ran his hand through her soft, blond tresses, and sprinkled kisses across her cheek.

  He pulled back. His gaze never left her face as he removed his clothing. The flush of desire that crept across his wife’s chest and face warmed his heart. She never glanced away, just stared at him with passion-filled eyes.

  “Do you find me pleasing?” He glanced down at himself before returning his attention to her.

  She trailed her gaze down his body, stopping when she spied his stiff shaft. Her hand moved to her chest, and her gaze darted back to his. “It is more than I imagined the male form to be.” She nibbled her lip before saying, “You are magnificent.”

  He grinned as he rejoined her, wrapping one hand around her trim ankle. She sighed as he trailed his hand up to her garter, then untied it. He brought his lips to the bare skin just above her stoking, then kissed his way down the length of her leg as he removed the stocking.

  Giles repeated the action, giving her other leg the same attention before moving to kiss her abdomen. When she did not protest, he slipped his hand between her thighs.

  She let her legs fall apart, and for long sweet minutes, he caressed and kissed first her inner thighs and then her dewy core. He delighted in the little whimpers and hungry moans that emitted from her as he laved and stroked her quim.

  When she bucked against him and came apart, he gave a devilish smile. “Are you satisfied now? You look as though you are.”

  She shook her head in a half-hearted effort, then reached for him. “I want more.”

  He got into the bed, placing one leg on each side of hers, holding himself above her with his arms. “Tell me you want me to make love to you, darling.” He ran his mouth along her neck, sucking and kissing her silken skin until she writhed beneath him.

  “Please,” she said, her voice bre
athy and trembling.

  He nipped at her neck. “Please, what?”

  “Make love to me, Giles.”

  “As you wish,” he said, before bringing his lips back to her neck. He wanted to bury his cock in her, but first, he needed her naked. He wanted her mad with desire, and he wanted to explore every inch of her.

  She tilted her head back, inviting his exploration as he trailed kisses across her collarbone and down to the valley between her breasts. He pushed the material of her shift down with his chin, kissing and suckling his way lower.

  He continued on his journey, kissing all the way to her toes and removing the gown before bringing his probing tongue and searching hands back to her middle.

  Juliet reached for him and urged him back to her lips. Sweat glistened on her flushed skin as he kissed his way back up. A slow and deliberately sensual journey meant to set her on fire.

  The sweet sounds she made intensified his need, and he moved faster than he had planned.

  When he crushed her mouth with his, she kissed him like no woman ever had. She may not love him yet, but she damn sure desired him. He’d wager every bit as much as he desired her.

  “Now, Giles. Please,” she sighed as she pressed against him.

  Everything in him coiled with need. He placed the head of his cock at her entrance and captured her lips with his.

  She trailed her hands across his back, sending jolts of pleasure through him.

  He found her slick and fought the urge to plunge into her dampness. His arms shook with his effort to maintain control as he eased just the tip into her, then stilled.

  Her rosy nipples pebbled and rubbed his chest, begging him to pay mind to them. He bent his head and pulled one rosy peak into his mouth and suckled it.

  She thrust her hips, pulling him in deeper, then stilled, a sharp gasp emitting from her.

  He lifted his head to meet her gaze. “Are you hurt?”

  “No.” She smiled. “It is… this… you are marvelous.”

  He stared at her, amazed over her reaction. He had fully expected to find pain etched into her features, but she was smiling. Laid out before him in all her naked glory, she was a vision of perfection. And she was all his.

  Juliet reached up and rested her warm hand on his face. A soft grin still dimpled her cheeks. “I have the urge to move against you. May I?” she asked.

  Chapter 11

  Dover, England

  Clear River Run

  December 20, 1811

  Juliet sat near the fire blazing in the hearth as she fashioned paper dolls and flowers. She was determined to throw herself into making this the best Christmas she could. Her first holiday as Duchess of Cleburne, and more importantly, the first as Giles’s wife.

  The thought of him—of what they had shared the prior evening—had her blushing. Juliet had not been a fearful, unaware maiden. She was innocent, but not so naïve that she did not know what happened in the marital bed. Still, she never could have imagined lovemaking to be so… romantic.

  Giles had been incredibly attentive as he explored her body and encouraged her passions. He’d taken his time and brought her unimaginable pleasure. The way her nipples had hardened with his attention, and her quim had throbbed as her skin tingled and warmed all over at his touch had taken her by surprise to be sure.

  But nothing could have prepared her for her climaxes. They were earth shattering and left her more fulfilled than she ever would have imagined. Juliet never even dreamed that lovemaking could feel so splendid.

  She could quickly become addicted to the act—to him—if she was not already. So long as her husband was the man sharing her bed, at any rate. Juliet wondered if he would come to her again tonight. She hoped he would.

  But she also felt a measure of unease. The act was every bit—no, more intimate than she had expected. It was as if he stole a piece of her soul when they joined. Surely her heart would not be far behind, and she still did not know if she could trust him with that delicate organ.

  But, oh, how she wished to give it to him.

  She wanted to belong to him, heart, body, and soul. To have an epic love story that stood the test of time.

  Juliet twisted the ribbon in her hand around the paper flower’s base, then glanced up as Giles strolled into her parlor. She flushed at the sight of him and wondered if he would guess where her thoughts had roamed.

  Heavens, she hoped not.

  He grinned, a devilish smile that made her toes curl, then said, “You look fetching.”

  “I could say the same of you.” She averted her gaze for a moment as she reveled in the compliment he had given her.

  “You could?” He arched a brow, “Or you would?” His tone held a teasing lilt.

  Juliet giggled at his jesting, then said, “I do believe I would.”

  Giles strode closer, a ribbon-wrapped bouquet of red flowers in his hand. “For you, darling.” He held out the hothouse blooms, a sparkle lighting his eyes.

  Juliet could not help but smile. It warmed her heart that he’d done something special for her. And for a second time. The ring he had given her the day after Olivia’s ball had been special too. She wondered if her husband would always be so generous. If he would always endeavor to please her and spoil her.

  “Thank you,” she said, setting aside the paper flower she’d been fashioning. She accepted the red blossoms from him and inhaled their scent. “They’re beautiful.”

  “They pale in comparison to you.”

  She could not help but laugh at his flowery words. “You flatter me.”

  “I tell the truth.” He winked, his blue-green eyes full of mischief. “Will you join me for an outing?”

  Juliet glanced down at her gown, then stood. “Just as soon as I change.”

  His gaze roamed the length of her, sending spirals of heat through her body. “I would not change a single thing about you.”

  “I was referring to my clothes.” Juliet gave a playful scowl. “I will not take long.”

  True to her word, she changed in record time. Not more than fifteen minutes could have passed since she had left Giles in the parlor with a promise to meet him in the entry hall.

  She thanked her maid for her speed in assisting her in changing, then traversed the hall and stairs to the main entrance. When she reached the landing, she found Giles clad in his greatcoat and holding her cloak.

  He wrapped her wool cloak around her shoulders then secured it at her throat before meeting her gaze.

  “Shall we be off?” Juliet asked.

  “Yes.” He proffered his arm.

  She walked beside Giles, her hand tucked beneath his arm as they stepped out into the crisp winter’s day. A light dusting of fresh snow coated the porch steps and glistened in the sunlight as he led her from the house.

  She had expected a carriage or sleigh to be waiting for them but saw none. She glanced around and caught sight of several footmen following with large sacks. How curious, she thought. She gave Giles a sideways glance and asked, “What are you about?”

  He did not look at her, but she caught the slight lift of the corner of his lips and a faint crinkling at the edge of his eye as if he were fighting a grin. He patted her hand where it rested on his arm and said, “You will find out soon enough.”

  Juliet accepted that he wished to surprise her, and as she did so enjoy surprises, she did not press him further. Instead, she strolled beside him as he led her across the snow-blanketed grounds and toward a thicket of trees.

  He turned toward her when they reached the edge of the thicket.

  She squealed in shock and delight when he swept her into his arms and cradled her against his chest. Laughing, she met his mischievous eyes. “Now, I am even more intrigued.”

  “Good,” he said. Giles brushed his cold nose across hers, then pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. “Now close your eyes, sweating.”

  She rested her cheek on his shoulder, pressing her face into his scarf and closing her eyes as he’d
asked. He started walking, his pace steady as she snuggled against him. Speculation kept her company as he traversed their path. The thought occurred to her that she ought to be frightened.

  He had been forced to take her to wife, and now he was carrying her into the woods followed by footmen who were no doubt loyal to him. And those retainers brought large bags with them. Giles could mean to do away with her.

  And yet, she felt nothing but joy.

  Good Heavens, she trusted him! Not with her heart, but with her safety.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “Yes,” said as she nodded against his shoulder.

  “I am going to set you down, but keep your eyes closed.”

  “I will,” she said as she pressed her eyelids tighter together. She kept her arms around his neck as he lowered her feet to the ground. Once her boots were firmly on the ground, she released him. “May I open them now?”

  “One more moment,” He said as his hands came to rest on her arms. “Turn around.”

  She took a slow step as he guided her body until she faced away from him.

  “Open them,” he said, his mouth close to her ear. The warmth of his breath brushed against her earlobe and sent a thrill through her as she popped her eyes open.

  They stood in a clearing, surrounded by trees. Juliet moved her gaze from the bare hawthorns and poplar trees to the snow-covered evergreens, before taking in the ice-covered pond in the center of the clearing.

  A rabbit ran along the pond’s edge, and she could not help but exclaim, “It is stunning here.”

  Giles put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I had hoped you would like it. This is my favorite place on the estate.” He nodded toward the far side of the clearing. “Mistletoe grows in abundance on those trees. I thought you might want some to decorate for Christmastide.”

  “How thoughtful.” Juliet smoothed her hand over his scarf, where it covered his chest.

  Giles turned his attention to the nearby footmen and said, “Gather as much mistletoe and evergreen as your bags will hold. I want opportunities to kiss my wife hung from every door in the house.”