Bound by Bliss (Bound and Determined #2)(105)

She swallowed and hoped her cheeks had not grown too red, although she supposed a bride was meant to blush on her wedding day. “I should go and speak to my father. I have hardly had a chance to greet him all morning—and I’d best find out what his laughter is about. I do hope he is not planning on giving us a breeding pair as a wedding present. One never knows with the duke.”

“A breeding pair? Of llamas?”

“Or rabbits. Or kittens. Or Indian elephants. You truly never know with him.”

Stephan stared down at her, his face unreadable yet calm. “We will manage whatever comes.”

She blinked—and blinked again. Nobody ever reacted to her father with calm. Some laughed, some cried, some swore, and some turned up their noses, but nobody ever stayed calm. “Are you sure?”

“Very, but go talk to your father and make your reassurances. Despite what you might think, he is your father and I am sure that he worries. Although I admit that I would prefer kittens to elephants. And if by chance we were to end up with some of those greyhounds that I saw him with last summer that would actually be to my…pleasure.” He dropped the pearls that he still held and they landed with a soft sway against her skin, a thousand bolts of feeling spreading through her.



God, the man simply said the word “pleasure” and her knees trembled. “I will see what I can do. The duke does like to make people happy.”

“Good.” Stephan smiled warmly at her and more than her knees trembled. “And Bliss…”

She started to step away, but turned back. “Yes?”

“Be sure that you save your strength for later. Don’t let anyone, not your father or my aunt, tire you out. I want you to save all of your…your attention for later.”

His eyes traced her, from top to bottom, a physical touch.

Later. She shivered. Later. Desire and nerves curling together.

Despite all her wants, all her plans, she wasn’t sure—was she ready for her wedding night?

—

Duldon stared across the room as his wife slipped out of the room. His wife. Bliss was his wife. Bliss was finally his. He savored the thought. Bliss was his. He watched the gentle sway of her hips, the soft flow of silk skirts about long thin legs, legs he’d fantasized about for months—no, for years. So why were his hands suddenly clammy? He had dreamed of this, worked for it, planned for it. There was no reason for nerves now. And he was a man who rarely felt fear.



Only…

Bliss was out of sight and Duldon felt a slow breath leave his chest.

He had won the prize, but could he keep her? Was he really ready to risk it all this night, to show her what he really wanted, who he really was? He’d given her hints of it before, rather large hints, but that was quite different than actually demonstrating.

And then he smiled to himself.

He’d spanked her.

He’d poured wax upon her.

And she relished it all and acted like she wanted more. Why was he so afraid that she’d back off now? She was Bliss, his Bliss. She’d probably ask for more. His whole body reacted to the thought, his balls pulling up and his cock hardening even more.

The only question now was how much longer did he have to wait to join her in her bedchamber?

—

No, she was not ready. Any doubts she had earlier in the day multiplied by a hundred, leaving her breathless and afraid.

Afraid. She played with the word in her mind. Was she afraid of Stephan?

It seemed a foolish idea. She had agreed to marry the man and she would never have agreed to marriage if she was afraid of him, would she?

The mirror in front of her reflected a woman who did not look afraid, a woman who looked like she knew all the secrets of the universe and was prepared to use them. Her blond locks lay brushed about her shoulders in soft waves, the wild curls for once smoothed by her maid’s endless brushing. Her lips were red from nibbling, making it look as if she’d been well-kissed before the evening had even begun. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as her nerves increased the pace of her breath. The fine linen of her white chemise revealed her tightly peaked nipples, the rosy flesh poking the fabric, eager to escape. If she stood even the slightly darker nest of hair between her thighs would be visible, so fine was the linen. In fact, there might be very little that was not clear to see.



She looked the wanton.

For months she’d been eager to try her womanly wiles, had put so much effort into exploring in all the ways she could.

Why now of all moments in time did she feel like a lost lamb? Why did she wish to pull on her cloak and flee before Stephan could appear? What held her trapped?

Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

She tried to think, tried to understand this sudden fear.

She never felt afraid, was so eager to enjoy life, to not miss a moment or a single experience.

So why did she now wish to hide under the covers and never come out?

Another breath.

This mattered. That was the heart of the issue.

It was hard to admit it, so much easier to hide from it, but this coming moment could mean everything. If she let Stephan in now, she was letting him in forever.



And if she let him in she could be hurt, hurt in ways she was not sure she could survive.

If he ever left her…

Oh God, she really did want to run. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t.