by Rose Gordon
Taking a deep, uncomfortable breath, she continued, “But then in early March, when I was little more than three months along, I was leaving a friend’s house and ran into Robbie’s wife. In front of the little group that was standing there, she made several indirect but obvious remarks about my condition. I was so flustered because the only people I’d told were my parents, Brooke and Robbie. Even Liberty didn’t know at the time, and I still don’t know if she does or not. She probably does now since Papa used to be such good friends with Paul before they married.” She closed her eyes and shook her head again. Now wasn’t the time for getting sidetracked.
“Anyway, I was so upset by her words, I literally ran out of the house and to the front steps.” Her voice broke and she swallowed convulsively to find her voice again. “It was early March and we’d had an ice storm a few days before. In my hurry, I didn’t grab the handrail and slipped on an ice patch that was on the first stair then fell down the rest.” The dam that was straining to hold her emotions in check broke and she could no longer hold back the tears that spilled or the sobs that wracked her body. “That’s why we came. I wasn’t melancholy over the loss of blasted Robbie but because I’d miscarried.”
She felt her knees buckle and would have collapsed to the floor if Benjamin’s strong hands hadn’t come around her upper arms and brought her against his hard chest. He murmured something she didn’t understand against her ear as her body shook with emotion.
“I’m sorry,” she cried. “I’m sorry, Ben.” She really didn’t know why specifically she was apologizing. So many possibilities flooded her mind that she’d just let him pick one.
His arms circled her and he ran his big hands up and down her back while his cheek rested on the crown of her head.
“Ben,” she said, pushing away from his chest a bit. She brought her eyes up to look at his. It was too dark for her to see well enough to read his expression. “The reason I’m so close to Andrew is because he’s in love with my sister. From the day he first showed up at our house it was in his eyes. He never offered me more than a courtesy glance.” She swallowed and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “He was the first man I’d ever met that was only interested in friendship with me. Ever since I’d trusted my heart to Leo and had it handed back to me, I’ve been afraid to trust any man with anything more than my handkerchief.”
“Including me,” he said raggedly.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Including you.” She swallowed again and pulled his arms off of her. She stepped back to look at him. “Benjamin, I’m sorry I’ve been so closed off to you. It was never my intention to make you think you weren’t good enough. You are. You’re better than I deserve. I was just skeptical of you like I was of all other men who just seemed to see a pretty face.”
“I—”
She shook her head and put her finger to his lips. “I know now that you don’t see me that way. I started to see it at Rockhurst when you wanted me to draw our feet and taught me to swim. Then you willingly let me go about my activities without a snide remark about how a person of my beauty or position doesn’t need to sew for the needy or teach a group of illiterate bastards to read. You’ve continued to prove it with the painting materials and even when I wore the same dress every day for nearly a fortnight, you didn’t seem to lose interest in me like others would have done.”
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I know you do,” she said with a sweet smile. “And I love you, too. I want to give you full possession of my heart,” she whispered, pulling his hand up to her chest and resting his palm over her rapidly beating heart. “But only if I can have yours in return.”
He stared at her and slowly reached his hand forward to take hers and move it to rest on his thudding heart the way his hand rested on hers. “You have it,” he said hoarsely “You’ve always had it.”
“Does this mean you want me to stay?” she asked with a watery grin.
The corner of his mouth tipped up and humor glistened in his shiny eyes. “That’s right, you said you’d do whatever I wanted, didn’t you?”
She nodded and her pounding heart missed a beat. Surely he wasn’t going to send her away now, was he? “Yes,” she whispered.
“I think I’d like to collect my Waffle Law kiss now,” he said with a roguish grin.
A new round of tears formed in her eyes. But this time they were happy tears. “As you wish, Your Grace” she said, coming up on her toes to bring her mouth to his.
His hands came to her shoulders and he pulled her as close to him as he could. “Madison,” he murmured against her lips.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and with a sigh, parted her lips when his tongue traced the seam. His hands moved to her breasts and he lovingly shaped them as his tongue continued to sweep her mouth. She sighed, feeling completely boneless.
He pulled back and looked into her flushed face. “Madison,” he said raggedly, “I want you. All of you. Now.”
“I want you, too,” she replied, arching her back to further push her breasts into his palms.
He swallowed. “I don’t think I can go slow like last time,” he said hoarsely, his breathing shallow and strained.
She ran her hands across his shoulders and down his chest. “Then don’t,” she said coyly.
He groaned. “You have no idea what you do to me, sweetheart.”
She brushed the front of his trousers. “I think I do,” she argued with a wink.
He groaned again. “You do indeed,” he agreed, picking her up and hauling her to the settee.
Madison fell back against the cushions with his heavy body right on top of hers. His crushing weight felt good against her swollen breasts. His hands started roaming at will over her body. He touched and squeezed every inch he could before lifting the hem of the scrap of fabric she dared to call a nightgown.
His hands brought the nightgown up, up, then completely off. “Let me see you,” he murmured, leaning back and hungrily drinking her in with his slow, intent gaze.
She blushed. She’d never been naked in front of him in a somewhat lighted room before and his hungry eyes coupled with his hard swallows made her shiver with anticipation.
“You’re beautiful,” he rasped when he finished his perusal.
She reached up and wordlessly started to unbutton his shirt, kissing each patch of newly revealed skin as she went. She pushed his shirt off and scooted down to work the fastenings of his trousers. She could feel the hardness of his erection underneath her palms as her fingers worked. She’d freed the first button when his hands closed around her wrists and her eyes flew to his. “Enough,” he said roughly.
Her eyes widened as he pushed her hands to rest on the settee above her head and his hands went to the fall of his trousers. In less than a second he released the fastenings and his erection sprang free from his trousers. Intrigued by the sheer size and presence of him, she reached her hand forward and wrapped her fingers around the pulsating flesh. A little bead of fluid had formed on the tip and she used her thumb to rub it over his velvety tip. He groaned and she became bolder. She squeezed her fingers tighter over his shaft and slowly started moving her hand up and down, marveling at how he felt just like satin over iron.
He closed his long fingers around her wrist again. “Enough,” he choked out. “If you keep doing that, this will be over right quick.”
She smiled a sensual smile. “We could always add another act to this performance,” she suggested, batting her lashes coyly.
“I already planned on that. An encore, too,” he said harshly, pushing her hands back over her head and settling himself between her thighs.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes as he filled her with one quick thrust. She sighed, lulling her head back just a little.
His blue eyes locked with hers briefly before his hips adopted a rhythm that sent hot sparks of desire shooting through her. Her hips rocked in time with his, adding to her pleasure. He murmured her name agai
nst her neck and she gasped his in return.
“Put your legs around my waist,” he told her, grabbing her thighs.
She wrapped her legs around him and locked her ankles, enabling his strokes to go deeper. “Ben,” she moaned as the waves of pleasure started to come over her.
His fingers dug into her hips and he lightly sucked on her neck. “It’s time, Madison.”
“Yes,” she shrieked, moving her hands to hold onto Benjamin’s shoulders. One more thrust and she felt fire rush through her veins as her mind spiraled away from reality.
The muscles in Benjamin’s shoulders tensed under her hands and he let out a harsh growl before coming to rest upon her. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear.
“I know,” she said, idly stroking the back of his hair. She smiled. “I think I’ve always known.”
“You have?” he asked, still not lifting his head.
“Yes,” she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Only a man who loves his wife would allow her more time to get to know him before sharing his bed.”
He scoffed. “Or a man who’s led around by his prick,” he retorted in a mocking tone.
“No,” she countered with a little laugh. “That is a trait of the most besotted man in England. Which, dear husband, I think you now own that title.”
He lifted his head and propped himself up on his elbows so he could look into her eyes. “I may be Duke of Gateway, but the title of Most Besotted Man in England seems to have a lot more appeal to me.”
“What about Most Loved Man in England?” she asked with a grin.
“I like that one even better,” he said, returning her grin.
She brought her hands to his face and ran her thumbs along his cheekbones. “Claim it with honor, my love. I love you more than any woman has ever loved her husband,” she said with a kiss.
“And I love you, too,” he returned before taking her lips into a searing kiss that would be the prelude for acts two and three.
To be followed by an explosive encore.
Epilogue
Christmas, 1813
Glenbrook
Benjamin grinned at Madison as she did her best to suppress an annoyed groan at her mother’s suggestion. “Mama, truly, we are not children. Can we not just sit in the drawing room and talk? Must we play a game?”
“Of course we must,” Carolina chirped. “Parlor games are a tradition in this family. Besides, you never minded them before. Why now?”
Madison’s blue gaze swung to where Brooke sat with a smug expression on her face, plotting revenge against her sisters for their last game of charades, no doubt. “Fine, but pick something else. Just like at Rockhurst, charades has been banned from Glenbrook, too.”
“What a relief,” Andrew muttered, shaking his head. “Sorry, darling. I know you had the perfect scene worked out in your head, but that’s just where it will have to stay.”
Brooke rolled her eyes and sighed. “Fine. But you two are not off the hook. And I daresay it would be much less embarrassing for the scene to be displayed here than at a house party I host.”
“Ahem,” Liberty interjected. “We had an agreement, remember? If you don’t, I should be happy to refresh your memory.” She dug in her reticule and pulled out a paper. “Ah, here it is. I knew I might need to bring this.”
“Oh, put it away,” Brooke said, shaking her head. “I know what it says.”
“Very well. Just don’t forget.”
Wondering what that was about, Benjamin nudged Madison.
She shrugged and shook her head. “I think I know, but I’m not sure,” she murmured.
Silence filled the air. It might be Christmas, and they whole family may have gathered together to celebrate the holiday at Glenbrook, but sometimes old wounds take a while to heal and there was no mistaking that under the calm pretense everyone was showing, some traces of bitter emotions and resentment still lurked. Benjamin wondered if that would always be the case. If he’d made such a hash of things that every holiday or house party he attended everyone would be uncomfortable. He hoped not, but all he could do was take Andrew’s advice and let everyone see they had nothing to fear of him. He had no more intentions of doing anything underhanded or that would deliberately harm anyone else.
He sighed. He may have been able to persuade his wife to love him, but her family was something else.
“I have idea,” Madison finally spoke up. “Why don’t we all go hide and you two can come seek us out.”
“Why do you wish to play a nursery game?” Benjamin asked his wife, taking in the blushes and giggles that were overtaking her sisters.
A saucy smile took her lips and she leaned forward to whisper in his ear, “You’ll see.”
Carolina cleared her throat. “That sounds like a superb idea. Everyone go hide and we’ll come find you.”
***
“Oh, John, they all got what I was praying for,” Carolina said, snuggling up on the settee next to her husband.
“They did?”
“Yes,” she said, smoothing his hair out of his blue eyes. “A love match. Remember I said I wanted them all to marry for love?”
“I remember,” John grumbled. “It’s just too bad two of their husbands aren’t exactly lovable.”
“Yes, they are,” Carolina countered. “Andrew may be the scoundrel who agreed to take money in exchange for ruing Brooke’s reputation and Gateway the wastrel who offered to pay him, but it all worked out. And if they love their husband’s then so do I.”
“Goodness, Carolina,” John said, shaking his head, “you make it sound as if you condone that reprobate’s actions.”
Carolina smiled. “He had good motives, it seems. I don’t believe he’d have done that if he didn’t love her, and there’s no doubt about it, he loves her. He just wanted to see her happy, even if it wasn’t with him.”
“But to hurt another…” He shrugged. “Nothing for it now, as you said, it all worked out.”
“It did. Are you ready to go upstairs now?”
John stood and extended his arm down to his wife. “Where shall I escort you?”
“To our bedchamber, of course,” his wife said, swishing her skirts to air them out. “You don’t honestly think those six are really hiding in hopes of us finding them, do you?”
***
And they weren’t.
Off in their respective bedchambers, Brooke and Andrew and Paul and Liberty were off hiding of sorts—under the covers—with the expectation of not being found.
Meanwhile, Madison tugged Benjamin’s hand and led him to their bed. “Come on,” she urged when he stopped walking and wouldn’t allow himself to be pulled any closer.
“Madison, I’m not exactly in your family’s favor just now, I don’t think it would be to my advantage for us to be caught…” he trailed off and waved his hand to gesture at the bed.
His wife grinned at him. “Oh, you have no idea,” she said, starting to undo the buttons on his shirt.
He thought to protest, but just couldn’t bring himself to do so as she slid his shirt and coat off. He blinked down at her. Now, more than ever he loved her. He’d loved her when they first met, and he’d loved her all those years they were apart, but he loved her more now. He reached his hand out to rest on her stomach. “You’re sure?”
Her fingers stilled and she looked up at him. “Yes, I’m sure, and so is Dr. Green, Dr. Folley, Dr. Abrams, and Dr. Clink.”
Benjamin nodded. “Very well, I just wanted to make sure.”
“And if I weren’t?”
“Then, I’d take you to bed right this instant and not let you out until you were.”
Madison’s lips twisted in contemplation. “On second thought, I’m not so sure, after all. You see, my waist isn’t that thick…”
“You little minx,” Benjamin chided, wrapping his arms around Madison and hauling her to the mattress. Positioning himself on top of her, he brushed the hair from her face and kissed her check. “You’re absolutely su
re they’re not going to remark upon our absence?”
“Yes,” she said with a smile. “Nobody will be looking for us, particularly Mama and Papa.”
“Oh,” he said, pulling the cap of her gown off her shoulder and dropping kisses along her clavicle.
“There off in their room, taking a nap,” she explained with an overdone yawn. “Just like we’re going to do.”
“Oh no, we’re not.”
Coming Fall 2011
Her Sudden Groom—The overly scientific, always respectable and socially awkward Alexander Banks has just been informed his name resides on a betrothal agreement right above the name of the worst chit in all of England. With a loophole that allows him to marry another without consequence before the thirtieth anniversary of his birth, he has only four weeks to find another woman and make her his wife.
Her Reluctant Groom—For the past thirteen years Lord Marcus Sinclair, Earl Sinclair, has lived his life as a heavily scarred recluse, never dreaming the only woman he’s ever wanted would love him back. But when it slips out that she does, he doubts her love for his scarred body and past can be real. For truly, how can a woman love a man whose injuries were caused when he once tried to declare himself to her sister?
Her Secondhand Groom—Widower Lord Patrick Ramsey, Viscount Drakely, fell in love and married at eighteen only to be devastated by losing her as she bore his third daughter. Now, as his girls are getting older he realizes they need a mother—and a governess. Not able to decide between the two which they need more, he marries an ordinary young lady from the local village in hopes she can suit both roles. But this ordinary young lady isn’t so ordinary after all, and he’ll either have to take a chance and risk his heart once more or wind up alone forever.
