of his head. “Supper first,” he said.
The look at Sand’s face when he glared at Sky was almost amusing. “I could punch him,” he suggested hopefully.
“No.” She twined her arm in his. “We may as well eat. I don’t want you to faint with hunger half way through the night.”
She laughed when he seemed to take this seriously. The dining room was crowded, every seat at the table full except for two near the head. When they came in, everybody jumped up and shouted, “Congratulations!”
Mrs. Nord, the house’s cook, came in with whiskey steak casserole, Amanda’s favorite. She’d been married only a few hours. She’d spent those hours thinking of the wedding night, not the wedding supper. But after all the trouble everyone had gone to, it wouldn’t be right to ditch them to go right upstairs. Darn it.
“How did you know?” she asked, allowing herself to be pulled along to the empty seats.
“I sent a messenger while we waited for your father,” Sky replied.
Wine was poured and toasts were drunk to their happiness. Sand applied himself to his food with single minded determination. “Goodness, Sand,” Amanda whispered. “I didn’t know you were so hungry.”
His face was grave. “I don’t want to faint half way through tonight.”
She laughed so hard she choked on her wine. He didn’t laugh, and appeared entirely serious, which made her laugh harder. The cake was brought out and Sky made them cut it and feed each other. When Sand kissed her she could taste the lingering sweetness of frosting on his tongue.
“That’s enough of that!” Ms. Mary teased. “It’s not night time yet!”
Sand smiled down at Amanda. “Do you want to wait for dark?”
A tremor of delicious heat settled low in her belly. “Hell, no. Then we’d have to waste electricity keeping the lights on. I want to see you the first time we make love.”
“Then we shouldn’t waste daylight.”
With his wolf’s howl cutting through the cheers of her friends, he picked her up and ran out of the dining room. Amanda couldn’t remember ever being carried all the way through the house and up the stairs to her room at a dead run before. She was laughing when he kicked the door shut and lowered her to her feet. She reached up to frame his lean cheeks between her hands.
“I love you,” she whispered.
He matched her, curving his palms around her face. “I love you.”
“I need about ten minutes alone, okay? It’s a girl thing.”
He leaned down until his forehead touched the top of her head. “Okay. Ten minutes. But only because I love your girl things.”
Her giggle turned into a belly laugh. “That is one of the reasons I love you! You make me laugh.”
His blink was confused. “I wasn’t making a joke,” he said with dignity. “I’ll go use the bathroom and be back in ten minutes.”
She gave his hair a light jerk. “Maybe only eight,” she suggested.
As soon as he left, she went down the hall to use the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and washed up, then hurried back to her room to open the box of lingerie she bought this morning.
She froze. Was that only this morning? Incredible. She undressed and put the little nightie on, then the robe. The reflection in the mirror showed her a pale, excited face above a barely veiled pale body. Would Sand like it? She had bought it just for him. Should she stretch out on the bed or meet him at the door? Would he prefer her to guide the lovemaking or should she let him take the lead? Which would turn him on more, a display of innocence or an experienced seductress? Usually with a new client, she…
Icy fingers danced down her back. That’ s what was different this time. This wasn’t an appointment that she had to put on a show for. This was Sand, her husband. The door opened almost violently and Sand strode in, looking ready for battle. After one swift glance around he turned to her.
“What’s wrong? Are you alright? I could smell something wrong in your
The look at Sand’s face when he glared at Sky was almost amusing. “I could punch him,” he suggested hopefully.
“No.” She twined her arm in his. “We may as well eat. I don’t want you to faint with hunger half way through the night.”
She laughed when he seemed to take this seriously. The dining room was crowded, every seat at the table full except for two near the head. When they came in, everybody jumped up and shouted, “Congratulations!”
Mrs. Nord, the house’s cook, came in with whiskey steak casserole, Amanda’s favorite. She’d been married only a few hours. She’d spent those hours thinking of the wedding night, not the wedding supper. But after all the trouble everyone had gone to, it wouldn’t be right to ditch them to go right upstairs. Darn it.
“How did you know?” she asked, allowing herself to be pulled along to the empty seats.
“I sent a messenger while we waited for your father,” Sky replied.
Wine was poured and toasts were drunk to their happiness. Sand applied himself to his food with single minded determination. “Goodness, Sand,” Amanda whispered. “I didn’t know you were so hungry.”
His face was grave. “I don’t want to faint half way through tonight.”
She laughed so hard she choked on her wine. He didn’t laugh, and appeared entirely serious, which made her laugh harder. The cake was brought out and Sky made them cut it and feed each other. When Sand kissed her she could taste the lingering sweetness of frosting on his tongue.
“That’s enough of that!” Ms. Mary teased. “It’s not night time yet!”
Sand smiled down at Amanda. “Do you want to wait for dark?”
A tremor of delicious heat settled low in her belly. “Hell, no. Then we’d have to waste electricity keeping the lights on. I want to see you the first time we make love.”
“Then we shouldn’t waste daylight.”
With his wolf’s howl cutting through the cheers of her friends, he picked her up and ran out of the dining room. Amanda couldn’t remember ever being carried all the way through the house and up the stairs to her room at a dead run before. She was laughing when he kicked the door shut and lowered her to her feet. She reached up to frame his lean cheeks between her hands.
“I love you,” she whispered.
He matched her, curving his palms around her face. “I love you.”
“I need about ten minutes alone, okay? It’s a girl thing.”
He leaned down until his forehead touched the top of her head. “Okay. Ten minutes. But only because I love your girl things.”
Her giggle turned into a belly laugh. “That is one of the reasons I love you! You make me laugh.”
His blink was confused. “I wasn’t making a joke,” he said with dignity. “I’ll go use the bathroom and be back in ten minutes.”
She gave his hair a light jerk. “Maybe only eight,” she suggested.
As soon as he left, she went down the hall to use the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and washed up, then hurried back to her room to open the box of lingerie she bought this morning.
She froze. Was that only this morning? Incredible. She undressed and put the little nightie on, then the robe. The reflection in the mirror showed her a pale, excited face above a barely veiled pale body. Would Sand like it? She had bought it just for him. Should she stretch out on the bed or meet him at the door? Would he prefer her to guide the lovemaking or should she let him take the lead? Which would turn him on more, a display of innocence or an experienced seductress? Usually with a new client, she…
Icy fingers danced down her back. That’ s what was different this time. This wasn’t an appointment that she had to put on a show for. This was Sand, her husband. The door opened almost violently and Sand strode in, looking ready for battle. After one swift glance around he turned to her.
“What’s wrong? Are you alright? I could smell something wrong in your
Similar Books
