‘You know me better than you realise. No one knows me better than you. No one ever will.’
She started to speak, but he forestalled her. ‘Listen to me. Words can never be adequate to make you realise how much I desire you.’ He put his hands on her waist and drew her close. ‘I can say it with my body if you will let me.’
Lucy closed her eyes and something fluttered and softened within her. ‘Don’t, Nathan. Don’t.’
He pushed his advantage. ‘You desire me, too. I remember the night we spent in the cave.’ He pulled her closer just a little. ‘Have you forgotten that?’
‘I haven’t,’ she answered in a fierce whisper.
‘Nor have I. On the night of the storm, I saw you only in the dimness of the moonlight. When we make love again I am going to light all the candles I can find. I am going to see you while we make love,’ he promised, eager to see the perfect curves of her breasts and hips, to see the tapering length of her legs and the expression on her face as they came together. ‘Come with me now, Lucy, away from here. If you want me as much as I want you, spend the remainder of the night with me.’ He brushed the backs of his fingers over her flushed cheek. ‘I want you more than I have ever wanted anything in my life.’
Taking a deep, shuddering breath she looked into his eyes. ‘And you are certain of that, are you, Nathan?’
‘Yes.’
That was all she needed to hear. Time enough later to learn why he had changed his mind. Just now, she did not care. He was gazing at her and his face was shadowed. She stared at him in a charmed, relishing silence, then she nodded. ‘I’ll just say goodnight to Coral and get my cloak.’
He helped her into it and they went outside and climbed into his coach. Seated across from each other, they didn’t speak as they left the theatre behind. Moonlight brushed the stones on the road with pale silver and the buildings were a dim mass shrouded with velvety black shadows.
‘Where are we going?’ Lucy asked as they passed through London’s suburbs. ‘We appear to be heading out of town.’
‘Don’t worry. We’ll soon be there.’
* * *
When the carriage eventually passed through some tall gates and swayed gently along the curving drive bordered with wide sweeping lawns, Lucy recognised the large private residence immediately. An immense expanse of mullioned windows was aglow with lights.
‘Why, this is where you brought me when you taught me to ride.’ She leaned forward for a better look, straining her eyes in the darkness.
‘That’s right.’
‘I recall you telling me it belonged to a relative of yours.’
‘It did. My uncle. Unfortunately he did not enjoy the best of health and died while I was in Portugal. Wilmslow House and his estate now belongs to me—I am his heir, you see, Lucy.’
She stared at him with amazement. ‘Goodness! How very grand! Does a title go with it?’
‘Indeed it does. Welcome to my home,’ he said as the coach halted at the bottom of a wide flight of stone steps leading up to the carved-oak double doors.
Flinging them open, he drew Lucy inside. When the butler came he explained that he would not be needing anything further until morning. The butler departed, with only one quick glance at the hooded woman by his side.
‘Come with me.’ Taking her hand, Nathan led Lucy across the hall.
Together they ascended the curving marble staircase and he led her to a splendid suite of rooms decorated in subtle shades of green. He turned the key in the lock. At last, he thought, drawing in a deep breath, then letting it out slowly. At last they were alone.
Lucy pushed back the hood of her cloak and walked to the fire, holding her hands out to its warmth. Nathan studied her bathed in the soft light. He was reminded of the first moment he had ever seen her, for she looked much the same now as she had then—a little older, of course, a beautiful, mature and very desirable woman. Tonight, all he wanted was to show her what he felt when he looked at her. Arousal was coursing through his body and he longed to take her to bed, but the next few hours were not for him. They were for her.
Lucy was aware of him when he stood behind her. She turned, her breath catching a little as his gaze bored into her. She was aware of how warm and close the room had become and she let her cloak fall. He was still gazing at her, and his face was shadowed, for he’d turned away from the fireplace. She took a tentative step forwards.
‘Nathan.’
He came quickly to her, taking her into his arms. She rested her head against his shoulder. His arms were warm and strong, and she relaxed.
‘Lucy,’ he murmured and bent his head down. She raised her face. Their lips met and she caught her breath sharply. Then her mouth opened under the pressure of his. His tongue slid in, gently exploring. Sighing softly, she slipped her arms around his neck and pressed herself closer, feeling the nearness of him. He reached up with one hand to stroke her face, and the fleeting touch sent shivers down her spine.
Nathan looked at her. Her eyes were closed, but he kept his open, for he wanted to see every nuance of feeling he could pull out of her with his hands and his mouth. He slid his hands up into her hair, tangling his hands in the tresses, revelling in the feel of it, warm and satiny between his fingers.
She made a tiny, smothered sound of desire and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body closer to his and igniting his raw hungry need to be inside her, the need he was striving to keep at bay.
‘Nathan...’ She stopped.
He smiled down at her and ran a fingertip lightly down her cheek, tracing the line of her jaw. ‘No words are necessary,’ he murmured, his lips against hers. ‘Time enough for talking later.’
They kissed again. His kisses were strong and sweet, and she returned them with a fervour she had forgotten she had ever possessed. It was as if they had never been parted, as if they had always been together, sharing their days and nights. His hands slid down to her waist. He wanted her out of all these clothes, but he forced himself to wait, containing his moves until her body told his the next one to make. Thankfully he didn’t have long to wait.
When she was quivering in his hold and she could hear the fierce pounding of his heart, she raised her eyes to him. ‘Take me to bed, Nathan. I want your love again.’
A slow grin curved his lips and his eyes burned down into hers. ‘Anything my lady desires,’ he said softly and in one fluid motion picked her up and took her to his bed.
He knelt before her and gently disrobed her, his hands lingering as he removed her chemise, brushing her shoulders and hips, and as each layer of clothing was removed Lucy could feel her skin tingling.
When she was at last naked, his gaze swept over her, absorbing every detail of her body, and he smiled. ‘You’re still as lovely as ever. More so.’
‘You’d best get undressed if you’re to make love to me.’
‘I suppose I should,’ he said, his voice marked with humour, and he proceeded to remove his clothes.
When he, too, was naked, Lucy gazed at him, at the taut muscles, strong arms and legs, the jutting manhood that bespoke his passion for her.
Pulling her down beside him on the bed, they kissed and clung to one another. His hands, tenderly touching, caressed her body, squeezing, encircling her breasts, then spreading and caressing her thighs, creating a tingle that spread through her, in her blood, in her bones, a delicious, delectable torture that grew and grew until she could feel a warm fountain within, brimming, soon to brim over as she drowned in a flood of pleasure.
Everything about what they were doing felt right. So long they had been apart. So long she had missed him and wanted him. Closing her eyes, she drifted in a blissful void, reeling, drifting, floating far away. His hands were all over her, opening her to incredible pleasure, and then he moved and his weight pinioned her and then slowly,
slowly he became a part of her and she felt the joy and wonder of it in her heart.
Nothing she felt was suppressed or hidden from him now. As they twisted and rolled across the sheets, rocking together, locked as one for all time, she clung to him and he to her, and there was exquisite joy in every plane and curve of her face as she let out a soft moan of feminine ecstasy.
Assailed by waves of lust and passion, thrusting her higher and higher to those dizzying heights that made her ache and burn with an ardour she had only ever felt in his arms, Nathan continued to bring her to ecstasy. The feel of her surrounding him was so exquisite that all his good intentions went straight to hell. He heard his own visceral groans as he felt the tension within him rising, thickening until it was unbearable. It was impossible to be gentle now or hold back. His own passion was finally unleashed, the sensations exploding inside him with flash and heat.
Afterwards, breathing heavily, he stilled on top of her, his hands sliding beneath her back. He watched as her breathing returned to normal and she opened her eyes. Smiling, he bent to kiss her swollen lips and she ran her tongue provocatively against his.
‘I’ve missed you, my darling,’ he murmured, his fingers stroking the soft planes of her face.
‘Have you?’
‘These past years have been hellish. I remember how beautiful you were that first time I saw you.’
‘You told me. I never believed you. I keep remembering that gawky adolescent girl I was then.’
‘You were beautiful back then, Lucy. You were the most captivating young woman I had ever seen, gentle and graceful and totally unaware of your beauty.’
‘And now?’
‘You’re even lovelier than ever,’ he said.
‘You just want to sleep with me,’ she accused.
‘You’re right about that,’ he said and laughed, the sound ringing through the room. He rolled on to his back, taking her with him.
Her face hovered above his and he kissed her, the intensity of their kisses increasing, their passion blossoming once more, and again they were as one.
* * *
It was long into the night before their bodies finally succumbed to the dreamy, languid aftermath of complete and repeated consummation. Lucy was the first to wake, and gave a long contended sigh as she watched Nathan sleep beside her. Leaning forwards, she touched his lips with hers. Without opening his eyes he gently kissed her back.
‘I’m not asleep,’ he said softly, and rolled on to his side to prop his head up with one hand.
‘I’m glad. You have made me so happy, but I think we should talk for a while. I—didn’t realise you wanted me so much.’
She suddenly found herself in a fierce embrace as Nathan wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. ‘Want you! Of course I want you, you wonderful, brave and incredibly beautiful woman.’ He breathed against her hair. ‘How could you think that?’
Lucy’s breath caught in her throat. ‘You—never said so.’
‘I apologise, my darling.’ Sighing, he raised his hand to stroke her hair with a possessive gentleness. ‘Do you know how many times throughout the weeks we were together I’ve thanked God you were there—by my side? Doubtless you saved my life. You kept your head, when other women would have recoiled from doing what you did.’
She shuddered in his embrace. ‘I did what I had to do. I couldn’t let Gameau kill you.’
‘And I thank you for it, Lucy.’
Hearing the sincerity in his voice, Lucy drew back to search his face. Candlelight highlighted his thick hair with gold and increased the sharp clarity of his eyes, making it impossible for her to deny the love she saw there. She took a steadying breath, daring to believe. ‘There were times on our journey together when I thought that I had lost you.’
‘I’ll be honest with you, Lucy. When I embarked on the assignment, it was no different to any other—only I had you by my side. I knew there must be no divided loyalties to weaken my resolve, so I vowed not to touch you, to override any temptation I might have to feel those emotions that had set my blood afire in the past.’
‘And you failed,’ she said quietly.
‘Miserably. It is in my character to be strong, but what is honour compared to a woman’s love—to your love, Lucy. I am only human. When Katherine told me you intended to go away when you reached London, I was mortified. I couldn’t bear to lose you all over again.’
‘Then you shouldn’t have held yourself from me.’
‘No, I realise that now. I should tell you that the Duke of Londesborough has given an account of what you have done for his family to the newspapers. With your success riding high, there must have been speculation when you disappeared from the theatre scene so suddenly. When they read what you did in Portugal, your popularity will be restored. In fact, I can imagine every theatre manager will be clamouring to have you as their leading lady.’
Speechless, Lucy stared at him. She could hardly think straight for the thoughts tumbling through her mind.
‘Of course I hope you will refuse the lot of them,’ he went on softly.
‘Why, Nathan?’ Her tone was suspicious, her eyes wary.
He was smiling now. ‘Don’t worry. I wasn’t thinking of asking you to accompany me on another assignment.’
‘Then what?’
‘Marry me, Lucy,’ he said softly.
She stared at him, unable to believe the words he had spoken. ‘You—you want me to be your wife?’ she whispered.
‘Absolutely. I was mad ever to let you go. For many months I hated you with a bitterness that corroded my life and I was quite determined to put you out of it. I was resolute that when I had done in Spain I would marry and that Lucy Lane would soon become nothing to me.’ He smiled as though in disbelief at the very idea, shaking his head at his own foolishness. ‘But of course I couldn’t forget you. Love is not something that can be turned on and off like a tap.’
‘And now?’
‘Now I want to talk to you about the future.’
‘A future together?’
He nodded. ‘You are mine, Lucy,’ he said with great gravity. ‘Marry me. Be my lady. You won’t be sorry, I promise you. I love you—I’ve never stopped loving you. I want to marry you—and this time there will be no backing out. Come, what do you say?’
‘You love me?’
‘I do. Very much. And this time I fully intend that we make it to the altar.’ He lifted one dark brow, an amused glint in his eye. ‘Are you going to argue with me, Lucy?’
She opened her mouth, then shut it, then smiled slowly. ‘And if I am?’
‘Then for God’s sake answer the question first and then kiss me,’ he said, dragging her into his arms and tilting her face to his. ‘I promise you I shall banish all thought of argument from your mind.’
There was a glow in his eyes as he looked at her, then they blazed suddenly with their old vivid light. She breathed deeply, then smiled at him, painfully. Feelings rushed to her in a flood. She loved him so much. He was her destiny, her future and she had to make that absolutely clear to him right now.
‘Then, yes,’ she murmured, ‘I will marry you, Nathan. And I love you—with all my heart. I never did stop loving you. Can you ever forgive me for what I did?’
‘There’s nothing to forgive, my love.’
Holding her close, he kissed her gently on the lips. When they finally drew apart, they regarded one another seriously.
‘We will have to set a date for the wedding. When would you like it to be?’
‘Soon,’ she whispered, her cheeks flushing a becoming pink.
‘I’m glad you said that. I have no wish to wait.’
‘Neither do I—but there is another reason why...’ To her horror, her voice gave way completely.
Nathan looked at her closely, a
frown drawing his brows together. ‘You have something to tell me, Lucy? You seem troubled.’
She heard the concern in his voice. Suddenly, looking at him through half-closed lashes, she felt hope dawn inside her. ‘I am troubled, Nathan. It’s the kind of trouble you landed me in when you took advantage of me on the night I fell into the stream. The result of that madness is—that I am with child.’
Shock registered in his face. ‘A child? Good Lord! What are you talking about?’
‘It’s quite simple. I’m pregnant with your child.’
She heard his quick intake of breath. ‘Why did you not tell me before?’
‘I didn’t tell you because everything was against it.’ There was the faintest glimmer of tears in her eyes and all at once it came flooding out, all the fears and the anxieties she had lived with since she had become aware of her condition. ‘It was plain to me that you took me in a moment of weakness. I knew if I told you that you would offer marriage only because you would see that honour be satisfied. I wanted to know that it is me you want, Nathan—not for the sake of a child.’
It was quiet and the silence bit keenly into her nerves. Nathan rolled on to his back and stared into the distance.
‘You have suffered all this—alone,’ he said at length. ‘You should have been honest with me. You should have told me.’
‘Please, Nathan, I beg you to understand why I didn’t. But I’m glad you know,’ Propping herself up on her elbow, she leaned over him. Her eyes found his and she spoke frankly once more, with much relief that someone else knew at last. ‘Our child needs a father, a strong man he or she can admire and trust.’
Nathan shoved himself up, his gaze travelling to the gentle swelling becoming visible in her abdomen, his expression holding a rare look of softness and pleasure. Raising his eyes, he looked at her, admiration and respect mirrored in the blueness of his gaze, a look he had never given any other woman.
‘You have me, my darling, and pierced me at my weakest spot—you and our unborn child. I am indeed blessed.’
Lucy Lane and the Lieutenant Page 23