Sarah fell back against the pillows, drawing Guy with her and sliding her hands inside the robe. She realised with a sudden shock that he was wearing nothing at all beneath it; her hands slid over his bare chest and met with taut, smooth muscle. Her shocked gasp was lost as his mouth claimed hers again, drinking from its sweetness as she gave unstintingly, opening her lips to his, pliant with need.
Guy pulled back a little to shrug himself out of the robe and Sarah watched in fascination as the firelight enhanced the golden nakedness of his skin.
‘This time,’ he said breathlessly, ‘you have the advantage over me, Sarah…’
Sarah’s mind finally let go of the last shade of inhibition as she reached out to pull him tightly against her. She dug her fingers into the hard smoothness of his shoulders, smiling a little smile of satisfaction as she heard his sharp intake of breath, the groan of pleasure he could not hide.
‘Sarah…’
He raised himself a little above her and undid the ribbon of the peignoir with fingers that shook slightly. The night gown beneath was of very fine lawn, almost transparent, and as Guy’s hand skimmed over it, Sarah was achingly aware that it revealed as much as it concealed. Nevertheless, Guy was clearly not content to leave it where it was. Sarah felt him slide the slippery material down from her shoulders and closed her eyes as he bent to caress her breasts. Her body arched and writhed under the onslaught of such pleasure; his lips returned to hers to kiss her with a savage tenderness that was utterly sensuous and made Sarah squirm with wanting.
The nightgown soon joined the peignoir and Guy’s robe in a tumbled heap on the floor. Sarah’s lips felt swollen with kissing, her whole body suffused with desire, a painful longing in the pit of her stomach that demanded satisfaction.
‘You said,’ she whispered, ‘that you would remember I owed you something…’
Guy paused. He propped himself up on one elbow and pushed the tangled hair away from her face. ‘So I did…’ He smiled a little. ‘Are you ready to pay your debt, Sarah, because I must tell you that this time I will not stop…?’
For answer, Sarah pulled him back to her, a delicious smile curving her lips. ‘You had better not,’ she said.
The room was cold but Sarah was delightfully warm, the bedclothes wrapped around her and her new husband wrapped closer still, one arm lying possessively across her. She stirred and turned to look at him, her heart full of love as she considered his face, softened in sleep. Guy stirred and curled an arm about her, pulling her back down to his side.
‘Sarah…’
‘My love?’
Guy opened his eyes and smiled sleepily with remembered pleasure.
‘I did not hurt you, did I, sweetheart?’
‘I do not remember,’ Sarah said honestly. She blushed. ‘It was…most enjoyable…’
‘Then you might be prepared to repeat the experience?’
‘I do not know,’ Sarah said, sounding prim. ‘Is it morning yet?’
‘I doubt it. It is still dark and no one is stirring. We did retire rather early.’ Guy yawned and stretched, reaching over to light a candle. Sarah watched, fascinated, as the bedclothes slid from his powerful frame to reveal the taut line of shoulder and thigh, the slim waist, the muscular torso.
He caught her gaze on him, smiled and picked up one of her curls, tickling her neck. Sarah put up one hand to fend him off, realised that the sheet had slipped from her, too, and made a grab for it. Guy was too quick for her, snatching it away.
‘Such modesty, after all we have done!’
The rosy colour flooded Sarah’s face again. ‘Oh, please…’
Guy pulled her down beneath him. ‘I should like to please you, Sarah. Like this…and this…’
This time he made love to her with concentrated passion, lingering with infinite slowness over each caress until Sarah thought she would melt with pleasure.
‘Did I tell you I love you?’ Guy asked afterwards, cradling her to him.
‘Yes…’ Sarah’s mind was cloudy with happiness ‘…but you may tell me again, as much as you wish, just as I shall tell you!’
They were awoken much later by a discreet knock at the door. Guy knotted the robe about his waist and went to answer, whilst Sarah hid behind the bed curtains and wriggled back into her nightgown and wrap. Guy reappeared, carrying a tray and put it down on the table by the bed.
‘Mama thought that we might be hungry—I cannot imagine why! There are rolls and butter, ham, eggs, and this…’ He gestured towards the large jug.
‘What is it?’ Sarah asked curiously.
‘Blanchland spring water!’ Guy poured it into a glass and toasted her with it. ‘Mama tells me that all the guests are taking it with their breakfast and swearing that it is sovereign against the evils of too much drink!’ He took a sip. ‘Mmm, not bad. I do believe your cousin Ralph may at last have struck success with the ton!’
Sarah smiled. ‘So Blanchland has at last given up the last of its secrets,’ she said softly.
Guy leant over and kissed her. ‘And in the process it has made everyone very happy. Olivia has been restored to her family and has found Justin Lebeter into the bargain! Amelia and Greville are united at last, and Sir Ralph has his spring water!’ He kissed her again, his hands beginning to stray across the seductively smooth material of the peignoir, undoing the ribbon that Sarah had so carefully done up only minutes before.
‘As for me,’ Guy murmured, as his lips returned to hers, ‘Blanchland gave you to me, Sarah, so I am the most fortunate of all.’
ISBN: 978-1-4268-4014-2
THE BLANCHLAND SECRET
First North American Publication 2002
Copyright © 2001 by Nicola Cornick
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