know.”
Avis blinked. Married forty years to the same man and Mrs. Hathaway didn’t act as if that was anything out of the ordinary. Avis shouldn’t unburden herself to a complete stranger. But having a few answers might help her feel more comfortable with this arrangement.
“Mrs. Hathaway, you are very astute.” She glanced down at her ink-stained hands. “Lord Selby and I did not know each other very long before we wed. He wants me to be more comfortable around him before we…” She looked at the knowing nod the older woman gave her. “I’ve read a couple of books but…well…I don’t exactly know…” Her cheeks blazed with heat.
Mrs. Hathaway walked to the desk. “I understand, my lady.”
“My mother died before she could tell me what I should know on my wedding night and…well,” she couldn’t believe she was asking this but the question burst from her, “will it hurt?”
“Only a little bit the first time. But Lord Selby is a good man. He’ll know how to make sure you get your pleasure out of the act too. Now let me tell you everything you should know.”
The lovely old lady proceeded to tell her all she needed to know and more. Forty years of wisdom and experience illuminated the entire process, including things Avis had never dreamed of that happened between a man and a woman. By the time Mrs. Hathaway left the room, Avis felt much more confident.
Tonight she would learn about passion first-hand.
Banning stared out at the wild sea. The waves broke farther out than usual and higher than normal—a storm was brewing. He looked down at his pocket watch and frowned. Avis must have lost track of the time.
He decided to give her a personal reminder about luncheon. He strolled up the stairs and quietly opened the door to what had been a guest bedroom, not that he ever had guests here. The sight before him made him smile. Her head lay on the desk with her arm on either side. Those beautiful amber eyes closed.
After tiptoeing across the room, he glanced down at the paper where her head rested. In big letters was one word: PASSION. Under the word was a list of smeared words and phrases she must have decided meant passion. He let out a low chuckle as he read the list. The darling woman needed him desperately.
Her head jerked up. “What are you doing?”
Banning bent over and kissed her forehead. “What your cheek says.”
“What my cheek says? Have you gone mad?”
“No, it’s right here,” he said, pointing to her cheek. “K–I–S–S–E–S. My pardon. The word is plural so you must need more.”
Before he could bend down to kiss her again, she shoved the chair back and stood. “What the devil are you talking about?”
She walked to the old bureau and the small mirror there. She let out a shriek when she looked at her reflection and the smudged, faint word on her face.
“I must have fallen asleep before the ink dried!”
She rushed from the room into the bedroom and to the basin in the corner. Banning followed her to the doorway in amusement.
“This is not funny!” she said, soaping a cloth.
“I find it quite entertaining.”
“Well, you are a—”
“You’ve already used up your beast quota for the day,” he said with a laugh.
She scrunched up her face and scrubbed even harder.
“Give me that,” he said, walking toward her with his hand held out for the cloth. Surprisingly, she handed it to him. The letters faded with each stroke, but her heady scent increased until he felt surrounded by it and her.
She would make a wonderful wife. He had no doubts that once she overcame her initial fears of making love she would be an energetic partner. The thought of her lying naked in his bed sent his cock thickening. He had to find a way to get past her fears before he did indeed go mad with desire for her.
“What are you thinking of? Your eyes are almost as stormy as the sea,” she said, pulling him out of his erotic musing.
“You don’t want to
Avis blinked. Married forty years to the same man and Mrs. Hathaway didn’t act as if that was anything out of the ordinary. Avis shouldn’t unburden herself to a complete stranger. But having a few answers might help her feel more comfortable with this arrangement.
“Mrs. Hathaway, you are very astute.” She glanced down at her ink-stained hands. “Lord Selby and I did not know each other very long before we wed. He wants me to be more comfortable around him before we…” She looked at the knowing nod the older woman gave her. “I’ve read a couple of books but…well…I don’t exactly know…” Her cheeks blazed with heat.
Mrs. Hathaway walked to the desk. “I understand, my lady.”
“My mother died before she could tell me what I should know on my wedding night and…well,” she couldn’t believe she was asking this but the question burst from her, “will it hurt?”
“Only a little bit the first time. But Lord Selby is a good man. He’ll know how to make sure you get your pleasure out of the act too. Now let me tell you everything you should know.”
The lovely old lady proceeded to tell her all she needed to know and more. Forty years of wisdom and experience illuminated the entire process, including things Avis had never dreamed of that happened between a man and a woman. By the time Mrs. Hathaway left the room, Avis felt much more confident.
Tonight she would learn about passion first-hand.
Banning stared out at the wild sea. The waves broke farther out than usual and higher than normal—a storm was brewing. He looked down at his pocket watch and frowned. Avis must have lost track of the time.
He decided to give her a personal reminder about luncheon. He strolled up the stairs and quietly opened the door to what had been a guest bedroom, not that he ever had guests here. The sight before him made him smile. Her head lay on the desk with her arm on either side. Those beautiful amber eyes closed.
After tiptoeing across the room, he glanced down at the paper where her head rested. In big letters was one word: PASSION. Under the word was a list of smeared words and phrases she must have decided meant passion. He let out a low chuckle as he read the list. The darling woman needed him desperately.
Her head jerked up. “What are you doing?”
Banning bent over and kissed her forehead. “What your cheek says.”
“What my cheek says? Have you gone mad?”
“No, it’s right here,” he said, pointing to her cheek. “K–I–S–S–E–S. My pardon. The word is plural so you must need more.”
Before he could bend down to kiss her again, she shoved the chair back and stood. “What the devil are you talking about?”
She walked to the old bureau and the small mirror there. She let out a shriek when she looked at her reflection and the smudged, faint word on her face.
“I must have fallen asleep before the ink dried!”
She rushed from the room into the bedroom and to the basin in the corner. Banning followed her to the doorway in amusement.
“This is not funny!” she said, soaping a cloth.
“I find it quite entertaining.”
“Well, you are a—”
“You’ve already used up your beast quota for the day,” he said with a laugh.
She scrunched up her face and scrubbed even harder.
“Give me that,” he said, walking toward her with his hand held out for the cloth. Surprisingly, she handed it to him. The letters faded with each stroke, but her heady scent increased until he felt surrounded by it and her.
She would make a wonderful wife. He had no doubts that once she overcame her initial fears of making love she would be an energetic partner. The thought of her lying naked in his bed sent his cock thickening. He had to find a way to get past her fears before he did indeed go mad with desire for her.
“What are you thinking of? Your eyes are almost as stormy as the sea,” she said, pulling him out of his erotic musing.
“You don’t want to
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