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He carried her through the entrance hall and up the stairs Visualizing the s as he’d so often viewed the doors until he arrived at her apartment
"How do you knohich one is mine?" she asked, as he shouldered open the door to her sitting roouess"
He covered the carpet in three paces, swept her into the bedchamber, and fell with her onto the bed A heap of white pillows and downy quilts sucked them in like a snowdrift Julian sputtered at a bit of lace in hisher What with all the white, and the hour of noon approaching, the rooht
"Oh, it’s dreadful, isn’t it?" she said, batting away clouds of white bedding "I had it done up this hen I was seventeen, and it’s never been redecorated"
He huffed at a tiny feather floating between theinal"
All the better to ravish you on, my dear This bed was like hisa well-bred lady on a cloud of white lace; pushing his crude, baseborn cock into her iuarded virtue And this was even better than the fantasy, because Lily belonged to hiht … God, he just knew she would be so tight … virtue was his Not for the taking, but for the keeping Forever
It was thenotion he’d ever conteroin
"Then it’s still appropriate, I suppose I ainst the white linen "You know there haven’t been others"
Dear, sweet Lily He s himself to rein in his lustful impulses for the moment "Are you anxious?"
"No Well, only a little But it’s a pleasant sort of anxious"
"You needn’t worry This is going to be ahed "Perhaps I should fault the arrogance of that statement, but I’ance, it’s a pro to be wonderful," he insisted, "and I will tell you why Because if at any ti less than indescribable bliss, you are going to tell me so, and I will stop at once Do you understand? I would never hurt you"
She nodded "What a very husbandly thing to say" With a little gasp, she bolted straight up in bed As if she’d just now received an express notifying her of the fact, she grinned down at him and said, "I’m your wife, Julian I’ bright shards of happiness to pierce his heart She’d never looked so beautiful
"No," he said, struggling to sit up next to her, "you are still the daughter of aYou are, and will always be, Lady Lily Bellamy"
"Heavens" Her hand went to her brow "Another L sound in my name That’s four now"
"Too late You can’t take it back"
"Are you sure?" She toyed with his cravat "You still haven’t kissedher a smile to a soft, luscious pout Their noses touched She inhaled a quick breath And just the instant before he pressed his lips to hers, she whispered, "I love you so"
He covered the precious words with hisat each of her lips in turn, then delving lightly with his tongue She reached for hiers in his hair, and as he deepened the kiss, she moaned in the back of her throat
Desire swept hi he had to hold to that proainst the counterpane and sink into her at once But he was deterood for her as it was doubtless going to be for hiation of the spot beneath her ear Nuzzling first, then tasting with lips and tongue She was so delicious, he couldn’t resist a playful bite
She gave a sharp cry
He pulled away "Have I hurt you?"
"No" She looked puzzled "Why do you ask?"
"You … you made a noise"
"Oh, did I?" She sht He needed her under hi white lace
"Noho’s anxious?" she asked, skiht in the hack, I’ all ht was different" Last night, he was different Julian wasn’t sure how to explain it In that carriage, he’d been a thief, taking what didn’t belong to hirooed to cherish and protect this woman all the days of his life The difference was so profound, it was … well, it was night and day
"Let’s settle on a signal," she suggested "A word If I’m uncomfortable or in pain, I’ll say that word With all other noises, you can assuree?"
He nodded "What word?"
She considered "How about ‘spider’?"
"Spider?" He couldn’t help but laugh "Who wants to think of spiders in the throes of passion?"
"No one, of course That’s why it’s ideal"
He shook his head "Sos"
"Very well" Her eyes wandered past hi parlor "What about ‘ars"
"That won’t do What happens when you beght here in the armchair’? The moment will be ruined"