Tender Rebel (22 page)
He said her name impassionedly before he caught
her wrist and kissed her palm, his dark eyes never leaving hers. An electricity passed between them, hot and tingling. And his intense stare continued to hold her transfixed as he shrugged out of his robe, yanked the sheet down, and covered her body with his. He commenced then to kiss her so long and passionately that she was in a state of mindless need when he finally entered her, so much so that her climax was immediate and earth-shattering, her cry of fulfillment sending Anthony over the edge as well.
In a cocoon of contentment, Roslynn held his sweat-moistened body, waiting for their breathing to return to normal. She was in no hurry to have him move, and so her hold was rather tight. Not that it could have kept him there, but he was in no hurry to move either. His head rested on her shoulder, his breath fanning her neck, stirring the hair there, tickling her. Gooseflesh rushed down her arms and she gave a little shiver, enough for him to notice.
“I have managed to act the typical groom,” he said with a sigh. “Impatient, speedy, and now contrite.” He lifted his weight onto his elbows, which gave her a little thrill as his groin pressed more tightly to hers. “I give you leave to castigate me, my dear.”
“For what?”
“Well, if you don’t know—”
“For what, Anthony?”
“For my lack of control, of course. A man of my age and experience has no excuse, so I must put the blame on you. You quite make me lose my head.”
“Is that bad?”
“I’ll let you be the judge in a little while, when I make love to you at a more leisurely pace.”
Her laugh was deep in her throat. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were fishing for compliments. You
must know your performance wasn’t lacking. Quite the contrary. You were wonderful.”
He gave her his melting smile, which sent a weakness racing through her limbs. She gasped, her lips parting, tempting him to bend down and brush them lightly with a kiss.
But then he got up, surprising her by tossing the sheet up over her and retrieving his robe where he’d carelessly dropped it on the floor. He sat down again on the edge of the bed, but at a distance, which should have given her warning.
With a mock sigh, he said, “And now for the noise.”
Hazel eyes blinked. “The noise?”
“The unleashing of your Scot’s temper.”
Roslynn grinned at him, thinking he was once again teasing her. “I’m going to lose it, am I?”
“More than likely, since I’m honor-bound to tell you that I lied to you today.”
Her amusement fled. “About what?”
“Can’t you guess, my dear? I have no intention of keeping a mistress on the side now that I’ve married. It utterly defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?”
“But you agreed!”
His smile was one of sheer male satisfaction. “I can safely say I would have agreed to anything today to make you legally mine, even to putting it in writing, which fortunately you didn’t think to request.”
Roslynn stared at him incredulously, hot anger banishing the languor of her limbs. She felt tricked, cheated. She was furious.
“You married me falsely!”
“I married you in good faith.”
“I offered you an ideal situation, mon!”
“One I didn’t ask for or want. And, my dear, if
you’ll just think about it, you’ll see how utterly absurd your request was. You didn’t ask me to marry you, I asked you, and I’ll have you know I’ve never done that before. Nor is it something I would have done lightly. I’ve had mistresses enough to last me a lifetime. What I want now is a wife.”
It was ludicrous how calm he was next to her fury, shaming her into lowering her voice. “You say so now, but what of next month, next year? Your eyes will be a-wandering again soon enough.”
Anthony grinned at her, knowing that would probably infuriate her all the more. “My eyes have been a-wandering, as you put it, for the last nineteen years. Give them a rest, Roslynn. They settled on you and don’t want to move on.”
Her own eyes narrowed to a seething glare, just as he had anticipated. “So you think it’s a matter to be joking about, do you? Well, let me tell you—”
She didn’t get a chance to. He reached over and caught her around the waist, dragging her across the bed and up against his chest. The sheet was lost in the process, but Roslynn was too angry to notice. Anthony wasn’t. And the new stirring below his belt demanded he end this bickering soon and get back to the pleasures of the wedding night. The silly girl. All this fuss because he wanted no one but her. She ought to be happy about it instead of raising hell. But he had expected this, and had an answer for her.
“What say we compromise, sweetheart? D’you still insist I keep a mistress?”
“Hell’s teeth! Now isna that what I’ve been saying?” she retorted.
“Very well.” His eyes caressed her face, stopped on her lips, and his voice deepened. “Are you prepared to fill the role?”
“Me?”
His grin was back, maddeningly. “Who else? You happen to be the only woman I’m interested in at the moment.”
“That’s no’ what I meant, and you know it!”
“Perhaps, but it’s the best I can do.”
Roslynn didn’t believe this for a moment. “You must have a woman you’ve been seeing.”
“Assuredly. Several, in fact. But none could actually be called my mistress, sweetheart. And if you must know, I haven’t seen any of them since I met you. But that’s beside the point, isn’t it? The point is, I have no desire to take any of them to my bed again, or anyone else for that matter. You are quite stuck with me.”
“Anthony, be serious just for once!” she pleaded in exasperation.
“My dear, I’ve never been more serious in my life. How can I make love to another woman when you’re the only woman I want? It can’t be done, you know. Desire isn’t just called forth at will. Or hadn’t you thought of that?”
She was looking at him with confusion and a touch of wonder, only these expressions quickly turned to a frown and a tightening of her lips. “But that doesn’t mean you’ll no’ see someone eventually that you’ll be liking.”
Anthony sighed wearily. “If that day comes, I swear to you, Roslynn, it won’t matter in the least. I’ll have only to imagine you, here like this, and be a contented man.”
She made a sound that was very nearly a snort. “Very prettily said. I give you that. But you’re forgetting you dinna love me.”
He tossed her back onto the bed and quickly cov
ered her body with his own. “Then let us examine what I do feel, shall we?” His voice purred, but it was obvious he had lost patience with her. “There’s lust, in abundance. It’s been bloody hell keeping my hands off you until now. There’s possessiveness, which I’ve only recently discovered. There’s jealousy, which I’ve known about for weeks.” His brow rose sharply as her eyes rounded. “Don’t tell me I’ve actually surprised you, my dear.”
“You were jealous? Of who?”
“Bloody well everyone, even my blasted brother. And you may as well know, while we’re at it, that the gentlemen you were considering for marriage were all immensely suitable, with the exception of Fleming, who really is a queer fellow. It was all lies, Roslynn, because I couldn’t stand the thought of any of them having you.”
He was holding her down now, because he fully expected her to become violent after this particular confession. But Roslynn was perfectly still, rage at what he’d done overshadowed by utter amazement.
“Then you must…care a little?” Her question was whisper-soft, hesitant.
“Bloody hell!” he finally exploded. “Would I have married you if I didn’t?”
Not the least bit intimidated, she reminded him, “You married me to help me out of a horrid situation, which I’m grateful for.”
Anthony closed his eyes for a moment, pleading for self-control. When he opened them, there was a hard gleam there. But his voice was moderate, if a touch arrogant.
“My dear, if I had only wanted to help you out, as you put it, I could have hurried your bothersome cousin to an early demise with little difficulty. But I
wanted you for myself, it’s that simple.” Here his tone changed, became stern. “And if you tell me once more to enjoy other women when I’ll be bloody damned if I will, I’ll play the archaic husband for you and thrash you soundly. Have I made myself clear? There will be no other women, not now, not ever!”
He waited for her temper to snap again. He got a smile instead, a very beautiful one that reached her eyes, brightening the golden flecks there.
Anthony didn’t know what to make of this sudden change, until she said, “Dinna you mention earlier doing something at a more leisurely pace? I was suppose to judge—”
His laughter cut her off, deep and exultant. “Never change, sweetheart. I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
And he proceeded to have her his way, with her full and delighted cooperation.
“
O
ch, now, what is this? Sitting there grinning at yerself, are ye?”
Roslynn turned the hand-held mirror slightly and caught Nettie’s image reflected behind her. Her grin widened, and her eyes, already sparkling, tried for a look of innocence as she swung around on the stool.
“Was I grinning? I can’t imagine why.”
Nettie snorted, but her lips were twitching at the corners too. “Pleased wi’ yerself, ain’t ye?”
Roslynn gave up the pretense. “Yes! Oh, Nettie, I never thought I could be this happy!”
“Aye, it’s nae wonder. That’s a bonny-looking mon ye caught. But did ye have tae be keeping him such a secret?”
“There was no secret. He wasn’t really under consideration, Nettie. His asking to marry me was as much a surprise to me as to anyone.”
“Well, now, as long as yer happy wi’ him, that’s all I could be asking, and sae much more than I was expecting, wi’ all the haste. It doesna even matter that this house is sae Spartan and the servants boorish snobs.”
Roslynn chuckled. “You’ve met Dobson, I take it?”
“Aye, that lout. What a cold one. But it’s nae wonder he’s sae snooty, him being in charge of all the servants here. There’s nae housekeeper, nae other women servants a-tall, just two maids who come in several times a week tae clean. Even the cook’s a mon, and there’s another uppity one fer ye.”
“I see you have a few complaints, Nettie. But don’t take it so to heart. You’re forgetting this was a bachelor residence until now. I’m sure Anthony won’t object if we make some changes. There’s new furnishings to buy.” At this she glanced about her new bedroom, envisioning putting her touch to it. “New servants to hire. We’ll be busy in the next few weeks, you can be sure.”
“Now dinna be going off on a spending spree on my account. And remember ye’ve a husband now tae be asking afore ye go spending his money. The creatures are particular about such things as that.”
“Don’t be such a worrier, Nettie. I’m not going to use
his
money when I’ve so much of my own.”
“Ye better talk that over wi’ him first, lassie. A mon’s funny about wanting tae pay his wife’s bills, ye know? Yer trouble is, ye’ve been doing fer yerself too long, even afore Duncan, bless him, passed on. But yer married now. Ye’ve got tae make allowances and do things a might differently if ye want tae be keeping the peace atween ye.” A knock sounded on the door just then, and Nettie explained. “That’ll be yer bath water. Are ye in a hurry tae be joining yer mon fer lunch, or have ye time—”
“There’s plenty of time, Nettie. Anthony went out, I believe.” Roslynn blushed here. “I was still half asleep when he told me. But he mentioned something about his daily ride and attending to a few things. I don’t expect him back before dinner, however, so I can spend the day acquainting myself with the house and servants. And I really must send a note off to Frances to let her know what’s happened.” After getting so little sleep last night, Roslynn thought those were enough priorities for one day.
An hour later, wearing a cool muslin dress of yel
low-and-rose spring flowers on a beige background, Roslynn left Anthony’s room,
their
room now, and started down the short hallway. She had seen next to nothing of his home the last time she was here, nor last night either, but that would soon be corrected. She would need Dobson’s help, though. Since there were other Malorys in residence, she couldn’t just open doors indiscriminately.
She spared a moment’s thought for the other two occupants of the house, Anthony’s brother and son. She wondered if her husband would now admit that Jeremy Malory was his son. There was no reason for him to still deny it, at least not to her. He was a handsome lad, a boy to be proud of, and the image of his father. Actually, it was ludicrous for Anthony to deny patrimony when anyone merely had to look at Jeremy to know who sired him.
She would need to make friends with the lad, but she could foresee no difficulty there. James Malory was another matter. There was no reason to get too friendly with him, and every reason not to. Should she tell Anthony about James having kissed her once? Or maybe he already knew. He
had
said he had been jealous of his brother.
She smiled, remembering their crazy conversation last night. She didn’t know how he had done it, but she had let him convince her he was going to make a wonderful husband. All of her long-standing, preconceived notions about rakes were put to rest. He was going to be faithful. She felt it, believed it now wholeheartedly, and was ecstatic about it. What more could she have asked for than to have Anthony Malory all to herself? His love, she reminded herself. But that would come. It would. It had to.
“Hell’s bells, what are
you
doing here?”
Roslynn paused at the top of the stairs. Jeremy Malory, on his way up, stopped dead in his tracks too, his mouth left open in an O of wonder after he had got his question out. The imp in Roslynn decided to be mischievous, since it was obvious he hadn’t heard of the marriage yet.
“I spent the night, don’t you know.”
“Spent the night?” he repeated.
“Yes, and I’m thinking of moving in.”
“But—but there’s only bachelors here!”
“But there’s lots of room, don’t you think? And this house could use a woman’s touch.”