Page 113 of Three Weeks with a Princess
Jack eased them around to rest against the arm of the chaise, arranging her on top of him before snatching his coat from the floor. After draping it over them, he cradled her snug in his arms. The delicate entrance to her sex felt sore and tingly, but a delicious lethargy filled the rest of her body. Part of her longed for a hot bath, but she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving his comforting embrace.
“I am sorry it hurt,” he said. “I promise it won’t the next time.”
Next time?
That easy expectation on his part brought reality crashing back in. How could she have been so stupid as to let this happen? Their encounter—as spectacular as it was—didn’t solve any of their problems.
In fact, it simply createdmoreproblems.
Lia pushed up, bracing on his chest. He was sprawled casually, with his head propped on one muscular forearm. His hair was disheveled and his cheekbones were still flushed from passion. It took a mighty effort of will not to crawl further up his body and start kissing him all over again.
“Jack, despite what just happened, we do need to stop to think about this . . . about what happens next.”
“What happens next is that I’m going to get a special license so we can be married as soon as possible, either here or at Leverton House. I think a quiet wedding makes the most sense, don’t you?”
“We will do no—”
When he stroked a finger across her lips, she lost her voice. “I can’t wait to get you back to Stonefell,” he said. “Everyone will be so pleased to see you, especially your grandmother.”
For a moment she imagined them returning home as husband and wife. It made her heart ache with anticipation and longing.
“You know it won’t be as easy as you make it sound,” she said.
“Of course it will. Besides, who else but you can make a decision about those blasted hogs Lindsey keeps nattering on about? I haven’t a clue what to tell him, but you do.”
She couldn’t help smiling. “I thought we weren’t supposed to talk about hogs.”
“I believe sex was the topic to avoid, but we seem finally to have put that issue to bed . . . as it were.”
It was a terrible joke, but she couldn’t help snickering. Lia told herself it was from nerves rather than from the fact that everything he said felt perfectly right. Stonefellwashome. It was where she truly belonged. “Jack, are you sure about this? Really sure?”
He gently cupped the back of her head. “Lia, do you love me?”
“Of course I do, you booby. How can you even ask?”
He grinned. “I simply wanted to establish the point conclusively. And since that’s the case, I will assure you again that everything will be fine.”
She mulled that over for a few seconds. “And do you loveme?”
He planted a kiss on the top of her head. “Pet, no one in the world could care for you more than I do, of that you can be sure.”
Her heart sank; his words were too casually affectionate to evoke joy. So many obstacles loomed before them, starting with Lady John. Only a genuine, ardent love could hope to survive a mother who loathed her would-be daughter-in-law and her entire family. A mother who wished more than anything to see the Kincaids destroyed.
Lia wasn’t convinced that sort of love existed between her and Jack, or ever would.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“How could you, Mama?” Lia asked in a reproachful voice. “You must have known it would cause trouble.”
Her mother sat at the cluttered chest that served as her dressing table, fidgeting with stage makeup and casting furtive glances toward the door, as if seeking escape. Rehearsals had ended and most of the other actors and crew had gone for dinner. That was why Lia had chosen this quiet time to buttonhole her.
After last night’s torrid encounter with Jack, she stood in desperate need of guidance, especially because he was insisting on an immediate marriage. Mama would understand the problem in a way no one other than Granny ever could. Although she would no doubt think marriage to Jack was a grand idea, at least her mother wouldn’t pretend it would be a fairy tale.
Despite forging a career of make-believe, Mama lived in the real world. If anyone could give Lia the unvarnished truth, it would be her.
“I’m not going to leave until you say something,” she said when her mother didn’t answer. “So there’s no point in ignoring me and hoping I’ll just go away.”
Her mother let out a dramatic sigh and finally met her gaze. “You were always stubborn, even as a little girl. Whenever I would send you to bed, you would plant your little feet and refuse to move. And you always set up a fuss when your nanny tried to take you up to the nursery.”
