Undressed (Undone by Love) (22 page)

A pang of jealousy stole across her heart
. Had he been with another woman? Had he spent the night in some woman’s bed, some woman’s arms? Lady Mandeville’s, perhaps? The thought gnawed on her nerves, nipped at her chest uncomfortably. He’d been just about to tell her something about Lady Mandeville when Jane had burst into the study. What sort of confession had Jane interrupted? The pressing question had been burning in her mind for hours now, near enough driving her mad.

Oh, why did the man always make her feel things she didn’t wish to feel
? She swallowed hard, endeavoring to make her voice as steady and cool as possible before speaking.

“Ye must excuse me, then
. Undoubtedly ye wish to be alone.”  She stumbled back through the open doorway.

“Get back in here at once, Brenna!” he bellowed
.

Gooseflesh rose on her arms
. This man was a stranger, not the affable, wry Colin she knew. She stood motionless, unable to obey his command yet unwilling to flee.

In one quick motion, he rose from the chair and closed the distance between them, angrily reaching for her hand and pulling her toward him
. “You are my wife, whether you like it or not, and you will do as I say.”  His voice wavered slightly, his words starting to slur.

Brenna wrinkled her nose
. He reeked of cheap gin, and...
Dear Lord
. Was it a woman’s perfume—cheap perfume, at that—she smelled intermingling with the scent of liquor?

“You’re drunk,” she bit out in disgust
. “I’ll ask that ye unhand me at once.”

“And I’ll ask that you remain right where you are.”  He pulled her more tightly against him, and she could feel the evidence of his arousal pressing against her
. “Yes, I am drunk. What have you to say to that?”

“I...I...” she stammered, unsure of her response
. She couldn’t think clearly, not with him so close, holding her like this. “Just where have ye been all night? I dinna think it an appropriate time for ye to be out drinking and...and—”

“Drinking and what
? What were you going to accuse me of? Gambling? Whoring?”

“You’re not yourself, Colin
. You’re still in some sort of state, and I dinna think—”

“I don’t give a horse’s ass what you think, Brenna
. But just to put your mind at ease, I’ll confess I haven’t been with another woman tonight. I’m a married man, and unlike my dear old father, I honor my vows. Difficult as it may be for you to believe.” 

“I...I never said—”

“But gambling...now that’s another story. I’m afraid you’ll have to forget about the new furnishings you’ve ordered for the town house. I went through quite a bit of blunt tonight and—”

“How dare ye?”  She shoved against his steely chest with all her might
. “
How dare ye
?”  Her voice rose a full pitch in indignation. “Haven’t ye enough troubles as it is?”  She reached up a hand to strike him, but he caught it in midflight.

“Don’t do it, Brenna.”

She dropped her hand, forcing her anger to abate. “You’re drunk and in no way fit for civil conversation, Colin. I’m going to bed.”  She turned on her heel, headed for the door, but he reached for her waist and spun her around to face him.

“Why did you pull away from me earlier, Brenna
? Am I so very repulsive to you? So unappealing that you can’t bear my touch? My kiss?”

“I...It didna seem right, is all
. Ye were hurting; ye were out of your mind with grief.”

“That’s it?”  His eyes scanned her face, and then he shook his head
. “No, I don’t believe you. You think Lucy is my mistress, don’t you?”

“I’ve no idea what to think.”  Her heart was racing, making her feel at once dizzy and queasy
. “Ye yourself admitted ye were in love with her.”

“I didn’t say I was
in
love with her. I said I loved her. There’s quite a difference there. I was going to tell you the truth, just before Jane barged in.”

“Tell me now, then,” she commanded, “and be done with it.”

“Very well. Lucy is my sister, my father’s illegitimate daughter. Lucy’s conception was the result of my father’s affair with his wife’s dearest friend.”

Lady Mandeville was his sister
? Dear Lord, of course. Now it all made sense. Perfect sense. Their easy camaraderie, his protectiveness toward her. However had she been so blind?

“All the anger I’ve held in,” he continued, his voice rising, “the displeasure I’ve known since I found out the truth, just came spilling forth the night he died
. There I was, railing at my father about something he did more than twenty years past as if it had happened yesterday, as if I myself were more moral, more ethical than he.”

“But...but why
? What brought it up now?”

“He was being flippant about our marriage
. Congratulating me for snaring a woman with such a large dowry and saying how the bonds of matrimony don’t restrict a man’s appetite for—”  He broke off abruptly.

Brenna only stared at him, wide-eyed.

“What’s more, Jane does not know about Lucy. Nor does Susanna or my mother.”

“I assume Lucy knows?”“You assume correctly
. I had no choice but to tell her two years past. It would seem Lord Mandeville jumped to the same conclusion as you did.”

“Well, of course he did
. ‘Twould not surprise me if a number of the
ton
think the same.”

“Really?” he asked, his eyes wide with surprise
. “I confess, I never really considered—”

“Ye should have considered it, and ye might have told me earlier, besides
. ‘Twould have spared quite a bit of suspicion on my part.”

“I told you, quite plainly I might add, that there was nothing but friendship between Lucy and me
. Have I ever given you any reason to doubt my word?”

“Nay, but—”

“No, and yet this isn’t the first time you’ve doubted me.”

Remorse washed over her as she realized the truth of his statement
. Never had he given her any reason to doubt him. He’d always spoken the truth, as frankly as possible, from the moment they’d first met. Yet doubt him she had, on more than one occasion.

His gaze met hers, forcing her to acknowledge his sincerity
. “As I stand before you, Brenna Rosemoor, I vow I will never break my word to you.
Never
. I cannot say it any plainer than that. I want you to believe in me, when no one else will.”  His voice broke. “Is that really so much to ask?”

At once Brenna saw his bravado fade
. She recognized the vulnerability in his countenance, the pain that shadowed his eyes. She knew she should be angry; he’d stayed out all night, drinking and gambling, his losses no doubt funded by her dowry. She had every right to be furious.

But she wasn’t angry
. Raw, painful emotions flooded her consciousness, but anger was the least of them. She had failed him. Rather than continue with recriminations, she reached for the hem of her night rail instead. Surprising herself as she did so, she pulled the garment up and over her head, depositing it on the floor at Colin’s feet in a puddle of shimmering silk. Boldly, she raised her gaze to meet his. Utter shock and surprise played across his features. Then desire. Raw, primal desire. Brenna shuddered in anticipation, her own desire matching his.

Chapter
20

Colin stood entirely mesmerized, rendered mute by the sight of Brenna standing there before him, completely and gloriously bare. All rational thought fled him as he allowed his gaze to leisurely glide across her body, taking in every delicious inch of her.

At last, he found his voice
. “You really are exquisite,” he stated simply, his voice thick with desire.

She blinked rapidly but said not a word
. Instead, she reached for his trousers, fumbling with the fastenings. Colin groaned as he felt her hand reach for his shaft, which was growing painfully swollen as the realization of what was happening sunk in. However did she know ... With a sharp hiss, his thought trailed off. God help him, if he let her continue to stroke him, this encounter would end abruptly before it even began.

Perhaps a bit too roughly, he pulled her into his embrace
. Together they stumbled back to the bed, their mouths finding and devouring each other’s like two starving souls. His fingers tangling in her hair, he cried out her name against her lips, the delicious feel of skin against skin near to overwhelming his senses as he deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping into her warm, welcome mouth. Still clutched together, they rolled over and over again until they tumbled to the floor in unison.

Without even the slightest pause, their kiss resumed, more ardent than ever, their tongues touching then retreating, exploring, tasting
. Colin nipped at her lower lip, moving his mouth to her throat as her nails skated down his back, to his backside. As she cupped his buttocks, his tongue found the spot where her pulse beat wildly, fluttering against her skin like butterfly wings.

Reaching down between their bodies, his fingers traced the inside curve of her silky thigh. Slowly, tantalizingly, his fingers inched toward the apex of her thighs, searching for the place where their bodies might join
. At last he found his prize. His heart leapt, skipping a beat in anticipation. She was damp with desire, ready for him. As he stroked her, she cried out. Yet she did not clamp her thighs together in denial. Instead she opened them to him, allowing him access.

Beautiful, so very beautiful
, he thought. His whole body shuddered with desire as his fingers slipped into her wetness, stroking her. She cried out, her body writhing beneath his. She would not stop him this time—not tonight. At last she would be his. Entirely his.

Not yet
, he told himself, despite the proof that she was ready enough for him, eager for him, perhaps. Such knowledge nearly made him weep with relief.

He rolled over and pulled her atop him, onto his lap
. She looked up in confusion, her face flushed a delicious pink. Combing his fingers through her hair, he fanned the silky tresses across her shoulders, then drew his finger across her collarbone, eliciting a shiver. Slowly, teasingly, he trailed his fingertips lower still, across the gentle swell of one rose-tipped breast. Then he stopped, watching her.

Her eyes flew open at once
. “Dinna stop now, Colin.”

“No?” he drawled, the restraint nearly killing him
.

“Nay
. Though I must confess, so far this is naught like I’ve heard marital relations described. Are ye sure ye know what ye are doing, Colin?” she asked, her eyes dancing mischievously.

“Oh, I know exactly what I’m doing, my sweet,” he answered, encircling one engorged nipple with his thumb and forefinger, kneading it
.

“I suppose I must take your word, then
. Still, perhaps the tales I heard were greatly exaggerated.”

“Do you think so?”  Dipping his head, he took the nipple between his teeth, ever so gently
. An almost-primitive sound escaped her lips as she tipped her head back.

He leisurely drew the taut skin into his mouth, suckling gently at first
. “What do you think now?” he asked, drawing away.

“Nay, perhaps ‘twas no exaggeration.”  She moaned softly as he took her in his mouth once more, suckling her more insistently now.

“Oh, Colin!” she cried out, squirming against him and working him to a fever pitch as her bottom rubbed teasingly against his swollen shaft.

He could hold out no longer
. He had to have her—
now
. He rolled over, braced above her, his eyes meeting hers, seeking permission. The desire he saw in their depths nearly took his breath away. Gently, he brushed a stray lock of damp hair from her cheek, her skin hot and moist beneath his fingers. “Brenna,  I...This is sure to hurt you. I’ll do what I can to—”

“Quickly,” came her breathless reply
. “I canna wait any longer.” 

He squeezed his eyes shut, grinding his teeth in an effort to gain control of his lust
. For if he did not, her words alone were likely to push him over the edge. Forcing himself to breathe deeply, to take his time, he pressed the tip of his phallus against her entry. Her soft moan of reply was nearly his undoing, yet slowly, carefully, he entered her. Hot, wet, tight—a multitude of exquisite sensations rushed over him, stealing away his breath.

His eyes scoured her face, wanting to memorize every detail, every expression
. Her gaze met his, showing no fear, no reticence.

Trailing his fingertips along the side of her face, he pressed forward a measure until he met the proof of his wife’s innocence
.

She gasped as he pressed against the barrier
. Before he had the chance to react, she clasped him to her, tilting her hips so that he was fully sheathed inside her in one single stroke. “Oh!” she cried out sharply, then went still beneath him.

Clutching her to him, he rolled onto his back, taking her with him
. He studied her face, his heart near to bursting. If he’d hurt her, if—

Her eyes flew open, and a smile spread slowly across her face, dimpling her cheeks
. At once she was moving atop him, her eyes glowing with determination.

“Say my name,” he growled between thrusts, suddenly desperate to hear his name on her lips
. “Please.”

“Colin,” she responded breathlessly.

He felt himself move closer to the edge. “Say it again.”

“Colin
. Oh, Colin, what’s happening, I...”

He couldn’t help but increase the speed, pulling her onto him with as much force as he could, her name tumbling from his lips, over and over again
.

At once she cried out, and he felt her begin to quiver
. She threw back her head and moaned—and then he felt it, her body pulsating against his deeply buried shaft, carrying him over the edge into mindless ecstasy. He clutched her body to his as his seed spilled into her, their bodies slick with sweat, burning with the heat of the fire they’d stoked.

Brenna gasped for breath, gazing up at her husband in wonderment
. “Oh, my. That was...”  She trailed off, shaking her head in astonishment.
Lovely
, her mind supplied. Extraordinary. Yet she couldn’t seem to make her lips form the words.

He kissed her forehead, then pulled her closer still, his heart beating furiously in rhythm with her own
. “You’re trembling,” he said. “Did I hurt you?”

“Only for the briefest moment, Colin
. ‘Twas worth it, I assure ye.”

She rolled off him, shivering as the cool air swept across her skin
. Colin reached across her and plucked up the folds of her night rail from the carpet. “Here,” he said gruffly, helping her pull it over her head, then gathering her into his lap. “A bit cold this morning, isn’t it?”  He reached up to the bed and pulled a blanket down across them. “I’d carry you to bed, but I’m afraid my legs won’t support me right now.”

Brenna’s easy smile disappeared
. He’d been drunk. Angry. She’d nearly forgotten, so lost was she in the pleasure of their coupling. “We ought not to have done that, ye know.” 

“And might I ask why not
? We are husband and wife. I daresay it’s perfectly acceptable. High time, in fact.” 

“Must I list the reasons
? You’re drunk, for one.”

He smiled wickedly
. “Obviously not
so
drunk, eh?”

“And two,” she continued, ignoring his remark, “because we were both so verra angry.”

“True,” he said, grasping her chin and forcing her gaze to meet his. “And yet I do not regret it, making love to you. Not the slightest bit.”

She considered his words, then shook her head
. “Nay, nor do I.”

“Good
. Truly, Brenna, I was near enough sober by the time I came home.”

She swallowed hard, gathering her courage for what she was about to say
. “Colin, I think perhaps...perhaps ye drink too much.”  She felt him stiffen beneath her, his whole body rigid against hers. “’Tis nothing to be ashamed of, but some men canna handle their spirits, and—”

“Enough, Brenna.”

“But ye must see that—”

“I will not discuss this.”  He drew away from her as if he wished to distance himself
. “I’m near enough exhausted, and I will not allow you to draw me into an argument. Not now.”

Brenna’s brows drew together in annoyance
. “If ye hadna stayed out all night, gambling away our living, ye might not be so exhausted.”

“Touché,” he muttered
. “I’ll keep that in mind next time.”

She tipped her chin in the air
. “Nay, there willna be a next time. No more gambling.”

He actually smiled down at her, his eyes heavy lidded
. “You’re a bossy little thing, aren’t you? No wonder Glenbroch has fared so well.”  His hands slid up her sides, moving to cup her breasts, his thumbs massaging her still-sensitive nipples through the fabric of her nightdress. “Speaking of next time...” he trailed off, his smile a lascivious one.

Brenna marveled at the way in which he skillfully changed the subject
. Still, her body could not help but respond to his touch. He sent shivers of delight racing down her spine, gooseflesh rising on her skin in the wake of his deft fingers. There was no doubt he knew just what to do to make her bend to his wishes. She had to admire such skill.

Her husband was an experienced lover; ‘twas expected, of course
. Still, the knowledge sent a pang of jealousy straight through her heart. Was she not the first bride who couldn’t help but imagine her husband with the lovers who had come before her? Imagining them far more beautiful, more skilled, than she was?

She sighed, tipping her head back to allow him further access as his mouth moved to her throat, trailing hot, wet kisses across her skin
.

“Have you any idea how very beautiful, how very desirable you are, Mrs. Rosemoor?” he asked, his voice a husky whisper beside her ear
.

Her worries slipped effortlessly away, replaced by the wondrous sensations now coursing through her as he lifted her night rail, his mouth following the trail of the silk up her body
.

***

“A girl? Are you certain? How lovely.”  Colin heard Lucy’s soft laughter coming from Brenna’s bedchamber, and he stopped short in the hallway. Amazing. Nothing like baby talk to forge a solid bond between two females. With a smile, Colin moved toward the door, which had been left slightly ajar, and peered inside.

What the devil
? Lucy was reclined on the blue velvet settee by the window with Brenna kneeling before her, something shiny clasped in her hand and suspended above Lucy’s abdomen. Whatever the object was, it was swinging back and forth like a pendulum.

“Thank you,” Lucy said, reaching for Brenna’s hand
. “I cannot tell you how much this means to me. A daughter!” 

“I only hope I’m right.”  Brenna stopped the object’s movement and clutched it in her palm
. “I’m woefully out of practice.” 

“Do you think we could ask the babe’s date of birth
? I’d like to be prepared.”

“Why not?”  Brenna dangled the object before Lucy’s reclining form once more
.

Colin shouldered his way through the doorway
. “What the devil are you doing to her, Brenna?” 

Whatever Brenna had been holding aloft clattered to the floor
.

“Colin!” Lucy called out, sitting up in haste and smoothing her skirts
. “You startled us.”

Brenna shook her head and blinked rapidly, reaching for the object and clutching it in her palm
. “I was just...that is, we were only—”

“Dowsing,” Lucy supplied with a smile.

“What the h—” he broke off, reining in the curse. “Pardon me. What in God’s name is
dolsing
?”

“Not dolsing, Colin.”  Lucy waved a hand at him
. “Dowsing, you fool.”

He looked to Brenna, whose cheeks had pinkened considerably
.