Enticing Her Unexpected Bridegroom Read online

  And maybe David needed time to figure out his own feelings.

  And maybe that shouldn’t preclude them from exploring this new side of their marriage.

  Grinning, Sarah thought that was the best inside thought she had in all her life.

  Looking at David, Sarah saw that he was not handling her continued silence well. He looked ready to vomit, truth be told.

  Laughing, Sarah threw her arms around her husband. “Calm down, David. These new feelings don’t have to be defined this very instant. I am just happy that you are seeing me in a more wifely way.”

  She pulled back and attempted to appear sultry and womanly. She was sure she just looked ridiculous, but it worked. David practically lunged at her.

  Her breath taken away, all Sarah could do was try and enjoy all of the new feelings David was conjuring. His mouth seemed to be everywhere at once, and everything his lips touched fairly burst into flames. Sarah had never been so hot, and pools of moisture were gathering in the strangest and most amazing places. Somehow David had managed to relieve both of them of their remaining clothing, and soon Sarah had the most wonderful sensation of feeling David’s skin on hers. If possible, David seemed even hotter than she.

  Wrapped tightly in his vise-like arms, Sarah reveled in the strength of her lover. He made her feel safe and wanton all at once. Losing herself to the passion, she found herself writhing uncontrollably underneath David’s rock-hard body. Tasting every part of him her mouth could reach, Sarah reveled in David’s groans and moans. She was surprised to hear herself echoing those sounds of passion with every new thing he did to her.

  When David pulled away to begin traveling his mouth down her body, Sarah whimpered restlessly. She was so ready for something, something yet undefined, to happen. And she was sure that David needed to be pressed against her for that something to happen.

  And then she realized how wrong she was.

  Lost in the throes of passion and feeling the hot kisses against her breasts and down her stomach, Sarah quickly forgave David for changing locations. Digging her hands into his dampened hair, she didn’t know whether to pull or push.

  She was only barely aware when David’s mouth dipped below her belly and in between her legs to be pressed wetly against her feminine core. It was all she could do to not scream with pleasure. Just a few strokes of his tongue was all it took to send her spiraling toward heaven. The feeling was indescribable, and when David’s mouth lifted from this magical spot, Sarah’s hands tried to push him back down.

  She heard David chuckle as he slid his sweat-slicked body back up hers until he was once again kissing her.

  “Is this what you like?” he whispered silkily in her ear, as his fingers moved to replace where his mouth had just brought her to the peak of joy. Her body jerked uncontrollably as his fingertips swept over her sensitive nub.

  Shivers ran down her spine as she nodded spasmodically.

  “Oh, Sarah. You are so ready for me,” David groaned.

  “Yes, yes, David,” Sarah moaned, and when she felt David shift so that his entire weight was atop her, she nearly wept from the rightness of it all.

  Then she felt something bigger, hotter, replace David’s exploring fingers, and soon it was pushing ever farther into her pulsing center, and Sarah thought she would burst from the sensation.

  There was a sharp pain as David sank completely into her and Sarah stiffened for a second.

  David continued to whisper sweet nonsensical endearments into Sarah’s ear in between long, searing kisses, and soon Sarah forgot the pain. Moving instinctively underneath him, Sarah was rewarded by a guttural expletive as David began to move within her. Matching his rhythm, Sarah began to feel that building of pressure that she now knew would lead to a glorious release, but nothing could have prepared her for the sensation of peaking with David buried deep inside her. Her inner muscles kept clenching and convulsing around David’s thick member and Sarah was sure she would die from the pleasure of it.

  Seconds later, David let out a long growl as he pushed himself one last time into her core. Sarah could feel him pulsing within her and it almost brought her to climax again.

  Never in her life would anything ever be the same.

  As David slowly came to his senses, he realized that his world had changed forever. Who would have thought that Sarah—Sarah Jardin—could possibly ruin him for all other women?

  Sarah Jardin Rochester, he reminded himself. She was his and, for the first time, he realized just how glad he was of that fact.

  Rolling over to one side, David immediately pulled Sarah back into his arms. Part of him just couldn’t fathom ever letting her go. Never before had he been brought to such heights during the sex act. Certainly he found sex pleasurable and, until recently, most everything he had done in his young life was to experience more of said pastime. But what had just transpired between him and his wife…that was, well, transcendent, for lack of a better word.

  And that she seemed to enjoy it as much, if not more? That was simply icing on the cake. No, that wasn’t true. The fact she was so responsive was much of the reason it was so fulfilling for him. Interesting.

  Simon had tried to tell him that making love was infinitely better than the tupping they had frequently done, but he couldn’t put into words exactly why it was so much better. Now David knew what his friend meant, and he was sure he wouldn’t be able to explain it to anyone else, either.

  Truth be told, David had expected to never find out of what Simon was speaking, in light of his unexpected marriage. Simon had said it must be due to the love he felt for Rose, but David didn’t love Sarah.

  No, of course he didn’t. Sarah was, well, Sarah, for God’s sake.

  Chuckling with a mirth he suspected may be forced, David felt Sarah stir against him.

  “Wha’ so funny,” Sarah asked drowsily.

  “Nothing, kitten,” David shushed. “Go to sleep now. Big day tomorrow.”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  Sarah snuggled into his embrace much like the feline he had just likened her to, and within seconds her breathing slowed to a regular rhythm, and David was left with his own thoughts.

  Unfortunately, the last person he wanted to be left alone with was himself.

  With a sigh, he tried to stop his wandering mind, but with Sarah cuddled up against him and the scent of her all over him, David was fighting a losing battle.

  Not willing to go down the road of how he felt for Sarah, David tried to change his train of thought to the case. It was a much safer topic than trying to understand his latest wants and desires.

  What was Blackwood hiding? Clearly he was hiding something. But what did the Potters have to do with his secret? David wondered if even the Potters knew why the earl was persecuting them. His biggest fear was that even if they did find Potter and by some miracle they figured out the mystery with Blackwood, it wouldn’t be enough to keep William out of the hangman’s noose. As unfair as he found the Black Laws, David knew many of his contemporaries found them fair and just. And in the courts, men weren’t tried by their peers, they were tried by the gentry.

  Running his hand through his hair, David eased himself out of Sarah’s cocoon of warmth and pulled on his small clothes. He wandered over to the attic window and pushed it open. Immediately a cool breeze brushed past his heated cheeks. He leaned his head against the top of the window frame and looked out over the darkened countryside. All was still and quiet. A sense of peace pervaded the pastoral scene, but it was tinged with a shadow of evil that David was sure he was projecting on the idyllic landscape.

  He would like to think the people out there had no clue what dangers were lurking in the master’s manor, but that was a fool’s dream. They knew better than anyone what a nightmare living under a malevolent hand could be. Would be. Unless someone put a stop to it.

  Could he be that someone?

  Recently, he had heard a fellow at Brook’s gentlemen’s club say, “Evil flourishes when good men do nothing.
” It was a paraphrased quote from an Irish Whig politician, but David remembered being struck by the simplicity of the message. Ofttimes it was true. David had experienced it firsthand in school.

  How many times had he seen the smaller boys roughed up by the school bullies? And did anyone try to help them? No, that would put a target on themselves. For years, he stood by and watched smart young men reduced to blubbering idiots by even bigger idiots. One day, David was once again watching a poor young man being beaten up, and suddenly another boy jumped in and pulled three boys much bigger than he off the smaller chap. The three boys turned on him, and soon the new boy was in as bad a shape as the original target, but when he was finally allowed up, he was smiling. He had slung his arm around the other bloodied boy and the two walked together down the hall.

  The hero had been Alexander Bredon, and David had made it his goal right then and there to be Alexander’s best friend. Despite the pain and suffering he and Alexander experienced—until they had grown big enough to give as good as they got—it was worth it to see the look of gratitude and undying friendship on the faces of the other boys.

  Alex and David were heroes, but Alex was the one who had inspired the bravery in David. Alex, who everyone thought a ne’er-do-well buffoon, had the heart of a lion. And someday his friend would show it to everyone and shock the hell out of them all.

  With a smile, David turned back to the bed. His smile broadened when he saw his lovely wife. For once in his life David felt inspired to be the good man who would do something against evil.

  Perhaps being such a man would make him worthy of the woman before him.

  The thought caused David to pause as he crawled back under the blankets. Since when did he start feeling unworthy of Sarah?

  Damn, he was never going to get to sleep now.

  Chapter Eleven

  Sometimes the heart sees what is concealed to the eye.

  —The Duke of Lancaster

  The next morning, Sarah woke well rested and downright chipper. Stretching luxuriously, she was surprised at how sore she was…then the memories of the night before came flooding back. Blushing at the thought of things she had done—at things that had been done to her—Sarah could barely bring herself to look over at David. He was still asleep, thankfully, and Sarah stared at him while she tried to come to terms with all that had occurred the previous evening.

  At first she hadn’t been sure she had made the best decision in allowing David to follow through with his desires without first determining how he felt about her. She was half convinced he may someday come to love her, but then her doubts would resurface. How could someone as wonderful, handsome, and accomplished as David Rochester love her? But he was attracted to her. Of that she was sure. He had made that abundantly clear last night.

  What had he done to her? All she could really remember was intense pleasure. He had put his hands all over her—and his mouth. He had even put them, ah, in places she was quite sure they shouldn’t have gone. But she had been powerless to stop him. Perhaps lovemaking was always so encompassing? She really was going to have to have a talk with Rose and Hannah. In all their chats, neither girl had ever mentioned such actions.

  Still, Sarah had to hope that their lovemaking wouldn’t make things too awkward between them. Her whole reason for taking that step was to convince David that their marriage could be a real one. A fulfilling one. One in which he would not have to find an outside source for sexual pleasure. Sarah was very aware of the role of mistresses (though perhaps not as aware as I am now, she thought with another blush) and she had been afraid since their rushed marriage that David planned to employ one. She was so very worried that he would never see her as a viable option for his bed. And, frankly, she wanted to be the only option in that area.

  Thoughts fully formed, Sarah once again came to the decision that she had done the right thing last night. She cared for David, she was married to David and, as far as she was concerned, she needed to do whatever was necessary to convince David that those were good things.

  Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Sarah reached down and picked up her chemise from where it had been discarded the night before. Slipping it on, Sarah stood and looked around the room. She had not been in any shape to take notice of her surroundings last night, and she now found herself curious as to where Melinda had taken them.

  It was a large, spacious room, as attic rooms were wont to be, but it was remarkably clean. More so than one might expect. Clearly, Melinda was an excellent housekeeper. There was an air of pride in the cleanliness of the room, if such a thing were possible. Sarah wandered over to the corner of the room blocked off by a curtained divider and, as she expected, there was a tidy place for relieving oneself and a basin with a pitcher of water for cleaning oneself. Sarah took advantage of the arrangement and then walked over to the open window.

  It was a lovely day outside. The sun was shining, and a bird in the tree just across from the window was chirping brightly. In the distance, Sarah heard another bird echo the song back to his friend. The bird opposite Sarah took flight, heading in the direction of the returned sound.

  Sarah was still smiling as she turned back to the bed. David was awake and sitting on the edge of the mattress.

  “What has you smiling so prettily, my dear?”

  Sarah opened her mouth to respond but found her voice had failed her. Jaw hanging open, Sarah just stared at the half-naked man before her. This was the first time she had ever seen a man without his shirt on. David’s chest was lightly tanned and looked remarkably smooth. There was a small smattering of golden curls across the muscled expanse, and Sarah vaguely remembered them tickling her breasts as they had kissed last night.

  Closing her mouth, Sarah licked her lips nervously. Her hands twitched, and she felt herself moving toward David. More than anything, she wanted to lay her hands on the golden skin before her.

  David seemed as entranced by her odd behavior as she was by his naked body, for he said nothing during her approach. Within seconds, Sarah’s hands were gliding across David’s shoulders. They were so very warm. She leaned down to kiss them and she felt David’s swift intake of breath.

  “Sarah,” he said shakily. “What?”

  Sarah ignored him and did what she had always wanted to do, but since being rejected the first time had never tried again. She kissed her husband.

  Using the new techniques she had learned, Sarah put all of her being into the kiss, and she was thrilled when David immediately responded. Within seconds, Sarah found herself on the bed and beneath David. He was now in control, and she reveled in his strength.

  What seemed like hours later, but was probably only minutes, David lifted himself up to look at Sarah, and all she could do was lay panting. It was just a kiss, but Sarah felt almost as satiated as she had after their lovemaking.

  “And good morning to you,” David said with a twinkle in his eyes.

  Smiling with a touch of shyness, Sarah replied softly, “Good morning.”

  “It certainly is now,” David agreed.

  “I’m sorry for my forwardness,” Sarah began.

  David put his fingertips against her lips. “None of that, Sarah-dear. You are my wife and are allowed to be as forward as you would like. In fact, I now insist upon it.”

  He then gave Sarah such a lascivious look that she couldn’t help but laugh. “All right, but don’t be surprised if I take you up on your insistence.”

  Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, David shook his head. “Nothing you do could surprise me anymore, my love.”

  As he moved to gather his clothes and to take care of his morning needs, Sarah wondered at his endearment. Did he even realize that he had called her “love”? Probably not, but she took it as a good sign, nonetheless.

  Seeing the wisdom of getting dressed—Melinda would likely be making an appearance soon—Sarah pulled a day dress from her case and shook out the wrinkles the best she could. After donning the garment, Sarah turned her att
ention to her hair. Without a maid to help her, she reverted back to the style she had worn for years before she had such a luxury. A simple bun, but with the added detail of a few loose curls kept purposefully free to frame her face. She hated to admit it, but she missed the newfound trappings of beauty Lady Lancaster had introduced her to.

  She hoped she wasn’t becoming vain.

  Turning to return her brush to her valise, Sarah tripped over her own feet and landed heavily on the bed.

  “Oof!”

  Coming from behind the curtained area, David rushed to Sarah’s side.

  “Are you all right?”

  Laughing, Sarah sat up. “Oh yes. God is just keeping me humble.”

  David looked at her questioningly, and Sarah just waved off his unspoken query. It wasn’t worth explaining her idiosyncrasies.

  Luckily, a knock at the door stopped any further inquiries. David helped Sarah off the bed, and together they went to say good morning to Melinda.

  “I trust you slept well?” Melinda asked after the morning greetings were exchanged.

  “Very well,” Sarah replied.

  David nodded noncommittally. He slept horribly, but waking up was infinitely more pleasurable than he had anticipated. He rather expected some awkwardness between he and Sarah, but surprisingly there was just the opposite. The intimacy they had shared would go down as some of the best he had ever experienced. And he looked forward to doing it again…that and more. Who would have thought?

  “Have you any ideas as to what to do today?”

  Sarah looked at David expectantly. “I think we should try to find the Potters. What are you thinking?”

  “Exactly that, my dear,” David said with a smile.

  “Really?” Sarah replied in surprise.

  David simply nodded and Sarah turned to Melinda with a broad grin. “What can you tell us about the Potters, Melinda?”

  As Melinda talked about where the Potters lived, the size and makeup of their family, and what they did for the earl, David found his thoughts wandering. He wondered how often Sarah’s ideas were given merit. She seemed so pleased when he had agreed with her. Certainly she was given credit when due by Lady Lancaster and the other girls of the Society. Why else would she be part of the group? But her behavior was still suspect. Perhaps it was he who had never given her credit?