hands were all over him, and she was encouraging him, parting her legs to bring him closer against her. When he was trembling he was in such bad shape, she lifted her hips to bring him into her. Oh God, it was more than a man could take, but he sucked in a deep breath and told himself he had to hold back or he would be consigned to that group of pathetic dolts who lost their wits when a naked woman was lying beneath them, their legs spread. No, no, he had to stop thinking like that. He looked down at her, and knew this was her first time and he wasn’t about to muck it up. When his mouth was on her, she began shaking. Then she was sobbing, deep in her throat, hitting her fists against his shoulders. When she reached her orgasm, Jason looked at her face as his fingers now caressed her. Astonishment, that was the first thing he saw in her wide dark eyes, then tearing pleasure, and her eyes went wild and blind. He eased the rhythm of his fingers slowly, very slowly; he came over her and came into her, slow and deep. To his surprise, she began to move against him, drawing him deeper, and he nearly fell off the cliff when she cried out in pain. “Hold on to me, Judith. Just hold on.” He gritted his teeth, and went deep, deeper, and when he touched her womb, he couldn’t hold back any longer. He didn’t want to yell to the ceiling, someone would hear him. He managed to keep that in his brain, but it was difficult. He swallowed his cries, his body heaving over her, and then as suddenly, every thought in his head, every feeling that had raced through him-all of it was hovering around him, indistinct and blurred, like the softest of veils, and it was easy and fine, and he eased down on top of her.
“You didn’t come out of me.”
He froze. “No,” he said slowly, “I forgot.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she whispered against his ear, “it doesn’t matter.”
He managed to kiss her before he fell asleep beside her.
WHEN JASON AWOKE just after sunrise, he was grinning like a fool. Delicious memories raced through him in an instant. He turned, but she was gone.
Well, of course she was gone. He fell over onto his back, stretched, and wondered when she’d left him.
Marriage to Judith McCrae. It would be a very good thing. He imagined, a fatuous smile on his face, making love to her every night, or perhaps twice or even three times a night, then waking up with her every morning. The good Lord knew that he could pleasure a woman in the mornings as well. Himself too. That was a fine image, a fine future for the both of them. He wondered if she’d stop trying to twist him up, keep him guessing about her feelings, keep him off-balance, as if she didn’t want him to know her all the way to her soul.
Jason whistled while he bathed, whistled while he strode down the wide corridor to the stairs, there to take them two at a time, going down.
At the bottom of the stairs stood James, Corrie just behind him.
James said without preamble, “Good. You’re here. I told Corrie you were up with the servants. We’re here because the Virgin Bride visited Corrie last night. We left to come home immediately.”
Corrie stepped forward, stood there at the foot of the stairs, staring up at him, her head cocked to the side, quiet for the moment. Finally, she said, “There is something different about you, Jason. Are you all right? You look rather vacant, and somehow immensely pleased with yourself.”
Jason said not a word to that, just came down and hugged her to him. “My new little sister. The only thing is you’ve been my sister for fifteen years already. Now, both of you, come into the dining room, and tell me what the Virgin Bride had to say.” He held on to Corrie, even as he said to his brother, “I trust you have pleased my little sister.”
James thought of her mouth on him, and coughed.
Corrie immediately said, “Why are you asking him since I’m the object of the pleasing? Can’t I answer that?”
“No, you cannot. Be quiet. James?”
“I would say,” James said slowly, looking from his brother to his wife, “that the two of you have the same look on your faces.”
“Oh dear,” Corrie said. “How is that possible? Jason, surely you haven’t-”
James said, his voice so quiet not even the Virgin Bride could hear him, “Is Judith McCrae here?”
“Yes, she is. Now, as to this look on my face, I ask that you both forget it. She has agreed to be my wife. I will fetch some tea from the kitchen. James, take your bride into the dining room.”
“HAS JASON SHOWN you the infamous gardens with all those lovely shocking statues?”
Judith’s eyes sparkled at Corrie’s question, but she looked around to make sure they were alone before she whispered, “You mean those lovely shocking statues that all appear to be having the time of their lives?”
Corrie laughed. “Yes.” She drew a bit closer. “Which was your favorite?”
There wasn’t a blush on either face. “The one where the man is kissing her in a way one would have to say is rather intimate.”
Corrie gulped. “Ah, what a remarkable coincidence. There are at least fifteen statues and yet we both like the same one. Yes, that one is my favorite as well. It wasn’t before I married James, but-oh goodness, this isn’t at all proper, is it? Well, the fact is, I really didn’t understand what the male statue was doing and what that meant, if you know what I mean.”
“Now I know exactly what you mean,” Judith said, then lowered her head. “Since Jason tells James everything you must know that I went to Jason’s bedchamber last night and seduced him, but the fact of the matter is-”
“The fact is that if I’d only had the chance, I would have tried to lock myself in a small warm room with James as well. It doesn’t matter. You and Jason will be married soon now.” Corrie leaned closer. “The truth is that there was simply never the opportunity, blast it. Nor did James, curse him, give me the least little hint.” She sat back, smiled, a soft smile that held memories for the rest of her days.
“Will you stand beside me, Corrie?”
“I should be delighted. Is this wedding to be soon or will your Aunt Arbuckle insist upon a long engagement and huge numbers of people spilling out of St. Paul’s?”
“I want it to be very soon.” Judith blushed, actually blushed. She pressed her palms against her cheeks. “Oh goodness, all I can think about is sitting on Jason’s bed, staring at him, and he’s standing there perfectly naked. Ah, he looks so very fine.”
“Oh my,” said Corrie.
“It was remarkable.”
Corrie felt both embarrassed and wicked, a delightful combination, but she knew that anyone could walk in on them, and she didn’t want to have to face Jason after hearing about his midnight encounter with Judith. She cleared her throat. “Tell me about how my mother-in-law finally buried the old bat.”
When James walked in a few minutes later, it was to hear Corrie and Judith laughing. That pleased him, and he smiled even as he said from the open doorway, “I have come to fetch both of you. Father wants to tell you where all the guards are stationed here at Northcliffe. He doesn’t want any of you getting accidentally shot.” He paused a moment. “Ah, he also wants to hear if either of you have any more ideas, even though he swears that you’re weak-headed, Corrie, what with your tale of the Virgin Bride visiting you. However, he is loathe to let me out of his sight, so what is one to believe?”
Corrie jumped to her feet. “Yes, I want to hear what your father has to say. How many more guards are there?”
“Two more.”
“He hasn’t told me to my face that I’m weak-headed. Do you think he will?”
“My father is an excellent diplomat. You are still too new to the family to be blasted. However, now that I think of it, your sneer and my father’s aren’t all that different.” He gave each girl an arm.
Lady Arbuckle wasn’t present, Judith telling them that her aunt was resting quite happily in her lovely bedchamber, drinking tea and eating toast.
Annabelle Trelawny was there, as she was nearly every day now. Today, though, her sweet smile was tinged with worry. She said, “I hope you are not displeased at my presence, my lord, but William believes that I have a fine brain. He wanted to see if I could be of any assistance at all. Now, this dream of Corrie’s.”
“It wasn’t a dream,” Alexandra said.
“Ha,” Douglas said.
“The point of the whole thing,” Corrie said, sitting forward, her hands clasped in her lap, “is that the Virgin Bride made it clear to me it is James who is in danger. Then she sort of faded away.”
“Then why was I shot at?” Douglas said.
