Protection (30 page)

It was only later in the privacy of their room that he answered her question.

“Any guess what I’d like you to bake for me sometime
after
Christmas?”

“I have a fair idea.”

“Chocolate pastries,” they said in unison, sharing a smile at the memory and the knowledge
of how far they had come since the day he had summoned her to his office to offer
his compliments to the new pastry chef.

Chapter 28

Fantasy

“Sweetheart?” Nathaniel embraced Lisa from behind, and she let the hand holding her
hairbrush fall still. “Would you grant me a favour and wear a particular dress to
dinner this evening?”

Her gaze rose to meet his in the mirror.

“The plain blue dress?”

He nodded, and her heart began to race.

“Why?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“As far as I’m concerned, we’re already living our dreams.” He nuzzled her neck. “But
there is a specific one I’d like to make a reality, but
only
if you think the time is right. We don’t have to if you’d rather not—”

“No, I want
to,” Lisa whispered. She’d never found the courage to tell Nathaniel her dream, but
in the eighteen months since they had wed he’d revealed one or two of his own, and
she was eager to see this particular one fulfilled.

While the memory of her kidnap and assault would never fade completely, it had long
since lost its sting. Life was good, better even than Lisa had expected, but exceptionally
busy. Family, friends, and Nathaniel’s and her many commitments took up much of their
time—the charity homes a major priority. They’d finally taken the tour of Europe she
had once dreamed about with Hugh and Rebecca the previous summer, with various other
members of their family joining them for different legs of the journey. It was a relief
to be back at Marsden Park, the busyness of the London season and the somewhat disappointing
Parliament sitting—where the House of Lords had refused, once again, to pass the antislavery
laws—now behind them. With no visitors or major social engagements pending, Lisa was
looking forward to enjoying Nathaniel’s undivided attention.

“I
definitely
want to,” she said, imagining worse ways to begin this season of their lives. Snuggling
back against him, she wondered if they could skip dinner, as her appetite for food
had been supplanted by an altogether different hunger.

“Do you think you might finally tell me your
dream, so we can enact that also?” he asked, and Lisa froze.

“Maybe.” She met his gaze in the mirror. “Let’s see how fulfilling your fantasy goes
first.”

Chuckling, he kissed her neck. “Dinner will be served in our private sitting room
in half an hour.”

A bemused Ruth had been let in on Nathaniel’s intention and had the old gown pressed
and ready for Lisa to wear, along with a familiar blue ribbon. Styling her hair in
the same, loose fashion she had worn the day she’d gone to the markets of Worthey,
Lisa was surprised how young and innocent it made her appear.

“Have a lovely evening, my lady.”

Ruth’s tone was teasing, and Lisa rolled her eyes.

“Oh, I intend to,” she said, and they both burst out laughing.

“Why don’t you retire early?” Lisa added. “I’m sure Ben would be glad of your company.”

“Thank you, Lisa. I’m sure he will.” Ruth dropped the uncharacteristic formality.

Lisa had finally convinced her friend to call her by name rather than “my lady” all
the time, a testament to the strength and intimacy of their relationship. Having Ruth
and Ben accompany them on their trip across Europe had cemented all their relationships.
Though they continued to be employed in service, Ben had risen to a position as assistant
stable master and Ruth as Lisa’s companion along with her duties as lady’s maid. Nathaniel
and Lisa were glad of the young couple’s friendship.

Unexpectedly nervous, Lisa let herself into the sitting room where she was met by
a surprisingly accurate recreation of the private dining room from the inn at Worthey.
Nathaniel was waiting by the fire but crossed the room to escort her to her seat at
the candlelit table.

“My lord,” she greeted demurely, unsure how accurately he wanted to replay this scene.

“Lisa,” he replied, leaving her none the wiser.

A part of her was surprised he was willing to reenact this particular encounter—with
a very different ending in mind, of course. She knew how remorseful he was for taking
advantage of her when she was both naïve and in a vulnerable position, but she had
no regrets. Believing her to be a servant, Nathaniel had taught her to love honestly
and without inhibition, laying the foundation for the rewarding relationship they
now shared . . . and his more enlightened views on women of all classes.

Eager to fulfil Nathaniel’s fantasy, she decided to confront the issue head-on in
an attempt to steer the outcome in her preferred direction.

“My lord, are you sure it is appropriate for us to be dining alone together like this,
what with my being a humble servant and you a marquis?”

He blinked, then reached for her hand across the table. “Are you sure you’re all right
with this? I don’t want you to think I’m disrespecting you in any way.”

“Why, my lord, whatever do you mean?” She fluttered her eyelashes. “All I know is
if you hadn’t come to my rescue today that horrid man would have treated me abominably.
How can I ever repay you?”

Smirking slightly, Nathaniel sat back, eyeing her from beneath hooded lids in a way
that made her heart race.

“Why don’t we enjoy our dinner, and then we can discuss my plans for you further.
Rest assured, there are any number of ways in which you could express your gratitude.”

“As you wish, my lord.”

He rang the bell for their dinner to be served, and Lisa wasn’t sure whether to be
relieved or disappointed when their butler did not try to emulate the character of
the innkeeper but served their meal with his usual stoic reserve.

Relieved, she decided with a quiet chuckle. It was bad enough the staff talked amongst
themselves about the fact that, even after almost a year and a half of marriage, Nathaniel’s
and her honeymoon appeared to be continuing unabated. Fortunately, they were all staunchly
loyal and willing to make allowances for their employers’ unfashionably affectionate
manner.

Dinner was a slightly more haute cuisine interpretation of the plain fare they’d shared
at the Worthey inn, and Lisa savoured it while sharing a stilted conversation as she
struggled to remain in character. Acting had never been her forte. She tried to recall
the topics they had talked about before
Nathaniel discovered her true identity, and things flowed more smoothly when she turned
the conversation to poetry and literature.

“You have a remarkably well-rounded education for one of your class, Lisa.” Nathaniel’s
compliment was spoken in a wry tone.

“My father, the innkeeper,
made sure I received the best tutoring money could buy in hopes I might make a good
match. I’m sure he would be thrilled to know I have gained the interest of a marquis.”

“I’ll just bet he would,” Nathaniel muttered, and they both chuckled, falling out
of character for a moment.

After they’d eaten dessert and the table was cleared, he instructed the staff they
wouldn’t be needed again for the evening. In an instant, the atmosphere changed. Lisa
wasn’t sure if Nathaniel wanted to continue with the game, but once they were alone,
he reached for her hand.

“When I think of what might have happened today.” He closed his eyes, his expression
as intense as it had been on the night they were reenacting. “I can’t lose you, Lisa.
I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

“You want to protect
me?”

“I do.” He nodded. “By making you my mistress.”

“We could spend time
together?” she asked, remembering how confused she’d been by the term.

“A great deal
of time together.”

“Good,” she said firmly. “I’d like that very much.”

With a gentle tug of his hand, Nathaniel pulled her from her seat and towards him.
She went willingly, coming to stand between his knees.

“I want you,” he murmured hoarsely. “I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you
staring down at me from the window at Worthington Hall.”

“Then have me,” she offered huskily.

“I’m not sure you understand what that entails.”

“I trust you.” Boldly placing her hands on his shoulders, she leaned closer. “Whatever
you want to do with me—or
to
me—is perfectly fine by me.”

Groaning, Nathaniel buried his face against her chest and hugged her close, which
seemed somewhat out of character for their little fantasy . . . or maybe not. Almost
from the beginning he had been very tender towards her. When he drew back, his features
were arranged into a deliciously dangerous expression that assured Lisa the
game
would continue.

“What would you have me do, my lord?” She moistened her lips with her tongue.

“Unbutton your dress.”

She complied, a little too confidently at first, then more tentatively when she recalled
she was supposed to be an innocent young maiden in the process of being seduced by
an experienced and powerful man. A shiver ran through her at the thought.

“Anything else, my lord?” she asked when her dress was unbuttoned and gaped to reveal
her chemise.

“I’ll take it from here.”

With gentle but deliberate movements, he pushed the dress off her shoulders, the chemise
soon following. With them pooled around her waist, her shoulders and breasts were
bared to his hungry gaze . . . and hands . . . and mouth.

If Lisa had
still been an innocent, Nathaniel’s passionate kisses and caresses would have given
her quite the education. Not to mention the surprise she would have received when
a little later he urged her to stand so that he could divest her of her dress, petticoat,
and chemise. She was left wearing nothing but a pair of thigh-high silk stockings
and her slippers—not
the attire of a maid, but from the look in his eyes, her husband was happy to make
allowances.

“Oh, Lisa.” He eyed her hungrily before unbuttoning his trousers and guiding her to
straddle his lap.

Gladly giving up the pretence of her being a virgin when the time came to lower herself
onto him, Lisa doubted making love on a dining chair would have been the ideal initiation
to the process. Their movements were a little awkward at first, but with their combined
determination, they soon achieved a workable rhythm. With her hands tangled in his
hair and holding his head in place, he took turns nuzzling first one breast then the
other until she cried out, finding her peak and enticing him to join her.

All in all, Lisa thoroughly enjoyed fulfilling Nathaniel’s fantasy and gladly retired
to their large and comfortable marital bed, where she plucked up the courage to tell
him about her dream.

“I bent you over my desk and . . . and . . . took you forcefully
so as to
punish
you?”

Lisa nodded.

“And you thought it pleasant? You think you would enjoy enacting this?”

“I did. I do,” she whispered. “But only if
you
would enjoy it. It would just be pretend.”

“Of course it would only be pretend. I would never
treat you harshly, Lisa, and certainly not when we were making love.”

Her shoulders drooped. “I told you it was shocking.”

“Not
too
shocking.” Nathaniel sounded unconvinced, and she was quick to reassure him.

“It’s all right. I understand why you wouldn’t be comfortable enacting my dream. I
should never have mentioned it.”

“Yes, you should
have.” He took hold of her shoulders and waited until she met his gaze. “I’ll admit
to being intrigued, but you would need to promise you’d call a halt, at any
stage, if you changed your mind or started feeling uncomfortable.”

“I promise,” she said solemnly. “As long as you promise the same thing.”