Page 90 of My Secret Duke
“Olivia?” Ivo called again softly. “Are you well?”
She made her way to the bed and climbed up, crawling across the mattress to reach him. It was a very large bed. He reached out, caught her in his arms, and held her tight, breathing in the sweet scent of her clean hair.
“I needed you,” she said.
“I needed you too, but you were too well guarded for me to slip into your room,” he admitted.
For a time, they were silent. He nuzzled against her ear, then left a trail of kisses over her cheek and neck. She ran her fingers through his hair, enjoying the silky curls, twisting them gently around her fingers.
“What is it, sweetheart?” he murmured. “Rendall is gone. Bourne saw him go. There is nothing more to fear.”
“I’m not afraid,” she said. “Well, a little. The memories will probably be with me for a long time.” The next words were blurted out. “When can we marry?”
He tipped up her face and kissed her gently on the lips. “Gabriel gave me his blessing. I suppose we’ll have to wait a decent amount of—”
With a cry of joy, she climbed onto his lap, straddling him, her hands clasping his face as she rained down kisses upon him. Laughing, he seemed to bask in her attention. “I was worried too,” he admitted. “I thought he might blame me.”
She gazed into his eyes. “Do you know I told Rendall about Gabriel, how he hasn’t allowed his beginning to darken his life and has gone on to be happy and successful? He didn’t want to listen. He was set on his course.”
Ivo grimaced. Then, “Enough about Jacob Rendall,” he said briskly. “When do you want to marry?”
Olivia supposed “as soon as possible” wasn’t the right answer, but it was the truthful one. If she had her way, she would marry him at once. It was partially to do with what had happened on the marsh, though that would pass with time. But it was also because she was deeply and irrevocably in love with this man. Attending social engagements, taking her place in the ton, would not be nearly as much fun if Ivo was not with her.
“Before Christmas,” she said. “I don’t want a long engagement.”
He grinned. “Hmm, my mother will be over the moon. Two weddings to think about.”
“I’m not sure what Grandmama will say, but after what she told me about her own marriage… At least I will be marrying a man I love.”
He wrapped his arms about her and rolled her over onto the bed, his body on top of hers. Her nightdress had rucked up, and he slid his hand up her thigh, lifting her leg over his hip so that he could nestle closer.
Olivia felt the hard shape of him against her, and everything else flew from her mind. This last month without him had been a long one, and she could not wait any longer. Their lips clung, and their kiss deepened before he bent his head and found her breast through the thin cloth. He ran his tongue around her aching nipple, sucking it into his mouth so that when he stopped, the cool air on the damp material made her ache with desire.
“Do you want me to stop?” Ivo asked. “I can wait, sweetheart.”
“No.Youmay be able to wait, butIcan’t.”
He laughed softly as he slid down over her body, slowly, teasingly, until she was arching against him, urging him to reach the heated place between her thighs.When his mouth closed on her, she bit her lip to stop the cry, worried it would bring someone running. She was soon close to her peak, making the most unladylike noises, her body begging for release.
And then he stopped. Disgruntled, Olivia leaned up on her elbows to stare down at him. He gave a wicked grin and crawled over her, and she saw the hard length of him between them, nudging the curls between her thighs. She forgot about being peeved then, as he cupped the globes of her bottom in his hands, and lifted her to the right angle for his body to join with hers. Slow and careful, deeper and deeper, until she was gasping and clinging to him.
The world sparkled about her as she soared. Ivo groaned as he too reached his climax, and then his mouth was on hers as their kisses turned to murmurs, and then to replete silence. And they lay together, dreaming of the years to come.
Chapter Forty-Four
November 1818
Grantham
The bells rang out at the Grantham village church, and despite the chilly weather Olivia had never seen so many smiling faces. Everyone said it was the most anticipated wedding in a very long time. Her family was there, even her mother and her new husband, and of course the Fitzsimmonses.
Ivo stood at her side, so serious as he repeated his vows, and then giving her hand an encouraging squeeze when she found herself choked up with emotion as they were pronounced husband and wife.
Her friend, her love, and her husband.
They had been on a long journey, and now they were at the beginning of another one, a life together, and she was so looking forward to it. When she left Grantham, it would be for the last time with it as her home. Whitmont would be her home now.
Grandmama, who had seemed resigned to the inevitable when told her granddaughter would be marrying the very man she had forbidden her to spend time with, had set aside her disappointment and organized a celebratory meal. As the wedding party arrived, Olivia sat down at the table. All about her were the faces of the people she knew and loved. Edwina was bouncing in her seat, particularly excited, having been a flower girl at last, her dream come true.
