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“Your cousins insisted on preparing the room for the wedding night. You have them to thank.”
Willow clungto the neck of her new husband, feeling lucky and also aroused. The room was decorated with rose petals sprinkled across the floor and even up on the bed. A fire burned in the hearth, lighting the room in a soft glow. A dozen beeswax candles that were scented with cinnamon gave the place a spicy, exotic aroma.
“Everything is so beautiful and romantic,” said Willow, feeling nervous since she and Conrad hadn’t had any more intimate moments since the night they’d almost made love in Imanie’s cottage.
“I don’t see anything more beautiful than my new wife in my arms.”
Willow wanted more than anything to make love to her new husband, but she couldn’t do it before she talked with him first.
“Please, put me down, Conrad. I have something I’d like to tell you before we consummate the marriage.”
“Not now, Willow. Whatever it is, it can wait until later.” He kissed her behind her ear, sending a delightful shiver of anticipation up her spine. His hot breath caressed her skin as he removed her crown and placed it on the table and started to unbraid her hair. Willow’s eyes closed and her head fell back as his kisses trailed down her neck and to her chest.
“Conrad, please. I need to talk to you,” she said, breathing heavily as he nipped at her breasts right through her clothes. If he kept this up, she was never going to be able to tell him about being a member of the late queen’s secret group. “I don’t want to have any secrets from you now that I’m your wife.”
“Secrets?” He pulled back and looked at her curiously. “Willow, what kind of secrets do you mean?”
“I’ve been trying to tell you. See this heart brooch?”
“Aye,” he said, tracing the heart with his finger. Then his finger trailed over to one breast, and he circled her nipple through her clothes, causing her to go taut.
“Conrad, I am trying to tell you I belong to a secret group.”
“I know all about it,” he said, unbuttoning the back of her gown, rubbing his cheek against the top of her head. “You are a Follower of the Queen’s Secrets.”
“Secret Hearts, and how did you know?”
“Branton told me when I first came to Rothbury.” He nibbled at her earlobe as he slid the gown from her shoulders and dropped it to the ground.
“He has a big mouth,” she said.
“Well, someone had to tell me.”
“You’re not upset about it?”
“I don’t believe it is anything to worry about.” His hands caressed her shoulders and slid down her arms. “You are wearing a shift?” He stepped backward and looked at her in surprise. Reaching out with two fingers he picked up the hem of her undergarment. “And you have hose on as well?”
“I am a lady, Conrad. I have changed my ways.”
“Aye, but did you have to do it on our wedding night?”
“I want you to know that I won’t flirt with any man but you from now on.”
“I like it when you flirt with me.” He reached under her shift and untied her hose.
“I’m being serious, Conrad. I want you to know that now that I am your wife, I am going to start acting more reserved. Especially around the men.”
“Not too reserved. Around me, I mean.” He lifted her shift over her head, leaving her naked.
“So you believe me? I thought you wanted me to prove it to you and I am not sure I have.”
He spoke as he removed his weapon belt and then his clothes. “Willow, darling, I do believe that you’ve changed. You already proved it to me when you stopped thinking about yourself to help my sister.”
“That kiss in Bedivere’s chamber – that was him, not me. I was going to slap him right when you walked in.”
“That, I believe,” he said holding his cheek, reminding her that she had slapped him more than once.
“I am also sorry that I called you Conrad the Cur. I see now that you have changed as well.”
