Read Online The Haunting of Grey Cliffs by Nina Coombs Pykare - Free Book Online

now," he said. "It will be all right." He smoothed the hair away from my forehead. "It was only a bad dream."
    I tried to protest. "No, it was—"
    "You must have fallen asleep and then you dreamed." He held me close, patting my back as I might pat a child.
    "But—"
    His face was so close to mine. The memory of that kiss on the moor twisted inside me and my body began to experience those sensations of heat. It was then I recalled that I was wearing only my nightdress and my husband was holding me in his arms.
    "You're trembling like a leaf," he said tenderly. "Shall I stay with you?"
    The warmth in his eyes, the touch of his fingers on my cheek, left little doubt as to what would transpire if he stayed. I looked up into his heated eyes. "Yes," I whispered. "Stay."
    He smoothed my hair one more time. "Let me just light a candle," he said and rose to shut the door. "This place gets drafty."
    I watched him cross the room, so strong, so handsome, and the trembling in my limbs had nothing to do with ghostly voices in the darkness. I was about to become a wife and I both feared and anticipated that event.
    When he returned to the bed, Edward looked down at me from hooded eyes. "Shall I leave the candle burning?"
    I hesitated. I was innocent of all knowledge of lovemaking and in my modesty would have preferred the darkness. But even Edward's presence could not completely dispel the memory of that clammy touch. "Yes, please," I whispered.
    He began to undress and I tried to close my eyes, but could not. He seemed so nonchalant, dropping his clothing piece by piece upon the floor, then turning to me with a smile. Of course I had seen male bodies, Jeremy's when he was little, but I had never seen a full-grown man without his clothes. Such a magnificent man. My breath caught in my throat.
    He climbed into the great bed and pulled me into the crook of his arm, right against that warm male body. "Do you want to talk about your dream?" he asked, his lips against my cheek.
    I knew that I should tell him I did not believe it had been a dream. But he was so close, the heat of his body burning through my nightdress inflamed my very skin.
    "Sweet Hester,” he whispered. "Beautiful Hester." That heat that glowed inside me burned ever brighter, and when he pulled me closer and covered my lips with his, I lost all thought of anything but the man who held me.
    Sometime later, I lay nestled in the crook of his arm, my nightdress discarded on the floor. He kissed the tip of my ear. "You will have your child, Hester." He chuckled. "And soon, I think. Very soon."
    I sighed and moved closer to his warmth. No one had ever told me what I might expect in the marriage bed, so I had brought with me no expectations. But even if someone had told me, I would not have believed them. Such pleasure seemed almost impossible.
    Edward's lips moved across my cheek to my throat. "Is it—" I turned toward him. "Is it always like this?"
    He laughed, catching my bottom lip between his teeth in a way that set my body on fire again and made it move against his. "Yes," he murmured against my mouth. "It will always be this good."
    * * * *
    We slept finally, our limbs entwined, and with his strong body enfolding mine I felt no fear. The morning sun, shining in my eyes, woke me. The room was cold, the candle burned down. My nightdress lay still upon the floor, but I had no need of it. Under the comforter I was cozy and warm. My husband lay, one arm across my breasts, one leg over mine. He stirred, and to my dismay I felt my desire rising. The heat flooded my cheeks at the thought of the night before, of what we had done. Edward must think me so wanton.
    "Good morning," he said, his dark face so close to mine."
    "Good morning," I murmured.
    His lips grazed my cheek and my traitorous body moved. My husband laughed. "Lovely Hester," he whispered, drawing me once more into a passionate embrace. "Hungry Hester."
    * * * *
    Sometime later, he left my bed. Striding in naked splendor