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Had he done such a thing in the past?
Hearing the quiet knock on the adjoining door, she sprang up from the bed to race across the room on her bare feet and open the door. She found her husband on the other side, looking worn out. And well-scrubbed, his hair damp.
“I am so sorry. This was not planned.” His voice was gruff, and Sophia took pity. Claiming his hand with her own, she drew him into the room and over to the seating area.
“I know.”
He frowned in confusion.
“It only took a moment to realize you did not possess the look of a man with an agenda. You looked like a man in a blind panic.”
He chuckled dryly. “That would be an accurate description of how I was feeling.”
“Did they come on the wrong night?”
Richard’s head bobbed up in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“I thought perhaps … this was an old meeting you forgot to cancel. Or a standing arrangement had not been … well … called off? From before. When you … I mean, you only recently decided to change your ways … Perhaps this is how you spent your evenings …” She trailed off, feeling silly.
“No! I never paid coin for … that. I would never risk my health on …” He took a deep breath to continue. “Apparently, some acquaintance of mine thought it would be amusing to play a lark on me and showed them to my rooms. If I find out who exposed you to this, I will kill them with my bare hands. Radcliffe is downstairs questioning the servants to find out if any of them assisted with this … this … invasion of our home.”
Sophia stared at him for an eternity, not sure what came next.
“Sophia, I do not think this is the night to celebrate our wedding.” Richard turned away to glare at the wall.
She could see his point. He still appeared disturbed, and the wonderful rapport they had built earlier in the day was missing. They sat together in their dejected silence while Sophia pondered what to do. She wanted to assist him, to play a part in his restoration of honor. This seemed like a moment that she should show her mettle in some way, to somehow mitigate this disastrous night. Show some kindness to alleviate his mood.
“Perhaps …”
His eyes found hers. “Perhaps?”
“Perhaps you would care to lie in my bed with me? Just to sleep?”
The regret in his eyes eased, and he exhaled, appearing more relaxed. “I … I would like that very much.”
Sophia stood and took hold of his hand. She walked over to the large canopied bed with him. Dropping his hand and then her dressing gown on the floor, she quickly climbed under the coverlet, then watched him remove his own robe and climb into the bed with her. She turned away on her side while he extinguished the lamp, and under the cover of darkness, he slid closer to her and tentatively placed his hand on the flare of her upturned hip. She pressed back against him, feeling his tension slowly fade.
She closed her eyes. It had been a very long day, and she was exhausted. Their troubles would need to wait until the morning, despite her yearning to feel his lips on hers once more. For tonight, she must be satisfied with the warmth seeping into her body from his proximity.
* * *
Sleepingnear his bride without taking advantage of her had been torturous. His body denounced the depravation for hours while his conscience gripped the reins. He had not lain with a woman in some time, but that was not the true problem. The true issue was that he had never wanted one particular woman this much, and refraining from bedding her while she lay slumbering in his arms was a torment.
Finally, amid a cockstand he could not control, he had moved his hips away from hers to conceal his ardor until he fell into an exhausted sleep.
Slowly, he awakened and opened his eyes to discover it was morning. He blinked in surprise when he found clear blue eyes staring into his. His bride was awake and watching him closely.
Tentatively, she moved forward to place a kiss on his lips. He shifted in agitation when his deprived body responded by rushing blood once more to his groin. Her free hand came out of the covers and reached to smooth his hair back, and he nearly growled from the pleasure of her touch. She continued to glide her hand down his neck, over his chest, where her fingertips slowly traced over his pectoral muscles. His blood thickened in response to her rapt attention and soft touch while his loins fired in rigid agreement when her fingers dipped to feel the musculature of his abdomen. With great effort, he held himself still to allow her to explore the shape of his torso, but he could not contain low groans as his desire mounted. When he could resist no longer, he raised himself up on an elbow to lean over her, lowering his head to devour her sweet lips. This seemed a perfect moment to—
A discreet knock interrupted his intentions. “Milord, there is an urgent matter to attend to.”
Richard lowered his head onto her shoulder to scowl at his butler’s intrusion.What the blazes could be important enough to interrupt me in my bride’s chambers?Belatedly, he recalled the events of the night before.
On second thought, perhaps his butler had cause. Sighing in resignation, he leaned forward to press a kiss against Sophia’s forehead and then withdrew from the bed. He donned his robe and went to the door, stepping out into the passage to talk with Radcliffe while shutting the door behind him.
Radcliffe looked a little worse for wear, dark shadows under his eyes, but otherwise his usual tidy self. Richard wondered if his faithful servant had been to bed or if he had been questioning the servants all night.
“A certain guest has arrived early, my lord.”
