The Undoing of a Libertine (Somerset Historicals 2)

The release did help some, but not nearly enough. He crawled into his big, lonely bed after a quick wash and chewed on the dealings of the past hour some more. Not how he’d imagined it with her. And he had hours of imagining bedding Georgina under his belt.

Jeremy snorted in the dimness. What bridegroom tossed off alone in a chair on the wedding night? He did, apparently.

Now what? He flopped over onto his side. He wanted her. Both of them knew he was well within his rights to go back in there and have her. He could get her to submit. But would that be force? Or a husband exercising his marital rights?

Georgina felt badly. He knew she did, and her reactions were based on an understandable fear. She’d looked so distraught and ashamed with her knees tucked up under her chin. If he tried again, she’d probably yield, and most likely without much fuss. Once it was done, she would know what to expect and would see that there was nothing to fear, just like sleeping with him last night.

But he just couldn’t be that way with her. He didn’t want to force Georgina to accept him. He wanted her to want him.

Part of Jeremy was repulsed by her fear. By the idea of her equating him and his lovemaking with Strawnly and what he’d done to her. He didn’t want a woman in his bed that feared him, or for that matter, thinking about the man she did fear.

Rubbing his chest, he willed the dull ache away. Jeremy knew shame for his selfishness. He must face that he’d been the one to push her into marriage. Georgina was candid with him right from the beginning. She’d said she didn’t know if she could bear the intimacy. And he pressed her anyway because he wanted her so badly. He still wanted her.

Yet he was not without any hope at all. She had seemed genuinely sorry. “I didn’t mean what I did. Please don’t leave.”

Jeremy would have liked to stay but knew it was an impossible notion. He simply couldn’t have remained in bed with her and held himself back. He’d had no choice but to leave. He didn’t trust himself not to take her. He’d find a way into that sweet cove of hers one way or another. What a goddamn debacle he’d made of this night. His cock to blame for all of it too. Literally.

The mattress didn’t feel right, about as snug as a bed of gnarled rope. He flopped again, changing sides once more, not at all confident he’d ever find sleep tonight.

Jeremy closed his eyes and tried to get comfortable, determined to reach drowsiness, and acknowledged that he would just have to try again tomorrow in the wooing of his sweet but reluctant bride. Opening his eyes, he looked up at the ceiling and made a decision. He would give her some time to adjust to being married. He could do that for her. And it would be worth the wait becaus

e Georgina was worth it. Jeremy closed his eyes once more.

* * * *

What beauty to be had in the male form. Sculpted muscle and smooth swaths of golden skin stretched out before her. Greedily she stared at Jeremy, asleep in his bed, and as strange as the notion was, Georgina longed to have him over her so she could feel all that beautiful skin next to hers. Hopefully her overture here would be met with interest on his part.

She lifted the lamp to see him better. He slept partway on his side, his arm flung out, tousled hair feathering his cheeks and forehead. He looked younger to her in sleep.

Georgina liked his lips, the way they felt when they kissed. His bottom lip was much fuller than the top and more so even than was typical for a man. Even though Jeremy was all male, there was something womanly to his lips, and Georgina liked them all the more. They were soft, too. Maybe, if she was lucky, he’d want to kiss her again.

She set the lamp on the bedside table and lowered the flame. She turned back to look and froze. Jeremy’s eyes glowed in the lamplight like blue glass and pierced right through her.

“What are you doing?”

“I want—I am to sleep with you, Jeremy.”

“I don’t think it is a good idea, Georgina, and you know why.” His eyes swept over her body and he looked hard at her.

“Well, I do,” she retorted. She fiddled with the belt of her robe, hoping she could still her shaking hands if she had something to hold on to.

“No. Please, I cannot keep from take—touching you.” Jeremy breathed hard like he was holding himself back. “If you come into this bed, I won’t stop this time. I will not be able to stop.”

“I know.” She finally got her robe untied. His eyes went to where the fabric belt fell away and then back up to her face.

“There’s no turning back. Georgina, you’ll get all of me. Are you ready for that?” The coverings slipped to his waist as he sat up. His long, ropy muscles tensed along the length of his body. No nightshirt on her husband. He was naked and gorgeous.

It was just as well, she thought. When Georgina changed out of her nightdress, she had chosen to put on her blue dressing gown instead, with one omission. She was just as naked underneath her robe as he was underneath his bed covers.

Georgina drew as close to the bed as she could and gave Jeremy her answer. Nodding, she opened her robe and let it fall.

Her husband froze for just a second before pulling her into his bed, and he mumbled something. It sounded rather along the lines of, “Thank God!”

She got her wish. Jeremy’s beautiful skin was pressed against hers. The lick of desire lit up in her belly, and she recognized it for what it was the second she felt it—wantonness.

Underneath him, Georgina surrendered to his hands, mouth, lips, and tongue. Jeremy was gentle in the way he asserted himself with her. And it was fitting and proper because he was her husband and had rights and privileges to her now. He could do as he liked.

Surprised at herself for wanting more of what he was doing, and by how good he felt bearing down on her, his tongue moving in just the right fashion, soft but firm, she forced herself to let go and float in sensation.