Page 79 of Wicked By Design

She said nothing as he gathered her in his arms and lifted her. Cilly slid her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her through to the bedroom.

“Not disappointed, then?”

“Not at all,” she said, smiling at him, but he did not meet her eyes as he laid her down on the bed.

“There, you’ll sleep like the dead now,” he said gently, but found he could not move away as her arms locked around his neck.

“I’m not the least bit sleepy now,” Cilly said, gazing up at him. “Lie down with me, won’t you?”

“Cilly, I—”

“Please?”

He sighed but did as she asked, stretching his long body out beside her.

Cilly sat up, frowning down at him. “You’ve still got your boots on! Really, Damian, surely you know better. Here, let me help you.” She slid off the bed and began tugging at his left boot.

“Cilly, I can do that,” he protested, but she gave a shout of triumph as the first boot came free and reached for the second. “Don’t pull so hard, you’ll—”

She gave a little cry and stumbled backwards but clutched the bedpost before she hit the floor. “Almost,” she said with a laugh, and then shrugged off the naughty nightgown that was becoming more of an encumbrance. It slid to the floor with a brief flutter of ribbons and Cilly climbed onto the bed beside him.

He shifted, pulling himself to sit more upright against the headboard as Cilly turned to look at him.

“Damian, may I ask you something?”

His expression was dubious, but he nodded so Cilly carried on.

“Please correct me if I am wrong. I understand the mechanics of creating a child, but I also know that there are methods to er… avoid conception.” Her cheeks burned, but she held his gaze boldly, knowing she must be both unflinching and brave if she was to have the kind of relationship they both needed and deserved.

Damian swallowed, his gaze dipping momentarily to take in her bare breasts and the proximity of her still pulsing sex to his arousal. He cleared his throat.

“That is… That is true, but it is far from foolproof, Celia, especially…”

“Especially?” she prompted.

“Especially when… when….”

“Yes?”

He made a growling sound of pure frustration. “When I want you so badly, I think I’ll run bloody mad!” he exclaimed, folding his arms tightly across his chest.

Cilly nodded, well, it was only what she’d expected. “I hate that you feel this way, Damian, but… but I will respect your wishes. If the situation was reversed, I would be appalled if you tried to manipulate me, so I shan’t tease. However, you just gave me great pleasure, and there was no risk of a child there. I believe, with a little guidance, I might do the same for you.”

She looked up, meeting his gaze, praying he would not turn away from her, that he would give her a chance.

There was a taut pause.

“Yes,” he said, his voice low. “If… if you wish.”

Cilly smiled at him, relief flooding her. “I wish, Damian. Very much.”

He hesitated and then nodded, getting to his feet. Cilly sat back, watching with her heart thundering as he stripped off his waistcoat and shirt. Though she had seen him naked once before, the day he had gone skinny dipping with his brother, that had been a distant view. He had seemed to her then like a young god, gilded in the sunlight. The impression at close quarters was no less impressive: a landscape of long athletic limbs, of splendid musculature and fine bone structure. Her breath caught in her throat.

“How beautiful you are,” she said on a sigh. He turned to face her, and she made a choked sound as her gaze took in the view of him, aroused and eager for her touch. “Oh, I am a lucky woman indeed.”

He snorted at that and climbed onto the bed. “Yes, how fortunate to have a husband who won’t love you as you deserve to be loved.”

There was bitterness behind the words, and she reached out, cupping his face. “If we spend the rest of our lives loving each other as you loved me earlier, I shall have no complaints, Damian. I suspect there are few married ladies who are given such pleasure by their husbands. I might be greedy enough to desire more, but I am not so foolish as to believe I am in any way unfortunate or hard done by. I am a lucky woman indeed, and I shall never believe otherwise, so don’t forget it.”