Read Online Lady Arabella's Scandalous Marriage by Carole Mortimer - Free Book Online Page B

sit beside Arabella on the cushioned seat, the hard length of his muscled thigh pressed intimately against her much softer one.
    Very intimately. Far too intimately for comfort. For Arabella’s comfort, anyway. Enough to once againmake her feel flustered and a little unsure of herself. A little? Arabella was a lot unsure of herself!
    She moistened dry lips. ‘I admit it will be a relief to reach Carlyne House and remove all this wedding finery…’ Arabella’s words trailed off into embarrassed awkwardness as she realised that she had unwittingly broached the very subject she had been trying to avoid. ‘I meant, of course—’
    ‘I know exactly what you meant, Arabella,’ Darius drawled, deliberately moving closer to her as he turned in the seat to look at her before raising a hand and touching the flushed heat of her cheek. ‘As your husband, I assure you I consider it my duty to aid you in removing your wedding finery at the earliest opportunity.’
    ‘I had not thought you to be a man to whom duty meant very much.’ Her eyes gleamed challengingly.
    For all her youth and inexperience his little wife had the tongue of a viper!
    A tongue Darius was sure could be put to much better use than deliberately insulting him…
    ‘Usually only in regard to entertaining the ton,’ he reminded her. ‘But I am willing to make an exception when it comes to the comfort of my wife.’
    Darius held that snapping brown gaze as his hand moved to deliberately pull on the ribbon that untied the bow of Arabella’s bonnet, before removing it completely to reveal those enticing golden curls, long fingers moving confidently as he systematically removed the pins that held those curls in place.
    ‘I—What are you doing…?’ Arabella raised a hand in half-hearted protest as her hair began to fall wildly about her shoulders.
    Darius smiled. ‘I believe it is called making love to one’s wife.’
    The creaminess of Arabella’s throat moved convulsively as she swallowed nervously. ‘Can you not wait until we reach Carlyne House and the privacy of our bedchamber?’
    ‘Why should I?’ Darius retorted. ‘You are mine now, Arabella. To do with as I wish, when I wish—remember?’
    Arabella felt a shiver of—of what…? Was it apprehension? Or excitement?
    This past week, despite all the rush and bustle of the wedding arrangements, Arabella had still found herself thinking of her wedding night whenever there was the slightest lull in those arrangements. Thinking of it. Anticipating it. Longing for it. For the touch of Darius’s lips and hands upon her once again. In the certain knowledge that this time he would not stop at touching but would take their lovemaking to its fullest conclusion.
    Yet now that the time had come Arabella found herself both shy and not a little apprehensive!
    To their obvious embarrassment—and Arabella’s own, if the truth be told—she had spoken with all of her sisters-in-law this past week concerning what her role should be in the bedchamber.
    Jane had advised that lovemaking was a mutual giving and receiving of physical pleasure.
    Grace had said that it was perhaps best if Arabella allowed her husband to take all the initiative until they knew each other’s likes and dislikes.
    Juliet’s slightly flustered opinion, when Arabella had questioned her shortly after her arrival this morning,was that husbands were sometimes appreciative of the woman taking the initiative.
    Advice which had left Arabella more confused than ever as to what Darius might expect of her in the marriage bed.
    So far there had certainly been no mention at all of what Darius might expect of her as they travelled in the coach to Carlyne House!
    ‘Better,’ he murmured appreciatively now, as he ran his fingers through the heavy thickness of her hair so that it cascaded loosely over her shoulders and down the length of her spine. ‘Whenever we are alone, Arabella, I would prefer that you wear your hair just so.’
    She touched