Page 68 of An Accidental Bride for the Duke
And a damn good step, at that. Never in her life had Iris felt so full, so satisfied, and so happy. And to make matters all the better, she sensed that it would not be the last time.
Not if I have anything to say about it.
Chapter Twenty-Two
They lay together, naked bodies entwined, and Iris had never felt so at peace. Or rather, she would do, was it not for one small problem.
“Be sure to let me know when you are ready to try again,” Philip said to her. She had an arm draped around him and he played with her fingers as he kissed the back of her hand.
“Again?”
“Oh yes,” he said seriously. “Surely, you did not think that once would be enough?”
“For a child, you mean?”
He laughed at that. “Well, yes. Often it takes a while to conceive. But I did not mean only for a child, Iris.” He shifted and propped himself up on his elbow so he could better look at her. “Mymeaning is that tonight, seeing as it is still early, that we could…” He let his eyes drift over her naked body.
She gasped. “A second time?”
“And a third, if you are willing.”
“Oh, I am most willing,” she laughed and rolled her eyes. She found that she was no longer nervous about the subject, enjoying it now because she knew how much pleasure it brought the duke. And herself, for that matter. “I just worry about you.”
“About me?”
“That you are physically capable.” She pushed herself up on her elbow so she could better look at him. “I fear that you might be all worn out. I would hate to break you.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“Certainly not,” she said rightly. “Merely an observation. You are a little older than me, after all. I know how tired old men tend to become.”
“Careful,” he growled.
“Or what?”
In answer to her question, he pounced on her. She screamed playfully, letting him climb on top and pin her down as his showered kisses upon her neck and face.
It should have been perfect. Indeed, it just about was. Not only had their first time been beyond comprehension, but Philip appeared even more enamored with Iris than he had been before. No sense that he might grow bored. No indication that he thought this to be a mistake.
If things continued as they were doing, then the only place this marriage had to go was forward. And yet…
There is that feeling in the pit of my stomach that will not go away. Gnawing at my conscience because despite everything, there is still one thing which stands between the two of us. One last obstacle we need to overcome…
Iris wanted to spend the rest of the night with the duke. Naked. Kissing. Perhaps a repeat performance… or two, if Philip’s word was to be believed. But before she could allow for such a thing, she knew that she had no choice but to tell the duke the truth.
And then, she had to hope that he not only forgave her, but that it did not tear them apart as she feared it might.
“Wait…” Iris leaned back and gently pushed Philip from her.
“What’s wrong?” Philip asked, playfully trying to overcome the way she pushed him.
“Before we do, there is something we need to speak of.”
“There is?” he frowned. “I thought the time for such things had passed.”
“It has,” she said. “Or it will do, once I…” He hesitated, taken by shame and guilt because in this instance she knew that she was in the wrong. Not purposefully so, but that hardly seemed to matter.
“Iris, what’s wrong?” he asked, seeing the change take her.
