Page 46 of Wedded to the Forbidden Duke
He pressed another kiss to her neck, lower this time, at a particularly sensitive place, and was rewarded with a moan. Finishing the laces, he pulled away.
“Keep that in mind,” he finished.
Cecilia whirled around to face him, her face red in a way that was all too familiar from their earliest encounters—except that now, he could even more clearly see the river of lust that pulsed just beneath her exasperation.
“You…” she began, before swallowing, clearly searching for the right words. Her hands balled into fists at her sides as she took another deep breath and rearranged her face into a calmer andmore composed expression. “I shall keep that in mind,” she said, before reaching for her dress to continue clothing herself.
Seeing that she was not so easily persuaded, Ian sighed, but set about getting dressed, unable to keep from continuously glancing her way. Somehow, the sight of her dressed, now that he knew exactly what she looked like beneath those layers of fabric, did nothing to quell his desire for her.
Ian could tell already that, if his impatience now was so great already, then today was setting up to be a very, very long day.
Chapter Nineteen
“Thank you for having me back so soon,” Nancy said, after she had had a sip of wine. She looked at everyone around the table. It was impossible to miss the light dusting of pink that rose to her cheeks when her eyes met Zachary’s.
“You are always welcome here, Miss Banfield,” Ian said. “If anything, I am most grateful for your having accepted the invitation to dinner. I have kept my wife busy here for too long, so far removed from the bustle and hubbub of society. I suspect she would grow sick of my company quite soon, were we not to have guests!”
Nancy laughed. “Oh, I am certain that is not true.”
“It certainly is not,” Cecilia agreed, turning her piercing gaze on Ian. Immediately, he felt a flood of lust rush through him. “As a matter of fact, I find life here in the country to be most entertaining. Unless it is I who is boring you, my lord?”
He tilted his head at her, smirking. “Not in the slightest,” he replied. “In fact, I can recall quite a few specific instances over the past few days where you entertained me most thoroughly.”
Cecilia’s face went red.
Zachary nearly choked on his wine. “I beg your pardon, Harwick?”
Ian kept his eyes on Cecilia. “I was merely saying?—”
“No, no,” Zachary interrupted. “No need to continue.”
Nancy, seemingly oblivious to the tension, smiled. “What sort of things do you get up to here? Pall Mall?”
Cecilia laughed at that. “No, not Pall Mall,” she said, before turning back to address her husband. “But do tell, Ian, what exact instances were you referring to?”
Her eyes bore a challenge in them, in spite of her pink cheeks.
“Oh for the love of God, Cecilia. I am right here,” Zachary complained dramatically and Cecilia rolled her eyes at him.
“I am a married woman now, brother.”
“No need to remind me.”
He held her gaze for a moment more. “I was going to say Cecilia’s picnic, my friend. Nothing that would not be appropriate for the dinner table,” Ian finally said, cutting another piece of his venison. “The other night.” He turned back to address Nancy once more, continuing, “Your friend saw I was working late, and conspired to pull me away from my work by preparing a lovely outdoor meal. If you think this meal is excellent, I assure you, that basket you brought quite put it to shame.”
“It was all Mrs. Fitzclarence’s doing,” Cecilia assured them, though she flushed with pleasure at the praise. “I can take no credit.”
“Oh, Celie, that is so romantic! A picnic under the stars,” said Nancy. She sighed, as though picturing it as a scene in a romance novel. “How sweet.”
“It was,” Ian agreed, smiling at Cecilia. “A sweeter meal I cannot imagine.”
“Yes,” she shot back at him. “You seemed particularly to enjoy the dessert, if I recall correctly.”
All day, she had been teasing him like so.
As the night went on, it became more and more apparent to Ian that, however innocent and inexperienced his wife may have been before their wedding night, she could almost certainly hold her own in a game of seduction.
To be fair, she did not have to do much. Cecilia was already such a tempting creature, whether she was outside arguing with him about Pall Mall or dressed in her finest evening wear at a ball. Now, sitting at the table and making small talk with her best friend and brother, she looked no less tempting than ever.
