The effect of his comment was nothing short of scandalous. It evoked a sigh of longing she could not hold back, tightening the air around them to a heady crackle.
“Amelia, the things you do to me . . .” He shook his head as if confounded. “Let us plan this wedding with haste, my love. The sooner we get it done, the sooner I can see to your pleasure.”
“Not only mine,” she said, daring herself to be bold, “but yours, as well, Your Grace.”
The heat that ignited his eyes was intense. “I can scarcely wait.”
Neither could she, and yet they had no choice but to do precisely that. It would be at least three weeks until their vows would be spoken because of the banns that would have to be cried in church. As she kissed him once more before pulling away, she wondered how she would ever survive the wait.
Unfortunately, three weeks turned into four because of a delay ordering the fabric for Amelia’s wedding gown. She’d gotten so exasperated over the matter that she’d suggested wearing another one of her dresses, but Thomas had wanted the day to be perfect for her, so he had suggested postponing the service until everything was completely ready—a suggestion he’d made between gritted teeth right before excusing himself and leaving her company. It had been one of many signs of his growing agitation.
She herself wasn’t faring much better. Her days were filled with errands pertaining to the wedding and her nights with thoughts of what would transpire between herself and Thomas when they were finally alone as husband and wife.
Finally, when she’d begun to wonder if her wedding day would ever arrive, it did. Gabriella and Juliette attended to her along with her maid before departing for the church. When Amelia descended the stairs to where Raphe stood waiting for her, the depth of emotion that shone in his eyes tightened her heart. In that moment, she was glad she and Thomas had forgone a hasty marriage by special license. Her brother had earned the honor of giving her away properly, of seeing her settled, and she would have regretted not giving him that.
Raphe bent to place a kiss upon her cheek. “You look stunning,” he told her sincerely. “I still can’t believe this is actually happening.”
“Neither can I,” she assured him. “It is a miracle, is it not?”
Meeting her gaze with a stiff nod, he made no effort to hide the moisture that gathered at the corners of his eyes. “Shall we?” He offered her his arm.
She happily accepted it and allowed him to lead her out of Huntley House and toward the future that awaited her at the church.
The ceremony had been briefer than she’d expected, not that she’d minded. When it had been completed, they’d enjoyed a lovely breakfast with friends and family in a private dining room at Rules. Everything had happened in a daze. Amelia could scarcely recall what she’d eaten besides the cake, which had been delicious. And then her husband had whisked her off with some half-hearted comment about being exhausted that no one had seemed to believe. The two of them were now heading toward Mivart’s Hotel on Brook Street, where Thomas had reserved a suite for their wedding night.
“Are you ready?” Thomas asked. He sat beside her in the ducal carriage—their ducal carriage.
“Very much so,” she assured him, catching his meaning.
“Has Gabriella spoken to you about . . . what you are to expect?”
She smiled in response to his obvious discomfort with the subject. “She did.”
He expelled a breath. “Good. I was concerned since you do not have a mother with whom to discuss such things. The last thing I want is to frighten you.”
Sensing he was as nervous as she was about what would soon transpire and touched by that thought, she shifted enough to allow for some eye contact. “You needn’t worry about that. If you recall, I did grow up surrounded by whores and their patrons, so I did have some idea of what goes on between men and women, even before Gabriella gave me the details and showed me a rather surprising book.”
His eyes widened a notch. “A book?”
“It contained some very colorful depictions of various positions along with descriptions.” She couldn’t help but grin in response to his shocked expression. “So perhaps it is I who will teach you a thing or two?”
Nostrils flaring, he attacked her with his mouth. It was really the only way to describe the plundering roughness of the kiss that followed. His hands moved over her, touching, feeling, caressing, until she squirmed with wanton discomfort.
“Four weeks,” he murmured against her ear. “Do you have any idea how hellish that time has been for me?”
She nodded while pleasure rolled through her, igniting a thirst that would not be denied. “Yes,” she confessed. “For it has been the same for me.”
He froze, his eyes locked with hers as the words sank in. The carriage rocked, and then his hand moved, lowering to the place where she needed him most, the firm touch replacing the ache with a rush of pure pleasure.
Leaning back against the squabs, she sighed with relief. “Yes.”
His eyes stayed on hers as he increased the pressure. “Tell me how you feel,” he said, taking her higher.
“Incredible,” she confessed on a rush of air.
His lips met hers for the briefest of seconds, then his breath blew softly against her cheek. “I have thought of you each night for as long as I can remember, Amelia, of how you will sound as you come apart in my arms.” Another kiss and another touch had her begging for him to continue. “I think it is time for me to find out.”
He pushed against her skirts while she arched into his hand, the pressure creating a frisson of heat that expanded and burst on a wave of spiraling bliss. She clutched him while tremors rolled through her, relishing every exquisite part of the moment.
He held her until they had ceased, replaced by a soothing calm. “You’re splendid,” he said as the carriage swayed to a halt. He was out the door and helping her down before she could blink, his haste to have her alone evident in his brisk stride. Five minutes later, they were shown into the suite he’d reserved.
The porter who’d helped with their bags departed, and the door clicked into place behind him. Amelia felt the first hint of nervous trepidation. “This is lovely,” she said, going to look out the window. She shouldn’t have mentioned that book or the fact that she knew a thing or two about lovemaking. Now he would likely expect some experience when she in fact had none.
“Perfect,” he murmured, coming up behind her.
She felt his hand on her hip right before his lips touched the side of her neck. Her exhalation of breath ruffled the gauzy curtains. “Thomas,” she chastised. “Someone might see.”
“If that is your concern, you had best come away from the window, wife, for I have no intention of waiting another second to make you mine.” A playful nibble on her earlobe made Amelia’s insides fizz with anticipation.
The nerves that had formed were chased away when he turned her in his arms and covered her mouth with his in a languid kiss that vanquished all thought. His hands slid along her sides while he deepened the kiss with increased urgency, then toward her back until she suddenly felt her gown slide off her shoulders. She’d no idea how he’d managed to unfasten all the buttons without her taking notice, and she really didn’t care, her body now clamoring for increased contact—for skin against skin—for the intimate touches they would soon share.
Tugging urgently at his jacket, she wrestled it off his shoulders. A sleeve caught on his arm and he laughed against her mouth—a momentary easing of tension while he helped her deposit the garment on the floor.
“Willful hoyden,” he murmured. He nipped at her shoulder while she tugged his shirt free, slipping her hands underneath.
Ahhh.
He felt divine, his back an unforgiving plane of solidity against the pressure of her fingers. Spreading them wide, she ran them toward his sides and felt his muscles ripple in response. Then up across his chest, pressing between them in a slow slide of exploration that forced a gruff sound from his throa
t.
A series of blistering embers erupted against the touch of his lips as he claimed her mouth once more. They rained through her with fiery anticipation, prompting a sigh of pure and uninhibited pleasure. And then she felt her stays loosen around her and the cool air brushing her skin when he drew her chemise up over her head and sent the silk piece of clothing flying.
Breaking their kiss, Thomas drew away a little, eyes dark beneath lowered lashes. His lips drew up with wolfish hunger. “God, you’re beautiful,” he murmured. Stepping back, he allowed his gaze to trail the length of her body.
An unfamiliar vulnerability shook her—this sense of being completely exposed and watched as strange and uncomfortable as it was provocative. But then she saw him raise his hands to his cravat, unknotting and unwinding the fabric with a slow deliberation that made her ridiculously impatient. His shirt followed, revealing the chest she’d felt with her hands. He was just as stunning as she’d expected, with toned muscles defining his abdomen, and arms strong enough to hold her forever.
“So are you,” she whispered, her eyes riveted on the movement of his fingers as he undid the fall of his trousers and pulled them down over his legs. When he paused to meet her gaze with gleaming eyes that seemed to devour, she sucked in a breath and then daringly asked, “What about the rest?”
A wicked smile slanted his mouth. “As my lady commands.”
He stripped off his smalls, discarded his stockings and stood before her, magnificently nude. “Perfect.” No other word could describe him.
All humor slipped from his face. He went to her like a pirate determined to claim his treasure. That thought alone sent a thrill shooting through her, more so when he scooped her up, his mouth seeking hers. With a sure stride, he carried her straight to the bed.
“Amelia.” His voice caressed her brow as he laid her upon the silk-covered mattress and climbed in beside her.
Reaching for him, she pressed herself to his warmth, removing the distance and adding closeness. “Yes?”
“I am the most fortunate man in the world.” His hand found her hip and stroked over her thigh, exploring her body while she explored his. A sense of calm had settled over them, bringing with it the delicate touches of being adored and savored. “I will do my best to be gentle with you—to make this new experience as good for you as possible.”
He kissed her then, touching her for long languid moments until she got drunk on his essence. When she explored him, he seemed to grow increasingly restless, his strokes demanding an arousal that made her desperate for what came next.
Shifting, he settled between her thighs, and as she ran her hands down his back, clutching him to her, he eased his way forward, forging a path that would join her body with his. A smile broke on her lips, not of humor, but of deep and profound satisfaction, because the man she loved was finally hers, and nothing in the world had ever felt more glorious than that.
“Amelia.” Her name was a pure benediction.
“Yes,” she said on a sigh. If there had been pain, she’d been oblivious to it. All she could do now was beg for more.
Moving gently at first, he gradually increased the pace, bringing her to that wonderful place where clouds parted and sunshine spilled through. And then he sent her soaring, taking flight with her while clutching her tight.
When his body sank over hers, hugging her to him as he rolled over onto his side, she set her palm against his chest and felt the rapid beat of his heart.
“I love you,” Amelia whispered. The dim afternoon light faded and darkness descended upon the room.
“As I love you,” he said for what had to be the hundredth time. “I always will.”
Chapter 24
“This is wonderful,” Gabriella said as she came to stand beside Amelia. “Is it everything you imagined it would be?”
“It is even better,” Amelia said. Glancing around, she admired the transformation the house she had bought had undergone. Six months had made a tremendous difference. It looked just as presentable as any town house she had ever visited, with polished wood moldings and floors that gleamed from waxing. “I could not have done it without Thomas, though.”
Gabriella responded with a knowing smile. The glow of pregnancy suited her tremendously. Raphe was naturally ecstatic with the thought of becoming a father soon. Another couple of months and the child was due to arrive. Gabriella had apparently kept that secret safe until she and Raphe had been alone together in Paris. “It would appear that he cared for you greatly long before he knew it himself,” she said.
Studying her husband who stood in conversation with Raphe and his friends, the Earl of Wilmington and Baron Hawthorne, Amelia felt her heart swell with joy.
Sensing her perusal, he turned his gaze toward her, excused himself to the others and came to join her. “Your school will be a success when it opens,” he told her. “Everyone I have spoken to agrees.”
They had invited all the investors to come to visit the building before the opening, which would take place that coming Monday. Lowell and Burton were naturally in attendance, as was half of Mayfair, it would seem. Apparently the two gentlemen had acted as ambassadors, encouraging everyone they’d come into contact with to donate to Amelia’s cause. She’d scarcely known how to thank them when she’d discovered their efforts.
“It does appear to have made the world forget about my heritage,” she said. It still surprised her how little gossip there had been about her and Thomas. Apparently, a duke could withstand almost anything without scandal, even marrying a woman who came from the slums of St. Giles.
“It just goes to show that you had nothing to worry about,” Gabriella said.
“Worry about?” Thomas asked.
“She did not think herself deserving enough to be your wife.” With that remark, Gabriella removed herself to go to speak with her husband.
Thomas’s arm came around Amelia without hesitation. He did not seem to care how inappropriate such a public display of affection might be. “You are more deserving than any other—a perfect wife and mother.”
Before she could respond, Doctor Florian approached. “My apologies for intruding, but there is something I must tell you.”
His grave expression threatened the happiness still bubbling up inside Amelia. She glanced at Thomas who looked just as apprehensive as she felt. “What is it?” he asked.
Florian eyed them both, then lowered his voice. “Can we speak privately?”
Nodding, Thomas led the way toward the headmaster’s office. Once there, he closed the door and waited for Florian to speak. Amelia felt her stomach tighten with nervous anticipation. She couldn’t imagine what this might be about, but the tension in the room was definitely unwelcome.
“It is about Bartholomew,” Florian began.
Amelia shared a look with Thomas before he said, “Last I heard, he was charged with tax evasion, smuggling and counterfeiting.” Once the accountants had begun their investigation into Bartholomew’s financial affairs, they’d opened up a path that had led to other criminal activities. “The magistrate told me personally that he is to be hanged.”
Florian nodded. “Someone accused of those crimes certainly will be.”
Amelia frowned with incomprehension. “What are you saying?”
“Simply that the man being held at Newgate—the man everyone believes to be Bartholomew—is not.”
“What?” Thomas glanced at Amelia with concern before facing the doctor once more.
“I attended the trial,” Florian said. “The man accused of Bartholomew’s crimes bears some resemblance to him, but I can assure you that the wrong man has been apprehended.”
“Did this individual claim to be someone else?” Amelia asked.
“No. When I brought the matter to the magistrate’s attention, I was told that this man insists he is Bartholomew. He is going along with the ploy, and I was told that I had to be mistaken.”
“Could you be?” Thomas asked.
“No. Bartho
lomew will go free, and another man will hang in his place.”
“That makes no sense,” Thomas muttered. “Why would someone give up his life like that?”
Florian shrugged. “Perhaps the real Bartholomew offered him something—an assurance that the man’s family might be well cared for in return. It is possible that this impostor is already suffering some ailment and has nothing to lose. I can only theorize.”
Thomas stared at Florian. “You’re doing more than that.” He took a step forward. “How is it that you know so much about Bartholomew that you are aware of his finances and his exact appearance? What interest did you have in attending that trial?”
Florian didn’t flinch, nor did his expression change. “All I will say is that I have my own reasons for wanting to see him swing. I hoped I would finally do so, but the bastard outsmarted everyone once again by getting some poor sod to take his place.” He glanced toward Amelia and apologized for his language.
“No need,” she said, waving away his words.
Thomas sighed. “I don’t suppose there’s a chance of us catching him then.”
“He has left London,” Florian confirmed. “I have already checked.”
“So he’s in the wind and still as guilty as ever. That’s just bloody perfect.”
Amelia had to agree. Having Bartholomew on the loose was not the ideal conclusion she’d hoped for. “Do you think he might return and threaten us again?”
“I doubt it,” Florian said. “As far as the authorities are concerned, he is going to die soon. It would be foolish of him to let anyone know the wrong man was apprehended, so if you ask me, he’ll be starting a new business elsewhere, far away from here.”
The Duke of Her Desire: Diamonds in the Rough Page 27