He murmured his thanks and they both turned to face Father Bart.
From his touch, heat spread up her arm, slowly infusing her with steady calm and tingling. She was so distracted by her reaction to him that she didn’t hear Father Bart say her name.
Sir Sebastian turned to her, his expression one of concern and compassion. Her heart melted. She couldn’t look away from him as he repeated Father Bart’s words, and she nodded, licking her dry lips.
“Do you consent to this wedding?”
“Yes,” she said. Their ceremony continued. Bella took frequent peeks at Sebastian, the drumming of her heart vibrating through her chest. Father Bart reached out and placed his hand over hers.
“Repeat after me,” he said. Bella nodded and repeated every word of her vows, her voice frail and high without trying to alter it at all. She thought of Carina, safe at home tucked into bed.
Sir Sebastian recited his vows now, the even timbre of his voice, the steady strength of his hand under hers somehow soothing.
She still wanted to believe in him. There was something about him that made her want to believe, to trust.
“You may now kiss the bride,” Father Bart said.
Bella sucked in a breath as she turned to face Sir Sebastian and he lifted her veil. She met the clear crystal blue of his gaze. Would he of all people be the one to see through her disguise?
“You matter to me. I swear I won’t hurt her. I am a man of my word.”
He’d just pledged his troth to her, but did he mean it?
His pupils flared and without even a word uttered, she knew he'd recognized her.
Chapter 10
Relief flooded Sebastian.
Dear God, he'd never expected this, but damn it if his prayers weren’t being answered. He wanted to drop to his knees and thank the heavens that he was looking into Bella's eyes, her strong and clear emerald eyes and not Carina's.
He didn't know what was happening or what he should do as Father Bart announced them as man and wife. But he’d said something about a kiss, so Sebastian pulled her close and sealed his mouth over hers.
She stiffened in his arms but then melted against him. Acute lust crashed through him, a torrent of hot, heavy emotions that must have been lurking somewhere deep. He wanted to crush her body against him, to feel how alive and wild Isabella truly was.
Father Bart interrupted the kiss by clearing his throat. They parted, her eyes wild and lit with fire as their gazes held. Reluctantly, they turned to face their families with hesitant smiles.
“What do I do?” he whispered through his smile.
“Nothing,” she whispered back. “Say nothing, do nothing except take me to sign the certificate right now.”
Their words were drowned out by the cheers of their family.
“How is this supposed to work? As soon as they realize what you've done, they’ll annul the marriage.”
“I haven't thought that far ahead. I’m planning as I go.”
“Where's your sister. Does she know what you've done?”
“Of course she knows. She didn't want to marry you. Do you want to be married to a woman who didn't want to marry you in the first place?”
He swallowed. No, he didn’t. He was profoundly glad of this disruption, lightheaded even, or maybe he was drugged by that kiss. He could still feel the softness of her lips against his. She echoed his own fears back to him.
He stared at her as his father announced they would proceed to the wedding breakfast through a side door that led directly into Drummond Hall.
Sebastian swallowed. “We have to consummate the marriage as soon as possible.” It was the only way.
Color filled her cheeks, a blush that he never would've seen on Carina's pale face. She licked her lips, and the pupils of her eyes flared. That was precisely the response a man wanted to see on his bride. Interest, arousal, curiosity… Desire slid down his spine.
“Father Bart, we’d like to sign the certificate and get that out of the way,” Sebastian said.
“Of course, my son, come this way.” He directed them to a pedestal. A book was opened and their names and the date of the wedding already written in the Father Bart’s shaky writing. Sebastian saw her hesitate before the open ledger.
“It's too late to change it, just sign your name on the line.”
She picked up the quill and dipped the nib in the ink. Her hand hovered over the page until a drop splattered over Carina's name. She smudged with her thumb, gloved in white silk, until it was almost undecipherable. Then she quickly scribbled her name on the blank line and handed the quill to Sebastian. He signed his name on the page and then closed the book.
“That won’t be pretty, but it's official record now.”
She half smiled and heat spread over his skin. What were these new sensations? Her smile had the same effect as a swallow of whiskey. One would think this situation would be ripping him apart from the inside, and yet, he felt oddly calm if not exhilarated. He wanted to toss her over his shoulder and carry her to his room.
“We have to at least follow them into them drawing room and have breakfast,” he said.
“We can't wait that long. I don't know how long this ruse will last before my mother sees through it.”
“Leave it to me.” He offered his arm and he led her from the rectory to the drawing room.
Sebastian thought quickly. Just before they entered, he paused outside the door. “What's that? You wish to retire to your suite of rooms to change? Yes, your trunks were brought over during the ceremony. I'd be happy to show you to your rooms,” he announced for all to hear and turned them toward the main stair, but Calvin stepped between them and escape.
“You wish to change already, Carina? But your dress is so beautiful.”
“I do,” she said. “I don't expect you to understand how uncomfortable this finery can be. It’s very constricting around my chest, Calvin. Please let me pass,” she finished with a breathless wheeze.
Calvin blinked at his sister. “Certainly. I’ll tell Mother you’ll be a moment. She won’t be pleased.”
“I don’t care,” she replied.
“A bit feisty this morning, aren’t you?” he asked as he stepped out of their path.
Sebastian escorted her up the stairs. Once they were out of sight and hearing of her brother, he said, “I think he suspects.” He directed her to his room where he knew they wouldn't be expected to go. A bridal suite had been set up for them in a different wing.
“What are we doing here?” she asked as he opened the door and ushered her into his room. His heart pounded as he considered what to do with her.
“They won’t look here first. They’ll go to the bridal suite.” She was a virgin, quite sheltered by her family for most her life. She probably had no idea what they were about to do—swiftly, to boot.
He didn't have time to properly seduce her, to usher her into the world of pleasure between a man and a woman, properly and slowly.
“Isabella—”
“Just Bella,” she corrected him.
“Bella…” He liked it better. “If we want to keep them from annulling this marriage, we have to consummate it quickly.”
“I understand…” She peered around the room, her gaze catching on the bed. “Oh, you mean right now.”
He nodded and began to unravel his cravat. At the very least, he would remove his bloody cravat before deflowering her.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked abruptly.
He froze. “What do you mean?”
“I could tell the moment you recognized me. Why didn’t you put a stop to it?”
He stared at her for a moment. “I've been sick with worry all night. The idea of marrying an unwilling woman, of having to take her to bed… I didn’t want to marry Carina any more than she wanted to marry me. It was wrong on so many accounts. But I didn’t know how to stop it. I’ve spent my entire life trying to please my father, trying to earn his forgiveness. The moment I lifted the veil an
d looked into your eyes, I was so relieved, Bella. You were right about everything. I'm not sure I could've married Carina had she been standing there.
“We won't escape this unscathed. They're going to hate us. It’s quite likely they will do everything in their power to separate us. But if you become my wife in truth, they can’t. You know what that means, don’t you?”
She licked her lips, the flash of her pink tongue setting his blood on fire. He hadn't expected to feel any of this for her, but here she stood, so beautiful, so wild at heart and in spirit, and he couldn't imagine anyone else standing before him. He would bet his life that nothing in those letters had come from Carina. She couldn’t hide from him. He’d been slowly falling for her since he received that first letter.
It all made sense now.
No wonder meeting Carina had been so strange.
It was Bella who had captured him with her words, written in a light playful script that betrayed her. She couldn't hide her spirit, the vitality that radiated from her, the strength she had, and her impenetrable will that he admired and envied.
Unshakable conviction in what she believed and for that alone he could fall in love with her.
But when he looked at her, when he had a chance to really study her—to soak in her sprightly beauty, the wicked glint in her eyes—he forgot everything else, the anxiety, the resentment toward himself and his father.
It was a surprise that she didn't drive him mad with anxiety, making him sick to his stomach for fear of uncomfortable future events that she might cause with her wild stubborn behavior. But she had the opposite effect. Exhilaration coursed through him, warm and intoxicating. Better than any whiskey.
He wanted to make this good for her. It would have to be quick, but it would be good. “I want you. I can't deny from the moment I met you, I felt ensnared by something about you.”
“Like a moth to a flame,” she said. “I felt it too”
They drew closer, and she reached up, unpinned the veil from her head, and dropped it on the floor.
“What do I do?” she asked.
Sebastian was undone. “You're my wife, Bella. Whatever happens now, we face together. We will defend Carina together. There is no going back. You are under my protection, and I swear I will protect you even from my own father.” He was no longer his puppet. He had something bigger than himself to fight for. The woman before him, her poor sister. He’d never felt stronger than he did now. Or angrier on another person’s behalf. But anger could wait. This moment belonged to desire and pleasure.
“Contracts can be broken but the sanctity of the marriage bed cannot.” He reached for her, his arms coming around her, and her mouth lifted to his. Not timid, not hesitant, just pure Bella.
Confident and a little demanding.
He grinned into the kiss and then drew away just enough to ask a question.
“What do you know about lovemaking?”
“Nothing. I've been told nothing. I know nothing.”
“I don't have time to show you everything, but I promise it will be good. You just have to trust me.”
“I trust you,” she whispered.
There wouldn't be time for undressing. The seconds passed too quickly as it was, and both their families were waiting for them downstairs. He scooped her up and carried her to the bed, laying her back on the pillows. He sat on the edge, and his hand swept up past her slippers as he slid them off.
“I don't want to hurt you, but the first time can be uncomfortable for a woman. To ease that, I'm going to pleasure you first by giving you a kiss.
“You already kissed me.”
“It won't be a kiss on your lips. We will have to go fast but to do that, I need you to be ready. I need you to be mad with pleasure.”
“All right,” she said, her voice breathy. “That sounds nice.”
He chuckled. “Just lay back and I promise I will do everything in my power to make this as good for you as it will be for me.” And then Sebastian slid his hand up her leg past her garter, to the smooth skin of her thigh. He brushed her skirts up to her waist, and though she gasped, she didn't stop him or squirm uncomfortably as he bared her. He wasted not a moment as he slid two fingers down the seam of her sex, and she was already slick with arousal.
He could only imagine the pleasure they would share together when they had more time. They could shake the very rafters of Drummond Hall, but that would have to wait until a proper wedding night—a honeymoon. Yes! He would take her on a honeymoon, away from Drummond Hall, away from their families, and he'd give her a proper courtship, complete with nights spent in each other's arms.
Sebastian parted her thighs, her knees shaking as he settled his shoulders in between. He kissed the inside of her thigh, her skin achingly soft and pearly white. He eased his way to her womanhood in small increments so he wouldn’t startle her. Sebastian teased apart her downy curls with his tongue and found the delicate bud of her sex, softly probing the velvet tissue. Her body tensed and a small moan escaped her.
Sebastian smiled triumphantly.
He teased her petal soft flesh until her hips moved with the thrust of his tongue, and her nails scraped across his coverlet. She was wild as he knew she would be. Unafraid of her passion. But more importantly, she was ready.
Sebastian quickly removed his jacket and unfastened his breeches. He positioned himself at her entrance.
She braced her hands on his shoulders. “I don't even know what you are doing, but it is heaven.”
He chuckled. “Thank God.” He hoped this next part wouldn't be hell. He entered her, slow and steady, feeling every squeeze of her gentle muscles. Her body went rigid under him, and Sebastian used his thumb to tease her pleasure back to life and restoke the flames that had swiftly ebbed without his attention.
“Move with me,” he urged as he withdrew and thrust again, gently teasing the virgin passage of her body until at last he was seated fully.
“That wasn't so bad,” she said, her voice tight and her teeth clenched.
“I promise it will get so much better.”
“I believe you,” she said. “You seem to be an expert on the subject.”
He couldn't help but laugh as he steadied his rhythm and kissed her throat and the swells of her breasts above her bodice.
“Oh, that feels nice,” she said, followed by a gasp as he increased his tempo.
Her slick heat enveloped him, pulling on his restraint, tempting him to drive faster, harder—to find his own release—but he wanted her to shatter first.
He hooked one hand under her knee and lifted her leg higher, changing the angle of their bodies.
“Sebastian… Oh God, that feels—” She moaned and he knew he must be doing something right. Her hand slipped under the collar of his shirt and her nails scraped along his skin, sending tingles of pure pleasure down his back and to his groin.
“Bella, be wild, as wild as you want to be.”
She kissed him and their tongues tangled together as Sebastian felt the explosion building inside him, and he quickened his tempo. He felt her body tense and then shiver, her limbs going weak. She broke the kiss, her body arching as her hips slammed into his and a guttural moan erupted from her. Her muscles clamped around him, drawing his release, and Sebastian groaned as he spent himself inside her.
His strength left him, and he fell to the side of her, holding her against him as he tried to catch his breath.
“What was that?” she whispered.
“It’s called an orgasm,” he said.
“It was magnificent.”
“I'm so glad, because we have to hurry now and return to the drawing room.”
She tucked her face in his shoulder. “I don't want to go back down there. They are going to know.”
“They were always going to know.” He laced their fingers together.
“I hadn't thought that far ahead.”
Sebastian chuckled. “I'll take it from here. I will bear the brunt of it and say it was my idea.”
“I don't want you to do that. It wasn't your idea. You’re as much of a victim as Carina was.”
“Where is Carina?”
“At home tucked into my bed. Probably reading. She reads quite a lot.”
“Where have you been the last two days? Your mother said you were sick.”
“She locked me in my room, afraid I would do something”—her face blanked—“exactly like this, probably.”
They both laughed, wrapped in each other’s arms, but it was over all too soon.
He helped her out of his bed and fixed her dress. The silk was horribly wrinkled.
“Maybe I should change.”
“Leave it. They need to know. The dress is proof.”
She blushed but nodded.
“Nothing is going to take you from me, not my parents, not your parents. We will take Carina back to Bath and will stay there if that's what you want.”
She stepped close to him and adjusted his cravat and then finger combed his hair. It felt so natural, as though they’d always meant to end up here. Husband and wife, perpetual disappointments to their parents. For the first time, he didn’t care. His father was going to be angry, enraged even. But Sebastian just didn’t care.
“That sounds wonderful. But I worry that even though we saved Carina from this fate, they will try to marry her off again.”
“Not if I have anything to do about it,” Sebastian said. “I’ll buy her a home of her own if need be. She's twenty-one now, no one can make her marry. She's in charge of her own life. The contract is fulfilled—mostly.”
“They're going to be so angry.”
He shrugged. “They'll get over it. They have to at some point. They can't stay angry forever, not when… Not when we give them what they want.”
She raised a brow. “Grandchildren?”
His hand rested on her hip and moved to her lower belly. “It's something I've wanted for a long time too. Family, but not the kind that will force their children to do things they don't want to do. A happy family, full of love and laughter.”
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