Her Wicked Proposal novel Chapter 36

The carriage stopped at Chessley Manor, where the wedding breakfast was to be held. In the brief span of time she'd been gone the servants had turned the manor into a living garden.

"I smell flowers, lots of them," Cedric observed, his head turning like a hound catching a familiar scent.

"My housekeeper has outdone herself."

Anne and Cedric entered the morning room to find the food all laid out. Exquisite silver trays laden with viands and lobster salad were among the delicacies. In the center of the large table a lavishly decorated cake was waiting to be devoured.

"Are we alone, Anne?" Cedric asked. The guests were still en route from the church, and the servants had scattered at the sight of the newlywed couple entering the morning room.

"We are."

"Excellent. Lead me to the cake." He peeled off his white gloves and pocketed them. Anne did as he asked, curious to see what he wanted. "Now dip a finger into the icing."

"What?"

"Please." Despite the blankness of his eyes, heat simmered in his expression.

"Fine, although I don't know what you'd want me to ruin our cake for." Anne dipped her finger into a discreet place near the base of the cake where she hoped no one would notice. A dollop of white icing coated her finger.

Before she could stop him, Cedric captured her hand and took her finger into his mouth, sucking on it. She felt the heated glide of his tongue. A moan escaped her lips.

"Shall I do that again?" he offered in a husky tone.

"No," she said, regretting it the instant his face fell. He couldn't see her, couldn't know that she meant to return the favor. She took his hand and carefully ran his own index finger along the same path she'd put her own and covered it with frosting. His body went rigid as she brought his hand to her mouth. Anne licked the icing from his finger, relishing the taste of sugar on his skin. The combination was nothing short of sinful. She could get used to such a decadent taste. And from the look on Cedric's face, she sensed he wanted to do more than lick her back.

"Like I said, lady wife. Inferno."

Charles muttered to himself as he examined two suspicious grooves in the frosting on his slice of wedding cake. "I say, I believe someone had a taste of this before I did."

"Just eat it," Cedric said gruffly as he used a spoon on his own slice. Dear, sweet Anne had brought him a spoon, remembering his aversion to sharper utensils.

"Righto, old boy." Charles dug into the rich cake and had a bite before speaking again. "I didn't believe you actually meant to go through with this, you know. But somewhere between the ring exchange and the vows it occurred to me that you genuinely care for your wife."

"Of course I care for her."

"I mean you truly care. I think you may be in danger of falling in love with her." Falling in love was uttered with all of the excitement of a doctor discovering an outbreak of plague.

Cedric found Charles's shoulder and jostled it in a brotherly fashion. "Well don't become joyous on my account."

All around them the Chessley morning room was filled with guests eating and chattering. Cedric had done his obligatory duty of greeting guests and enduring the numerous toasts to everyone's health before he could finally escape. He'd hunkered down in the corner out of the way, where Charles had joined him.

Charles changed the subject. "Have you and Anne given any thought to what you plan to do with the manor?"

"I haven't yet reached a decision. It is a lovely place, but I wonder if Anne will want to keep it after losing her father. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I escorted Jonathan to Drummond's Bank yesterday, and he was set on securing a loan to buy a townhouse of his own. I believe he means to set himself up and start a life. I imagine that he's grown tired of being shuffled between Godric and Ashton's homes."

"You think he means to start settling down? At his age?" Cedric hadn't really thought it possible. He and his friends had only just started to want to settle down themselves. Jonathan was almost a decade their junior.

"Perhaps he's taken a serious interest in your offer of Audrey. If he obtains the loan by next week, he can begin preparing a lovely little nest for a bride."

The comment would have sent him into a protective rage a few months ago, but now Cedric seriously considered it. "Do you think so? I should talk about it with Anne tonight."

"Aren't you more interested in activities that don't involve talking?"

"Careful, Charles," Cedric warned, but his tone was teasing.

"Do you think you will suit each other then?"

"With time, yes. But I believe I will have to introduce her to passion slowly. She's likely to be overwhelmed by it. Being untouched, she will have pain and discomfort the first time. God, I would wish that pain on myself a thousand times over if it would spare her."

"You've become soft-hearted, Cedric." There was love in Charles's chastisement that only the deepest of friendships could produce.

"Actually we can, and will do so most happily. Now if you'll excuse me I wish to go and ravish my wife." Cedric slammed the door and sighed, leaning against the stout oak for support. Then he caught the scent of wild orchids teasing the air.

"Anne?" The sound of satin skirts glided over the floor in his direction. Before he could say a word, his body was enveloped by hers. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and wrapped her arms about him.

"Are you terribly upset with me?" Anne asked.

Cedric was genuinely puzzled. "Why on earth would I be upset?"

"I came to you with this early marriage scheme, and now you've made powerful enemies."

"Powerful enemies? Darling, please. Lady Dalrumple is but an irritating gnat. She buzzes and annoys, but is entirely harmless. I'm not even sure how she got an invitation. However, if you believe you feel indebted to me in some fashion, I would be delighted to give you a few ideas as to how to make it up to me."

"Why do I suspect that this will involve a ravishing of my person?" Anne laughed. Cedric reveled in the delight of feeling her body shake with laughter. He settled his hands on her hips, holding her against him as he pressed his lips against her forehead.

"I would beg a kiss, lady wife."

"Just one?"

"A long one, preferably," he clarified.

"Very well." Anne's hands slid up his back, tracing his muscles and the slopes of his shoulder blades as she rose up on tiptoe to kiss him.

As their lips met Cedric closed his eyes, sinking deeper into that gray he could never escape. But when he held Anne, when he kissed her like this, he could almost feel his sight return. A tingling seemed to spread through him, and for a brief second he thought he saw stars. Anne deepened the kiss, and he readily surrendered all that he was to her gentle sweetness. As much as he loved dominating her senses, he loved it more when she did more than simply react to him, when she acted as though she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Their lips parted with a soft pop, and Anne sighed dreamily.

"Do we have to return to the breakfast?" Cedric murmured in the hollow of her throat as he trailed kisses along her skin. He delighted in how her body responded.

"We must. It would be quite inappropriate, even for us, if we disappeared from our own wedding breakfast. Especially after throwing out a guest, gnat or no."

Cedric groaned in defeat and reluctantly let Anne pull out of his arms. The loss of her warmth felt like a gaping hole in his chest.

"Very well." Cedric took Anne's arm and they returned to the morning room.