With that, she kissed the older couple on the cheek, thanking them each in turn, and hurried out.He turned.
“It does not seem fair to skip out on guests who are as much ours as yours.”
“’Tis your wedding day.The bride and groom are exempt from fairness, and almost everyone in there has been anxious to start their wedding night at one point,” North said, with a smile at Eleanor who was tucked under his arm.
“Eh, now I feel a little sick, and I haven’t even eaten anything,” Xander replied with a grin.
“Oh, away with you.You enjoy your night and we’ll enjoy ours.So there,” his mother teased.
Grimacing, he kissed her cheek before hugging North.“I owe you both a huge debt of gratitude.You helped me when this mess began, you helped me navigate London, and more importantly, you supported my quest to win back Evie.We shall send you a card from our travels and come see you soon.”
In the front hall, Evie was nowhere to be seen, but the footman directed him outside and pointed to the carriage with the closed curtains.Inside, Evie was waiting for him, a smile on her face.He returned it, relishing the knowledge that he’d won the rights to all of her smiles.He grabbed the cravat pin he’d made note of that morning and removed it, tossing it in her lap to yank at his neckcloth.
She chuckled as he slid it free and leaned in to place a gentle finger in the hollow of his throat, murmuring, “Mine.”
When he reached for her to drag her into a tight hug, it might have held the remnants of relief, but as that drained away, happiness filled him as her scent encircled him.
* * * *
In his bedroom, another fantastically comfortable bed beckoned.Xander stared at it.He had every intention of that being their marital bed for every night.Evie could do what she wanted with the duchess’s suite.
The best way to make her want that, too, would be to make this night perfect for her.He grew nervous.Excited, certainly, but also apprehensive.He’d waited so long for this moment, as had she, and he wanted it so badly he wasn’t sure he could be patient.
For a moment, he wished they’d engaged in the fullest of intimacies in Rutland, where there were no expectations, just two people in love.But he couldn’t regret any of their trials and tribulations, as it had brought them to this moment.
He spoke his thought out loud.“You’re mine forever, now, my little maid.”
“And you’re mine, my pub manager cum duke.”
That sounded spectacular.Gulping a breath in, he spun her and found the fastenings of her dress.Pausing to palm his erection and remind himself to keep things slow, he undid them one at a time.
She shivered under his touch.“Xander, hurry, please.”
“We have all night, love.”But it was gratifying to hear that she might be as impatient as he was.
“Yes, but you’ve kept me waiting for weeks!”she exclaimed.
He laughed under his breath, but when she turned around and he saw the stunning corset and embroidered chemise under it, barely covering the rose-hued tips of her breasts, his laughter caught in his throat.
“Evie.”He batted her hands away as she reached for his waistcoat, needing to cement this picture in his memory.“Let me look at you.I always pictured you like this.In silk and satin, because that is what you deserve.I hated seeing you in that maid’s uniform.And I spent more time thinking about your gorgeous hair hidden under that cap than I did about my correspondence.You are every inch a lady and were always going to bemylady, uniform and cap or not.”
“Husband, you’ve forever ruined my appreciation for a well-tied cravat or a sparkly cravat pin.I never knew how sexy a man’s throat could be.Your throat, anyway.But now, I need to see more of you.”With that she pushed his chest.
Xander allowed himself to be pressed onto the edge of the bed.Evie dragged his waistcoat off, made short work of his shirt, then attacked the fall of his trousers.
Unable to remove the rest of his clothes with him sitting, she tugged at him again.Instead, he took matters into his own hands to hasten the process, leaning down to remove his shoes before standing and shucking the trousers, stockings, and smallclothes.He spread his arms wide and smiled at his wife.“There.Is that better?”
“Oh, yes.”Her whispered words were a stark contrast to the shove that sent him back onto the bed, half lying with his feet still on the floor.“Now, where to start…”
Still in her petticoats, chemise, and corset, she clambered on him, settling across his thighs.There, she paused, looking flummoxed.
He chuckled, enjoying the view but ready to move things along.“I appreciate your eagerness, my lovely bride.But perhaps if you allowed me to lead this once?You can have a turn later.”
She nodded, chagrined.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Evie was so eager to experience total intimacy with Xander, she literally did not know what to do first, second, or third.They had been chaperoned closely these past few weeks, with very little alone time allowed.When they stole a few private moments together, Xander refused to complete the act, stating that she deserved better than a quick tupping over his desk.Several rather inventive curse words had crossed her lips that day, but he only laughed and tossed out a new parliamentary bill, saying that it would kill any desire she may have had.
