He settled on his side facing her and reached toward her under the coverlet. A trace of fingers to her shoulder. Then a whispered trail over her collarbone. “I missed ye,” he said, moving his hand to where she knew he expected her nightgown to be. He froze. “Ye’re naked.” Pleasure made his brogue deliciously heavy.
“As are you.”
He cupped her breast. “This is how I like ye best.”
She chuckled at that and brought her hands to his arm. “Tell me what happened.”
He’d left the Chinese drawing room earlier to speak with Talbot in private. Neither of them had returned before she had decided to take mercy on the yawning Kilgore and Beckford and await Asher in a guest bedchamber so the two men did not feel obliged to stand on formality with her.
Asher stilled and withdrew from her for a moment. “I told him that I forgave him, but I did not forget. Forgetting will take time and can only be considered when I believe he no longer harbors any ill will for me and desire for ye.”
“That was generous of you,” she replied, smoothing a hand over the hard ridges of Asher’s stomach and relishing the way his body twitched at her touch. She knew how difficult it must have been for him to offer forgiveness to Talbot so soon after learning he had betrayed Asher.
“Not so generous. Selfish, really. It takes more effort to hate than to forgive, and I need all my reserves for ye.”
“What did he say?” she asked.
“He said he wants nothing from me. Not the money or the townhome our father left him. He said he would become successful in his own right, more successful than me, wealthier than me, and I told him I hoped so.”
“I feel sorry for him,” Guinevere said.
“Aye, lass, I know ye do. It’s why I love ye. Ye have a true and good heart, but it is my heart, and I will never let anyone come between us again.”
“Tell me of the letter.”
“I will,” he assured her. “But not now. Now, all I want to do is love ye thoroughly, wickedly all night. Tomorrow there will be groveling.”
And before she could agree, his mouth settled on hers for a long, drugging kiss that made her insides quiver. When he stopped, it was only to trail a fiery path down her neck to her nipple, which made her moan with pleasure and arch toward him. His hand came to her hip and then slipped between her thighs to the most secret spot only he had ever touched. He began to work his exquisite magic, and all thoughts fled but getting closer to him. She pushed her pelvis harder into his quickly moving fingers, and pleasure exploded, causing her to cry out as waves washed through her. She clung to Asher until her body went languid, and then she pressed her lips to his chest.
“That was exquisite,” she managed to get out as he rolled on top of her, straddled her, and slid his strong fingers under her buttocks.
“Ye are exquisite, my bonny lass,” he replied and then entered her with a groan of pleasure that mingled with her own.
He stilled for a moment and traced a finger over one breast and then the other. Gooseflesh covered her skin at the love on his face.
“I am sorry for doubting ye.”
He began to move within her, but she set a stilling hand to his chest. He paused, and she said, “I’m sorry for doubting you, too. I should have known you’d never marry me for money and land.”
“And I should have known ye loved only me.”
“Do you think we will have many more misunderstandings in our lifetime?” she asked, finding it hard to concentrate with the heavenly friction he was creating within her.
“I do,” he replied, increasing his pace so that she had to clench her teeth not to scream with pleasure. “And I welcome every one of them if they are settled like this.”
That, she decided, was a most excellent way to look at things.
Epilogue
One Month Later
“Ladies!” Guinevere said, having to raise her voice over the chatter of women in her husband’s study. When no one responded, she rapped a book upon Asher’s desk, which elicited an amused smile from her husband, who stood quietly by his closed study door. She had to smack the book against the wood once more to get everyone’s attention. Once all eyes were turned to her, she said, “Let us bring the meeting of the Society of Ladies Against Rogues to order.”
Nods were the collective returning answer.
“The first order of business,” Lilias, who was Guinevere’s second-in-command, read, “is the introduction of our newest member. Please stand, Lady Constantine, and tell us all who you are.”
“We all already know her,” Guinevere chided Lilias, who was awfully distracted tonight.
