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When she glanced back over her shoulder, she was gratified to see Rex still watching, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
Yes, anapsounded very good, indeed.
Rex
Once Mary had disappeared into the upstairs hall and Cormack had dismissed the rest of the staff—she could meet them and begin learning names later, that was not the first of Rex’s priorities—he pulled his butler aside.
“No news of Lucas?” He did his best to hide his worry, but he knew some leaked through.
Since he had not been able to check in on Barnes or Lucas’ house on his wedding day, he had sent Cormack in his stead. He already knew what Cormack’s answer would be, but he felt compelled to ask, anyway. If there had been urgent news, like Lucas being found, Cormack would have come to the brunch, knowing Rex would want to hear immediately.
“Sorry, m’lord.” Cormack’s face was full of sympathy. He knew how worried Rex was, even if he did not have the same fellow feeling for Lucas that Rex did.
Sighing, Rex let his head fall back and stared up at the ceiling. The blank canvas did nothing to help clear his mind. At this point, he was starting to wonder if Lucas’bodywould turn up in a ditch somewhere. This disappearance seemed to be going on far too long to be revenge for Rex’s refusal to pay his debts.
Then again, Lucas had beenveryupset.
There was nothing he could do about Lucas right now, any more than he could the day before, so Rex shunted aside his worries. He had other matters to attend to at the moment, like finally claiming his wife. A much more pleasant way to spend the afternoon than worrying over a man who might be staying hidden of his own accord, not caring—or perhaps even because—it would disturb Rex’s peace of mind.
“Check in with Barnes again before supper, and tell cook we will be eating in my room this evening. I will ring when we are ready for a tray.” Rex fully intended on spending the afternoon and evening sating himself with Mary. It had been a long wait, and he was going to have his fill of her.
Surely then, he would feel more back to his old self and inclinations. Once his curiosity was satisfied, there would be no more need to obsess over her. Having her could not be all that different from bedding any other lady. The only novelty was he had not been able to bed her before their wedding. Now that he could, he would, and that would be the end of this odd infatuation.
He would still desire her—she was a desirable woman after all, and he would have rights to her that did not exist with other women, which was its own special cachet—but he could do without the jealous possessiveness and his lack of interest in any other woman. He assumed the former would fade and the latter return quickly enough, though if the latter did not returntooquickly, he would not complain. Why should he be bothered as long as he was enjoying himself with his new wife?
These were the thoughts filling his head as he made his way to his room, where his valet quickly divested him of his wedding finery before holding out a dressing gown for Rex to shrug into. Dismissing the valet, Rex thought he had given Mary enough time to be ready for him.
His bed or hers?
After a moment, Rex decided—definitely his. Neither had ever seen any action—he preferred his private areas to be just that—but he rather liked the idea of laying claim to his wife in his exclusive arena. Eventually, he would visit her bed as well, but for this first time,his.
Going to the door adjoining their rooms, a door he had never used before, he felt a small swell of excitement as he knocked. Only a moment passed before the door opened, and Rose was standing there.
“My lord.” She bobbed a curtsy, keeping her eyes averted.
“You are dismissed, Rose. Thank you.”
Scurrying ahead of him, Rose was out the door and into the hall before Rex even stepped into Mary’s room. Cleaned and dusted, it already looked completely different from how he remembered it. There were linens on the bed, a jewelry case and hairbrush on the vanity, books on the bedside table, and several trunks piled against the wall, waiting to be unpacked. While Mary’s things had not been completely settled in, the room was clearly no longer empty of an occupant. It took him a moment to locate his wife, taking in the minor changes to the room that had completely altered its appearance.
Movement was what caught his eye. She was standing across the room, on the other side of the bed, and his mind seized, breath coming to an abrupt halt when he finally took in what she was wearing. The filmy green material floated around her body, not quite transparent but enough for him to see the darker shadows between her thighs and a hint of nipples where the fabric clung to her breasts. His cock, which had already been partially hard in anticipation, jumped to full attention.
“Bloody hell.” He breathed out the words, only then noticing the pinched expression on Mary’s face as it cleared away. She had been worried about his reaction. Holding out one hand, he met her eyes, allowing his sincere admiration and desire to show. “Come here, petal.”
Mary
The sudden heap of nerves that had enveloped her when Rex had entered the room subsided a little in the face of his clear approval. He liked the gown. Which did not make her feel any less naked but less anxious about feeling naked. She was going to be naked soon enough, anyway.
Probably.
Some of the advice she had been given on the topic was a bit confusing. Aunt Elizabeth had spoken in a more roundabout way than Cynthia and Arabella’s blunt explanations, but all in all, it seemed each gentleman might have different preferences. Well, Mary had already understoodthatafter attending the Society’s masquerade. Unfortunately, she had no idea whatRex’spreferences might be.
Hesitantly, she stepped toward him, lifting her hand to place her fingers on his. It took the work of a moment for him to trap her hand with his, using it to yank her swiftly to him. Gasping, Mary stumbled into his hard chest, her free hand coming up to land on the velvety exterior of his robe. She could feel his hardness pressing against her belly—without her usual bulk of skirts, it was impossible to miss.
There was no time to say anything. Now that he had her pressed against him, he curved the hand he was holding behind her back, forcing her to bend as his lips descended and claimed hers. The kiss was hot, passionate as his tongue slid into her mouth to dance with hers.
The thin fabric of her nightgown felt like no protection at all, and she was shockingly aware of his free hand sliding down to cup her bottom. She could feel the heat of his palm, the press of his fingers, and she wriggled against him. With one hand trapped behind her back, the other pressed against his chest, she felt more vulnerable than usual.
Kissing him back as best she could, she pressed her thighs together, the flames of her arousal growing rapidly. The sensations throbbed through her, the hunger she had thought already sated roaring back to life as Rex kissed her, and kissed her, and kissed her. His hand explored her bottom, causing her skin to tingle. Mary did not think he was going to spank her and did not know if she was more disappointed or relieved by the lack.
