A Secret Proposal (11 page)

And it was finally Thad’s turn.

* * *

Thad clenched his jaw so hard he thought it would snap in half. Watching Amelia come had been the single most gratifying sexual experience of his life. She was beauty and grace and love and wit all rolled into one. And he adored her. He no longer worried about his blackened reputation. A bit of whitewash could always be employed, and he happened to know just where to get it. At the altar of his grandfather. He would go there, if he must. He’d do anything to give his new wife—yes, she would be his wife as soon as he could procure the license—the life she deserved.

Amy shuddered against his shoulder again and he did his best to forget about the insistent throbbing in his cock. He wanted her unlike he’d ever wanted anyone or anything in his life and he intended to take Lord Colton’s advice. He would never let her go. Not again.

There was no more guilt. This afternoon, their lovemaking, would ensure that she would be his. He intended to bind her to him with his love, body and soul.

He was on fire for her, but above all things, he didn’t want to frighten her. This was her first
time and she had heard awful things about the act of lovemaking. He’d been intent upon making it good for her, and he’d done that, but now there was no choice but to hurt her a little. And he regretted that with every muscle in his body.

“Amy,” he whispered. “I never read that pamphlet, but you do know that it may be a bit…uncomfortable, the first time. I promise to be gentle though.”

While he’d been talking, she’d rolled over and was lying fully nude atop him like some goddess dream come to life. Her riotous curls spilled over her shoulders and pooled on his chest, looking like molten gold.

“I promise to be gentle too,” she murmured, just before she slid down his abdomen and covered his cock with her perfect pink mouth.

Thad nearly arched off the bed. His mind couldn’t comprehend it. It was Amy, sure, sweet, lovely Amy, sucking his cock. He clenched his jaw harder and breathed in deeply, his nostrils flaring. “God damn it,” he breathed.

Her mouth worked like a sensuous muscle, pulling, tugging, squeezing. And every single moment of it was exquisite torture. Thad’s hands tangled in her hair while her tongue slid enticingly up and down the hard length of him. Where in the hell had she learned that?

From me, he thought wryly, fighting his body’s demands to keep from spilling himself in her hot, wet mouth. He would not do that to her. She deserved a calm, sensitive lover, not some overripe schoolboy who couldn’t control himself.

With that thought in mind, despite wanting the torture to go on forever, Thad reached down
and hooked his hands under Amy’s arms, pulling her up.

He silenced her resistant denial by covering her mouth with his. Then, he turned her roughly in his embrace and rolled over atop her. “I can’t wait any longer, love,” he whispered in her ear.

She looked up at him with such love in her eyes, but tears shimmered in their bright blue depths. He braced himself on his forearms and took her chin between his thumb and forefinger. He turned her face to him. “Amy, what is it? Are you frightened?”

“No,” she whispered. “Not at all.”

“Then why the tears, darling?”

“Because I never thought I deserved such happiness until now,” she quietly replied.

Thad kissed her again then, long and deep, hoping she could feel every bit of love he had for her in his body’s reaction to her, in his mouth’s desire. He pulled away. “You deserve every happiness.”

His hand moved down to play with her breast. God, she had perfect breasts. Full and round, they were like satin globes. He leaned down to take one nipple between his teeth. Amy arched her back to give him better access. He loved it when she did that.

He rubbed his palm against her other nipple and she moaned. She reached down between their bodies and wrapped her fingers around his hot length. When she began to move her hand up and down, he knew…that was it. He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to have her. Now.

He shifted his weight atop her and probed her thighs apart with one leg. He nuzzled against her neck. “I’m sorry, Amy,” he whispered into her lily-scented hair.

She nodded, once, and he slid slowly, carefully into her.

The look on her face told him that she’d felt the sting.

“Are you all right, love?” he asked, kissing her forehead, her cheek, her ear. His body was clamoring for release but he couldn’t move too quickly. He didn’t want to hurt her.

“It feels so…” She wrinkled her nose, and for a moment Thad thought she was going to say something awful. “Wonderful,” she finished, wrapping her arms around his neck and offering her mouth to him. “Perfect.”

Thad groaned. “Oh, God, Amy.” He withdrew and pumped into her again, doing so with a bit more force each time. “Amy, I love you,” he murmured against her neck as his body tightened against the gathering storm. “I love you so much.”

He pumped into her, again, again, again. And Amy’s soft cries of pleasure were an aphrodisiac.

Sweat broke out on his brow, his muscles strained, his breathing labored. Nothing, none of the sexual exploits he’d had in his younger days, could compare with this moment here with Amy.

He slid into her one last time, letting himself go, and the force of his orgasm tore her name from his chest.

Then he collapsed against her, hugging her close. “I’ll love you forever,” he whispered into her shining curls.

* * *

“That was absolutely anything but frightening,” Amelia said with a giggle moments later after Thad kissed her on the forehead and rolled away from her. She pulled the sheets up over her chest and eyed him with an impish grin. “I shall just have to tell Lily Morgan that she needs to write the
Real Secrets of a Wedding Night
. Ooh, or perhaps I should write it.”

Thad let out a loud laugh. “You should.”

“After what you just showed me, I have a feeling a great many young ladies would like to know these secrets.”

He pulled her into his arms. “Only for you, my love. Only for you.”

Amelia propped herself up on an elbow and traced the line of his cheekbone with a finger. “Thank you, Thad.”

His brow furrowed. “For what?”

“For saving me from myself.”

He wrapped one of her curls around his finger. “You have nothing to thank me for. I should be thanking you. You’ve made me see that I’ve spent the last three years atoning for a sin that didn’t exist.”

“No,” she agreed. “It didn’t. And you didn’t have to become the best boxer in London to atone for anything.”

Thad pulled her into his arms. “I’ve been a fool about a great many things. Specifically for not compromising you and insisting you marry me the moment you came of age.”

“Oh, wouldn’t that be in keeping with your roguish reputation?”

“A reputation I must retire, I’m afraid.”

She glanced up at him, her eyes widening. “What do you mean?”

“I can’t very well be a respectable gentleman with a wife if I still run a boxing saloon, can I?”

She snuggled closer to him. “But I don’t understand. What will you do with the saloon?”

Thad rested his chin on the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her. “I think I’ll keep it open. I just won’t run it myself. I have plenty of people who work for me who can maintain the place.”

She titled up her head to look at him. “Thank goodness, because I have my doubts as to whether Mama will allow Papa to give me my dowry now.”

“Bah, who cares about a dowry? Besides, I think it’s time I went to the country, took a look at the estate my mother left me. Settle down. Become a respectable member of Society.”

Amelia raised herself up on one elbow. “What? I had no idea your mother left you an estate.”

He sighed. “Unfortunately, it’s rather difficult to be the grandson of a duke, even the black sheep grandson of a duke, without acquiring a certain amount of wealth and property.”

“So you never needed your saloon as an income?”

He shrugged one muscled shoulder. “No. It was just for fun. And for penance.”

She grinned, rolling over atop him and giving him a kiss on the nose. “Let’s not tell Mama you have property. It would please her too much. We can let it be a surprise.”

He laughed out loud at that. “I like the way you think, future Mrs. Hammond.”

“And I like the way you…” She cupped her hand over his ear, whispering the rest.

He gave her a positively wolfish grin. “Believe me, I’m more than happy to oblige.” He tossed up the sheets and rolled them both over so he was on top. Then he gave her a long, deep kiss. “And to think. This never would have happened if you hadn’t come to me with your wicked, secret proposal.”

Read the novels in the
sensational series by

VALERIE BOWMAN

SECRETS OF A WEDDING NIGHT

SECRETS OF A RUNAWAY BRIDE

Available from St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Photo By: Mary A. Behre

Valerie Bowman
grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s the youngest) and a huge supply of historical romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got.

Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her two rascally dogs. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS.

Valerie loves to hear from readers. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and at
www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com
.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

“A Secret Proposal” copyright © 2013 by Valerie Bowman.

All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.stmartins.com

Cover art © Barry David Marcus

eISBN: 978-1-4668-2860-5

First eBook Edition: January 2013