Wildstar

When he had joined her, though, Flo poked her head in­side. "I'll send some of your things down to the hotel, Jess."

"Fine," Devlin answered for his wife, "but that's all we need anyone to do for us. I don't care if the rest of the town burns down. Don't bother us for a week."

Flo grinned broadly and winked at a blushing Jess. "Lordy, that gorgeous fella is a man after my own heart."

Returning the widow's grin, Devlin pulled the door shut, determined to whisk his bride away before anyone else could corner her. He rapped firmly on the roof, signaling the driver to leave, and draped an arm around Jess's shoul­ders, pulling her into the curve of his body as the vehicle lurched forward.

After the noise of the crowd, the quiet within the car­riage seemed almost intimidating to Jess. Weariness and tension suddenly assaulting her, she lay her head gratefully against Devlin's shoulder. She felt light-headed from lack of sleep and filled with fear. A fear different from the kind she'd endured during the fire, but just as intense. She was petrified that she wouldn't live up to Devlin's expectations as either wife or lover.

He must have sensed something was wrong, though, for his lips brushed her hair in a comforting kiss. "You okay, angel?"

"No," Jess answered truthfully. "I'm so nervous I'm shaking."

"Why are you nervous?"

"I guess because I've never ha

d a husband before."

"That's understandable. I'm a touch nervous myself.

"You?" She sounded skeptical.

"I've never had a wife before, either." His tone held an undertone of teasing laughter. "I think I could grow to like it."

"You really are nervous?"

"I wouldn't lie to you, Jess," he said more seriously. "I hope you finally realize that."

"I do."

"Good." Grasping her hand, he linked their fingers to­gether, creating a physical bond. "Yes, I really am ner­vous. Getting married isn't a responsibility a man can take lightly. Nor is losing his bachelorhood. But this is nothing compared to what I went through the past month. It scared the devil out of me, waiting for you to decide whether I was worthy of you or not. I spent the entire time pacing the floor and wondering if you loved me enough to come to me. I had hoped . . . prayed . . ." Entirely serious now, he put a finger under her chin, tilting her face up to his, and gazed at her solemnly. "I knew what I wanted was you, Jess. I didn't know, though, if you wanted me."

"Oh, Garrett, I did want you, I do . . . more than any­thing. I love you so much. . . . I just couldn't believe you could ever love me. I'm still not sure I'm not dreaming."

"Believe it, angel."

"Tell me again, Garrett, please?"

"I love you, sweetheart, never doubt it. I love you, I love you, I love you. . . ."

His whispered endearments broke off as his lips came down on hers hungrily. Jess responded with heartfelt ea­gerness, twining her fingers in his hair and opening to his thrusting, searching tongue. The heat that rose between them was suddenly scalding in its intensity. The small whimper of longing that Jess made deep in her throat was echoed in the primitive groan Devlin gave before he ab­ruptly held her away and inhaled a harsh breath.

"Lord, woman, what you do to me. . . . But I'm not go­ing to start our marriage by taking you on a hard carriage seat."

"I wouldn't mind," Jess said shyly, not daring to meet his hot eyes.

His husky chuckle rasped against her temple. "That's one of the things I love most about you. But I have some­thing much more comfortable in mind."

They shared a state of half painful, half delicious sexual arousal until the carriage drew to a halt before the Hotel de Paris. Then Jess, on her best behavior, made a great show of allowing Devlin to help her down from the carriage, offering her hand to him regally, in her most formal finish­ing school manner.

When Devlin raised a quizzical eyebrow, Jess com­mented pointedly, "I know how to be feminine when I want to be."

"I think you should forget I ever said that."

"How can I forget? You've told me often I enough I don't know how to be a normal woman."

His smile was pure sensuality. "Well, I was wrong. You've always been an armful of woman, Miss Jess, al­most more woman than I can handle."