Dylan usurped the coachman and helped her down to the street. He held her against him for just a moment too long, and she shivered at the contact.
Oh, this was a bad, bad idea.
“God, you feel so good.” The soft whisper tickled her ear and then his lips brushed her temple. “I feel as though I’ve waited for this night my entire life.”
She stared up at him, unable to speak. His pale gray eyes held such passion and promise. All Clarice’s advice about lovemaking tumbled to the forefront of her mind. Could she really do such things in an effort to bind him to her forever?
“Come with me,” he urged. “I don’t want to wait any longer.”
Turning, he led her through the inn’s front door into a raucous common room, where people danced and drank with abandon. The scent of cabbage mingled with ale and sweat. She glanced around in awe. The laughter and music were infectious.
At a corner table, a couple kissed ravenously, unconcerned by their audience. Natalia blushed and hurried to keep up with Dylan’s long-legged strides.
They mounted a few flights of stairs and, on the third floor, Dylan ushered her inside a surprisingly nice suite of rooms. The small sitting room boasted a lovely overstuffed sofa placed near a crackling fireplace. A large bedchamber was visible through an arched doorway.
Natalia glanced at the huge canopy bed, and her heart nearly stopped.Only one bed.Tonight, she would sleep in Dylan’s arms.
Natalia paced while the footman carried up their luggage. When the man had finished, Dylan shut the door. He smiled and looked around in satisfaction. “Basingstoke recommended this place. It’s nice, don’t you think?”
“Yes, very nice. But there’s only one bed.” Natalia blurted out the words before she had a chance to think them through. Then she stood there, dying a thousand deaths as she realized how childish she sounded.
Dylan’s smile faded. “I only meant to have one bed. This is our wedding night, Natalia. And after what you said in the coach, I didn’t think you’d turn me away.”
“I meant what I said. But not tonight. It’s too soon. I need more time.”
“More time?” He sighed in frustration and crossed the room to the sofa. A bottle of champagne chilled in a bucket of ice, and he gave her a pensive look as he picked it up. When he popped the cork, the sharp sound made her flinch. “How much time do you need?”
As he spoke, he poured them both a glass of the bubbly liquid. He offered her one, and she took a few hesitant steps, closing the distance between them. When she reached for the glass, his hand touched hers. His heat stunned her.
“A few weeks. A month perhaps.” She dropped her gaze and brought the glass to her lips.
“That’s too long.” The words exploded out of him.
She stepped back. Had she gone too far? Would he resort to violence? Her heart pounded frantically in her chest, while she waited for whatever he chose to do next.
To her relief, he took a deep breath, as though trying to calm himself. Then he sat down on the edge of the sofa and rolled the stem of the glass back and forth between his long elegant fingers.
She stared at his hands, transfixed. Why postpone what would undoubtedly be the most amazing experience of her life?
“All right, I’ll give you a little time. I understand that you’re still angry with me, and you didn’t really want this marriage. I agree not to exercise my marital rights until after we leave Edinburgh.”
His marital rights. She shuddered at his reminder that she’d vowed to give him unlimited access to her body.
“You said we’d only be there a day or two.”
He brought the champagne glass to his lips and drank deeply before he answered. “It could be longer, though I hope not. In any event, I want us to spend our first night at Aldabaran as husband and wife.”
“We’re already husband and wife,” she reminded him, in growing exasperation.
“No,” he said, his gaze locked with hers. “We’re not.”
She decided not to push the matter any further. At least she’d won one small victory. She wouldn’t have to deal with him tonight, while her emotions were still so bruised and battered. She had a little while to resurrect her defenses. A week at the very least.
“Very well. We’ll consummate our marriage the first night we spend at Aldabaran.”
He relaxed. “Sit down. Finish your drink. I’m not going to attack you.”
She sank down on the edge of the sofa. “Are you going to get another room?”
