Page 33 of The Ruin of Miss Amelia Burrowes

“My love.” Nathan’s grin spanned his face as he drew her back down into the bed. “They know what we are doing. We are married and,” he lowered his voice to a whisper, “this is what married people do.”

“I know. But I don’t want people to know it.” That still seemed wicked, somehow.

“You will become used to being a married lady, with all the privileges thereof. Like breakfast in bed…and other things in bed.” He nuzzled her neck, making her groan with pleasure.

“Like you in my bed. Could you stay with me, Nathan?” If people already knew what they did behind their chamber door, it shouldn’t matter, after all.

“Not the entire day, my love.” He kissed his way down her neck to her chest. “I will need to visit Lady Carrington to ask why she so flagrantly ignored my instructions.” He stared at her, his brow suddenly puckering. “It struck me as extremely odd that so very few people deigned to come to our breakfast. More people than those who appeared have spoken to you at Mrs. Doyle’s and at the other entertainments we’ve attended these past weeks.” He shook his head. “I want to know why they’re still staying away.” Raising his head, he gazed into her eyes, the tenderness there so incredibly sweet. “Especially now that I know the truth for certain.”

Yes, at last one person in the world knew her innocence without doubt. “I suppose gentlemen cannot talk about such things, not even to other gentlemen.”

“Oh, we could, but it would do no good.” Nathan nuzzled his lips between her breasts then nibbled his way down to her stomach. “Even if I told every man in Christendom that you were a virgin until we married, they would simply think I was lying in order to save my honor and your reputation.”

“How terrible! I know you would never do such a thing, Nathan. You are too honorable to lie, even about something like that.” How could the ton disparage his reputation thus? Wasn’t it bad enough that they still assumed her guilt?

“My love.” He rested his cheek against her, his night beard prickly on her soft skin. “If your honor were concerned, I wouldn’t care what they said about me. No gentleman would. And all the other gentlemen know that, ergo, even though I know the truth, and can speak it all day long, I will not be believed. Therefore, I must convince Lady Carrington. If I get no satisfaction from her, later perhaps, I must meet with Marcus. He can help me plot a strategy to bring Mary Adam’s story to light in a way that will not create another scandal as we continue our bid for the return of your reputation.”

“We must meet with Lord Haversham.”

“We?” Nathan gazed up at her, making him look funny, with his chin upside down.

“I should be with you to devise the strategy. I know Mary better than either of you two. I could suggest something you wouldn’t even think of, ...”

Rolling over so that he now lay sprawled over top of her, he kissed her navel, making her gasp. “Yes, I do. Not to mention, I do not wish to let you out of my sight.” He wiggled his eyebrows, and she burst out laughing.

“But surely we cannot do such things as this at Lord Haversham’s house.”

His stare turned hot once more. “I will only say, Amelia, that you have been married less than a day. You still have a lot to learn.”

Her breath caught as he lowered his mouth to her flesh once more then stopped and raised his head. “One question did cross my mind at some point during our lovemaking last night.”

“What was that?”

“Why did you not anticipate your wedding with Lord Carrington?” He sat up a little, his hand cupping her face. “Not that I’m not grateful you didn’t, but you were betrothed. Almost every betrothed couple I’ve known for the past five years has apparently begun their marriage before their vows were spoken.”

She drew him back down to her, until he pressed her again with his full weight. “I did not anticipate my wedding with Lord Carrington, nor would I have done so with any other man, because he was not you.”

“Not me?” Nathan had gone so still she could hear his heartbeat.

“No. No one else, even the man I agreed to marry, was you.” She’d thought about this on the day she’d accepted Jonathan. Had they married, she’d have done her duty by him, but her heart had been lost forever to Lord Ainsley. “I told you during our first carriage ride that things would have been quite different if the gentleman in question had been you. For you alone would I have given myself without my vows. A silly thing, perhaps, but since I had no choice but to marry and consummate my marriage, my only way of being faithful to you, in my mind, was to give myself to no one until I legally belonged to another man.”

“Amelia.” Nathan dropped his head back onto her stomach and kissed her. “You have given me the most precious gift, my love. Nothing I can give you will ever compare to it.”

“You are gift enough for me.” She wrapped her arms around him. “I do so love you.”

“And I you.”

Amelia pulled him up until his face hovered close to hers. “Then love me again, please, Nathan.”

“With pleasure, sweetheart.”

Nathan swiftly covered her, pressing his delicious body all over hers. The warmth he generated brought a purr from her that swiftly turned into a moan of delight as his lips skimmed down her neck. Amelia tried to draw him closer, even though every part of them was already touching.

Still, she wanted more. The more they’d been denied for so many years.

Emboldened by her wanton desires, she wrapped her legs around his hips, overjoyed when he promptly slid into her, and she sighed in bliss.

Married life with Nathan was going to be so much better than anything she’d dreamed of. It might actually ruin her for anything else. And that was just fine by her.