Page 72 of A Countess Never Tells

“I had six long weeks to plan this day down to the very last detail.” He kissed her then helped her into the carriage. “The last and most important thing I needed was you.”

Chapter 31

As had been the case with the wedding itself, the wedding breakfast, which was more of a wedding dinner, had gone off in the most perfect manner. Congratulations and best wishes from John and Judith had abounded throughout the meal, and Kitty had become quite giddy from all the champagne as they toasted her and Ash almost constantly. Enough of the bubbly wine worked quite as well as brandy.

But now dinner had ended, and Judith rose for them to withdraw and await the gentlemen. Kitty rose reluctantly, sending a smile to Ash. She heartily wished they could simply retire and be together at last as man and wife. Perhaps Ash could persuade John not to linger over their brandies. Then, once they were all in the drawing room, Kitty would plead a headache if necessary. After all these months, she desperately wanted to be alone with Ash.

Judith, however, caught John’s eye, and he nodded. Her sister-in-law turned to her, a subtle smile lighting her face. “John and I decided that as part of your wedding gift, we’d dispense with the after-dinner conversation and allow the newly married couple to retire early.”

“Oh, thank you, Judith!” Kitty hugged her friend fiercely then did the same for her brother. “Thank you so much, John.”

“Well, I didn’t think there would be much conversing done at any rate.” John crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a stern look. “You may thank me also for putting Ashwood in the King of Prussia suite of rooms. That part of the house is so far from the earl’s chambers I’m certain no one, especially me, will be able to hear a thing in the night.”

Kitty blushed to the roots of her hair, the heat of embarrassment encompassing her whole head.

“We are certainly much obliged by that courtesy, Haxby.” Ash grinned as he took her hand. “And to that end, we will wish you and Judith a good evening.”

Without another word, he led her from the dining room, and they wound their way up the grand staircase.

“I wondered, when Jolly told me where they’d put you, why you’d been exiled all the way down here.” They approached the end of the corridor and the chamber’s stout black oak door.

“Yes, I suspected your brother knew why I’d come and made the arrangements accordingly. Out of sight, out of mind.” Suddenly, Ash swooped down and scooped her up in his arms. “I, on the other hand, won’t let you out of my sight, and you have never been out of my mind for a moment.”

Kitty could not have been happier had she been handed the keys to heaven. She looped her arms around Ash’s neck and laid her head against his chest. “My exact sentiments, my love.”

He opened the door and carried her over the threshold into the sumptuous surroundings of the chamber. No wonder it was called the King of Prussia. The walls were papered in Prussian blue silk, accented with gold and red upholstered furniture throughout the room, including a golden comforter on the massive four poster bed. Kitty gazed around, awed by the sheer magnificence of the chamber. A fire burned in the fireplace, and above the marble mantel was a bas-relief of climbing vines with different figures from Greek mythology adorning them. Tall windows overlooked the side lawn, letting in lovely streams of moonlight, while the glow of candles on sconces around the bedroom gave it an enchanted feeling.

Her attention came back to Ash, to the strong arms that held her, the handsome face so close, his dark gaze fixed only on her.

Slowly, he let her body slide down his until her toes touched the floor, and she was pressed full length against his hard muscles. There was definitely something else hard just below his hips that moved of its own accord when she leaned against it.

“Now we’re married, we can do whatever our hearts desire.” Ash cradled her face and sank his mouth onto hers, slipping his tongue through her lips. His hardness surged against her, and her core throbbed in response, hunger for him mounting quickly.

She strained toward him, her hands crossed behind his neck capturing him, holding him prisoner. “I know what my heart desires.”

His response was to grasp her bodice and unlace it, all the while kissing her ear and neck. “So do I.” His warm breath in her ear sent shivers down her spine. “I’ll wager we desire the exact same thing, sweetheart.”

For some unknown reason, that endearment brought tears to Kitty’s eyes. Perhaps because he’d never called her that before. “More than anything, I want you to hold me and make me believe that this is all true. That we are together at last, and nothing is going to part us.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “Because I think this is a dream, and if I wake up, I will be in the depths of despair.”

“Your wish, my lady.” He scooped her up in his arms and carried her the few feet to a huge wingback chair, covered in blue silk. Gently, he sat down, nestling her in his lap putting his arms around her, and holding her oh so close. “Rest here, my love. Lay your head against my chest.”

Happily, Kitty obliged, her head pressed against his jacket, the faint lub lub of his heart in her ear. She needed time like this, just feeling Ash’s presence after such a long time apart. He was truly here and he was truly hers. “I have missed you so much, Ash.”

“As I have missed you, love.” His lips brushed the top of her head. “Every hour of every day since we parted. I thought at one time I might go mad with wanting to be with you. But I wanted you to be safe from Baltimore. And I wanted you to have time to love me again.”

“That didn’t take as long as you might think.” She’d talked incessantly with Judith, who had championed Ash staunchly. Her sister-in-law was a jewel among women who’d made Kitty see that Baltimore deserved all the blame for the wretched scheme. If a lady could challenge a gentleman to a duel, Kitty would have called Lord Baltimore out without blinking an eye.

“I wanted to be sure you were certain.”

“And I am, my love.” Kitty slipped her arms around Ash as best she could and squeezed.

Ash bent down and captured her lips. He deepened the kiss, all the force of his love filling her, cherishing her as no one else ever could. Happiness spread throughout her, like sunshine filling her up. When he lifted his head, his eyes had darkened almost to black, his heart racing. “Before God, Kitty, I love you so very much.”

He dropped kisses swiftly down the curve of her neck until he reached the swell of her breasts. Sliding his hand into her bodice, he brought first one then the other breast to sit perched atop the rim of her corset, her nipples hardening simply from his gazing at them.

Inch by inch, painstakingly, he engulfed her right nipple, drawing on it, tickling it with his tongue, scraping it ever so gently with his teeth until her whole body throbbed. Moaning, Kitty let her head loll back, thrusting her breasts toward him. He changed to the left one, playing as he’d promised until Kitty’s knees went weak, and she had to grab his arms to keep standing.

“I think we need to lie down,” she whispered, her voice guttural with need. She’d secretly dreamed of this, alone in her bed for the past weeks, fearing this moment would never come again. Now it was here, she wanted to revel in it all night long.