“I love you, too.”
He chuckled. “I know. You’ve made that abundantly clear from the moment I woke up in your brothers’ room and you were right there next to me.”
She laughed and returned his kiss. “Well, I knew we’d be married. It was just a matter of how and when.” She slipped her hands under his unbuttoned shirt so that she could wrap her arms around him. He still had his undershirt on, but the thin material allowed her a more intimate connection to him. “I want to sleep in the same bed with you.”
“I want that, too. I had a bedchamber made for you so you’d have your own rooms to do with what you will, but I had hoped you’d spend your nights with me.”
Feeling better, she relaxed and kissed him again, this time letting her lips linger on his. He embraced her, his arms wonderfully protective around her, something she most enjoyed. It was just as she imagined coming home from her wedding would be like. Her husband would kiss her and hold her, letting her know how much she meant to him.
She was very fortunate that her dream had become real. And given the place her husband had brought her to, she really was living like a princess. She hadn’t considered a princess would have her own bedchamber, but she assumed in fairytales, the prince and princess would be so much in love that they’d share the same bed.
Kent ended the kiss and whispered, “If you turn around, I’ll unbutton your gown.”
Her skin grew warm with excitement as she obeyed him. His hands, gentle while he loosened the buttons on her dress, made her skin tingle in excitement. Soon they’d be touching her all over, learning her in ways no one else had before. She bit her lower lip in anticipation. She wanted to feel his hands on her body, to be touched intimately.
He leaned forward and kissed the side of her neck, sending sparks of delight down her spine. She sighed in contentment. Even if she hadn’t made love before, she knew she was going to enjoy it. This was going to be one of her favorite pastimes, and there was no one she’d rather share it with than him.
He slid the gown down her body, and she stepped out of it. She waited for him to drape the gown over the chair before she approached him. Perhaps she should have been shy about facing him in nothing but her undergarments, but she wasn’t. She was much too excited about experiencing the act that would unite them as one. Her heart raced in anticipation as she reached for him.
He brought her into his arms and brought his lips to hers. She gave into the thrill of kissing him, enjoying the way his tongue brushed hers. His hands moved to her breasts and cupped them, taking his time to explore them, his thumbs rubbing her nipples until they hardened. She moaned, aware of the tension building between her legs. She’d never experienced anything like it. It made her ache, but it was a very pleasurable ache, the kind that made her bloomers damp. He slid his hands under her chemise and pulled it over her head before he brought his hands back to her breasts.
“You’re so very lovely,” he murmured then lowered his head and kissed her, this time more passionately.
Her excitement urged her to explore him, and of particular interest was the part between his legs that she’d seen erect while they were in the carriage. She loosened the belt around his waist and unbuttoned his pants. He let out a low groan and encouraged her to slip her hands inside his underwear. Then he was kissing her again, his tongue sparring with hers. Her fingers traced the full length of his arousal and ran along the tip, noting the bead of moisture there. He moaned and pulled away from her.
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked. “Did I hurt you?”
“No,” he quickly assured her. “What you were doing felt really good. I just want to free myself from my pants.” He yanked off his clothes and tossed them aside.
She took a moment to examine his erection, fascinated by their differences. When he brought her back into his arms, she reached for it again, this time wrapping her hand around it, noting the solid thickness of it and the satiny feel of it at the tip where her thumb brushed another bead of moisture. “This feels good?” she asked.
“Yes. Very good.”
His words encouraged her to keep going, and she did, thrilled to learn about this part of him that was so very different than anything she had on her body.
He traced the curve of her back then squeezed her bottom, something that made her giggle.
“Are you ticklish?” he asked and playfully kissed her neck.
“A little,” she admitted.
He kissed her then let his hands slip under the waistline of her bloomers. “Now that you’ve had a chance to explore me, I want to find out more about you.”
The husky quality in his voice made her shiver in delight. He lowered his head and brought his mouth to one of her nipples. She moaned and her hands went to his shoulders, gently massaging them as he continued teasing her with his tongue. He chose one nipple then the next, paying equal attention to both of them. He proceeded to remove the rest of her clothes and left a trail of kisses down her stomach then her abdomen then lower.
Bringing his hands to the back of her thighs, he encouraged her to part her legs and kissed her moist flesh. She gasped in surprise at the unexpected shot of pleasure that made the ache worse, making her more anxious for his mouth. She hoped he’d always want to explore her. His tongue traced the folds of her flesh, and she moaned louder, hardly aware she was digging her nails into his skin, something that only seemed to make his actions more assertive.
He slid a hand up her thigh and found her entrance, inserting one finger then two. She murmured his name in appreciation, all thoughts of where they were fleeing from her mind as she became engulfed in the pleasure of the moment. His tongue centered on her sensitive nub and he continued stroking her core with his fingers. Truly, she had no idea just how wonderful this would be.
She cried out in protest when he stopped his ministrations, but he rose to his feet and kissed her.
“I’m not done yet,” he assured her before he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed.
Once she was lying on her back, he knelt between her legs and resumed what he’d been doing before. She groaned and gripped the blanket beneath her, barely aware that she kept murmuring his name. She focused once more on her mounting tension, and when her release finally came, she cried out and shuddered as wave after wave of pleasure overtook her, strong and intense at first then slowly ebbing until her body relaxed.
His fingers slid out of her and he crawled over her so that his arousal was pressed intimately against her entrance. Her body still humming with satisfaction, she pulled him toward her, wanting nothing more than to bring him to completion, to know he found the same pleasure he’d just given her. He leaned forward and kissed her and whispered that he loved her before he entered her.
She had expected there to be a barrier he’d have to push through, but there wasn’t. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she encouraged him to go deeper. She worked with him, establishing a rhythm that seemed to intensify his enjoyment, if she could judge it by the way his moans grew louder and thrusting grew more insistent. When he grew taut, she held him close to her, loving the way he filled her with his seed. It was such a nice feeling to know he found fulfillment in her. It made their lovemaking complete.
He relaxed and brought his lips to hers. Their bodies still entwined, they continued kissing for several minutes, starting out soft and gentle but slowly becoming more passionate.
“I had no idea it could be this good,” he whispered, his hands tracing the length of her body.
“Me neither,” she murmured, tightening her legs around his waist, ensuring he’d remain inside her. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought she felt him thicken and lengthen. “You feel good.”
“So do you.” He kissed her neck, his lips working their way to her ear where he teased her with his tongue.
She shivered in pleasure and moaned. “Do you think it’s possible to do it more than one time in a day?”
He shifted his hips and she felt his erecti
on growing harder. “Oh yes, definitely.”
“Like right now?” She rocked her hips, hoping he was ready.
He groaned and rolled her with him until she was on top of him. “Let’s try it this way.” Hands on her hips, he guided her movements.
She bit her lower lip and focused on how wonderful he felt inside her. “I love it when you’re in me,” she murmured.
He groaned in agreement and cupped her breasts in his hands, his thumb and forefinger teasing her nipples. They spent considerable time making love this way, neither in any hurry to climax, but in due time, they did, and she decided this was her favorite thing to do and there was no one she’d rather do it with than him.
Chapter Twenty
Rose woke up the next morning, at first thinking it’d all been a dream. Everything had been so magical, just like a fairytale. The wedding, the manor, the wedding night. She sighed in contentment and snuggled deeper into the sheets. But then she realized these weren’t the same sheets she was used to sleeping in and opened her eyes. The large bedroom—no, it was a bedchamber—was before her. She couldn’t help but be in awe at the fine furnishings which could fill up an entire house. All a person would need was a cookstove and they’d have a kitchen in here to complete it. But this was just one room of many in her new home. She still couldn’t quite grasp it.
She turned her attention to the canopy that surrounded the bed. She really liked the canopy. It was such a romantic thing since it made her feel like she and Kent were all alone in the world. She wondered what it would be like if they were the only two people alive. She’d read a story like that once, only it was because there was a grave plague—worse than the bubonic plague in Europe—and it left two people living. It’d been a sad book, especially since the man and woman ended up killing each other when they thought the other was going to harm them.
Relieved she was with Kent instead of in that horrible story, she turned over and studied him while he slept. She hadn’t watched anyone as they slept before, but she was struck by how peaceful he looked, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He was definitely the best looking man she’d ever laid eyes on. And to think she’d get to wake up and see him every morning for the rest of her life!
He shifted from his back and settled on his side, his arm falling at his waist. She frowned and studied the jagged scar that ran from his elbow to his wrist. How did she miss something like that? Because she’d been preoccupied with other things. Heat rose to her cheeks as she recalled how much enjoyment she’d had with him.
Her gaze returned to his arm. The scar had healed, telling her the wound had happened years ago. She wondered what caused it. She leaned forward to get a better look at it. Whatever happened to him, it must have hurt.
He stirred from his sleep. Smiling, she snuggled up to him and gave him a kiss. “Good morning.”
Returning her smile, he drew her into his arms and settled his cheek on the top of her head. “How are you?”
“Good. And you?”
“Never been better.”
She hesitated to ask him about his arm, but she figured if he didn’t want to tell her, he could simply say he didn’t want to discuss it and she’d let the matter go. Taking a deep breath, she ventured, “I noticed the scar on your arm. Can I ask where you got it?”
At first she thought he was going to say no but after a long sigh, he said, “It’s not a pretty story.”
“I didn’t think it would be since you have a scar,” she softly told him.
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t my proudest moment. I don’t like to think about it.” He rubbed her back in soothing circular motions as he continued. “I thought someone loved me and that a man had been keeping her prisoner, so I went to rescue her. I thought we were going to get married and live happily ever after. But I was wrong. I went to her house, the door was locked, and this dog kept coming at me. I thought it was going to attack me and tripped. I fell back and my arm went through the window in the door. That’s how I got the scar.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“It does when you realize she wanted to be with him. She told me she didn’t want to be with me, but I didn’t listen. I just came after her. She thought I was going to hurt her, and I just kept coming after her.”
“But you didn’t hurt her.”
“No, but as she was running from me, she fell into a stall and the horse almost stepped on her. It was at that time her husband showed up and let a bullet graze my ear to warn me to stay away from her.”
“She had married the man?”
“Yes, and I knew they were married when I went out there to get her. That doesn’t make me a hero.”
Noting the remorseful tone in his voice, she leaned up on her elbow so she could look at him. “We’ve all done things we regret.”
“Maybe but what I did was really bad.” He swallowed then added, “I frightened her. I know I did. For months, I couldn’t get the image of her scared expression out of my mind. It was hard to know that I’d done that to her. I never felt worse about myself.”
“You didn’t mean to scare her.”
“That doesn’t matter. The fact is I did. I can only hope she’s happy and has forgotten all about me.”
She brushed aside the hair from his eyes and caressed his cheek. “Did you want to send her a letter and apologize?”
He shook his head. “That’s the worst thing I could do. The best thing I can do for her is to leave her alone.”
“I understand. I’m sure she’s doing fine.”
“I hope so.”
“You can’t do anything about the past so there’s no use in worrying about it. I know the man you are, and I love you.”
Smiling, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. “You know what I love most about you?”
“What?”
“You see me as I am—all the good and the bad—and you believe the best about me anyway.”
“I see you as you truly are: a prince among men.” Returning his smile, she brought her lips to his to share another kiss.
***
“I’m telling you, Harriett, I can afford it just fine,” Rose insisted at the jeweler a week later. “You’re my sister and dearest friend. I want you to have it to match the one I’m getting.” She held up the other cameo she was holding. “Don’t you see? Whenever I wear it, I’ll think of you.”
Harriett glanced at the gold-trim duplicate cameo in her hand. “It’s lovely. Really, it is. But…” She sighed and motioned to the price tag. “It’s expensive.”
“You saw the carriage I picked you up in.”
“Well…yes.”
“After we get these cameos, I’ll show you my new home. Then you won’t feel so guilty for letting me buy one for you.”
“I don’t know.”
“Harriett,” she laughed and hugged her sister, “it’s alright. It’s the only thing I’ll buy you until Christmas. I promise.”
“Christmas isn’t that far away.”
“Fine. Then this will be my Christmas gift to you. Will you accept it then?”
Harriett relaxed and smiled. “Alright. If it’s a Christmas gift, then it’ll work.”
“I had no idea it’d be so hard to convince you to take a gift from me.”
“If it wasn’t so expensive, I wouldn’t hesitate, but it’s hard to accept something that costs $100.”
“If I can’t spend $100 on you, then who can I spend it on?”
“But is Kent alright with it?”
Rose took the cameo from her and walked over to the counter. “You needn’t worry about him. He gave me an allowance, and I have more than I’ll ever need.”
“No kidding?”
She shook her head and lowered her voice so the salesman wouldn’t overhear. “When he first told me how much, I thought he meant for a year, but it turned out to be one month. He’s very generous.”
“Indeed he is. He’s going to spoil you,” she teased.
“I won’t spen
d everything he gives me. I wouldn’t feel right doing that. But I very much wanted to get you a cameo that would match mine.”
“You were always sentimental.”
Rose grinned then directed her attention to the salesman who finished with another customer. After she made the purchase to her husband’s account, she led her sister out of the store. “You said you need to pick up a few things from the mercantile?”
“Yes. Ma needs more sugar, flour and butter.”
“I bet she’s glad you’re going instead of Pa. At least you don’t need a list.”
Harriett chuckled and followed her to the carriage. “Ma joked that she was surprised Pa remembered to go to your wedding.”
“How could he forget? I talked of little else.”
“That’s true.”
They settled into the carriage and the coachman closed the door before taking them to the mercantile. Rose didn’t know if she’d ever get use to having people wait on her. And it was especially awkward when her lady’s maid helped her get dressed. Ever since she’d learned to dress herself, she hadn’t accepted anyone’s help to do that. But with the corset, layers of petticoats, and many buttons, she learned that she needed her lady’s maid’s assistance in order to put her new outfits on.
Even more surprising than having her own lady’s maid was the fact that she had to change clothes about three times a day. Once for her morning dress, another outfit if she wanted to go out, and a gown for dinner. Her new status as Kent’s wife meant an entirely different world than the one she’d grown up in. She could only hope she wouldn’t disappoint him.
“What do you think?” Harriett asked, bringing Rose’s attention back to her.
Rose saw that Harriett had already put the cameo on her shirtwaist. “It looks lovely. The gold goes well with your hair.”
Harriett playfully nudged her in the side. “It’ll look just as lovely on you, too.”
Catching Kent Page 16
