Dark desire smoldered in the depths of his eyes. Crushing her to him, he kissed her until her head swam and she was forced to hold onto his jacket to keep from buckling at the knees. “Let’s go to bed,” he thickly whispered. His words were barely uttered before she took his hand to enter the house. When they were passing through the dining room, she noticed the windowpane with four sets of initials engraved in the wavy glass.
“Wait,” she said and pulled off the large diamond wedding ring that Lark had given to her and smiled mischievously. “I want to see if this stone cuts glass.”
Lark stared at her in disbelief. “Now, Marlee? Can’t this wait until morning? I assure you that it’s real.”
She shook her head. “No. If I’m to belong to this family, I want to know that you’re worthy of my affections, otherwise—” She didn’t need to say anything else. Lark was more than ready to strip her of the wedding gown and he’d have done anything to appease her.
He gave a great fake sigh and took the ring. “The things a husband must do to keep his wife happy.” Near the etched initials of his parents and those of his grandparents, Lark scratched his and Marlee’s initials into the glass. Tenderly, he placed the ring on her finger. “Are you satisfied now?”
“No, not satisfied at all.” She seductively leaned into him and placed her arms around his neck. “I’d like you to carry me upstairs and satisfy my every wanton wish.”
Lark easily lifted her into his arms and carried her up the staircase to the bedroom they’d share as husband and wife for the rest of their lives. With practiced ease, they undressed each other until fiery passion won out. Tumbling onto the bed, their bodies melded in a consuming heat. Ecstasy was a heartbeat away, and together they claimed it for their own.
Lark cradled Marlee in his arms after their passion had given way to sleepy fulfillment. The night’s stillness was broken only by the gentle lapping of the river against the shore, the plaintive cry of a dove taking wing. Never in Lark’s life had he experienced such peace of mind—and he owed his new found contentment to the woman lying in his arms. Kissing the top of her head, he asked, “Are you asleep?
“Not yet,” came her breathy whisper in the darkness. “I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
“About the things I’m going to remember in years to come.”
“That again.” He couldn’t help smiling. He’d never known anyone so sentimental as Marlee. “What else are you going to remember? None of the bad things, I hope, like how I came to England and deceived you—”
“Especially that,” she insisted and reclined on her elbow to look at him. Her fingers lightly skimmed across his chest. “My life began because you came to England. Before I met you I had no life at all to speak of, Lark. I shall always be forever grateful that you fell in love with me.”
Marlee’s innocence and honesty struck a chord in his heart. Was there ever a woman like her? Lark didn’t believe so. “I’m grateful that you saw fit to love me in return, sweetheart.”
She snuggled closer against him. “Another thing I’ll always remember is that you married me and made an honest woman of me just in time.”
“Just in time for what?” he asked, clearly perplexed.
Strands of moonlight beamed through the window and illuminated her beautiful face and bewitching blue eyes. “Remember I told you how sick I was on Silva’s ship and thought it was seasickness. Well, seasickness wasn’t the only reason I was sick, and that reason should probably be born in the early spring.”
“Marlee, are you saying that you’re—having—a baby?”
“Of course, silly, what else would I have but a baby?”
A large delighted smile split his lips and he kissed her perfectly pretty mouth. “You’ve made me a happy man, Marlee. I’ll never want for anything else as long as I have you and our children.”
“Children?” she sputtered. “So far, I’m only having one.”
“You never know, twins run in my mother’s family. Now be quiet and kiss me back or I’ll return that diamond ring to the jeweler in Williamsburg,” he teased.
“Oh, dear, the things a wife has to do to please her husband.” Returning his kiss, she found every one of those things very pleasant indeed.
END
About the Author
Lynette Vinet is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and a member of Romance Writers of America and Creative Minds Writers. She has always been intrigued by the history of her native city and the South, as well as Colonial America and the British Isles, probably because her ancestors were born there. An avid genealogist, she is also a member of the Genealogical Research Society of New Orleans. Over the last two decades she has published eleven historical romances as well as a number of genealogical articles. She is a wife, mother and doting grandmother.
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Ebooks by Lynette Vinet available now or coming soon to Amazon (from Steel Magnolia Press)
Historical Romances
Pirate’s Bride, Book 1 in the Liberty’s Ladies Collection
Savage Deception, Book 2 in the Liberty’s Ladies Collection
Wicked, Wild Eden
Knight’s Caress
Midnight Flame
Emerald Desire, Book 1 of the Emerald Series
Emerald Enchantment, Book 2 of the Emerald Series
Emerald Ecstasy, Book 3 of the Emerald Series
Pirate’s Golden Promise
Rapture in His Arms
Pirate Hunter’s Mistress
Find all Steel Magnolia Press books on Amazon at:
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Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
About the Author
Pirate Hunter's Mistress (The Virginia Brides) Page 28
