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“Aye.” He sounded so arrogant.
“How can you be so sure I’ll like it?”
“You will.” The man was too confident by half.
“Maybe I won’t. What do you think of that?” After all, he had been the one to say that making love was different than their pleasurable touching. What if it was too different?
“I think you are finished eating.”
Her mouth felt dry and Annabelle took a large swallow of her champagne. “I’m not quite finished yet.” She prevaricated, hoping he wouldn’t notice that she was simply pushing the food from one side of her plate to the other.
He noticed.
Standing up, he put his hand out to her. “Come, bride, it is time you became a wife.” Searching for something to delay the inevitable, she caught up the box. “I have not yet thanked you for the gift, Ian. It is lovely.” The box was heavy. She opened the lid and stared in amazement. A golden choker of rose blooms nestled on the black velvet. She lifted it out and tears sprang to her eyes.
“It’s beautiful.”
Her words came out in a whisper, but he heard them. “’Tis your wedding gift.” His statement triggered her memory. “I have a gift for you as well. It is in my valise.” His eyes were so intent she almost lost her train of thought. “In our room.” He smiled. “Come, then, Belle. I have an overwhelming desire to see my gift in our room.”
He did not mean the books. His eyes spoke of a much more personal gift he wanted.
Desire and trepidation shuddered through her. Annabelle placed her hand in his and felt his warmth invade her. It was going to be fine. Other brides had made it through this ordeal as well.
“’Tis not an ordeal. Trust me, you will like it even better than what we have done before.”
Mortified, Annabelle realized she had spoken aloud. At least Ian wasn’t angry. He hadn’t taken kindly to her calling the wedding an ordeal, but he seemed to understand her nerves regarding the marriage bed. Gentlemen were funny.
Chapter Nineteen
There was nothing amusing about it, but Ian was laughing all the same. The daft man expected her to change into her night things while he was in the room.
“You cannot be serious. Ian, I am not going to allow you to help me change and you might as well understand that right now.”
Her voice was rising. Soon she’d be yelling like a fishwife. Why had she agreed to leave Purdy behind to pack the remainder of her belongings? Someone else could do it and then she would have another woman to speak to, someone to help her undress and ready herself for the night ahead.
Ian didn’t budge. “I would leave you to dress yourself, but in your current state you’d probably lock the door the minute I was on the other side.” Annabelle couldn’t very well scoff at his words, as the idea had some merit. How did other ladies overcome this horrible fear?
As if he could read her mind, Ian said “Dinna be afraid. We will not do anything you dinna want to do.”
“I do not want to get undressed.”
He shocked her by agreeing. “Fine.”
“It is?” She sounded like a mouse. Clearing her throat she spoke again. “You don’t mind?” That was much better.
“Nay.”
She sighed with relief.
“Come here.”
“Why?” She asked the question even as she started toward Ian. If he could be accommodating, then so could she.
“I want to kiss you.”
“You do?”
Laughing, Ian answered. “Aye, I do. Are you going to question everything I say tonight? You like kissing me.”
Annabelle considered this. “I don’t think I’ll question everything you say.” She moved closer to her husband. “I do like kissing you.” She liked the other things he did as well. It was only the marriage act that had her so frightened. That and completely exposing her unremarkable body. What would she do if he took one look and the lambent desire in his eyes turned to boredom?
“Good.”
She nodded. What was good?
He put his hands on her arms and drew her slowly toward him. For a moment he just held her, letting her settle against him. She loved the feel of his hard muscles against her cheek and hands. A strong desire to caress those muscles through his shirt assailed her.
“All right now?”
She was trying. “Yes.”
Taking her chin gently in his fingers, he lifted her face toward his. His kiss was like wind gently caressing her lips, lasting only a moment. Sighing, she cuddled against him and he kissed her again. His hands strayed to her back and caressed her through the silk of her gown. His touch was so light, so gentle, so very warm.
Annabelle gave in to the urge to touch him and rubbed her fingers over his broad chest. He groaned. His response made her smile until his hand moved around to cup one of her breasts. Air came whooshing out of her lungs in a gust. He softly kneaded her flesh. Sensations shot through her. Her nipples hardened, straining against the fabric of her bodice. Small jolts of pleasure traveled down her body and concentrated at her feminine center.
She wanted his lips. “I thought you wanted to kiss me.” He lowered his head and took possession of her lips. His mouth moved over hers overpowering her thoughts with raw sensation. He licked at the seam of her lips.
“Open your mouth for me, wife.”
She obeyed with a sigh of surrender. It felt so good. His tongue played a sensual dance in her mouth. She held him more tightly, sure that if she let go, she would fall. His hand that was not kneading her breast worked its way around to her buttocks. He squeezed her soft flesh, pushing the juncture of her thighs against his.
Sensation tore through her. The intimacy of his touch marked her as his. She could feel his hardness, but it did not worry her. She was still fully clothed.
Coherent thought scattered as he rocked his hips against hers. Pleasure arced through her most feminine place and she groaned against his lips. Eager to feel more of him, she untied his neckcloth and pulled it off. She wanted to unbutton his shirt, but her trembling fingers fumbled against the task. Finally she had his shirt open and her hands slipped in to touch his chest and move around to explore the plains of his back.
“Aye, Belle, that’s right.”
His approval made her bolder. She slipped her hands down his back and caressed the spot just above the waistband of his breeches. “You are so strong and hard, Ian.” She pressed her fingers into the muscles of his lower back. “I love the way your body feels
.” Ian stopped her words with his mouth. His movements took on a desperate quality.
He thrust his hardness against the apex of her thighs again and again. Helpless to resist his onslaught of passion, she met his thrusts with those of her own. Insatiable need built up inside of her.
In her passionate frenzy, she slipped her hands down and pressed his backside. She wanted him closer. The awesome knowledge that he was her husband and she had leave to touch him like this sent Annabelle’s heart spinning. His groans and short breath told her that he liked what she was doing.
“Dinna do that, lass.”
The harsh words were like being dunked in an icy brook. She immediately stilled.
She looked up at him. It took a moment for her passion-hazed eyes to focus. A fine sheen of perspiration stood out across his brow. His eyes were so dark with emotion that they were almost black.
“Do you not like it?” she asked.
“I like it too much,” he replied.
He looked like a man in agony. He looked like a man on the verge of losing his control. He did not look like a man who did not like what she had been doing.
She wanted more of his mouth. Putting her hands in his hair she pulled his mouth down to hers. She pressed her lips against his so forcefully that their teeth touched.
He groaned and opened his mouth for her questing tongue. She played her tongue against his. Ian shuddered and swept her up in his arms. He carried her to the bed.
Annabelle wondered if they could make love with her clothes on and then could not think at all as Ian pulled down the bodice of her dress and chemise to expose her breasts.
She felt overwhelming sensations as her nipples reacted to the air. Ian’s hand closed around one breast. He took her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and rolled it back and forth.
