He made quick work of the bottom branch. The climb up presented little challenge, as he angled his way to Claire’s window using the lower branches as stairs. His final step rested on the balustrade outside her window. With one jump, he swung his legs over and landed on the balcony.
With silent movements, he entered through the window and found his reward, Claire asleep and safely nestled in a giant bed in a small alcove to his left. Quietly, Alex brought a chair next to the bed and closed the drapes that framed the arched opening of the recess. He shrugged out of his cloak and coat, then removed his boots.
Careful not to wake her, Alex leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her forehead. He’d not leave until he discovered all her secrets. With care, he relaxed into a comfortable position in the chair next to her and felt the heaviness of the past several weeks start to lift from his shoulders.
* * *
Through the haze of sleep, Claire opened her eyes to discover a person sleeping in a chair next to her bed. The distinctive tilt of his head resting against the back of the chair proved it was Alex.
He moaned a protest and settled deeper into the chair. It was unlikely Aileen had let him in. Since they’d arrived in London, she’d only said his name with a curse under her breath. Claire scooted closer for a better look at his sleeping form.
Alex’s breathing broke the stillness of the night. Sound asleep, he sat in the chair, his long legs stretched out. Shadows played along his face, making him appear younger and vulnerable.
When she had overheard his conversation with Somerton and he’d acknowledged his past actions, Claire didn’t know if she’d ever be able to put his deception aside and forgive him. Her breathing grew shallow at the thought of giving up Alex and a family. In the short time they’d been married, he’d become so interwoven in her life, it would be difficult to ever forget him. He’d given her a glimpse of what she could become. She was a whole person when she was with him—not some empty soul because of grief.
He’d been kind and playful when he could have ignored her. He had protected her and given her refuge when she’d needed a retreat from the world. He’d told her over and over that he didn’t believe in the curse. When they were together in bed, he’d made her feel emotions she’d never imagined. She became attractive, wanted, and desirable—all because of him.
Sometimes she daydreamed that she and Alex would have had a better chance for love if her parents were still alive and active at Wrenwood, but nothing productive ever came from would-haves. She’d wasted enough time through the years thinking of scenarios that might have occurred if she’d received a different hand from fate.
She sighed gently and left the bed to gaze at the quiet street below. Alex’s sense of honor for his family drove every decision he made. By his actions, it was clear she was not a part of his decision making, nor was she a part of his family.
A gentle breeze stirred the air, and she sensed him move behind her. His arms were warm as he encircled her from behind and looked out the window. Much like the night at Lady Anthony’s ball, he brought his mouth to her ear. He surrounded her, and she shivered at the touch.
“Claire, come to bed. I didn’t mean to wake you. I had to see you.” He kissed the side of her cheek, then slowly trailed his lips down. “I’ve missed this.” The whisper of his lips against her skin caused her to swallow. “I’ve missed you.”
“Did someone let you in?” She cleared her throat and tried to step away, but he held her close. “How did you get here?”
“No one let me in. I climbed the tree outside. Stay in my arms for a moment. You’re cold.”
For an instant she was at a loss when he loosened his embrace, but she realized he’d made the effort so she wouldn’t feel trapped. “Why are you here?”
“The sky looked dark earlier, and I thought you might need me.”
That nonsense caused her to step away and examine his face. The past day had brandished a rare blue sky with lots of sunshine. “The sky is filled with stars.”
“The weather can be so fickle.” He bent his head and rubbed his neck as he twisted it from side to side. “That chair isn’t a fit bed for a dog, let alone a man my size.”
His grin, sweet and endearing, made her catch her breath. For a moment, she was back at Pemhill—back to the life she wanted and the husband she’d always desired. She shook her head to clear the image. Her life had taken a different path.
“You’re still shivering. Let’s get you to bed.”
“You’re changing the subject.” She crossed her arms.
He tugged one of her hands free and led her to bed. “I’ll gladly converse on any subject you choose for as long as you’d like, but first things first.” He rearranged the bed linens and efficiently got her settled. With a couple of tucks, he was apparently satisfied with his handiwork and sat on the edge of the bed with one long leg bent at the knee, resting on top of the duvet and the other propped on the floor. He took both of her hands in his. The darkness didn’t conceal the penetrating brightness of his eyes. He searched her face as if he could reach inside and gather her every thought.
“I should go, but for the first time since you left Pemhill I feel content.” His gentle gaze didn’t hide his vulnerability. “I love you.”
Her breath caught at his words. Wasn’t this what she had wanted all along? Alex to come and proclaim his love? “Are you saying that so I’ll let you in my bed?”
He tilted his head and regarded her. “No, of course not. We should talk first.”
She pressed her eyes closed. At Pemhill, she had waited to ask him to come to her bed and lost precious time with her husband. She’d been afraid of the risk. What about now? If there was a chance they could heal the chasm between them, she needed to meet him halfway. She needed to allow him in her bed and her heart. The hardness of his thigh brushing against hers through the bed linens didn’t hide his heat or the shivers of want that rippled through her. “We can talk in the morning.”
She threw back the layers he’d so carefully tucked around her and held out her hand. A ravenous need spiraled through her and spread a fire straight to her heart. He belonged in her bed.
With ease, he slid next to her and pulled her into his arms. The strength and beauty of him never ceased to amaze her. She leaned into his touch. The intangible bond between them may have taken a pounding, but it was still a force that could not be ignored. Chest to chest, legs to legs, his touch encircled her. It had been so long since he’d held her. His familiar scent reminded her of home.
When he’d said he loved her, everything else had diminished in importance—their unease with each other, even the curse. Tomorrow could wait. Tonight she wanted her husband.
Alex gently gripped her hip and pulled her body flush with his. She offered no resistance and even helped his efforts.
“I’m happy you’re here.” Her voice had grown soft.
“As am I.” He pulled back slightly and kissed her cheek. He caressed her neck with his mouth once again, taking time to gently nip the tender skin beneath her jaw, then soothe it with a kiss. “You need comfort, and I need to give it to you, Claire.”
She cupped his head in her hands and made love to his mouth—tasting and teasing his tongue with hers until they both moaned. Never before had she felt so open or vulnerable to another human being.
He broke the kiss and captured her gaze with his. “You’re breathtaking in the moonlight. Your skin shines with a luster only the finest South Sea pearls could dare mimic.”
With a reverent kiss to her forehead, he clasped one of her hands with his. He pressed a kiss to her palm, then placed her hand over his heart.
Burning for another taste, she took his mouth again. He seemed as desperate for her as she was for him. His hands pushed into her hair and cradled her head as he pulled her harder against him. His tongue explored her mouth, but she conquered his if the moans and grunts were any indication. Their kiss never stopped, as if both of them were famished for
each other. He broke away, his breath coming hard. Never taking her eyes off his, she pulled at his shirt, signaling she wanted him rid of it. He stood, and with one tug his shirt flew over his head, exposing his bare skin. He stripped out of his trousers, then climbed back to her, offering himself for her pleasure. He was hers to caress.
Unhurried, she slid her hands down his chest, and his muscles contracted in response to her sure touch. She pressed her mouth to one of his nipples, then nipped it. He hissed and his jaw tightened. She trailed her fingers through the fine curls on his chest, and just before she reached his groin, she repeated the pattern. The growl that escaped him caused her to nip again.
“Let me,” he said. “Let me see you—let me make love to you.” With ease, Alex slid the fine lawn gown from her body and dropped it to the floor. Moonlight stretched across the room, bathing them both in its silvery glow. He pulled close and possessed her mouth. She answered in a promise of pleasures to come and pressed her chest to his.
She kissed the base of his throat, and it pounded. There was no mistaking how much he wanted her, and he made a move to cup her breasts.
She turned over onto her stomach. “Alex,” she warned in a whisper. Tonight, she wanted complete control.
“Hmm…?” Moving on top of her, he brushed her hair to the side and kissed and nibbled the back of her neck. “My name on your lips is the sweetest sound.”
He continued the assault of kisses as he braced his hands on either side of her. He rubbed his cheek against her backside. His whiskers skated across her skin in a tingling caress. All of it made her want to lose herself in this moment forever.
His fingers traced every inch of her, as if memorizing her body. He stopped and whispered against her skin, “You have the most darling dimples here. Would you like me to take you this way?” He dipped his tongue in one of the hollows. “I think you’d like it.”
A shudder ran through her body. She forced herself to shut out the delicious image of him entering her from behind and pulled away. With a turn, she rested on her knees, facing him. He cradled her breasts in his hands and took a nipple in his mouth. His tongue pressed and circled. The pleasure lit a fire that roared through her blood, and she cried out. Her body hungered for more, but she forced herself to push him away. “I make the decisions tonight. Lie down.”
He did as she commanded but took the opportunity to rub his body against hers as he moved to the center of the bed. Every inch of his skin burned hot, almost as if his body begged for her touch. The desire she had for him would never be satiated. She straddled him with her legs and took a position below his cock. “I want to be on top of you.”
“Claire,” he murmured. “You want to kill me.”
She spread her legs and adjusted her hips to mount him. She took his cock in hand. The velvet skin over his hardness never ceased to amaze her. She bent and licked the moisture from the tip. Her gaze captured his, and his gray eyes flashed with an incendiary desire that threatened to consume them both.
“Hmm,” she moaned. “Spice, salt, and the taste of the forbidden.” She flicked her thumb over the crown of his cock, and it jumped in her hand. He fisted the bed linens and clenched his eyes. Slowly, she straightened and brought him to her folds. She was drenched and knew that excited him. She closed her eyes as she rubbed her wet flesh against his. It was heaven, but she wanted more.
“Claire, enough,” he whispered. “Take me inside you.”
She brought him to her opening and slowly lowered over him. When she was seated against his body, she couldn’t tell where he ended and where she began. Desire and need pumped in her blood. She wanted to ride him to completion and move until they were both exhausted. She had missed everything about Alex in the days they’d been apart.
He moaned in pleasure. Claire sighed in answer and moved in a slow, controlled circle, up and down. She lowered her body to his and ground against him—over and over until the pleasure spread from her center and thrummed throughout her body. Inch by inch she’d pull away but never release his cock. Then she’d start her descent to repeat the pattern.
He held her hips in his hands to keep her steady. “Touch your breasts.”
She stopped moving, and her eyes widened. His gaze flashed with unmistakable longing. Her movement became more frenzied as the crescendo of her pleasure built toward her release. Her breathing grew labored and her skin burned. She was close. She moved faster as she traced her nipples with her fingers, then pinched them. She threw her head back and splayed her hands on both breasts.
Her husband was coming undone as he watched her. He thrust his hips to meet her downward movements. Her center started to contract, and she leaned forward.
Alex reached between them and rubbed her clitoris, bringing her to the brink of climax. “Let go,” he coaxed.
She closed her eyes and succumbed to the pleasure. She shuddered as the intense rapture roared through her again and again. When it ended, she slumped against his chest. Never had she experienced such intensity with another soul. She forced her mind to quiet and allowed her body to float on the last remnants of her release.
His arms surrounded her, and his heat warmed her cooling flesh. He reverently turned her so she lay on the bed. With her knees raised, he slowly entered her, then withdrew from her heat inch by inch as if relishing her. Again, he’d push inside, filling her completely. His gaze never left hers. “You’ve bewitched me. I can’t have enough of you.”
He was loving her so honestly, she felt exposed. He brought one of her legs over his shoulders. The change of position let him go deeper. Too overwrought with emotion to respond, she surrendered to the exhilarating sensation, her breathing ragged. He pumped his hips faster, more urgent. Claire clenched her muscles around his cock as he was on the verge. The feeling was exquisite. She closed her eyes and focused on the force of his release. Hot and hard, every muscle in his body tightened as he cried out her name and pumped his seed into her center.
Alex collapsed on top of her, and she pressed her lips against his shoulder. His labored breathing matched hers. She’d never experienced an orgasm like this. Its power had overtaken every one of her senses.
When he had recovered, he propped himself on his forearms and placed light, gentle kisses on her neck, jaw, and ear. He moved to her mouth. She drank in the sweetness of his kiss, savoring the feeling of satisfaction he gave her.
“My wife, my lovely wife.” Alex gathered her in his arms as he lay on his side. “I love you.” He caressed her, moving his hand slowly from her rib cage to the top of her hip and back again. He feathered kisses on her face, slowly moving to her neck, her shoulder, her chest, and her breast. “I don’t want this night to end.”
Claire sighed softly. Fascinated by the contour of the muscles and the feel of the soft downy hair splayed across his chest, she ran her hand lightly over his abdomen and traced patterns across the expanse of skin, his warmth intoxicating.
“Tell me about the night of the carriage accident,” he whispered into her hair.
Her hands stilled. “Why?”
“I want to find a way to help and protect you.” He tightened his grip on her hip and touched her lips with his for a brief caress. “If I had the power, I’d take every burden of those memories for my own.”
Her pulse fluttered at the tenderness of his words. She forced herself to relax somewhat in his arms. Perhaps if she shared some of her past, it would help them open up more to each other. It might even allow them to discuss the night she had confronted him at Pemhill. If she could share her body, surely she could talk a little about that night. It was a risk, but she’d regret it for the rest of her life if she didn’t try to mend this breach between them.
He cared for her tonight, and she wanted to trust him. She relaxed and allowed the memories to flood her mind. “My parents and I drove through a torrential thunderstorm to reach Wrenwood late one afternoon.”
He leaned on his elbow, and his gaze locked with hers.
He wanted
everything, but some parts she would not share with anyone. Ever. Otherwise, the millstone she carried would break the slim thread of control she had mastered over the years. It was her only link to sanity. “When we crossed the main bridge to Wrenwood, it collapsed. All I could hear were shouts and the wooden beams splitting. It was an eerie sound, how I imagined a ghost would wail.”
He slid his hand around her neck, and his fingers cradled the back of her head. His gaze never left hers, but he didn’t utter a sound. The touch kept her from floating away in the memories.
“My mother grabbed me to her side as my father stole a glance outside. Whatever he saw, he realized we were going in the river. He flung his body against us and wrapped both my mother and me tightly in his embrace.”
He kissed her temple. “That must have been terrifying for you.”
She nodded. “It happened so fast. We started to tumble and immediately slammed into something hard. Ice-cold water flooded the coach and we started to move swiftly. In seconds, we were submerged. The force of the water ripped the carriage apart, and I became separated from my parents.” Her words knotted in a confused mass, and she swallowed. “I couldn’t breathe and everywhere I turned it was black. I don’t know how long I was down there. Somehow, my father found me and took me to the riverbank.”
Alex shifted and lifted her chin. “What happened?”
She swept her fingers across his lips and ignored the question.
“Claire?”
“No more.” To reveal anything else would rip her heart out. She lay on her back and stared at the ceiling. What little she’d admitted tonight left her numb, with nothing else to give.
“You make it sound as if you were a bystander and not actually in the accident,” he whispered.
The Bad Luck Bride Page 26
