“Tomorrow. Tomorrow morning I will do just that.”
She went into his arms fully, and he welcomed her sweet body pressed against his chest. He could feel the softness of her breasts and nearly groaned. A huge sigh puffed out of him. Feeling suddenly, blissfully exhausted, he knew he’d finally find restful sleep this night, after weeks of aching wakefulness.
“I know Tom is not here for the vows, but we can invite him to Hallborough for a visit if you like. I think he’ll be delighted. He wants you to be happy. And you don’t have to bring much—just yourself. We’ll order you a whole new wardrobe in Somerset—whatever you like. I’ll have my housekeeper, Richards, find you a maid and anything else you require.”
He knew he was babbling as the words tumbled out of him excitedly. He pulled back to get a good look at her. “Can you tell I want take you home as quickly as possible? Is that all right?”
“It is very much all right,” she told him, her pretty golden eyes softening in a way that was both demure and vivid at the same time. And aroused him wildly.
Jeremy responded with a smile. A smile that cracked wide, threatening to split his jaw open. He couldn’t have cared a whit if it had. He was thinking about what he now knew. She will be mine. I will have her. Sweet Georgina will be mine.
Chapter Thirteen
How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night,
Like softest music to attending ears!
—William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet (1595)
I’m marrying him in the morning.
In the midst of packing up the last of her things, Georgina kept telling herself of this fact in hopes that she might come to believe it. As hard as it was for her to accept, Jeremy seemed determined to make her his wife. Georgina had no doubts of his ability to be a good husband, but she was full of misgivings about her role as a wife. When he wanted to bed her, for instance. How would—
Georgina felt her stomach flop, like a rock had been dropped down her throat. What would it be like with Jeremy? When he put himself inside her… She hugged her body, rubbing up and down her arms.
He’d said she must trust in him, and that he would never hurt her. So that was what she must do. She would trust the man who had come back for her. Who said he wanted her, no matter her past. How can he be so sure?
The soft knock at the door got her attention.
She checked the time on the clock—just past eleven. Would Jeremy dare to come to her bedroom? He might.
Georgina pulled on a dressing gown, belting the robe of golden yellow before padding to the door.
“Who is there?”
“Only me,” he answered.
Georgina felt her heart speed up at the thought of Jeremy just behind the door. Knowing full well that he should not be there, and that she should not allow him entrance, she loosened the bolt and opened her door anyway. And there he stood. As handsome as ever and unabashedly bold Her betrothed stood at her door seeking entrance as if it were the most normal thing in the world to come to her bedroom in the night.
“I saw the light coming from under your door a
nd figured you were awake. Still packing?”
“Yes. I was just putting the last few things—”
“Let me help you,” he blurted.
“You—you want to come in?”
“Yes, please.”
Georgina stood aside to open the door all the way, and in he walked. Jeremy wasted no time in shutting and locking the door behind him, sealing them in her bedroom together. He leaned upon the door and faced her.
“I had to see you.” He looked solemn before her, not his usual easy disposition.
“Why?”
“I just needed to see that you were safe and still determined to marry me in the morning. We were both very busy today.” He nodded toward the window. “Thought I might guard the window to keep you from bolting in the night,” he teased, but with a straight face.