Love, Come to Me(54)

“I had hoped that we could find some way to get along with each other,” Lucy heard herself blurt out awkwardly. “I didn’t expect that you would want to see other women. I don’t want that. I don’t like it at all.” She hung her head and froze in shame, unable to believe she had admitted it. Now he would ridicule her, now he knew that she had been jealous. She watched as his hands tightened on the reins, then the barouche pulled over to the side of the road and the horse nickered gently. “Heath? What are you doing?”

He caught her in a bruising grip, one large hand wrapped around the back of her slender neck while his other arm hauled her body right against his. His lips were urging hers apart, his mouth plundering hers with a violent eagerness that caused her to quiver in surprise. As he felt the pliancy of her body, the lack of struggle or fight in her, Heath eased the crushing pressure of his lips and kissed her slowly. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move away from the persuasive stroke of his tongue. His mouth was hot and sweet, drinking in the tenderness of hers, and his head bent further over hers until she collapsed weakly against his shoulder, her lips moving under his in response. His hand moved from her neck to her jaw, cradling the side of her face as he devoured her with relentless kisses. She clung to the lapels of his coat, surrendering herself completely to his demands. The wildness of it filled every pore until she was tingling with the overflow. His arms trembled with strain as he lifted his mouth from hers.

“Does that feel like the kiss of a man who’s recently been serviced by his mistress?” he asked huskily, his breath caressing her moistened lips. Lucy blinked drowsily, her arms creeping around his neck. “I haven’t had a woman in months,” he continued in that same rough whisper, “not since before I married you. I haven’t wanted anyone else, and I won’t. Every night I promise myself you’re going to pay for the hours that I’ve wanted you and gone hungry. I swear I won’t go hungry anymore.” He bent his head again, his mouth seeking hers and absorbing her soft moan. Suddenly Lucy could not separate sounds and scents and textures from each other. She did not know if the faint taste of wine came from her mouth or his. She did not care if that rapid thudding was his heartbeat or her own. The sky was falling around her in brilliant ebony shards and little pinpoint stars, and time was shuddering to a halt. Words and thoughts vanished with lightning quickness while the only thing that remained was the pleasure of his lips and the hard strength of his body.

“There hasn’t been any other woman,” Heath said against her mouth, making her tremble. “There couldn’t be. I’m too obsessed with my own wife. There’s only one thing you can give me that no one else can . . . and heaven and hell be damned, I’ll get it from you no matter how long I have to wait, no matter how hard I have to ride you. No, I’m not talking solely about my husbandly rights, although that would be a good place to start.”

“Heath . . .” She made a small movement to free herself; her eyes dark and clouded with confusion. His arms tightened on her.

“I’ve given you the time you asked for. But I didn’t have too much patience to start with, Cin, and you’ve worn it threadbare. We’ve tried it your way and I’ve waited for you to come to me . . . and now there’s a bigger distance between us than I ever should have allowed.”

But she had been waiting for him to come to her! Lucy looked up at him speechlessly.

“From now on we’re going to do it my way,” he continued, framing her small face with his hands. “In case you have any doubts left . . . starting tonight we’re going to be husband and wife in every way. There are things we need to talk about . . . but they’ll hold until tomorrow.” His thumbs traced lightly over the dark, slanting lines of her eyebrows and rested at her temples. Unable to help himself, he lowered his mouth to hers again, the sensitive fire of his kiss penetrating down to her toes. She felt light-headed, as if too much wine had suddenly gone to her head, and she pulled at his wrists feebly in a plea for respite. The pressure on her lips stopped. Heath looked down at her and traced his fingertips along the moonlit gleam of her skin. In an unexpected movement he dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose and deposited her back in her seat, where she curled up and eyed him with bewilderment.

When they reached the little circular drive in front of the house, Heath got out of the barouche and helped her down, his hands fitting neatly around either side of her waist. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she twisted around to pull down the folds and draperies that flowed from the back of her dress. She straightened up as his hands remained on her waist, her heart jumping at the sight of him. In the darkness his eyes were midnight blue and his perfectly honed features were shadowed. He pulled her body up against his, forcing her to stand on her toes and lean into him. For all the differences in their respective sizes, they fit together quite snugly. Her eyes closed as she felt the warmth of his lips on hers, again and again, in light kisses that caused a river of heat to flow through her. The feelings were even stronger than before, drugging her with sweetness. She swayed against him when he stopped, and Heath stroked a tendril of hair away from her temple as he stared down at her. “Go and get ready for bed while I see to the horse,” he murmured. “I won’t be long.”

Lucy nodded jerkily. She turned after he released her and went into the house without a backward glance, raising her hand to her mouth as soon as the door was closed. Her lips felt tender and bruised. She went up the stairs with a frown creasing her forehead as different emotions pulled at her from every direction. Part of her was shaky and anxious; part of her was relieved that soon the waiting was going to be over, and there would no longer be anything to dread or wonder about. Part of her was alive with anticipation. Finally, finally it was going to happen, and she knew that it was right.