improvement. He pulled the covers back and got into bed. She hurried to move her papers out of his way.
He propped his back against the headboard and let out a loud sigh. He was deliberately giving her time to calm down. If she turned any redder, he thought she might ignite. Her hands shook when she reached for her papers. He didn't understand why she was acting so nervous with him, but he decided he'd have to wait to ask her. Questions now would only make her condition worse.
'Are you cold?'
'No.'
'Your hands are shaking.'
'Perhaps I am a little cold. My hair was still damp after my bath and I didn't take time to dry it.'
He reached over and cupped the back of her neck with his hand. He could feel the tension and began to massage the knots away. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh of pleasure.
'What are you working on?' he asked.
'My list of duties for everyone. I made a list for Flannaghan, another one for Cook, one each for Raymond and Stefan, and several lists for myself. Oh, and the master list, of course. I just finished that one.'
She made the mistake of turning to look at him. Her train of thought went flying out the window then. She couldn't even remember if she'd finished her explanation or not.
It was all his doing. If he hadn't had such beautiful eyes, and if he hadn't had such a wonderful smile, and if his teeth hadn't been as white as God's surely were, she wouldn't have taken the time to notice and forget every other thought. Closing her eyes wouldn't help. She would still be able to feel the heat from his body, still inhale his clean male scent, still…
'What is a master list?'
'I beg your pardon?'
He grinned. 'A master list,' he repeated.
He knew she was rattled. He was enjoying her discomfort, too, if his smile was any indication. That realization helped her regain a little of her composure.
'It's a list of my lists,' she explained.
'You made a list of your lists?'
'Yes, of course.'
He burst into laughter. The bed shook with the force of his amusement. She took immediate exception to his attitude. 'Colin, lists are the keys to true organization.'
Her voice reeked with authority. Because she was acting so sincere, he tried to control his laughter. 'I see,' he drawled out. 'And where did you learn this important fact?'
'Mother Superior taught me everything I needed to know about organization.'
'Was she as thorough as she was when she explained the intimate…'
She didn't let him finish. 'She was much more thorough. It was very difficult for her to talk about… the other. She's a nun, after all, and had taken the vow of chastity years ago. You can understand her reticence, can't you? She didn't have much experience.'
'No, I don't imagine she did have much experience,' he agreed.
Colin was swallowing up the bed. She kept edging closer to the side to give his legs more room and he kept… expanding until he was comfortable. He stretched and yawned and soon took up all the space.
He took her papers, too. He put them on the table next to his side of the bed, then blew out the two candles and turned back to her.
She folded her hands in her lap and ordered herself to quit being so nervous.
'Without organization we would have anarchy.'
It was a stupid thing to say, but she couldn't think of anything better. She was dying to ask him why he was in her bed. Was he going to sleep with her in her chamber every night? No, she thought to herself. That didn't make any sense. His bed was much larger-much more comfortable, too.
Alesandra decided to ease into the topic of their sleeping arrangement. She was calm now, and in total control. He was her husband, after all, and she should be able to ask him any questions, no matter how personal the topic.
A clap of thunder sounded in the distance. She almost fell out of bed. He grabbed her before she went over the side and hauled her up close to him.
'Does thunder make you nervous?'
'No,' she answered. 'Colin, I was wondering…'
'Take your nightgown off, sweetheart,' he ordered at the very same time.
His command gained her full attention. 'Why?'
'I want to touch you.'
'Oh.'
She didn't move. 'Alesandra? What's wrong?'
'You confuse me,' she whispered. 'I thought you did like to… and then when Flannaghan told me to… well, I didn't.'
She knew she wasn't making any sense. She quit trying to explain and considered his order instead. She wished he wasn't watching her. She wished it was darker inside the chamber, too. The fire burning in the hearth was still bright enough to cast a golden glow on the bed. She knew she shouldn't be embarrassed. Colin was her husband, and he'd already seen every inch of her body. She hated being shy and wished she could be as uninhibited as he was.
Still, they'd only been married less than two full days. Alesandra decided to tell him how awkward she was feeling and perhaps gain a few pointers on how to get past her shyness.
He turned her attention, then, when he tugged her nightgown up over her hips. She had to force herself not to slap his hands away.
'What are you doing?' She sounded breathless, felt like a complete fool. She knew exactly what he was doing.
'I'm helping you.'
'Do you notice how nervous I seem to be tonight?'
'Yes, I noticed,' he replied. The laughter was in his voice, but there was heat there, too. The craving to touch her had been plaguing him all day, breaking through his concentration at the oddest moments, and now, finally, he was going to satisfy the intense desire building inside him.
'You're still a little shy with me, aren't you, Alesandra?'
She rolled her eyes heavenward. A little shy? She felt as though she was about to explode with her embarrassment.
Colin pulled the gown up over her head and tossed it over the side of the bed. She immediately tried to cover herself with the blankets. He wouldn't let her shield herself from his gaze, however, and gently tugged the covers down to her waist.
She was perfectly formed. Her breasts were full, lush, beautiful. The pink nipples were already hard, ready, and he arrogantly believed it was his nearness that caused that reaction. He didn't think the goose bumps on her arms were due to the chill in the room, either. Her body was already responding to him, and he hadn't even touched her yet.
He took his time looking at her. She stared at the covers. 'I'm not used to sleeping without a gown.'
'We aren't going to sleep, sweetheart.'
She found her first smile. 'I know,' she whispered. She decided she had had quite enough of her own awkwardness, and although it took every bit of determination inside her, she turned to him. The look in his eyes-so warm, so caring-made her boldness easier. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him.
It felt wonderful to hold him so close, so intimately. The hair on his chest tickled her breasts. She let out a little sigh of pleasure and deliberately rubbed against him again. He grunted in reaction. His hands cupped her backside and he pulled her tight against his hard arousal. Her face was tucked under his chin. He nudged her chin up, then lowered his head to hers.
He kissed her forehead first, the bridge of her nose next, and then teased her mouth open by pulling on her lower lip with his teeth. His mouth settled over her parted lips. Her mouth felt so wondrously soft against his own,
