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Authors: Renee Rose
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clutched them both to her breast to keep them from falling. Then, to his amusement, she carried her nightdress behind the privacy screen for the chamber pot and completed her changing there. He removed his own clothing and put on a nightshirt.
She emerged in a conservative white nightdress, with a lace collar and loose drape, but he could make out the shape of her wide hips and the way her bare breasts shifted and moved beneath it as she walked, their erect nipples tenting the thin fabric. Was she aroused by the thought of sharing a bed with him? The thought made him dizzy. But the fearful look she shot him as she approached immediately dampened his arousal.
Of course she was afraid of him. He’d hurt her without giving even the smallest amount of pleasure. She probably dreaded the thought of having sex with him again. His stomach drew in with shame and he extinguished the lamp as soon as she reached the bed, lying perfectly still, listening to her breathe. The irony that she could be so close and yet so entirely unreachable was a cruel bone in his throat.
* * *
They set off again in the morning and Kitty studied him, trying once more to understand the taciturn man. Now that it was behind her, she found it quite thrilling that she had incited him to such passion—his jealousy and quickness to take her in hand making him even more attractive to her. He sat back now, looking weary, his eye swollen from the fight in the alley.
He looked at her for a long moment, then he said, “Did you tell me that you were purposely trying to make me jealous at the ball?”
She nibbled on her lower lip. “Yes,” she said in a small voice.
“Why?” he demanded.
“Because you’d been ignoring me—ever since the night you—” She stopped, the words spanked me caught in her throat. “—kissed me,” she finished lamely.
She saw a flicker of amusement, but then his face grew serious again.
“You did not ask me to dance, you didn’t come to call…” She shrank when he frowned.
He rubbed the growing stubble on his face. “I kept a distance because I had difficulty controlling my desire for you. I feared I would go too far before we married. And I did,” he added, self-condemnation evident in his tone.
A flush of warmth flooded her entire being at that admission and she smoothed her skirt over her knees to hide her pleasure.
“Do I need to warn you not to play such games with me again?” he asked, raising an eyebrow in stern admonishment. Her stomach fluttered at the memory of his punishment.
“No, my lord.”
A very faint smile appeared on his lips at the haste in which she answered.
“You do believe me that there’s nothing between Teddy and me, save a familiarity from being childhood friends?”
He nodded and rubbed his face again, exhaling slowly. “Lady Dunning hinted at an attachment.”
She gasped, “That little cow! She couldn’t stand that Teddy wouldn’t have her again so she’s jealous of every lady with whom he dances!”
He gave a wry grin. “I’m sorry. I should have guessed something like that.”
After driving the entire day and half of the night, she fell into the bed without even changing into nightclothes. Her head was aching and she had a chill. She woke with her head still pounding and the strange feeling of being watched. Opening her eyes, she blinked at her groom, who was leaning on an elbow, staring down at her with his swollen eye. He rolled to one side and stood up in one motion.
“Good morning,” she groaned.
“Good morning,” he clipped, sounding pained and giving her his back as he dressed.
“When do we marry?”
“Just as soon as you’re ready. The innkeeper said there are any number of blacksmiths prepared to marry us over their anvil.” Irregular marriages were allowed in Scotland, so long as a declaration was made before two witnesses. With all the eloping couples arriving across the border from England, the blacksmiths, who were easily recognized as
She emerged in a conservative white nightdress, with a lace collar and loose drape, but he could make out the shape of her wide hips and the way her bare breasts shifted and moved beneath it as she walked, their erect nipples tenting the thin fabric. Was she aroused by the thought of sharing a bed with him? The thought made him dizzy. But the fearful look she shot him as she approached immediately dampened his arousal.
Of course she was afraid of him. He’d hurt her without giving even the smallest amount of pleasure. She probably dreaded the thought of having sex with him again. His stomach drew in with shame and he extinguished the lamp as soon as she reached the bed, lying perfectly still, listening to her breathe. The irony that she could be so close and yet so entirely unreachable was a cruel bone in his throat.
* * *
They set off again in the morning and Kitty studied him, trying once more to understand the taciturn man. Now that it was behind her, she found it quite thrilling that she had incited him to such passion—his jealousy and quickness to take her in hand making him even more attractive to her. He sat back now, looking weary, his eye swollen from the fight in the alley.
He looked at her for a long moment, then he said, “Did you tell me that you were purposely trying to make me jealous at the ball?”
She nibbled on her lower lip. “Yes,” she said in a small voice.
“Why?” he demanded.
“Because you’d been ignoring me—ever since the night you—” She stopped, the words spanked me caught in her throat. “—kissed me,” she finished lamely.
She saw a flicker of amusement, but then his face grew serious again.
“You did not ask me to dance, you didn’t come to call…” She shrank when he frowned.
He rubbed the growing stubble on his face. “I kept a distance because I had difficulty controlling my desire for you. I feared I would go too far before we married. And I did,” he added, self-condemnation evident in his tone.
A flush of warmth flooded her entire being at that admission and she smoothed her skirt over her knees to hide her pleasure.
“Do I need to warn you not to play such games with me again?” he asked, raising an eyebrow in stern admonishment. Her stomach fluttered at the memory of his punishment.
“No, my lord.”
A very faint smile appeared on his lips at the haste in which she answered.
“You do believe me that there’s nothing between Teddy and me, save a familiarity from being childhood friends?”
He nodded and rubbed his face again, exhaling slowly. “Lady Dunning hinted at an attachment.”
She gasped, “That little cow! She couldn’t stand that Teddy wouldn’t have her again so she’s jealous of every lady with whom he dances!”
He gave a wry grin. “I’m sorry. I should have guessed something like that.”
After driving the entire day and half of the night, she fell into the bed without even changing into nightclothes. Her head was aching and she had a chill. She woke with her head still pounding and the strange feeling of being watched. Opening her eyes, she blinked at her groom, who was leaning on an elbow, staring down at her with his swollen eye. He rolled to one side and stood up in one motion.
“Good morning,” she groaned.
“Good morning,” he clipped, sounding pained and giving her his back as he dressed.
“When do we marry?”
“Just as soon as you’re ready. The innkeeper said there are any number of blacksmiths prepared to marry us over their anvil.” Irregular marriages were allowed in Scotland, so long as a declaration was made before two witnesses. With all the eloping couples arriving across the border from England, the blacksmiths, who were easily recognized as
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