Rebellious Bride (19 page)

She didn’t recall when he stopped, but every nerve ending continued to pulsate and she felt on the verge of exploding.

Her arms instantly went around him as he moved up and over her, his leg gently nudging hers farther apart.

She could feel the strength and length of him as he came to rest intimately against her. Again she tensed.

Again he said, “Trust me, darling.”

His words soothed her. She stretched up to kiss him, and as she did, he entered her slowly. The strength of him was undeniably powerful, and she pulled back in concern.

His hand cupped the back of her head and forced her mouth to almost meet his. “I’m going to love you, Lillian.”

His voice was so intent, so demanding that Lil melted under his loving promise. Her arms tightened around him, and she squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the pain that so many women had warned her of.

He kissed her gently. “Open your eyes and look at me.”

They flew open, meeting his blue eyes, so bright and so haunting.

He then moved slowly inside her. She squeezed her eyes shut again against his deepening intrusion.

“Open your eyes,” he said, and she obeyed, his gaze catching hers. Then in a harsh whisper he added. “Keep them open.”

She remained focused on his eyes and with his every movement she watched his concern, his desire, grow in his expression, and her uncertainty soon vanished.

His movements, controlled at first, took on force. His steady rhythm urged Lil to join him, and she did. As he thrust in, she thrust up, and when finally he thrust deep inside her she felt but a slight pinprick. She ignored it, wanting only to feel him deeper within her.

She hugged him to her with a vengeance and met his every movement with equal desire. He brought her such insane pleasure that she almost wanted to cry from the sweet ache of it. And she did. Her tears built with each driving thrust, and when he held her even more tightly and sent her spiraling over the edge, she cried out his name, her tears following.

Rolfe remained covering her, his own body slowly ebbing from the powerful climax he had experienced. He raised his head, concerned by her soft sobs. His breath was still labored, so his words were blunt. “I hurt you.”

Lil shook her head, her sobs so heavy she couldn’t trust her voice.”Your tears?” he asked and kissed each wet cheek.

“I—I—”

“You don’t understand?” he finished.

She nodded, sniffling back each sob.

Rolfe smiled, rolled off her gently, and pulled her against his side to cradle her in his arms. “It’s all right to cry after making love as long as they’re happy tears.”

“They’re happy tears,” she said and sighed heavily.

He lifted her chin and met her green eyes, so shiny from their crying. “You’re sure 1 didn’t hurt you?”

Lil’s smile was radiant and teasing all at once, and it tore at his heart. “You didn’t hurt me. You were beyond my wildest expectations.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Then you’ve thought of making love with me before?”

“Often.”

Rolfe was pleased with her candor and surprisingly matched it with his own. “Now there is no need to think on it. When the desire strikes—”

“I shall hunt you down,” she finished with a grin, “and command you to satisfy my lust.”

“And I, like a dutiful husband, will comply, filling you until you are completely satiated.”

Lil turned a worried frown on him.

“What is it?” he asked anxiously.

“It might take a lot to satiate me.”

He liked her teasing manner, especially that little hint of a sexy smile that accompanied it. “You doubt my potency?”

He sounded stern, but the merriment in his eyes belied his tone.

Lil propped herself up on her elbow and tapped his chest with her finger. “Perhaps we should put you to a test.”

His hands shot out, grabbing her and pulling her over him. “Perhaps we should put you to a test.”

Lil liked the feel of him beneath her. His skin was warm, his muscles thick, his body strong. “What type of test?”

Rolfe looked at her directly and issued his challenge. “Let’s see how well you know how to ride and how long you can stay on your mount.”

Lil threw her head back and laughed. “I warn you, Lord Sherborn, I’m an excellent rider.”

“We’ll see,” he said and with a quick yank adjusted her over him in preparation for her ride.

~~~

Morning was near, though the sky showed no sign of it. A fire flickered in the hearth to chase the night chill from the room, not actually a necessity since the two lovers had created their own heat.

Lil lay with her back pressed against Rolfe, his hot flesh keeping her toasty warm. His arm hung protectively over her, his hand gently cupping her breast while his finger traced her nipple in a slow circle.

“Talk to me, Lillian,” he urged. “I know it’s been on your mind all night.”

Lil sighed, releasing pleasure and frustration simultaneously. “You’ve kept my mind and body more than adequately occupied.”

“And this troubles you?”

“No, Rolfe. You’ve given me a night that will live in my heart forever. But—”

“But pain shares the memory.”

“You’re intuitive, dear husband.”

“No,” he assured her. “I’m just beginning to understand my wife. Now talk to me.”

Lil took a deep breath and Rolfe’s hand moved to rest over her stomach. The thought that she could now be carrying his child forced her emotions to the surface. “I can’t forget how helpless I felt, how I could do nothing but hold Dora’s hand and make promises. Empty promises.”

“It wasn’t your fault. Your promises weren’t empty.”

“They were,” she insisted. “I promised her I’d care for her daughter.”

“You had no way of knowing the child would be stillborn. And from what you’ve told me, you did care for her daughter, the only way you could. You can’t perform miracles, Lillian. You can only give so much.”

“Sometimes I don’t think it’s enough.”

“Sometimes it’s too much.” His tone was gentle yet firm. “I’m sure you’ll face many such situations, and your strength and faith must see you through. You can do no more.”

Lil turned quickly in his arms, surprising him. “I’m sorry I spoiled your plans tonight.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” he insisted. He didn’t want her placing any more blame on herself. “What we need is better communication.”

“I should have sent word to you that I would be late.”

“Yes, you should have,” he agreed.

“And you could have told me of your plans,” she reprimanded with a tease.

“It wouldn’t have been a surprise.”

“But,” she said, tapping his chest, “I would have returned early if I had received a note informing me that my husband wished to seduce me.”

Rolfe smiled. “I forget you’ve thought
often
of making love with me.”

“Not often, occasionally.”

“No,” Rolfe differed. “I distinctly remember you saying ‘often.’“

“And you?” she asked. “How often did you think of making love with me?”

“Too often,” he whispered.

Neither of them spoke for several silent minutes as they lay staring at each other.

Lil finally found the courage to speak, though her soft voice trembled. “Make love to me.”

He ran his finger down the side of her face and over her lips, gently prodding them apart to slip inside and brush across the tip of her tongue. “‘Are you certain you’re not too sore?”

She frowned. “I don’t care if I am. I want you.”

Rolfe fought down the sudden desire her blunt statement had aroused in him. He ran his finger over her chin and slowly down her slim neck, his lips following his path. By the time he reached his destination, she was ready for him.

The sun finally appeared on the horizon. Lillian lay fast asleep in Rolfe’s arms. He looked down at her, pushing back a lock of hair from her forehead. The night had proved far different from his plans.

He looked at the chair where his black silk robe lay untouched. The garment had found no use last night. Lillian had not shied away from him in her nakedness. Her eagerness to make love with him had amazed him. Her enjoyment of it amazed him even more.

Rolfe smiled, recalling her warning to him of her skill at riding. She had certainly proved her point. He looked down at her, so sedate in her sleep, and reached out to brush her lips lightly with his thumb.

Her lips, although swollen from his demanding kisses, had found his chest after her ride. She had kissed his hot, damp flesh with an earnest tenderness and then had raised her head, her smile faint, and told him that riding had suddenly become her favorite pastime.

Lillian was no frail woman frightened of a man’s touch, and the thought pleased him. She was unlike any woman he had ever met. Life would never be dull with her. She would challenge him, she would bully him, and she would live life to the fullest. He could easily love such a woman.

Love?
A strong emotion and one he thought he had buried forever with Bea. It was odd that he had not thought of Bea all evening—not even when Lillian had spoken of losing Dora and her baby in childbirth. His only concern had been for Lillian and the hurt she had suffered. He had felt it, so tangible had been her emotions.

Lil moaned and cuddled closer to him. He wrapped his arms protectively around her. His whispered words did not penetrate her sleep, but then, they weren’t meant to. They were meant only for him to consider. “Could you love me, Lillian?”

Lillian yawned and stretched herself awake. She sat up, crossing her legs and adjusting the sheet to rest just below her waist. She combed her fingers through her hair, catching on a knot here and there and working it free.

When she finished, she pinched herself and a wide smile filled her face. She wasn’t dreaming. Last night with Rolfe had been real and beyond wonderful. Who would have thought a man so reserved and proper in his daily dealings could be so unreserved and improper in bed.

Lil giggled and hugged herself. She felt grand. Married life definitely had its assets. She hurried from the bed and ran naked to her room to dress.

Rolfe caught a flash of her bare backside as he entered his bedroom and wasted no time in following her. He stopped in the connecting doorway to watch her sift through her dresser drawer. She was still stark naked. ‘‘In a hurry, are you?”

Lil jumped and spun around, a pink chemise clutched in her hand. “Rolfe, you startled me.” And to her husband’s disbelief she tossed the flimsy garment aside and rushed up to him. She threw her arms around his neck, drew him down to her, and kissed him soundly.

It took a moment for the shock to settle. Then he circled her small waist with one arm and drew her up flat against him, leaving her feet to dangle several inches off the floor.

“You’ve eaten,” she said, licking her lips enviously. “Cinnamon. I can taste it. Jonathan made cinnamon rolls.”

Rolfe laughed. His wife was naked in his arms and she thought of cinnamon rolls. “I’ve eaten half a dozen.”

“That’s not fair,” she insisted, squirming against him. “I’m starving, and you’re off stuffing your face.”

He lowered her to the floor, and she hurried away from him to gather her clothes. “I haven’t eaten since yesterday noon,” she said and hastily searched for her other garments.

“Funny, I thought I appeased your appetite last night.”

Lil deliberately turned around slowly. “I thought we agreed on ‘satiated.’“

“You’re not satiated, Lillian?” he asked, his voice low and his steps determined as he approached her.

Lil braced her hands on her hips and stuck out her chin. Her nervous challenge was betrayed when her answer rushed out in a trembling “No.”

Rolfe issued an abrupt laugh, slipped out of his gray coat, and pulled his shirt from his trousers. Lillian’s hands appearing suddenly at his waist stunned him. Help in undressing was the last thing he had expected from her.

Her brash actions excited him. He watched her fingers fumble with his buckle as she attempted to unhook his belt, sending his passion soaring. His hands hurriedly joined hers. Working together, they had him naked in seconds, his clothes left in a heap on the floor as he hoisted Lillian into his arms and impetuously carried her to the bed.

~~~

“That’s number five,” Rolfe teased, sitting across from her at the dining room table.

“And that last cinnamon roll on the plate—number six—is mine, too, so keep your hands off it,” Lil warned playfully.

Rolfe raised his hands as though she held him at gunpoint. “I won’t touch it.”

Jonathan entered the room and poured Lillian another cup of tea from the silver teapot on the table. “Anything else, madam?”

Lil sighed and rested back in her chair. “Jonathan, you are a fantastic cook, and I’m going to grow fat if you continue to feed me this way.”

“Nonsense,” Jonathan scolded in his direct manner. “A good breakfast is needed to fuel the body properly for the day ahead.”

“Scrambled eggs, sliced ham, cinnamon rolls, and fresh berries. I’d say she’s fueled for the day,” Rolfe teased.

“Ignore him, Jonathan,” Lil said with a wave of her hand toward Rolfe. “He’s just upset because you baked a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls for me and he can’t have any.”

“Yes, madam,” Jonathan agreed and added, “Lord Sherborn always did pout if he didn’t get his fair share of cinnamon rolls.”

“What did you expect?” Rolfe defended himself. “Evan always managed to reach the breakfast table before me and eat as many as he could, leaving me with less or none at all.”

“Your brother did so love to tease you,” Jonathan said with a smile as Rolfe reminisced about youthful pranks.

“I didn’t take kindly to some of Evan’s boyhood taunts,” Rolfe said, no malice marking his tone, only fond memories.

Jonathan raised his brow. “If I recall correctly you always managed to retaliate.”

Rolfe nodded, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Evan and I had our fair share of sport.”

Lil leaned forward, bracing her arms on the edge of the table. “Tell me about your brother and the rest of your family. I know nothing about them.”

Rolfe lingered in his response, captivated by Lillian’s appearance. Only an hour ago they had lain naked together. Her fiery reddish-blond hair had hung wildly around her. The silky strands had licked his chest and his face like a kiss from the tip of a burning flame. Now she sat with her mass of flaming locks tucked demurely into a neat chignon, clothed in a simple white blouse and brown skirt. He much preferred her hair free and her body naked beneath him.