herself with him—to be the Patience he so admired.
A wintry breeze blasted through the open carriage and she shivered.
“Are you warm enough?” he asked, tucking the plaid wool blanket that she’d placed across her lap closer.
Appreciation and wonder shone in her eyes. “Yes, thank you,” she said.
James settled in beside her and listened to the rhythmic clopping of horse hooves along with the grinding of the carriage wheels on the sandy drive. He heaved a silent sigh. His mind raced with what he’d done the night before. It made no sense that a woman unversed in coitus would want to be spanked, of all things. Yet, James did not doubt his wife was a virgin. That fact had been most obvious to him the first night.
He wanted to ask her why she’d chosen that particular scenario but he feared in doing so, he would embarrass her. The result would prove disastrous for she was already terrified of the idea of copulating with him.
Perhaps she was testing him to see if she could trust him. His chief aim was to please her but above all else, he wanted her to know that she could rely on him.
Their carriage rolled alongside another that James recognized as belonging to Lord and Lady Beauchamp. James gave the pair a curt nod of his head.
“Good afternoon, newlyweds!” Lady Beauchamp called from amongst her brightly colored ensemble consisting of a feathered bonnet and voluminous fur blanket.
Patience gave a little wave and afterward, James caught her gloved in his. Refusing to release it, he slipped both their hands back under the thick wool. “You know, love,” he whispered, leaning close to her ear. “I could do unspeakable things to you under this heavy blanket and no one would ever be the wiser.”
She tensed.
“In fact,” he added, “if we had a fur blanket such as the one Lady Beauchamp has, I could draw up your skirts, wriggle my finger through your—”
“Good day, Lord and Lady Somerset!” another passing neighbor interrupted.
James groaned his frustration but affected a broad smile as he tipped his top hat to the neighbors. His actions drew a tiny laugh from Patience. He smiled, his eyes catching hers. The expression of amusement faded but the sparks in her eyes did not.
James inhaled the brisk air. “Are you enjoying our little game?”
“Game?”
“Of choosing passages from romantic novels,” he explained.
“Yes.” Her voice was but a breath that turned to fog in the wintry air. Her gaze shifted to the driver and then back.
“He can’t hear us,” James whispered. He longed to nuzzle his cold nose against her cheek, to brush his lips against hers until she opened her mouth to his. But he did neither of those things. Instead, his hand tightened around hers. “Why don’t you tell me what you chose for us to do tonight?”
Her eyes widened dramatically. “ Tell you?”
He nodded. “I can’t imagine what it must be and I’m dying to know.”
The prettiest blush warmed her cheeks. “I’m afraid it’s not what you hope.”
James had been hoping that she finally was ready to consummate the marriage. Did she know that? There was one way to find out. “And what am I hoping?” he asked.
“That I…I am…want…to become your wife…in deed as well as name,” she stammered with difficulty.
“I admit, I had hoped…” he began. “But I have all the patience in the world.”
Her apprehension seemed to fade at his pun.
He caressed her cheek with his gloved fingertips. “All jesting aside, my darling—you are worth the wait.”
She started to look away but he tipped her chin up, forcing her gaze back to his. “Now tell me what you have planned for me,” he said.
The muscles in her throat worked beneath his fingers. Her lashes fluttered.
“Don’t be shy with me,” James told her. “I am your most willing servant.”
She trembled and James knew it wasn’t from the damp cold. “I’ve been thinking,” she began. “Thus far, you haven’t
A wintry breeze blasted through the open carriage and she shivered.
“Are you warm enough?” he asked, tucking the plaid wool blanket that she’d placed across her lap closer.
Appreciation and wonder shone in her eyes. “Yes, thank you,” she said.
James settled in beside her and listened to the rhythmic clopping of horse hooves along with the grinding of the carriage wheels on the sandy drive. He heaved a silent sigh. His mind raced with what he’d done the night before. It made no sense that a woman unversed in coitus would want to be spanked, of all things. Yet, James did not doubt his wife was a virgin. That fact had been most obvious to him the first night.
He wanted to ask her why she’d chosen that particular scenario but he feared in doing so, he would embarrass her. The result would prove disastrous for she was already terrified of the idea of copulating with him.
Perhaps she was testing him to see if she could trust him. His chief aim was to please her but above all else, he wanted her to know that she could rely on him.
Their carriage rolled alongside another that James recognized as belonging to Lord and Lady Beauchamp. James gave the pair a curt nod of his head.
“Good afternoon, newlyweds!” Lady Beauchamp called from amongst her brightly colored ensemble consisting of a feathered bonnet and voluminous fur blanket.
Patience gave a little wave and afterward, James caught her gloved in his. Refusing to release it, he slipped both their hands back under the thick wool. “You know, love,” he whispered, leaning close to her ear. “I could do unspeakable things to you under this heavy blanket and no one would ever be the wiser.”
She tensed.
“In fact,” he added, “if we had a fur blanket such as the one Lady Beauchamp has, I could draw up your skirts, wriggle my finger through your—”
“Good day, Lord and Lady Somerset!” another passing neighbor interrupted.
James groaned his frustration but affected a broad smile as he tipped his top hat to the neighbors. His actions drew a tiny laugh from Patience. He smiled, his eyes catching hers. The expression of amusement faded but the sparks in her eyes did not.
James inhaled the brisk air. “Are you enjoying our little game?”
“Game?”
“Of choosing passages from romantic novels,” he explained.
“Yes.” Her voice was but a breath that turned to fog in the wintry air. Her gaze shifted to the driver and then back.
“He can’t hear us,” James whispered. He longed to nuzzle his cold nose against her cheek, to brush his lips against hers until she opened her mouth to his. But he did neither of those things. Instead, his hand tightened around hers. “Why don’t you tell me what you chose for us to do tonight?”
Her eyes widened dramatically. “ Tell you?”
He nodded. “I can’t imagine what it must be and I’m dying to know.”
The prettiest blush warmed her cheeks. “I’m afraid it’s not what you hope.”
James had been hoping that she finally was ready to consummate the marriage. Did she know that? There was one way to find out. “And what am I hoping?” he asked.
“That I…I am…want…to become your wife…in deed as well as name,” she stammered with difficulty.
“I admit, I had hoped…” he began. “But I have all the patience in the world.”
Her apprehension seemed to fade at his pun.
He caressed her cheek with his gloved fingertips. “All jesting aside, my darling—you are worth the wait.”
She started to look away but he tipped her chin up, forcing her gaze back to his. “Now tell me what you have planned for me,” he said.
The muscles in her throat worked beneath his fingers. Her lashes fluttered.
“Don’t be shy with me,” James told her. “I am your most willing servant.”
She trembled and James knew it wasn’t from the damp cold. “I’ve been thinking,” she began. “Thus far, you haven’t
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