Lady Faith Takes a Leap (16 page)

His boots gone, he stripped to the skin while Faith watched from the bed.

“My goodness!” she said in an awed tone. “I never knew that men had such big….”

“You’ve seen Greek statues. You told me so,” Vaughn said with a laugh.

“None that looked like you,” she said breathlessly. Her eyes danced, and she put her hands to her cheeks, which had turned pink.

With a burst of male pride, he joined her on the bed, hard and ready. He felt triumphant, incredulous that this lovely woman was now his wife, and passionately stroked down her soft body, determined to rein in his passion and be gentle. “My love.”

****

Faith woke to sunlight rimming the curtains. A big, warm body lay beside her in the bed. Her wedding night had been better than her dreams, which were sketchy at best. Vaughn was a considerate and knowledgeable lover. How could he sleep now, with her beside him? Wanting him to wake, she pulled down the blanket and ran a hand over the hard wall of his chest, soft hair tickling her palm. When he grumbled in sleep, she poked him gently in his broad rib cage.

He opened an eye and closed it again. “Good morning, lady wife,” he said, his full lips lifting in a smile. A big hand on her back drew her closer.

She swept her hand over his muscled chest, his skin smooth and satiny to the touch. “I’m so lucky to have a great lover for a husband.”

“You are,” he said, his mouth stretching wider.

“You have undoubtedly had many lovers. Haven’t you?” she prodded him again.

Both eyes opened, and he took her hands in his, to prevent another attack. “That’s impertinent. Has no one told you, you do not ask your husband such things?”

“Women are told nothing.”

“That’s a conspiracy by us men, I believe,” he said with a grin. He rolled over, tucked her under him in one smooth motion, and held her hands above her head.

Faith gasped. She loved the weight of him. “You might answer my….” Her voice faded on a moan as Vaughn took her mouth and kissed her hard. Then he kissed and nipped his way down her throat to take a nipple in his mouth. He tugged it gently, making it firm. A rush of warmth flooded her body, pooling between her legs. She gasped. “Let me go. I want to touch you.”

Vaughn wrapped her hand around him while attending to the other breast, gently pulling it with his teeth. Marveling at him, she stroked up and down, until he caught her hand.

“You’re too good at that,” he said in a rasping voice.

“I am…oh.”

Vaughn thrust his fingers inside her, stroking until she could do nothing but moan and beg him. Her muscles began to clench. “Now,” she cried. He rolled her onto her back. She raised her knees.

Vaughn uttered a guttural sound and brought his mouth down on hers. His erection settled against her entrance, and he pushed into her.

Loving the slow, delicious glide of his thickness deep into her very core, she felt wonderfully connected. She wrapped her legs around his hips, and he settled into a steady rhythm. She shuddered with delight as a frisson of delicious warmth flooded her body. Their panting filled the room. Faith raked her hands in his hair and down over his back to his muscular buttocks, touching every part of him she could. She lifted her hips to meet him and clutched his steel-hard arms as her body tensed and released. She was falling into that magical place she sought and cried out as her body tightened around him. He groaned, and his thrusts grew more urgent, his eyes unseeing as he fought for control. He drove into her fast and hard and then, with a cry, pulsed inside her and collapsed.

Vaughn rolled to the side, his breathing ragged. The scents of their lovemaking mingled with her perfume and his soap. “I was going to spare you this morning,” he said, easing a damp lock of her hair away from her cheek. “You make me weak.”

“I like to make you weak,” she said, teasing him. “But I shan’t go riding for a day or two.” She leaned back, enjoying blissful lassitude. “By the time we reach London, I shall be restored and able to enjoy the rest of our honeymoon. Let’s get dressed. I’m famished.”

Vaughn didn’t move. “In a little while. Have pity, my lady.” He yawned and stretched his arms above his head while Faith admired his masculine beauty. “You are shameless, wife, I’m pleased to say.” He chuckled and rolled over to nudge her neck, nibbling on her ear lobe. Tracing a finger down her throat to her breast, he bent to kiss her. “And so irresistible. I only hope I can keep up my stamina.“ He grinned. “Perhaps I should take up drinking a fortifying libation.”

She eyed his strong body, all corded muscle sliding beneath silky skin as he moved, and laughed at the ridiculous suggestion. “I hope you can too. I’ve been storing up a lot of passion for you, and it won’t be denied.”

He shook his head and looped his arms around her, skin to skin, his hands cupping her buttocks to hold her against him. “I am such a lucky fellow that you were brave enough to take a chance on me. You won’t be sorry, my love.”

“Fool.” She took his dear face in her hands and kissed him.

“Shall I buy the place?” Vaughn tucked Faith’s hand into his arm as their carriage left Surrey and rolled toward London.

The thatched-roof manor house was settled attractively in established gardens, and there was a lake. She smiled at her big husband, loving his almost boyish enthusiasm.

“The property is perfect and only a few hours from Edward and Honor.”

“The land is excellent with level paddocks and fields that stretch for miles,” Vaughn said, ticking the necessities off his list. “There’s a perfect spot for a training track and an extensive stable block, which could be added to in time.” He smiled at her. “I can see us raising our family there.” Faith smiled back indulgently at him. She wanted sons, big fine sons that all looked like Vaughn.

“I love the house. I love the gardens; they are full of camellias and roses. I love you.” Faith drew his head down to hers.

After a kiss that grew passionate and demanding, Vaughn drew away. “My love, I don’t intend to make love to you in a carriage.”

Faith smiled up at him and laid her head against his shoulder. “It was a very nice wedding, wasn’t it?”

“The best I’ve been to,” Vaughn said, his arm holding her tight against the sway of the carriage.

“Your mother and her fiancé seem well suited.”

“An intelligent man, Whitworth, Mother appreciates his wit. I’m pleased for her.”

“My new mama-in-law took me aside and confessed she’d always wanted you and me to marry.”

His eyes widened. “She did?”

“Yes, she did advise me once not to make a hasty decision about Sefton. She said I was quite determined.”

He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes. “And you
are
determined, my love. Or else you’d have been married by now.”

Faith moved out of his arms. She needed to make her feelings clear before their life together began. “I’ve always yearned to do something useful with my life, beyond a woman’s duties as a mother and a wife.”

“Excellent. I need someone to muck out the stables,” he teased, a glint of wicked humor in his eyes. “The horses will need to be shod, too.”

Faith threaded her fingers through his dark hair, intending to pull it but, instead, allowed the silky thickness to slide through her fingers. She couldn’t resist touching him. “There are many useful things I can do.”

He groaned and pulled her on his lap. “I want you by my side in all my endeavors, my love.” He kissed the sensitive spot below her ear. “I shall certainly consider carefully your every idea.”

She nuzzled his square chin. “But will you take my advice?”

“That might be pushing things a little.” A playful grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“Oh you.” She touched his sculptured bottom lip with her finger, wanting to kiss him. “I can order the hay and other necessities; pay the wages and the bills. Mother says I have an excellent head for accounts.”

 “To think I have a lifetime to learn all these remarkable things about you.”

“I want to learn all about you, too.”

“There’s not a lot to know. In fact it’s better we don’t investigate my sorry past,” he said with a frown.

“I don’t agree. I’d like to know why you were sent down from Oxford.”

Vaughn’s eyes took on a faraway expression, making Faith want to pull him back, but she remained silent.

“A friend of mine was about to be caught with a lady of the night in his room,” he said. “I said she was there for me. Charles didn’t have a rich father. His mother and a number of brothers and sisters depended on him doing well in life. I saw it as a scrape, I suppose, and believed I could talk my way out of it.” He let out a breath. “I couldn’t as it turned out. I was on my way home to explain the situation to Father, whom I knew must have been dreadfully disappointed in me. He thought I’d do well in politics, you see. But before I reached home, Father suddenly passed away.”

Faith gasped. “Oh my love.” 

“Chaloner told me recently that Father never lost his conviction I would succeed in life,” he said. “I haven’t given up the idea of politics in the future, Faith.”

“What a pity your father can’t see you now,” she said. “The impressive man you’ve become. You’re brave, resourceful, and honest.” Her voice caught with emotion.

“Oh, Faith, I have married the best girl in the world.” Vaughn’s voice sounded so husky and urgent that her heart swelled.

He leaned her back against the squabs and brought his mouth down on hers, a hand cupping her breast through her pelisse. If he took her now, she wouldn’t say no to him. She couldn’t.

Chickens squawked loudly and brought them apart with a jolt as the carriage rattled across the yard of the coaching inn where they were to spend the night. With a shaky laugh, Vaughn eased her off his lap.

“A few moments later and we’d have been in trouble.”

MAGGI ANDERSEN

Maggi Andersen lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. She wrote her first book at the age of eight, an adventure story. Maggi still writes adventure stories, but they are now sensual romances. An Amazon bestselling author, Maggi writes in several genres, contemporary and historical romance and young adult novels.

Maggi loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through her website and join her news only newsletter to learn of her new releases: http://www.maggiandersenauthor.com Facebook: Maggi Andersen Author

Twitter: @maggiandersen

Coming in October 2015

LADY HOPE AND THE DUKE OF DARKNESS
–

The Baxendale Sisters
Book 3

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