Page 65 of Romancing the Rifleman
Oh, God.His thoughts had been consumed by his complete and utter failure and how Diana was going to hate him.
Sex had been the furthest thought from his mind.But she was here.She was here, and that stupid vow he’d made to her brother no longer impeded him, and?—
“Did you say we have a cabin?”he blurted, his cock already stiffening.
Her gaze traveled downward, and a satisfied smile cropped up on her perfectly pert pink lips.She swung her eyes up to meet his.“Yes.Yes, I did.”She seized his hand in hers, tugging him after her.“Come, husband.I have need of you.”
As she led him down the length of the ship, he heard snickers all around him.No doubt word had spread like wildfire that his new wife was aboard.It didn’t take a genius to guess what they were heading off to do, and they were surrounded bysailors, for God’s sake.
If Diana minded these lewd murmurs, she gave no indication of it.Harrington, on the other hand, secretly loved it.Oh, the fellows would rib him about it later, the way his bride had dragged him across the ship with his cock already starting to thicken in his trousers.It wasn’tthatembarrassing.They were newlyweds, after all, and every man aboard would have been in a similar state had they been fortunate enough to be in his position.
But Harrington specifically loved the fact that it wasslightlyhumiliating.He loved this high-handed version of Diana.He loved her ordering him about, treating him like her war prize.God, but he was eager to serve her.He’d spend the rest of this voyage with his head between her thighs and not utter a word of complaint.
Captain Bannister’s smile as they approached was amused.“Ah, good.I see that you found your husband.”He turned to face a boy of about twelve years with straw-colored hair.“Benjamin!Take charge of Lieutenant Astley’s dog for the duration of the voyage.”
Young Benjamin surged forward, looking delighted by this assignment.He dropped to his knees and began petting Inge, who responded by licking his face.“Yes, sir!”
Harrington leaned toward the captain, dropping his voice low.“Diana told me that your first mate gave up his cabin.I didn’t mean to indispose anyone.”
Captain Bannister’s expression was kind.“I can assure you, Kirkpatrick was happy with the arrangement.Besides, the voyage is short, and we all remember what it was like, being a newly married man.”He straightened, adopting a commanding voice.“Lieutenant Astley!”
Harrington snapped to attention.“Yes, sir!”
“You are relieved of duty for the duration of the voyage.”
Harrington’s cheeks burned.“Thank you, sir!”
Beside him, Diana was fluttering about, batting her eyelashes in a distinctly un-Diana-like manner.“Oh, thank you, Captain!”She took Harrington’s hand, smiling at him fondly.“I don’t know what I would have done without your assistance.”
Captain Bannister bowed.“That’s quite all right, my lady.I’ve given orders for your husband’s trunk to be moved to your cabin.Do you remember the way?”
Diana seized upon this excuse to leave.“I believe so.”She was already towing Harrington toward the central hatch.“Thank you again!”
As he followed his wife, Harrington heard a mixture of sniggering, cheering, and lewd whistles.He ducked his head, but Diana kept hers up the whole time, smirking like the cat who got the cream.
The cabin Diana led him to was not what you would call spacious.The bunk along the wall was designed to sleep one.Harrington’s trunk had been tucked beneath it.You had to squeeze past a small square table to reach the bed.And in the corner, there was a cannon, a twelve-pounder, by the look of it.But the silver lining was that the presence of a cannon meant they had a window, so at least there was a bit of light.
Harrington chuckled nervously.“Well, isn’t this romantic?Did you ever imagine you’d spend your wedding night next to a cannon?”
She grabbed him by the front of his coat and shoved him down on the bed.Harrington was so startled that he offered no resistance.Hiking up her skirts, she crawled on top of him, straddling him, then proceeded to kiss him with such ferocity he forgot where he was entirely.
“I don’t give a fig about the cannon,” she said when she finally lifted her head.“Take off your clothes.Now!”
“Oh, my God.”Harrington’s cock pulsed in his trousers.Diana shoving him down on the bed and ravishing him was his every sexual fantasy come true.
But it wasn’t just the fact that she was making his cock bear more than a passing resemblance to the ship’s mast.Her following him onto this ship, refusing to let him go, dragging him off to a cabin and climbing on top of him… it made him feelwanted.
He’d honestly never thought that anyone would want him.Not for more than a quick roll in the hay.
The thought that this brilliant, perfect womanwanted him had his throat seizing up and him blinking rapidly to hold back the sudden moisture in his eyes.
Fortunately, Diana chose that moment to distract him by reaching her hand down and teasing him through the placket of his trousers.
He groaned as his head lolled to the side.She seemed to know how much he liked what she was doing, if the smug grin she was giving him was any indication.“You like this, don’t you?”
“Yes,” he panted.“Possibly a little too much.”
She arched an inquisitive eyebrow.“How could you like it too much?”
