Prince of Ravenscar (Sherbrooke Brides 11)

74

The Shapewick Inn

THAT NIGHT IN PLYMOUTH

Roxanne paced back and forth in front of her new husband, who was lying at his ease on the huge tester bed in the center of the corner room that looked out over Plymouth Harbor. He was naked, a single sheet pulled to his waist, and he was harder, he thought, than the floorboards beneath the bed. He eyed her with amusement mixed with lust. She was wearing a sinful pale pink peignoir, sheer as a veil, over her equally sinful pale pink nightgown, striding back and forth in front of him, the long-legged stride of a young Amazon. His Amazon. He wanted to grab her and consign that pale pink to the ether, but he knew her—and prepared to enjoy himself. She whirled about to face him, her hands on her hips, the firelight behind her outlining her long legs, haloing her glorious hair, hanging all loose down her back. He thought of those long legs of hers around his flanks and shook with it.

“It’s true, I tell you, Devlin. It’s true! The little hussy was laughing just now in the hallway, telling me how the prince was helpless to say no to her, how she seduced him in his estate room surrounded by all four spaniels—two full days before the wedding. She all but danced off to their bedchamber after she whispered to me she knew everything now, and I didn’t know spit, and here I was, her elderly aunt. She la

ughed and laughed, telling me how much fun I was going to have if you were but half the lover the prince was. Then she looked mournful and said she couldn’t imagine any man being a more superb lover than the prince, but doubtless you and I could admire our mutual whiteness if you weren’t all that certain what to do. I could have smacked her, Devlin.

“And then I could have smacked you. You want to know why?”

He nodded, trying not to laugh.

“I could have smacked you because I remembered that night in the hallway and you wanted me against the wall, and I was eager, I’ll admit it, Devlin, I was excited and feeling things I’ve never felt before. I wanted to learn what this lovemaking business was all about. But nooooo—you became all saintly and noble, and sent me back to my bedchamber with a pat on the cheek. But the prince didn’t send Sophie on her way, did he? No, he did not wait.” She waved her fist at him.

Devlin was laughing so hard he nearly fell off the bed, aware that his bride was standing, watching him, tapping her foot on the carpet. When he was finally able to speak, he said, still grinning like a fool, “Sophie is a wonderful actress to convince you so completely. She made fine sport with you.” He laughed again. “My darling, listen to me. When Julian told me a man shouldn’t take a woman until she was his wife, he meant it. Julian has so much honor, it sometimes makes me want to punch him, like this time, since I wanted you so very much. But you see, I took what he said to heart. I believed him. I know he would never take Sophie until”—Devlin looked at the ormolu clock on the mantel—“until about now.”

Roxanne’s eyes were narrowed on his face. “She could not fool me; surely, she could not. Did she?”

He nodded, laughed, then choked.

Roxanne waited until he got himself together again, wiped his eyes, then said, her own eyes even more narrowed now, “How I wish you’d never asked him anything at all. What prompted you to ask him? Who cares what he thinks? Look at the result. We missed our wall opportunity at midnight because he’d already told you his damnable marriage rule, and you believed he was right, damn both of you.

“And there you were, kissing me until I was mad for you, but you kept saying over and over you wouldn’t dishonor me, wouldn’t have me naked until our wedding night.”

“Would you believe I suffered more than you did?”

“No.”

“Well, I did, since I knew exactly what I was missing. Do you know, dearest one, I shall congratulate Sophie in the morning for pulling such an amazing stunt on her aunt. However, Roxanne, very soon you will be naked and beautiful, your cheeks all rosy with delight from the pleasure I will give you. Forget making love against the wall at midnight. This is much better. I think our wedding night has been perfect so far, don’t you? Come here, Roxanne.”

She frowned down at him, her voice snide. “I assume you know how to continue this business, since you’ve had simply scores of mistresses. That wasn’t a lie, was it?”

He grinned, patted the side of the bed. “No more than two score, but you know, I suppose it’s possible I could have forgotten how one accomplishes this business in the past four weeks of sainthood. Come here, let’s see what happens.”

When she was stretched out beside him, Devlin leaned down, kissed her, and kept kissing her as he stripped her naked. He leaned up and stared down at her. Slowly, his hand cupped her beautiful white breast. His leg moved to press hers apart. “Now you are as naked as I am. Hmmm, what is next, I wonder?”

“That feels rather nice. Whatever you’re doing, don’t stop.”

“I shan’t, my darling, I shan’t. Ah, look at us, Roxanne. I believe I am the whiter.”

She studied them for a moment, pressed together, then, “No, I am the whiter.”

“No matter, we blend perfectly together, just as I knew we would.”

Roxanne kissed his chin, his nose, his eyebrows. “Thee and me,” she whispered against his mouth. “Have I told you how much I love you, Devlin?”

“Not since this morning, after I kissed you in the church. I believe I told you I loved you more. As we’ll blend our whiteness, let’s blend our love. Come, let me show you pleasure now.”

In the other corner bedchamber of the Shapewick Inn, Julian was grinning down at his new wife. “I cannot believe you told such an outrageous tale to your poor aged aunt. Don’t worry, Devlin will make her realize you were pulling both her legs and her arms as well. Seducing me two full days before our wedding? Beware, Roxanne is liable to clout you once she realizes what you did.”

Sophie giggled. “I got her,” she said between giggles. “She was red with rage at me—her little niece—learning things she didn’t know before she did.”

He was laughing with her until she began kissing him all over his face, her hands stroking over him, his chest, his belly, and lower, until he moaned. Finally, he came over her, stretched out on top of her, pressed her into the soft mattress, and soon she was panting between her kisses. She whispered against his throat, “Tell me again you love me, Prince.”

“I love you, and my four dogs love you.”