The Viscount's Runaway Bride (Marriage by Bargain Book 1)

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Catching the teasing tone in her voice, he looked at her and saw the twinkle in her eyes. Never before had he ever come across a lady so beautiful. Loretta just failed in comparison. “No, we don’t,” he replied, his heartbeat already picking up at the thought of spending the night in bed with this exquisite creature.

  They went up to their room, and he was happy to see that the coachman had already brought up his trunk. However, it also reminded him that the only thing Damara had was a valise full of money.

  He shut the door behind him. “I was thinking, we should get you some clothes before we leave town tomorrow. You can’t exactly wear money.”

  He turned to face her, fully expecting her to agree with him when he realized she was already undressing.

  She lowered the dress from her shoulders, letting it fall gently to the floor. He dropped the valise. He hadn’t expected her to get ready for bed so soon, but he wasn’t going to stop her. If she wanted to consummate their marriage right away, he was more than happy to do so.

  He removed his frock coat and cravat as he made his way over to her, not in the least bit shy at watching her as she continued to undress. Maybe she wasn’t a virgin. Maybe she’d been with other gentlemen before him. He should probably be disappointed. And in a way, he was. He hadn’t been with a lady before and had assumed he’d take a virgin to bed on his wedding night. But how many gentlemen had already lost their virginity well before getting married and no one thought anything of that? It seemed rather hypocritical that he should mind her having the same rights as a gentleman did.

  Besides, she was his wife now, and from this moment forward, she would only be with him. That was the thing that mattered most.

  As he continued to remove his clothes, he kept his gaze on her, his erection growing harder with each layer she took off. Her creamy white breasts were soon exposed, and her nipples hardened in the cool air. Then she lowered her stockings and petticoats to the floor, and he was granted the full view of the golden curls between her legs. His penis throbbed in anticipation. What pleasures waited for him inside her body?

  With a sharp intake of his breath, he hurried to remove his breeches. He was going to make love to her, and he’d do it often. There was no way they’d have the kind of marriage where his only concern was having an heir.

  He would have had that kind of marriage with Loretta, but he wasn’t going to have it with Damara. If he was getting so much enjoyment simply by looking at her, then lovemaking was going to be the best thing he’d ever experience. Much better than the thrill of making a profit from an investment.

  As soon as he shook off the last of his clothes, he closed the gap between them and took her in his arms. Right away, he noted that she was slightly trembling. His first thought was that she was nervous about being with him, but then he quickly dismissed it. The room was chilly. They weren’t under the covers yet. She was cold. That was all.

  He pressed her against him and kissed her. Soon, she’d be warm. Then she’d feel better. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kiss, not the least bit shy in parting her lips so he could slide his tongue into her mouth.

  Caught up in the excitement of it all, he proceeded to interlace his tongue with hers. This was much better than it’d been in the carriage because now there were no clothes between them. If she felt this good before he slid into her, he didn’t know how long he could hold off on releasing his seed.

  He brought his hands up to her breasts and cupped them in his hands. His thumbs brushed her nipples, and he caught the shiver of pleasure as it coursed through her. He ran his thumbs along her nipples a second time, delighted when she shivered again.

  With a moan, he carried her to the bed and settled on top of her. Oh, but she felt heavenly. Her breasts were wonderfully soft as they pressed against his chest. The flesh between her legs was so wet that the tip of his penis dipped into her, just shy of full entry.

  A part of him warned him to slow down. It was their first time together, after all. But then, he figured this was going to be one of many more times, so he didn’t have to exercise patience. Plus, she wasn’t a timid virgin.

  She was a lady who’d done this before, so he didn’t have to worry he’d startle her. She was expecting this, and since she wrapped her legs around his waist, he knew he had her permission to enter her. He dipped a little more into her and groaned. Wet and warm. She was perfect. Just perfect.

  He couldn’t recall a time when he lost all consciousness of the world around them. But right now, in this moment, it was just the two of them, and he wanted nothing more than to claim her.

  Unable to hold off on entering her anymore, he plunged into her. Though tight, the warm folds of her flesh clenched around him, urging him to release his seed. He slid partway out of her. Then, with the need to be fully inside taking over, he thrust into her again. He drew himself almost all the way and went back in. The more he repeated the movement, the looser she seemed to get.

  Something wasn’t quite right. He had the nagging thought that she had been a virgin after all, and he would have been better off taking it easy on her. But it was too late for him to slow down now. He was too close to the brink of release to hold back.

  With a cry, he stilled and filled her with his seed. The sheer bliss of being consumed by her overrode all other thoughts, and the only thing he could do was hold onto her as she held him. It wasn’t until the waves of pleasure subsided that he was coherent enough to think over the fact that he might have hurt her.

  He held off on pulling out of her for as long as he could. He didn’t want to see if there was blood. He’d rather not know. But another part of him—the logical part—had to find out if there was.

  Rising on his elbows, he took a moment to study her expression, trying to prepare himself for the worst. She wasn’t crying. That was a promising sign. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him toward her so that their lips were touching.

  With a sigh, he complied with her wish and kissed her, not in any hurry to stop. They spent considerable time kissing, and he almost forgot all about the fact that she might have been a virgin. Almost. But the pressing question compelled him to end the kiss and pull out of her. In the moonlight coming through the window, he saw the telltale sign of blood on him and a little on the sheet beneath her.

  He hurried to grab his handkerchief from the pile of clothes he’d thrown to the floor and poured clean water on it.

  “What’s wrong?” Damara asked, sitting up in the bed.

  “There’s blood on the sheets,” he replied. “I should clean it up before it stains.” He rubbed soap into the handkerchief then went over to the bed. After he wiped the sheet clean, he glanced at her. “Maybe I should clean you up, too. Will you lie back?”

  She shot him an amused smile but obliged him, parting her legs. “You’re acting as if you’re surprised I was a virgin.”

  “Well, I am surprised,” he admitted as he gingerly cleaned her, wiping all traces of her virginity from her. “You were so…so…” Unable to think of the right word, he shrugged.

  Her expression turned serious. “Was I too forward?”

  Noting the worried expression on her face, he hurried to assure her, “I didn’t mind. You were a very enthusiastic bed partner. That’s the kind every gentleman dreams of having in a wife. I just thought since you weren’t timid, you had been with another gentleman before me.” Finished with cleaning her off, he rinsed off the handkerchief and cleaned himself off. “I wish I’d been more careful with you. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

  “It only stung for a little bit. I’m not in any great pain.”

  He glanced over at her, wondering if she was only telling him that because she knew it was something he wanted to hear.

  “I’m telling you the truth,” she said. “Maybe some ladies find their first time to be a frightful experience, but I didn’t.” She waved him over to her. “Come back to bed. I’ve been enjoying our time together.”

  So
had he. He’d been enjoying everything they’d been doing, and already, he could feel his body getting ready for another round of lovemaking. Was this how it was when a gentleman hadn’t been with a lady until his wedding night? He had assumed since he’d already made love to her once, he would have been satisfied for the rest of the night. But the opposite seemed to be true. Now that he had experienced the pleasure of the bed, he was all the more excited to do it again.

  But he would give her body time to rest first. Then, the next time they did it, he’d be more careful with her. He settled back into the bed and gathered her into his arms, content to hold and kiss her until she was ready for him to make love to her again.

  Chapter Four

  Damara woke long before Anthony did. Now that they’d consummated their marriage, there was no backing out of it. Even as they lay in this bed, she might be conceiving his child. That child might even be an heir, and if there was one thing titled gentlemen needed more than anything else, it was an heir. So regardless of what happened from this point on, her future was secure. She no longer had to worry about the past she’d escaped.

  She glanced over at the window and saw it was dawn. She should be exhausted. Her search for a husband had begun early yesterday, and it took her a long time before Anthony finally came along. Then they’d stayed up almost until midnight. That only left her with about four hours of sleep. But no matter how much she tried to go back to sleep, she couldn’t. Whether she was still experiencing the fear of being caught or the relief of knowing she was now safe, she was wide-awake.

  She slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Anthony, and washed up in the basin. As she cleaned the area between her legs, she couldn’t help but smile at how concerned he had been after their first time together. His touch had been gentle as he cleaned the evidence of her virginity.

  He’d worried needlessly about hurting her. Her monthly cramps were much worse, and to think her mother considered those to be a blessing. It’s proof that you haven’t been doing anything wrong, her mother often said.

  Damara rolled her eyes. A blessing indeed! It was a curse. That’s what it was. She hoped she had conceived last night. It’d be nice to be spared the awful cramps that confined her to bed for an entire day until they finally subsided.

  Once she was done washing up, she got dressed. Then she checked her reflection in the small mirror above the vanity. Her hair was a mess. But that was her fault. In her haste to find a husband, she hadn’t bothered pinning it up.

  She went to her valise and unbuttoned the side pocket. She hadn’t been able to fit her brush into the small pocket, so she had to settle for the comb, and the comb was going to be harder to work with. But it was worth it. She was free from her parents and Lord Comwright.

  After she dug the comb out, she returned to the mirror and sat in front of it. She worked through the tangles as gently as she could, but from time to time, the comb would hit a snag and she’d gasp. She gritted her teeth and tried to be as quiet as possible as she forced the comb through it, but she wasn’t as quiet as she’d hoped to be because she ended up waking Anthony.

  “Are you alright?” he asked, sitting up in the bed.

  She glanced over at him and offered a reassuring smile. “I’m fine. I’m just combing my hair. It’s still early. You should go back to sleep.”

  He returned her smile and got out of bed. “I don’t think I can. I’m too excited about marrying you.”

  Noting the soft tone in his voice, she stopped combing her hair and turned to face him. Of course, her gaze went to the male part of him. Having never seen a naked gentleman before last night, she couldn’t help being curious. They were different from each other, but those differences were complementary. Together, they fit very well, and she had to admit she had enjoyed making love to him.

  “We’ll be going to my estate,” he told her.

  She directed her attention back to his face as he took a fresh washcloth and poured clean water into it.

  “I was on my way home for the winter when you found me,” he said.

  “Where is your estate?”

  “A day’s ride north of here,” he said. “If we leave early, we can actually get in tonight, though it’ll be late.” He glanced at her. “Do you feel up to it? If not, we can stop at another inn tonight.”

  “No. I’d rather not spend another night at an inn.” The sooner they could get to his estate, the better. And her parents lived south of them. That worked to her advantage. “I don’t mind how late we get to your estate.”

  “The traveling does get to be tedious, doesn’t it?” He smiled at her before he washed his face.

  Once more, she found her gaze going down until it centered on the male part of him. Before he lowered the washcloth and caught her staring at him, she turned her attention back to the mirror in front of her. There was so little she actually knew about gentlemen. She hadn’t had many dealings with them, at least not with those who weren’t related to her.

  She took a deep breath and forced her mind back to the present. She had a new life now. From this point on, things were going to be different. She’d taken matters into her own hands and was better off for it.

  Her comb got stuck on the tangle, and she grimaced.

  “Do you need help?” Anthony asked.

  Surprised he’d been watching her, she turned her attention back to him. He’d already put on his shirt, and she couldn’t help but notice it was long enough to cover the section of him that she’d been unable to avoid looking at whenever her gaze went in his direction. She didn’t know whether to be disappointed or relieved. She ought to be relieved. Now she wouldn’t get distracted.

  Clearing her throat, she offered a smile and gestured to her comb. “It’s just a tangle.” She made another attempt to work the comb through the stubborn tangle, but again, it got stuck and pulled her hair.

  “Maybe I can help,” he said and went to his trunk.

  Curious, she turned toward him and watched as he sorted through his things. After a few seconds, he pulled out a small bottle.

  “This might help smooth out the tangles,” he said.

  “What is it?” she asked as he walked over to her.

  “Oil. It should help to make it easier to run the comb through your hair.” He held his hand out to her. “May I?”

  It took her a moment to realize he wanted her to give him the comb. With a nod, she gave it to him and watched as he rubbed a small portion of the oil on the teeth. He sealed the bottle then placed it on the vanity.

  “Where is the tangle?” he asked.

  She picked up the bunched up mass of blonde hair and showed it to him. He knelt in front of her and brought the comb to it, slowly and carefully working through it. She was too stunned to speak. Combing a lady’s hair just didn’t seem like the kind of thing gentlemen did. In fact, she was sure of it. That’s why ladies had lady’s maids. But then, there wasn’t a lady’s maid here, and he knew the trick about the oil. So maybe it made perfect sense for him to be doing this.

  “There,” he said, his face lighting up from being able to help her. “The tangle’s all gone. Do you have any others?”

  “A couple.” She turned her back to him so he could get a better look at her hair. “Can you see them?”

  “Yes. I’ll get rid of them for you.”

  He ran the comb along her hair, and she was relieved when the oil did what he promised it would. She watched his reflection in the mirror. She had no idea anyone could be so gentle. First, there was the concern he’d shown her after they first made love, and now, he was being careful with her hair. Were there other gentlemen like this, or was he the only one?

  When he finished, he handed the comb back to her. “I like your hair, especially the way it frames your face.” He brushed her cheek with his finger, the action so endearing her breath caught in her throat. “You’re a beautiful lady.” Then with a chuckle, he stood up and took the bottle of oil back to his trunk. “Of course, you already know that.�
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  No. As a matter of fact, she didn’t. Her gaze returned to the mirror, and she studied her reflection. She knew he liked her hair, but what else had pleased him? Was it her overall face, or was it just her cheek? She touched her cheek. It was soft, like the rest of her skin. There didn’t seem to be anything unusual about it.

  “At least after today, we can take our time and enjoy ourselves,” Anthony said.

  Turning away from the mirror, she saw he was continuing to get dressed.

  “I’m relieved you don’t mind a long day in the carriage,” he went on. “I don’t care much for traveling any more than my sister does, but I’d rather be stuck in a carriage for the rest of my life than stay in London through the winter.”

  “You have a sister?”

  “Just one. She’s probably your age.” He paused as he tucked his shirt into his breeches. He gave her a good look. “I can’t recall seeing you at any of the balls.”

  That’s because she hadn’t been in London, but she didn’t want to tell him that.

  “That was probably my fault,” he continued as he grabbed his boots and sat at the edge of the bed. “I wasn’t paying much attention to the ladies. I was more interested in making money.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. Good. He wasn’t going to ask her why he hadn’t seen her.

  He slipped his boots on. “That’s not to say that money is my only interest. It’s not. I’m like most gentlemen. I did notice ladies when I saw them, and I was always looking forward to finally taking one to bed. And,” his eyes met hers and he grinned, “I can honestly say that being with you is better than making money.”

  Her face warmed, and she returned his smile.

  “You’re quiet this morning,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Well, yesterday, you did most of the talking. And this morning, I seem to be the one rambling on.”

  “Oh, well…” That was because fear had propelled her to do all the talking she’d done so he wouldn’t have time to think of why marrying her wasn’t a good idea. Then after they did marry, there had been the matter of getting him to consummate the union. This morning, she’d succeeded on both counts, and now that she was safe, another emotion was quickly taking over. “I’m nervous,” she finally admitted.