Page 64 of An Accidental Bride for the Duke
To that, Philip said nothing.
Rather, he kept his eyes on her as he walked around the table. She watched him come, her heart thundering through her chest. When he reached her, he held out a single hand for her to take. She eyed that hand with caution, wanting to take it, but frozen in the moment.
“Iris,” he said. “Will you join me?”
“F—for?” she stammered further.
“I think you know.”
She did know. She could see it in his eyes, the way his hungry stare devoured her. She could feel it pouring off him, wrapping about her body, drawing her to him. There was no need to wait. No need to prolong. No need to pretend at anything other than the truth.
With that in mind, Iris took Philip’s hand. He helped her from her seat. And then, with nothing else to say, he led her from the dining room.
Finally, it was time to take this marriage to the next stage. And Iris could not have been more thrilled.Although that feels like an understatement, all things considered…
Chapter Twenty-One
Iris was led into the middle of Philip’s bedroom. There, he let go of her hand and walked back to close the door. There was already a fire burning in the hearth, but she found her body shaking as if taken by a sudden chill.
“There is no need to be nervous,” Philip said softly as he came in behind. Reaching her, he took her by the shoulders and leaned in, a gentle kiss placed on the back of her neck.
“I am not nervous,” she said.
“You are,” he corrected, kissing her again. “But that is perfectly understandable. I would be surprised if you were not.”
Iris did her best to quell the nerves. This might have been her first time, but she did not want it to appear as if it were. The little she had been told of coupling, she worried that she might not be good enough. That once done, Philip would realize his mistake and grow bored of her.
Is this a mistake? Should I have waited? Should I have asked my sisters for advice?
“I am merely… cautious,” she tried. “No, I mean excited. Yes, excited and ready.”
His laughter was deep, and he squeezed her shoulders firmly. “You should know that this won’t be like the other times.”
“Other times?”
“When you and I…” He kissed her neck again. “When I sought to punish and reward you. As much as I enjoyed that, as I know you did, I don’t want you thinking that you need to play a role or do anything more than you need.”
“And… and what do I need?”
Holding her by the shoulders, Philip turned her to face him. She was indeed shaking, but she felt her nerves dim as she looked into her husband’s eyes. There she saw the man who she was coming to care for, not the one he had been. He was her protector, he knew what this meant for the two of them, and he was willing to take the lead and guide her so that she had nothing to fear.
In that, she took a deep breath and found a sense of calm.
“All you need to do is enjoy yourself,” he said in a whisper. “Can you do that for me?”
“I think so?”
He let go of her right shoulder and his fingers touched under her chin. “I knew you could. My good girl. My good wife.” That was when he brought her lips to his own mouth.
The kiss started softly, lips pressed together. Iris needed that, a moment to center herself and melt into her husband as she accepted the moment. Slowly, their lips parted and their tongues began to dance. Still, Philip kept a hand under her chin, guiding her and showing her the way.
Iris’ own hands found his waist. She grabbed and held on as the kiss grew in passion. His other hand moved behind her head, pulling her in closer, his mouth moving from gentle kisses to devouring her. This had her heart racing, blood flowing hot through her veins, nerves diminishing because excitement began to rule her.
When Philip pulled back, she gasped.
He was smiling. “There. Not a bad start, I think.”
“I rather liked it,” she said with a coy smile, still holding him by the waist.
