Beverley Kendall
Page 32
His hands scored the rigid tips of her breasts through the silk of her dress, and the prominent swell of his erection prodded her belly. She squirmed in response, her hips undulating in an attempt to ease the building pressure in her loins.
James groaned. Hands shaking, he set her away from him, leaving her to surface from the hazy mist of passion. Her heavy-lidded eyes struggled to open. Instinctively, she reached out to him but he took another shaky step backward, his eyes devouring her even as he denied himself.
“Are you forgetting that your brother is out there somewhere? Even if we were to be married tomorrow, I hardly think he’d approve of me taking you here in the library. In addition, your cries of pleasure would undoubtedly reach the servants’ ears, and before sunrise tomorrow, all of London would know you’d been thoroughly debauched and by whom.”
Missy opened her mouth to protest his claim, then remembered their last two encounters, and wisely snapped it shut. She had no defense. When he touched her, she became mindless and all consideration to anything else vanished from her thoughts.
“I know you are right but surely a small kiss wouldn’t hurt.” Her mouth pouted temptingly. She closed the gap between them and slid her arms around his waist. His body tensed for a moment before relaxing as he enfolded her securely in his arms.
Nuzzling her neck, he whispered, “You could never be satisfied with one small kiss.”
Missy let out a soft moan. “There is nothing small about anything you give me.”
“One week,” James said, chuckling against her hair. “That is all I am willing to wait to make you my wife.”
“I will tell my mother she has four days.”
“That’s my girl,” he murmured before sealing her lips in a scorching kiss.
Epilogue
“They are quite the most beautiful babies I have ever seen.”
Missy knew she viewed them with a mother’s bias, but she readily admitted Catherine spoke the truth. Charlotte sat on the bed, peering at Jason over Missy’s shoulder, who at only three days lay swaddled in a soft cotton blanket in his mother’s arms.
Emily and Sarah had left only moments before to get something to eat, claiming they were famished. James held Jessica, who was only three minutes younger than her twin. By the manner in which he gazed at her, it was obvious his young daughter had already managed to wrap him around her too-tiny finger.
“It is hard to believe I’m an aunt,” Charlotte said, tenderly stroking the downy soft tuft of dark hair on her nephew’s head.
“You can still hardly believe you have two brothers,” James replied, smiling at both his sisters, his affection obvious.
“Which reminds me, when will Christopher be home from school? I hope he will be excused to come home before Christmas.” Missy knew from his letters he had eagerly anticipated the birth of the baby and, now that there were two instead of one, he’d be over the moon just as the girls were.
“I sent a message to the headmaster to ask that he be excused the following week. As Christmas is over four months away, I didn’t think it would be fair to make him wait so long. He is already jealous his sisters get to see the baby first—well, babies, but that will be his surprise.”
A preemptory knock sounded on the bedchamber door before it was thrust open to admit Thomas, Alex and the viscountess.
Her mother and sisters had arrived a week ago, and would be remaining for a fortnight. This was the first time she had seen Thomas and Alex since the babies’ birth.
“Ah, there she is, as fit and as hale as ever,” Thomas said. “Thank goodness, because for the last five months, I just thought poor Missy was just the biggest pregnant woman I’d ever seen. If I’d known she carried two babies, I wouldn’t have said all of those heartless things behind her back.” He wore a broad grin on his face and first stopped by his sister’s bedside to brush a loving kiss on her proffered cheek.
“And just where have you been? If you were not aware, I gave birth all of three days ago. More than ample time for you to make your way from London.”
“Unfortunately, business matters with Lord Bradford detained us.” He grimaced as if that hadn’t been the only thing.
Alex verified that in the next statement. “If one can now call matters concerning the marquess’s daughter ‘business’.” His voice was dry as the desert.
James’s raised brow and curled lips gave him a decidedly mocking look. “I didn’t know your dealings with the marquess were so firmly—uh—linked to the daughter. Isn’t that the same chit Missy told me gave you a rather sordid setdown at the Langley’s ball last year?” He shot a glance at Missy. “I believe you told me she indicated she was not at all enamored of his professed talents about the Town and didn’t she in fact say that—”
“Spoiled, rude, insolent chit. She’ll drive her poor father to an early grave if he allows it,” Thomas grumbled, his forehead knotted.
“But isn’t that where you come in?” Alex smirked and sent him a knowing look, and by the glowering response he received from Thomas, Missy could tell they shared a secret joke.
“I believe we are here to see my dear sister, my brother-in-law, and my niece and nephew. Unpleasant discussions have no place here.”
“And yes, Thomas, I’m doing quite fine. Thank you for asking.” She smiled up at his golden visage.
“Mother said you did a wonderful job, and I see that you have.”
“Would you like to hold your nephew?”
Thomas stared at the small bundle and cleared his throat, his discomfort evident. “Lord, he’s so small I’m likely to drop him.”
Alex stepped from behind him, elbowed him to the side and took Jason from her arms after dropping a light kiss on her forehead.
“If all women look as you do after giving birth, I can’t imagine that marriage will be such a duty.” Alex looked completely at ease holding the tiny infant. Missy thought whenever he decided to marry, he would make a wonderful father.
Thomas took his cue and sauntered over to the other side of the bed to stand next to James. The viscountess had already relieved him of his daughter so he stood like the thoroughly besotted man he was, observing his wife and children, love evident in his eyes.
“I see you’re still making her happy,” her brother said in way of a greeting, grasping James’s hand in a handshake.
“No, I imagine we’re both making each other extremely happy,” he replied, but he had eyes only for her and she for him.
Thomas snorted in mock disgust. Turning to his mother he said, “If this is marriage, I want no part of it. He can hardly be called a man anymore.”
Without looking up from her sleeping granddaughter, the viscountess tsked her son. “I imagine you will sing a different tune when your turn comes.”
Thomas snorted again. “You’ll never see me acting the fool over any woman.”
Catherine scrunched up her nose at Thomas. “I want my husband to be exactly like my brother. Which woman wouldn’t want a husband who adores her as James does Missy?”
Missy smiled and when her gaze swung to Charlotte, she noticed she was unusually quiet, her blue eyes glued to where Alex stood cooing over the baby. The girls were now sixteen—hardly girls any longer—making them the same age as she had been when she’d fallen fathoms-deep in love with James. Lord, her husband would kill Alex, she thought with a smile, but it would be such a fitting retribution.
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
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Copyright © 2010 by Beverley Kendall
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