She pulled a face. “Please do. We have one. I gave it to him earlier. However, it does not seem to have worked very well. After seeing him earlier, I honestly do not know how he managed to get up.”
“And dress,” Dotty added. “He appeared as if he had done it without his valet. I wonder how that happened.”
* * *
Dom was awake, but when he tried to open his eyes, the lids wouldn't cooperate. A bird made a loud racket outside his window, adding to his aching head, and his mouth felt like someone had stuffed dirty rags into it. He cast back in his mind for the reason he felt so badly. Ah, brandy. His uncle had warned him about it. Apparently, he'd not listened.
“Kimbal.”
Long moments passed, and the man didn't answer. “Kimbal,” he tried saying a little louder. His door opened. “I want Kimbal.”
“I'll be right back, my lord.” The door closed. He would have to speak to his butler about the footman slamming the door.
A few minutes later, Paken entered. “Yes, my lord.”
Dom finally got his eyes open. Luckily the chamber was devoid of bright light. Although it must be late in the morning for that bird to be so cheery. “Where the devil is Kimbal?”
A smug expression briefly graced Paken's face.
Why was it he had servants that let you know what they were thinking, when Worthington's wouldn't crack a smile?
“You sacked him, my lord. Your new valet will arrive within the hour.”
Fired Kimbal? What had Dom been thinking? Actually, to be honest, he had wanted to get rid of the tyrant for a while, but his uncle refused to allow it.
A footman entered with a tray he set on the side table.
“My lord”âPaken picked up a large mugâ“if you'll drink this first, you will begin feeling better.”
At this point, Dom would try anything, especially with that damn bird outside. Having a vague recollection of how bad it tasted, he held his breath and downed it, but it wasn't as horrible as the stuff last night. “Coffee.”
A cup was placed in his hands. “Thank you.” He took a sip, savoring the heat and slight bitterness. He may as well know the worst. “Tell me what happened.”
“You came through with flying colors, my lord. You even managed to attend the ball.”
A memory stirred, but he had trouble bringing it into focus. “The Smyth ball?”
“Yes, my lord.”
He stifled a groan.
“Her ladyship?”
“Brought you home with Lord Worthington and Miss Stern's help.”
How much worse could this get? Being in ones altitudes in the company of one's betrothed. He would be fortunate if she didn't call off the wedding. He'd probably made a complete fool of himself. He tried to sit up and moaned as a pickax hit his head.
Paken took the empty coffee cup. “You're to stay in bed for the next hour. I shall send up a tray for you.”
Dom glanced at the mantel but couldn't make out the numbers on the clock. “What time is it?”
“Close to two.” Paken fluffed Dom's pillows. “The ladies will expect you for tea.”
“Ladies?”
“Her ladyship and Miss Stern. Sir Henry and Lady Stern are due to arrive later this afternoon.”
His mother and Thea probably planned to ring a peal over his head. “You said I had a new valet?”
Paken bowed. “Indeed, my lord. Mr. Wigman comes highly recommended.”
Dom started to nod then stopped when his head started throbbing again. How anyone could live through this day after day, he would never know. “I believe I'll sleep some more.”
“Yes, my lord.” His butler left, closing the door softly behind him.
Two hours later, feeling much more the thing, he had eaten, bathed, met his new valet, and dressed. Wigman was a cheerful fellow who didn't argue about every detail of Dom's costume, and did not remind him of his importance with each breath. He had never known what a relief it would be particularly when his uncle's voice was constantly in his head.
He went to his mother's parlor, ready for the verbal flogging he was sure to receive. Merton or not, he was sure to have behaved badly last evening.
He knocked and entered the room. Thea glanced up. Her smile took his breath away, and she didn't appear at all angry; neither did his mother. “Good afternoon, Mama, Thea.” He sat next to her on the sofa and took a cup of tea she handed him. “I'm here to apologize. I seem to be doing that quite a bit lately.”
Thea raised a brow, but her eyes danced with laughter. “The first time my brother Harry came home in his cups, Papa woke him early the next morning and made him clean the stables.”
Dom's stomach clenched. “I take it that was the last occurrence.”
“To the best of my knowledge.” She nodded thoughtfully. “Papa says all young men need to try it.”
He had heard so many things about Sir Henry, Dom didn't know if he was looking forward to meeting the gentleman or not.
She gave him a sympathetic look. “How are you feeling?”
“Paken tells me your parents arrive today.”
“We received a messenger this morning. Mama is still using two canes, but she wouldn't remain at home any longer. She's very much like my grandmother in that respect.”
He supposed he could veer the conversation to the duchess, but that wouldn't tell him what he needed to know. For some reason, he could not remember most of last evening. He closed his eyes for a moment. “Did I embarrass you last night?”
His mother brought her cup up to cover her lips, but she couldn't hide her chuckle.
Thea didn't even try to hide her mirth. She laughed. “In short, no. Though if Matt hadn't got us in the coach, there was ample room for the possibility. The only thing you did was appear in the ballroom and walk straight to me.”
“After waving,” his mother added.
Why would he . . . “Waving?”
“Yes.” Thea grinned. “You stood on the steps to the ballroom, found me, and waved.”
He dropped his face to his hands. “I'll never live this down.”
“Come, dear,” Mama said, “it is not so terrible. You merely looked like a young man in love.”
Beside him, Thea's blush almost matched the bright pink of the trim on her gown. “âIn love,'” he parroted. Yesterday, he'd come to the realization that he was in love with her. Thea stared at the tea service, and he knew he couldn't disappoint her. Taking her hand, he brought it to his lips. “Yes, very much in love.”
She raised her head and the deep affection in her eyes shocked him.
“I as well,” she said quietly.
Perfect. He wanted to groan. Now all he had to do was to keep their love from destroying everything. This was a disaster.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Try as she might, Dotty could not fall asleep. It must have been the excitement of seeing her parents again and moving to a new house. Her new home.
Mama and Papa arrived as expected, but Mama was in pain, though she tried to hide it. Grandmamma, who deigned to dine with them, joined forces with Dom and called a doctor who had trained in the newest methods in Austria. He said the leg had not healed and prescribed a tea with comfrey as well as some other herbs. He also gave Mama laudanum for the pain, then lectured her about using it only when she had to.
Dotty rose and searched through her books. Unfortunately, she'd finished reading her newest novel. Grabbing her wrapper, she shoved her feet into her slippers. Taking up the candle on the bedside table to illuminate the way, she went downstairs to the library. After quickly finding the right section on the shelvesâDom had a wonderful libraryâshe perused the books and was surprised to find a good selection of novels. She reached for
Midnight Weddings,
a novel she hadn't yet read, when the silence was broken by a click.
Her heart leapt into her throat.
Get a hold of yourself. There is no reason to be frightened
. What, after all, could happen in the Merton library? Nevertheless, the boy that had been following her haunted Dotty. What if someone had broken into the house?
Hugging the book against her chest, she picked up the candlestick and swung it back and forth in the direction of the door to see what had made the noise. Well, she wasn't going to cower behind the shelves. “Who is there?”
“Thea, it's only me.” Dom's deep voice reached her through the darkness on the other side of the room.
Thank the Lord. Her hand shook as she set the light back on a table. “Dom.”
In less time than it took for her to draw another breath, his arms folded around her. “Did I frighten you?” He kissed her forehead. “I didn't mean to.”
“I'm all right. I did not think anyone else would be up.” Though she had stopped trembling with fear, her heart still pounded against her chest as he nudged her chin up and pressed soft kisses on her neck. Reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, the book fell to the floor with a soft thump.
The palm of his hand moved down to cup her bottom, drawing her flush to him. “Thea, my darling Thea.”
This time Dotty shivered for an entirely different reason. He had never called her his darling before. While one hand kneaded her bottom, creating a heat in the pit of her stomach, the other lightly rubbed a breast. His lips reached hers, and she opened her mouth, eager to feel his tongue against hers. The thin linen of her nightgown rasped her already-sensitive flesh. She moved her hand over the rough embroidery of his dressing gown. It opened slightly to her touch, allowing her to tangle her fingers in the soft hair covering his chest.
Dom groaned, pulling her closer. Although they were doing nothing they hadn't done before, somehow this was different. All the other times they'd been fully dressed. Now, only two fine layers of cloth stood between her and him. Did he have anything on under his dressing gown? A hard ridge rode against her stomach. The tingling that started when he'd touched her breasts and bottom met and coalesced before shooting down to the place between her legs. She needed him to take her. To make her his. If only she could be wanton enough, or brave enough to tell him.
His voice was a rough, anguished whisper. “Thea, please.”
Joy filled her soul. “Yes. Oh yes.”
Sweeping her up into his arms, he headed toward the fireplace, the opposite direction from the door. “Where are we going?”
“To my chambers. There's a secret passage.”
He reached out and shifted one of the Greek maidens on the side of the mantel. A door swung open, revealing a narrow set of stairs.
Dotty giggled softly. “I've always wanted a house with secret passages.”
“Hang on.” Dom kissed her. “I'll have to carry you up sideways.”
“I can walk.”
“Dotty, are you in here?”
Lady Merton.
He said something under his breath that sounded like a curse, then gently slid her down until her feet touched the floor. “The candle.”
Dotty bit her lip in frustration. If only she'd remembered to blow it out. “I'm here, my lady. I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would get a book.”
The door clicked shut behind her, Dom was gone. She hurried to where she'd left the candle and picked the book up from where it had fallen.
“Neither could I.” Carrying her own light, Lady Merton smiled. “It must have been the stuffed lobster.”
Dotty considered walking toward the door to the corridor, then ducking around the shelves to the fireplace. If Dom was waiting, he could open the passage. “I'll bid you a good night.”
Lady Merton reached out to the bookshelf. “Wait just a moment, and I shall accompany you to your room.”
“Yes, my lady.” Dotty clenched her hand. Her body was still alight with longing. All she wanted to do was find the passage and follow Dom. Once back in her chamber, she would either have to come back down here, or pass her parents' rooms and his mother's suite to reach his apartments. She cast a brief glance in the direction of the fireplace and stifled a sigh. It was probably too much to hope for another secret passage.
Lady Merton said good night to Dotty at her door. She entered the room, closed the door, and set her candle on the small side table. Her body still tingled and ached. If only there was some way to . . . The door leading to the next room opened, and Dom stepped through.
Swallowing a shriek, she flung herself into his arms. “How?”
His arms closed around her. “There's a short passage from my apartments to the end of this corridor. I think everyone's forgotten about it.”
“We can't stay here,” she whispered. “My parents are too close.”
His palms skated up and down her body, heating her all over again.
“Thea, are you sure? I shouldn't even ask when you're under my roof. I should wait untilâ”
She cut him off with a kiss. “Yes. In three days we will be married. You are not seducing me. I want to be with you.”
A low growl escaped him as his mouth covered hers. “I've wanted you since the first time I saw you.”
Once they'd gained the corridor, he showed her a door set into the inner wall. It swung open silently. Someone must know about it. Otherwise the hinges would not have been oiled.
Dom held her hand as he walked ahead of her. In a few moments they reached his chamber. The bed, already turned down, appeared even larger now than it had during her house tour. Candles glowed from the candelabra on a round table, illuminating the snowy sheets. Tonight might be the first time she slept in it, but it would not be the last. She had declined the offer of her own bedchamber.
Dom wrapped his arms around her again. “Last chance.”
She drew his head down, claiming his mouth as he had claimed hers earlier. “Never. I've had a lot of time to think about this.”
“So have I. Too much.”
Dom slid his hands under her nightclothes. The wrapper and gown slid off her shoulders landing in a soft plop on the floor. She glanced up at him as his gaze roved her body, and she started to cover herself.
He caught her hands. “No, let me look.” He sucked in a breath. “You are even more beautiful than I had imagined.”
Dotty's mouth dried, and her voice was thready. “Your turn.”
She unbuttoned his banyan, pushing it off him, and stared. No statue could compare. Golden curls covered his muscular chest. His stomach was flat and strong, reminding her of the drawing of a discus thrower she had seen in one of her father's books. Dom's member jutted up between them. How large it was. She dragged her gaze back to his face. “You are perfect.”
He drew her to him and laughed softly. “Not by any means, but thank you.”
Just as she wondered what to do next, he picked her up and carried her to the bed, holding her to him as he climbed in.
“If I do anything you don't like, you must tell me.”
She rubbed her hands over his chest, the hair soft and springy beneath her touch. “I shall.”
Dom teased her mouth open, taking his time as he explored. She stroked her tongue against his, and he groaned. Her nipples ached and streaks of desire shot through her body, making her breasts tender and the place between her legs throb. He nibbled her jaw, fluttering kisses down her neck.
Dotty gasped when he drew a nipple into his mouth and pressed her legs together as the heat there grew.
“Are you all right?”
How could she not be? “Yes, oh yes.”
He switched to her other breast, but rubbing the nipple he had been sucking between his fingers. Her whole body was on fire. Just when she thought she couldn't stand anymore, his lips and tongue moved over her stomach, down to her mons to a place she hadn't known existed, but was glad it did. “Oh God!”
“I appreciate your piety”âhe chuckledâ“but I would rather hear my name.”
Dotty couldn't help but giggle. She couldn't believe the rogue, making her laugh at a time like this. “Dom. Do that again.”
“What?” he teased, parting her legs with his shoulders. His tongue caressed her center. “This?”
“That's good, too.” She panted and reached down, spearing her fingers through his hair.
Dom's low voice washed over her. “You taste better than any wine.”
She raised her legs as his teeth lightly raked over her nub, then his tongue entered her, and she screamed. Her back arched as she shook with wave upon wave of pleasure. Nothing she'd heard had prepared her for this.
Dom lifted his head and inserted one then two fingers into her, prolonging Thea's climax. His shaft was harder than it had ever been, but if it was possible to make it good for her, he would. He covered her, positioning himself at her entrance, then thrust in, as her maidenhead gave way.
Thea gave a sharp gasp, and he waited. “My darling?”
Her face was pinched as if in pain. “I'll be fine. I knew it would hurt at least a bit.”
She winced as he pushed in farther, and his heart twisted.
If only he could keep from hurting her. “Try to relax. It will be easier for you.”
Biting her lip, she nodded.
Damn him for a dolt. He trailed his tongue along the seam of her mouth. When she opened he captured her again. Stroking his tongue with hers and rubbing her breast with his chest. Finally her tension receded.
This time when he thrust she moved with him. “Put your legs around me.”
Soon her heels pressed into his buttocks, urging him on. In a matter of moments, he thrust one last time, releasing his seed, swallowing both their cries with a kiss.
She was his. All of her. If only he didn't love her so much.
Rolling onto his back, he pulled her against him, stroking her as if he could make the pain she'd felt go away.
“How are you feeling?”
She was quiet for a few moments. “I'm fine.”
She didn't sound as if she was fine. “Sleep. I shall wake you when it's time for you to go back to your room.”
Yawning, she snuggled into him. “Good night, my love.”
Dom blew out the candles, plunging the room into darkness even though the drapes were open. Thea's breathing evened out, and he held her boneless body tighter against him. He'd never spent the night with a woman before, but he did not want to and could not let Thea go.
Thoughts raced through his mind.
Uncle Alasdair
. Damn him for being in bed with them. How could he have told Dom to never fall in love? If he had not, he would have missed Thea's lovely face in the throes of passion. He would have proposed to someone entirely different and completely wrong for him. He gave up thinking and let Morpheus take him, knowing when he awakened his love would be in his arms.
He woke several hours later to a gray light inching its way through the window. Thea slept soundly next to him, her head on his chest, and his arm still wrapped around her. Her long black tresses wrapped around his fingers and spread over her, shielding much of her body from his gaze. This was how he wanted to waken every morning, though possibly a bit later. In fact, why the devil was he awake at this hour?
A scratching on the door to his dressing room roused him. Kimbal? Had they woken him when they'd made love? He certainly wouldn't approve. No, wait, Kimbal was gone. It had to be Wigman, but he didn't sleep in the dressing room. What was he doing up this early?
Dom glanced at the clock on the mantel. Five-thirty already. He had to get Thea back to her room before any of the servants saw her.
Unwilling to wake her, he carefully slipped out of bed, donned his dressing gown, wrapped her in her robe, grabbed her nightgown, then scooped her up in his arms and went through the door to the connecting corridor, entering her chamber as he had the night before.
She stirred as he drew the covers over her. “Dom?”
“You are in your own bed, sweetheart. Sleep for a while longer.”
“Um.”
The desire to climb in and hold her again was almost too strong. He made his way back to his own bed before the temptation overcame good sense.
For the first time since his father died, the bed was large and lonely. Unable to sleep, he tried to sort out what had happened between Thea and him. He'd never felt anything like this before. He needed Thea the same as he needed air and water, and it scared him to death. How would he keep his love for her from destroying everything they had?