it of you before you have my maidenhead! Perhaps you will not ever learn to love me, but I want more between us than sacred bonds and children. I already have evidence of your kindness. If you would just give me a little time until we could at least become friends. Is that so very much to ask?” she pleaded of him.
To court his own wife. It was a fascinating and piquant idea, and strangely one that was not displeasing to him. He had grown up with his first wife. Their marriage had simply been the end result of a long friendship and practical necessity. Although he found that he already lusted after this charming stranger who was now his wife, he was a man of delicacy. The thought of bedding her so impersonally was, now that she had pointed it out, beginning to seem highly unattractive to him.
Gently he grazed a knuckle over her right cheekbone, and then he said slowly, “What you say has merit, Blaze. I would very much enjoy paying you court. Passion between a man and a woman should be mutually enjoyable. Tell me, though: for how long is this courtship to go on?”
“Will we both not know the right time to end it, my lord?” she answered him.
“Why, Blaze,” he said with a smile, “what a wise little creature you are. Very well then, I will agree to your proposal. I shall court you with all the skill of my years and experience. Then when the right moment comes we will be united in the true sense of a man and his wife. First, however, I would teach you how to kiss.”
“I have never kissed a man before,” she admitted.
“It is painfully evident,” he teased. “Your lips were as cold as ice toward me, and worse, as stiff as untanned leather.”
“Perhaps,” she returned with spirit, “now that I do not feel so threatened by you I will do better. Shall we try?” Closing her eyes so that her thick dark gold lashes fanned out across her cheeks, she raised her heart-shaped face to him, pursing her lips adorably.
He almost laughed aloud at her artlessness. Damn, but she was sweet! He bent to kiss her, this time finding her more compliant within his arms. Her lips softened beneath his, as smooth and delicate as a rose petal, parting slightly with some deep and primitive instinct as he increased the pressure of his mouth upon hers. Finally he drew away reluctantly and quite intoxicated with the fresh innocence of her. He was almost dizzy with her kiss.
“Is that better, my lord?” she asked him demurely. Her own heart was pounding violently. Her belly was doing flip-flops, and although she knew he could not know it, she could not quite focus her eyes clearly for a moment or two.
More experienced, he managed to regain his equilibrium quicker, and he laughed to cover his own surprise. “ Much better, madam. You are an apt pupil. I think you will make great progress under my expert tutelage.”
Recovered slightly herself now, Blaze twinkled back at her husband. “I think, sir,” she said, “that you are probably a master of the art.”
He caught her two hands in his, and raising them to his lips, kissed them. “I do not think, Blaze, that it will be hard to love you.”
Her eyes widened with this flattery, and she thought silently to herself, although she was too shy to say it: Neither, my lord, do I think it will be hard to love you.
“I know you are tired,” he told her. “Let me call Heartha to ready you for your bed.” He brushed her cheek with his lips. “Sleep well and safe, Blaze Wyndham.” Then he left her.
She was almost sorry to see him go, for she had enjoyed their meal together, and his company. Still, she was relieved to be left her maiden state for at least the time being.
While Blaze pondered her mixed feelings within the privacy of her bedchamber, her husband descended the main staircase of his house to the Great Hall of RiversEdge. There he found Anthony sprawled in a tapestry-backed chair by the fire enjoying a goblet of his best Rhenish. Edmund poured himself a matching
To court his own wife. It was a fascinating and piquant idea, and strangely one that was not displeasing to him. He had grown up with his first wife. Their marriage had simply been the end result of a long friendship and practical necessity. Although he found that he already lusted after this charming stranger who was now his wife, he was a man of delicacy. The thought of bedding her so impersonally was, now that she had pointed it out, beginning to seem highly unattractive to him.
Gently he grazed a knuckle over her right cheekbone, and then he said slowly, “What you say has merit, Blaze. I would very much enjoy paying you court. Passion between a man and a woman should be mutually enjoyable. Tell me, though: for how long is this courtship to go on?”
“Will we both not know the right time to end it, my lord?” she answered him.
“Why, Blaze,” he said with a smile, “what a wise little creature you are. Very well then, I will agree to your proposal. I shall court you with all the skill of my years and experience. Then when the right moment comes we will be united in the true sense of a man and his wife. First, however, I would teach you how to kiss.”
“I have never kissed a man before,” she admitted.
“It is painfully evident,” he teased. “Your lips were as cold as ice toward me, and worse, as stiff as untanned leather.”
“Perhaps,” she returned with spirit, “now that I do not feel so threatened by you I will do better. Shall we try?” Closing her eyes so that her thick dark gold lashes fanned out across her cheeks, she raised her heart-shaped face to him, pursing her lips adorably.
He almost laughed aloud at her artlessness. Damn, but she was sweet! He bent to kiss her, this time finding her more compliant within his arms. Her lips softened beneath his, as smooth and delicate as a rose petal, parting slightly with some deep and primitive instinct as he increased the pressure of his mouth upon hers. Finally he drew away reluctantly and quite intoxicated with the fresh innocence of her. He was almost dizzy with her kiss.
“Is that better, my lord?” she asked him demurely. Her own heart was pounding violently. Her belly was doing flip-flops, and although she knew he could not know it, she could not quite focus her eyes clearly for a moment or two.
More experienced, he managed to regain his equilibrium quicker, and he laughed to cover his own surprise. “ Much better, madam. You are an apt pupil. I think you will make great progress under my expert tutelage.”
Recovered slightly herself now, Blaze twinkled back at her husband. “I think, sir,” she said, “that you are probably a master of the art.”
He caught her two hands in his, and raising them to his lips, kissed them. “I do not think, Blaze, that it will be hard to love you.”
Her eyes widened with this flattery, and she thought silently to herself, although she was too shy to say it: Neither, my lord, do I think it will be hard to love you.
“I know you are tired,” he told her. “Let me call Heartha to ready you for your bed.” He brushed her cheek with his lips. “Sleep well and safe, Blaze Wyndham.” Then he left her.
She was almost sorry to see him go, for she had enjoyed their meal together, and his company. Still, she was relieved to be left her maiden state for at least the time being.
While Blaze pondered her mixed feelings within the privacy of her bedchamber, her husband descended the main staircase of his house to the Great Hall of RiversEdge. There he found Anthony sprawled in a tapestry-backed chair by the fire enjoying a goblet of his best Rhenish. Edmund poured himself a matching
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