“Thank you, Molly—perhaps a bit of that pie you mentioned. I’ll retire to the library once I’m done eating. Perhaps you’d be good enough to ensure that my wife comes to see me there when she returns. I’d like to speak with her.”
“Very good, sir,” Molly said, bobbing once too many times as she retreated from the room.
Daniel grinned and took a sip of his coffee. He liked the rambunctious maid and found her most amusing, though he had to agree with his uncle’s dismissal of her; she wasn’t suited to the Wolvington household at all.
After finishing his food, Daniel penned a quick missive to Lord Chilton requesting a meeting and asked Hawkins to deliver it. He needed to speak to his brother-in-law as soon as possible so he could become more respectable, making money from investments rather than from gambling, a vital part of the plan he’d made to turn his life around.
It was almost three thirty before a quiet knock at the library door announced Rebecca’s arrival. Keen to see her, Daniel hurried across the floor and opened the door with a smile, his pleasure at seeing her almost overshadowed by how stunning she looked, with her bright smile and flushed cheeks, her hair swept up in an intricate coiffure. “You look radiant,” he said, taking her hand and leading her across to a chair. She took her seat and he bent to place a kiss against her cheek before going back to close the door. “Did you enjoy your walk?”
“Oh yes,” she said, eyes glowing with delight. “It was marvelous, really—so many people dressed in the most exquisite clothes, either on horseback, in carriages or just strolling about. I even saw a group of people picnicking, though I must admit I thought it a bit nippy for that. Oh, and there were boats on the Serpentine too—again, something I’d prefer to try when the weather gets a bit warmer.”
Daniel grinned. “I’m glad you had fun,” he said, “but then again, you’re generally quite cheerful by nature. I have a feeling you delight in most things, and frankly, I must admit that it’s one of the things that I . . .” He stopped himself from saying love about you. It was just a turn of phrase of course, but he suddenly worried that she might get the wrong idea. God forbid if she actually thought him in love with her. He wasn’t, of course. Men like him did not fall prey to Cupid’s arrow so easily, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t like her and respect her.
In Scotland, she’d prattled on about him keeping mistresses while she took a lover, but he’d suspected that she’d made the suggestion not because it was the sort of marriage she wanted but because she was convinced it was all she could expect. He wanted to give her more, especially since they suited each other so well that he saw no reason to bother with other women. But he couldn’t allow her to think him smitten either, so instead he said, “admire about you.”
She looked at him quizzically, but when she didn’t comment, he decided to proceed with the matter at hand. “Actually, there was something specific I wished to discuss with you— namely, the matter of your pin money.”
“Daniel, that’s really not necessary,” she said, her features not nearly as lively as when she’d first entered the room. “I have my dowry, which is more than sufficient. Unless of course you’re saying that it now belongs to you, which technically it does, and that you’re considering how much of it I should have access to each month.”
“That’s . . .” Daniel shook his head. “No, I’ve no designs on your dowry, Becky.”
“Then there’s no need for me to burden you with pin money when no such agreement was ever made.” She leaned forward in her seat. “Ours is a marriage of convenience—one meant to help both of us. I’d hate for you to think that I expect more than freedom from you, so if you agree, I’ll handle my own expenses, though I do thank you for wanting to offer me more.”
It took every ounce of willpower not to gape at her. Not burden him . . . a marriage of convenience . . . she wanted freedom. Her words resonated in his head, darkening his mood. He forced himself to relax, and he managed a smile that he hoped looked sincere. “Look, regardless of the circumstances surrounding our marriage, I still like you, Becky, and now that you’re my wife, I care about your well-being and wish to ensure that you’re properly cared for. However, if you feel more comfortable spending your own money, then of course you’re welcome to do so. Just know that I don’t consider you a burden in any way. In fact, I genuinely enjoy your company and doubt I would have gotten along this well with someone else.”
“I’m happy to hear it,” she said, her smile returning. “As far as I am concerned, marrying you was one of the best decisions I ever made—I’m certain of it.”
Daniel felt his whole body sag with relief. When the devil had this woman’s happiness become so important to him? When you held her limp body in your arms, a tiny voice called from the back of his mind. He considered that and knew it was true. Since she’d been shot, he’d felt an innate responsibility to protect her. It was yet another reason why he wouldn’t humiliate her by taking a mistress, and though he’d told her as much already, he wanted to make it clear. “When we were in Scotland, you spoke at great length about your expectations in regard to our marriage.” He paused as he studied her but found it impossible to discern her emotions. “I want you to know that I meant what I said when I told you that I have no interest in any other women.”
She hesitated briefly, then nodded. “As I’ve mentioned before, I want us to be honest with each other, for I believe that the best relationships are built on trust, and I want to be able to trust you, Daniel. I realize that I expect you to stray based on your history and reputation, but I also think that you deserve the chance to prove yourself. You say that Lady Vernon approached you, that she kissed you and that you have no intention of accepting anything more from her.” She paused, her gaze intense, as if gauging his reaction. “I will trust you in this, Daniel, because I want more than anything for our marriage to be a pleasant one, and for our . . . friendship to last.”
“I want the same, Becky,” he said, and as he did so, he wondered once again if he should tell her about the gambling now and just be done with it. She had a right to know. In fact he owed it to her, but he also didn’t want her to worry, and he certainly didn’t want her help. This was something he had to handle on his own, so he decided to wait a while. Once his investments began to grow and sustain themselves, he would stop the gambling and confide in her the truth. She’d probably be shocked at first, but once that dissipated, he was sure she’d be proud.
By the time ten o’clock rolled around that evening, Daniel could scarcely wait to get out the door. He’d received a response from the Earl of Chilton in the afternoon, inviting Daniel to meet with the earl at his home the following day, but until then, Daniel intended to try and make some more money at the gaming tables. What harm was there really, when he was applying discipline and only intended to risk the money he’d already won?
“You look tired,” he told Rebecca when they retired after dinner and yet another game of cards at which he hadn’t been quite so lenient with her as he’d been the previous evening. She’d looked at him suspiciously, but he’d just grinned, shrugged a little and blamed his win on a stroke of good luck, though he was pretty sure she’d seen straight through him.
“Not as tired as yesterday,” she said as she presented him with her back, allowing him the pleasure of unfastening the long row of buttons belonging to her gown, “and since I denied both of us our pleasure then, I’ve every intention of doubling my efforts right now.”
Her suggestion, spoken in a sultry tone with a hint of shyness, sent a bolt of heat straight to Daniel’s groin. Dear God, how he longed to bury himself in her warmth. Besides, it was probably best if he arrived at the gaming tables later, when the other players had filled themselves with drink and had lost a bit of reserve. He also didn’t want to give rise to suspicion, and of course he wanted to give his wife the pleasure she deserved. Allowing her to slip away from him, he watched as she walked t
oward the bed, hips swaying with every step.
Looking over her shoulder at him, she slid her hands down the length of her sides until she reached the hem of her chemise. She then started pulling the flimsy garment slowly up over her luscious curves, her hands caressing her body as she did so.
Daniel forced himself to remain still, sensing that she was enjoying the opportunity to lure and entice him as much as he was enjoying the show. She tossed the chemise aside and crawled onto the bed, where she settled back against the pillows and began to run one hand up over her breasts while the other trailed down along the length of her thigh. Dear Lord, she wouldn’t, would she? Daniel knew he’d ceased breathing and that his heart would likely stop at any second, yet the only thing he seemed capable of doing was staring at his wife as he hoped she might . . .
Licking her lips as she stared straight back at him, Rebecca allowed her legs to fall open, and as she gently caressed the plump flesh of her breast, her other hand found her core—at which point Daniel finally gasped for air. Heaven above if he hadn’t married the greatest seductress of all time. Never before had he feared that he might expire from desire, yet as he stood there now, watching his wife give herself pleasure, he felt dangerously close to doing precisely that and quickly went to work on his breeches.
“Do I tempt you?” she asked when he came toward her completely naked.
“Do you really need to ask?” he watched as her gaze settled on the hard length of him. He heard her suck in a breath. It wasn’t the first time she’d been afforded a good look at him, and it pleased Daniel to see that she was admiring him just as much as she had the first time. He lowered his gaze to the juncture between her thighs. “Would you like me to assist you with that?”
“I can think of nothing better,” she said, removing her hand and allowing him access.
“You’re impossible for me to resist,” he said as he climbed up onto the bed and kneeled between her legs, his blood heating as he feasted his eyes on her every curve. “Do you know that?”
“I believe the evidence is far too great to be ignored,” she said smoothly.
“And do you approve?” he asked, enjoying the naughty banter between them as he reached out and gently stroked the flesh of her womanhood.
“Oh yes,” she sighed, “very much so.”
Holding her gaze, he slipped a finger inside her, loving the groan of pleasure that escaped her lips as he did so and the way in which her hands found her breasts again as he started to move in and out of her, adding another finger to increase the fullness. It wasn’t until he felt her muscles starting to tense that he drew away, determined to join with her completely before she took her pleasure. Christ, it was a miracle that he hadn’t spent himself already from just looking at her spread out the way she was before him. He wanted her desperately, but this time, he was hoping to try something new.
“Do you trust me?” he asked as he lifted her leg to place a kiss against her calf.
“More than I’ve ever trusted anyone,” she murmured, her eyes still glazed with want as she reached for him, most likely determined to pull him down on top of her.
But he had other plans. “Then roll over onto your stomach and get up onto your knees.”
Confusion flickered across her lovely face, and it was all Daniel could do to hope that she would not deny him. “Forgive me, but I’m not sure that I understand your intent.”
“Then please allow me to show you,” he said. “I promise you that I won’t hurt you in any way, and if you don’t enjoy it, we’ll stop, but I have every confidence that this is something that you’re going to like a great deal.”
A second passed and then she nodded, doing what he asked without further hesitation. “Here, lean forward onto this pillow,” he told her as he gently nudged her shoulder blades down until her perfectly rounded bottom was the only part of her sticking up in the air. Daniel could feel his heart knocking furiously against his chest as he took in the tantalizing sight she portrayed, and he leaned forward to lick her where his fingers had been only moments earlier, tasting her in the most intimate way possible.
“Please . . .” she murmured, her voice filled with desperation.
He had to have her right now, this instant, and he knew that her need was as great as his own. Straightening himself, he moved up behind her until he felt himself pressed against her wetness, the tip of him already nudging its way between her slick folds. “I’m going to make this good for you,” he promised, his breath heavy with lust as he gripped her hips and started pushing himself inside her, burying himself to the hilt.
He pulled out slightly and then thrust himself back inside, a little harder this time.
“Oh my God,” Rebecca gasped.
“Tell me you like it,” was all he could manage as he settled into a practiced rhythm, the first tingles already starting to climb his legs.
“Yes,” she almost screamed as she moved with him, her fingers clawing at the sheets.
“I knew you would,” he grunted as he pushed back inside her. “And this is only the beginning, Becky—I have a long list of wicked things I plan to do with you.”
“Tell me,” she demanded.
Daniel could scarcely breathe. How the bloody hell was he going to prevent himself from coming before her when she fueled his pleasure the way she did? “I plan to take you in front of a mirror,” he said, his voice raspy as he fought for restraint. “In a carriage too, one day, and perhaps even in the park up against a tree.” Slipping his hand in front of her, he found her pleasure spot and rubbed it gently.
“Oh God,” she gasped as she met his thrusts.
The breath upon her lips was labored, a wanton sound that spurred his own lust beyond measure. “The theater is a place I’ve fantasized about as well,” he said. “Just think of what my fingers can do for you if we have our own private box. I daresay nobody will be the wiser.”
“Daniel!”
He felt her muscles begin to contract, signaling the start of her orgasm, and a moment later he felt her quiver around him, her burst of pleasure so overwhelming that it drove him over the edge a mere second later. On a groan, he reveled in the trembling heat that pulsed through him, leaving him not only sated but completely spent as well.
Easing out of Rebecca, he planted a row of tender kisses along the length of her spine before collapsing next to her on the bed. Bloody hell if the sex he’d had with her since their wedding wasn’t the best he’d ever had in his life! Not once had a mistress, courtesan, actress or opera singer stirred his blood the way she did, and after a moment of contemplation, the reason for this became clear: Rebecca was more open than the rest, and she not only wanted him but she also had no qualms about expressing that want, which in turn excited him beyond measure.
Raising his head, he pressed a kiss against her lips. “Thank you,” he said. “That was marvelous.”
She chuckled. “If it was half as good for you as it was for me, then you’re probably right.”
Good Lord, he was a fortunate man!
Hugging her against him, Daniel waited until her breathing grew steady with the onset of sleep. He waited another five minutes before easing out from underneath the arm she’d flung across his chest, then he rose to his feet. Ten minutes later, after turning out the oil lamp on the dresser, he went back downstairs, grabbed his hat and gloves, and left through the front door.
“I’ve missed you,” a silky voice whispered at Daniel’s left shoulder as he picked up the cards the dealer had dealt him from the table.
He didn’t need to turn to look at the woman who’d spoken to know that it was one of his former mistresses. “I can’t say I’m surprised to find you here, Solange. It’s as good a place as any for you to find a new protector, I suppose—unless of course you already have one.”
She didn’t respond immediately, and it took little imagination for Daniel to know th
at she’d bristled at his words. He placed his bet and heard her voice again—closer this time, as her breath brushed against his cheek. “I have none yet, which is why I’ve come to inquire if you might have reconsidered. We used to have fun together, you and I. Remember?”
In light of his recent marriage and the bond he was currently forming with Rebecca, he’d much rather forget. Following the other players’ leads, he asked the dealer for another card. “I told you when last we spoke that I intended to marry, and so I have. Consequently, I have put my rakish ways behind me and am currently attempting to live up to my uncle’s expectations.”
He felt her arm curl its way around his neck in an embrace far too intimate for his liking. “Poor chéri,” she murmured as the first card was put into play. “Your uncle has asked you to do the impossible.” Spreading her fingers, she allowed her hand to trail across his chest. “Men like you never change. You have needs, Daniel, and when you discover that your wife is incapable of satisfying them all, I shall be here waiting.”
He caught her wrist before she managed to slip away and turned to look at her, shocked by his lack of attraction for the woman who’d once been his chosen bedmate. His eyes settled on the diamond earrings that dripped from her lobes. What an idiot he’d been to give them to her, drunk or not. “Don’t,” he said, with a savageness that startled them both. “I’ve moved on, Solange, and I suggest you do the same.”
“Putin!” she hissed, her face contorting into something that Daniel suddenly despised. Spinning away from him, her fuchsia-colored gown twirling about her legs, she stormed off, while Daniel excused himself to his fellow players for causing a scene. He won the game a second later with a pair of tens and happily pocketed his first winnings of the evening. Another five games and he’d doubled his money again. He was now twenty pounds richer than he’d been when he’d arrived. Deciding that he’d had enough and that he’d better return home before Rebecca found him missing, he got up and began making his way toward the exit when Lord Starkly stepped in his way.
The Scandal in Kissing an Heir Page 18
