“Colly,” she whispered, shivering a little at the tremors shaking her knees.
“I’ve waited as long as I can stand it,” he said, still holding her tightly. “Once it’s known I’m gone, and that’ll take all of five minutes, you’ll be inundated with visitors eager to gossip. You’ll need your own secretary and all the trappings that go along with being my wife. But tonight, love, tonight…it’s just us. A man and a woman. And our wedding night ahead of us.”
She couldn’t help the ripple of excitement shuddering through her body as she pulled his head back to hers. “Yes, Colly. Oh please yes…”
It was all he needed to hear.
Chapter Fourteen
Undressing in what was to be her room from now on, Ivy couldn’t help but notice her hands shaking a little as she unfastened the pins from her hair. It wasn’t long enough to require attention from Barnes, and she’d shooed the woman away for the night once her gown had been removed and her nightclothes laid out.
Getting used to a personal maid would take some doing, but Ivy understood that it was all part and parcel of her new title. Had she wanted all these trappings? Heavens, no. But marrying a Duke came with its own set of rules, and she must now abide by them.
She walked to her dressing table and paused, seeing herself in the mirror, a slight figure in delicate white silk, red hair tumbled to her shoulders and with eyes wide and nervous. Tonight she would lie with her husband for the first time.
The matter was not unknown to her; a certain book, Cerulean Tales, had been quietly made available to her a year or so ago. Elvina had given her to understand that this volume might shock her, but there were matters she should know before she considered marrying anyone. This book set them all out in black and white.
Entranced by the concept of a brothel controlled by women who selected their clients, rather than the other way around, Ivy had read it from cover to cover. She knew that Colly would insert himself inside her, and that it might hurt a little. But she also knew that there were other things they might do, pleasurable experiences for them both.
And he’d already shown her the beginnings of such pleasures.
All this practical knowledge was comforting, but even so, there was still a part of her that shivered a little at the thought of surrendering her virginity.
And the longer she stood around thinking about it, the worse it was going to get. She lifted her chin, straightened her nightgown, and marched to the door that connected to her husband’s suite.
Steeling herself, she gently tapped on the thick dark wood panelling.
It swung open immediately, and there he was, standing and smiling at her, garbed in a rather flamboyant silk dressing gown.
“Oh my.” She blinked at the colours. “Is that a dragon?”
He nodded. “A gift from a Chinese official when I was travelling several years ago. I’ve always liked it.”
“I can see why,” she approved. “It’s very exotic.”
“Come in,” he stepped back. “I wasn’t sure whether you’d come to me, or if I should come to you.”
“It seemed logical,” she answered absently, looking around his bedroom with curiosity. “But if I was wrong, do tell me.” She glanced back at him. “I shall make mistakes, you know.”
“As will I,” he said, reaching for her hand and drawing her inside, closing the door behind him. “But this isn’t one of them.”
“I…” She stilled as he neared her. “I’m not sure what to do, Colly.”
“That’s quite all right,” he touched her gently. “I am.”
He pulled her close, then took her breath away by suddenly picking her up in his arms and carrying her toward his massive bed.
“Eeeek…” she squeaked.
“Romantic, isn’t it? I’ve always wanted to do this.” He paused. “Hmm.” Then he simply dropped her onto the bed where she bounced into the quilt.
“Ooof.”
He frowned a little. “I’ll have to work on the last bit.” Then he tumbled after her, landing half on her and half beside her, all silk dressing gown and hard limbs. “But this I like to think I’m close to perfecting…”
He kissed her, holding her down with his weight, and she eagerly parted her lips, knowing now the pleasure of his tongue, his taste, and the scent of him against her.
But this time there was the additional delight of heat, the warmth of his skin against the thin silk of her nightgown. His robe was slipping away, leaving him naked against her, and her hands took advantage, stroking the firm planes of his back, learning the textures of him, even as he continued to kiss her, caressing her tongue with his, and moving against her, sliding his knee between her legs and pushing the delicate silk from her thighs.
She moaned, a sound that seemed to emanate from somewhere deep inside her lungs, and he drew back. “I’m crushing you,” he muttered, moving more to the side.
“No, no,” she grabbed him. “It’s……wonderful. You feel…” Her hands roamed over his chest, feeling the whorls of hair, tracing it down his belly, and noticing how his body tensed as her hand moved lower.
“Fair play,” he said, tugging at the drawstrings of her nightgown.
Having passed beyond the point of maidenly modesty, Ivy was quite ready to assist the Duke in his goal of removing her clothing. This was the right time, the right place, and the right man. She wanted to touch every bit of him, to learn his secrets, understand his body the way she hoped he would understand hers.
Her explorations continued unabated after she’d discarded that bit of silky nuisance, and she pushed him onto his back, which allowed her free rein to touch just about anywhere she wanted.
He seemed quite
