Tainted Bride (22 page)

It was over an hour before they left the study.

Daniel waited on top of the steps at St. George’s as Sophia’s carriage rumbled to a stop. Delight shone in her eyes and she took his breath away. Wrapped in white silk and lace she might have been an angel. His angel, with dark curls situated atop her head and tiny pearls entwined throughout.

She touched the rich blue stones of the sapphire necklace he had sent as a wedding gift and smiled up at him.

It was the greatest day of his life. Nothing could compare to standing at the altar with Sophia and hearing the vicar pronounce them husband and wife. It took a force of will to keep his tears of joy at bay.

He longed to pull her into his arms and kiss her breathless, but settled for a kiss on her knuckles when they exited the church. “I’m very happy, Sophie.”

“Oh, Daniel, I’ve never been happier in my life.”

He handed her into the carriage and climbed in after her. As the horses pulled away from St. George’s, he scooped her up and settled her on his lap.

“Daniel.” His name floated on a gasp.

It was a sound he could listen to forever. He covered her lips with his and she melted against him. All the weeks of behaving like a gentleman and waiting culminated in this kiss. He ached for her, all of her.

Sophia clung to his neck and back. She opened for him and their tongues danced and swirled together until he was ravenous to have her naked and beneath him. Pressing her chest against him, she wiggled her bottom in the most maddening way.

He broke the kiss. “If we arrive at your aunt’s house naked, we will make quite a stir, my love.”

Gulping down air, she settled back on the cushioned bench and patted her hair. “I’m sure you’re right.”

The carriage stopped too soon for Daniel’s liking. He closed his eyes, willing the effects of their intimacy to dissipate enough to step down and hand her out of the carriage. Damn his driver for efficiency, the door swung open and the step pulled down far too soon.

Aunt Daphne hosted a wedding breakfast following the service. In the late afternoon, the bride and groom escaped into a carriage and started their journey to Marlton Hall. They didn’t stop, as would have been expected at such a late hour and so they arrived in the middle of the night. Sophia was so tired her husband carried her up to the master’s rooms.

Daniel sent Marie away, saying he would attend his wife.

Sophia stood in the middle of the room, her eyes half closed and swayed slightly with exhaustion. Gently, Daniel undid the ties crisscrossing her back. The dress pooled at her feet. The corset followed. Dozens of pins and the pearls spilled from her hair.

He cursed at the quantity of pins, but finally her hair fell into loose curls around her shoulders.

He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed. The bedding had already been pulled back and he positioned her on the soft sheets and covered her before removing his own clothes and climbing in next to her.

“Do you want me to remove my chemise?” She yawned.

He’d scarcely stopped grinning since the pastor declared them man and wife. “Sleep.”

“But it’s our wedding night.” Her protest came on yet another gaping yawn.

“My penance for not staying in London. It was foolish to drag you up here on your wedding day. I’ll see you in the morning, my love.” He kissed her cheek and watched her.

A protest built behind her eyes, but then they closed. An instant later, she slept. Whatever argument she was about to make would keep until morning.

Amazed the exquisite woman in his bed was his wife, he struggled to close his eyes. He watched her long into the morning hours. He wanted to kiss her pert little nose, adoring the way it tipped slightly up at the end. Her skin was as rich as warm cream and he longed to stroke her cheek. He let out the breath he’d been holding. Taking one of her luscious dark curls between his fingers, he allowed the silky tresses to slide back to the pillow where her hair fanned out like black flames.

“Mine.” He had to push away thoughts of Pundington lest his rage get the better of him. He must keep calm with regard to that bit of business. Nothing must get in the way of avenging Sophia and keeping her happy.

The corners of her lips tipped up while she slept.

“No one will ever harm you again.” He made the vow so softly even he didn’t really hear the words and yet they vibrated in the air.

Sophia rolled to her side away from him.

Daniel wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled back until her bottom was nestled against his manhood. She had no idea what she was doing to him.

He didn’t know when he fell asleep, but he woke with the sun streaming into the room and his wife still nestled against him. His reaction was immediate. He pressed forward, rubbing himself against her bottom.

She mumbled something and wiggled her bottom.

“Do you know what you are doing, my love?”

She giggled. “I think so. Am I doing it right?”

Taking her hips, he pulled her even harder to him. “You are doing it exactly right.”

He reached around and covered her breast with his hand. Her nipple beaded against his palm and his shaft jerked with anticipation.

Her back arched and a soft sigh escaped her lips. She rolled around to face him. She bit her bottom lip and frowned. “You should tell me if I’m not. I know I wasn’t…I’m not…”

He ran his knuckles from her cheek just under her right eye to the tip of her chin. Leaning up, he kissed her little nose as he’d wanted to the night before. His thumb swept across her lips and continued to follow her cheekbone until he buried his fingers in her mass of hair. He cupped the back of her head and brought her lips down to his. He kissed her deeply and then more tenderly. “You are exactly as you should be, Sophie.”

She smiled shyly, but the tigress shone in her eyes just before she wrapped her arms around him.

Suddenly, she pulled away with wide eyes staring at his nakedness. Tentatively, she touched him, then more boldly. The palm of her hand skimmed his skin slowly over his nipple and then down his stomach where she stopped.

He covered her hand with his own and helped her until she held him in her hand.

She gasped.

He gasped for entirely different reasons.

She hesitated and faltered, only grazing him with the tips of her fingers.

He hadn’t known how erotic it would be to have her investigate his erection with such innocence. He held as still as possible, not easy while his body strained for more of her touch.

Her fingers continued to drive him mad. Her eyes widened as his skin stretched taut and her strokes became more ardent.

His hips automatically moved counter point. Clasping her hand, he pulled it away from his rod and rolled on top of her. “I can take little more of that.”

“You didn’t like it?” Even though she asked it in her most innocent voice, the mischief in her eyes told him she knew the effect she was having on him.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Her mouth opened on a gasp and he slipped his tongue inside. His moan mingled with hers. Her body was warm and pliant beneath him. “I think you saw that I liked it very much, but much more would end this far too quickly. I want to enjoy you a while longer.”

He rubbed against the juncture of her thighs. Then he moved aside and slid his hand down between them. What he found excited him as much as his first encounter. Her folds were soft and wet.

She arched and bucked against his fingers while he worried her bud. Sophia’s breath came in gasps and she tightened under his touch.

Holding his weight above her, he poised his shaft at her core and slid forward slowly.

Their cries mingled in the air. He tried to hold still while she adjusted to him, but the sensation was so overwhelming.

She moved, and he lost control. He pulled back and thrust forward with more force than he wanted to use.

The way she snugged around him was heaven.

He reached between their bodies and rubbed her sensitive bud.

She rose up to meet every thrust and called out his name. She screamed and her body pulsed around him. Her contraction took him over the edge as well.

He arched into her and shuddered before collapsing on top of her. Far too heavy for her, he scooped her up and rolled over so she lay on top of him.

She rested her cheek to his chest and sighed.

* * * *

She didn’t know how long she’d slept that way, but she woke to his maleness hardening, as he slipped back inside her. Why did women not speak of how wonderful this was? If not for Emma’s honesty, she might have died without ever knowing.

Hours later, tucked together as if they were born to fit perfectly, she lulled to his even breathing. “I’m starving.”

He shook with laughter.

She rolled around to face him. “Are you planning to starve me to death?”

He laughed harder. It was rich, warm and filled the room and her heart. “No, you will need your strength.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Why is that, my lord?”

Grabbing her waist, he pulled her against him. “Because I’m planning on us spending a lot of time in this bed over the next few weeks and I do not want you to wither away.”

She slapped him playfully. “We cannot just stay in this room. What will the servants think?”

His smile was mischievous. “You want to make love in other rooms? Hmm, the library has a lovely rug. We could certainly try that.”

There was a new space in her heart and it filled with Daniel. She pushed away from him, but not with any real urgency.

He tightened his embrace keeping her close.

“You are incorrigible, even for an Englishman.”

He tickled her ribs sending her into fits of giggles. “Let’s get dressed and see if there is any food to be had, wife. Shall we?”

Her cheeks ached from smiling. Wife sounded so lovely coming from his lips. Joy bubbled in her stomach and spread outward, filling her. For three years, she’d convinced herself she would never be called such a thing. Now, she was most definitely the wife of Daniel Fallon. Her heart beat with excitement.

Sophia ate ravenously. A short time later, she leaned back in her chair and placed her hands on her stomach. “I cannot eat another thing.”

“I’m not sure that, as The Countess of Marlton, you should sit in such an unladylike position,” he teased.

She sat up straight and her heart pounded. Dear God, she’d forgotten. “Countess.”

“Yes, indeed. You are the sixth countess to date and by far the loveliest.”

“Don’t say that in front of your stepmother.”

“In mother’s presence, she is, of course the loveliest of all Ladies Marlton.”

“My, but you are a fickle friend.”

“Not at all. You shall always know to me, you are the most beautiful and my stepmother can remain happy that her son adores her. What can possibly be wrong with that?”

“Nothing. You are the perfect son and the perfect husband.”

“You had better wait to make that judgment, love. You have only been married to me for twenty-four hours. I’m sure to disappoint you at any moment.”

“Never.” She crossed her arms.

“Shall we walk some of this food off in the garden, or return to our bed?” He raised his eyebrows dramatically.

She giggled. “Can’t we walk in the garden tomorrow?”

With no further prompting, he grabbed her hand and they rushed up the steps to the bedroom.

* * * *

Three days later, the butler, interrupted their dinner. Dorn looked as old as the Marlton country estate. He was vertical but only barely as he handed over a note on a small silver platter. “There is a message, my lord.”

“Thank you, Dorn.”

Dorn waited by the side of Daniel’s chair.

Daniel looked up.

“The messenger awaits your reply, my lord.”

Daniel read the note and frowned. “I’m sorry, my dear. I must answer this immediately.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Nothing to concern you. I’ll be back directly.” He strode from the room clutching the note.

Something was amiss. She finished her quail and poked at the remains. The staff stood around waiting to serve the next course. Sophia tugged on her napkin and smoothed it back in her lap.

Daniel returned, sat and picked up his fork and knife.

“What was in the message?”

Posture stiff, he did not look her in the eye. “It was a note from Thomas about some business we are working on together. I have to meet him the day after tomorrow to talk some things over.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Only for one evening.”

“This is our honeymoon, Daniel.” She failed to keep her tone even.

Daniel nodded at the two footmen standing near the large oak doors, dismissing them. “I’m sorry, Sophie. I know it is terribly rude of me to leave you even for just a few hours, but this is urgent and cannot wait. Please understand if it were not critical, I should never remove myself from your side.”

“I understand.” She said it on a sigh.

“Thank you for that.”

Biting her tongue against the lashing she wanted to give him wasn’t easy. It wouldn’t do to become one of those wives who screamed and complained. She didn’t want to turn out like Dory’s mother.

* * * *

Daniel left after luncheon on the day of his meeting with Thomas.

Sophia had been so caught up with Daniel, she hadn’t met the other people in the house. She trudged down to the kitchen. A shining black kettle bubbled on the fire and filled the lower level with warm spice and rich meat aromas.

Mrs. Grover, the cook, turned from stirring the pot. “Hello, milady.”

Sophia stepped closer and breathed in comfort just as she often had in her family’s kitchens in Philadelphia. “I thought you and I could discuss menus and what his lordship likes to eat.”

Twice as wide as the pot she covered, Mrs. Grover popped the cover on, pushed it from the main flame and offered Sophia a seat at the gleaming wood table. “I’m sorry to say, his lordship is not a hearty eater. He does like lamb stew, but only eats when called to the table. Though, perhaps that will change now. He was the same as a boy after her ladyship passed and then his appetite improved when the earl remarried.”