Page 93 of His Unforgettable Bride
“Were you expecting someone else?” Her future husband’s voice rumbled.
“I wasn’t expecting anyone. You’ve been sleeping in a different wing.”
“Not anymore.” They’d discussed countless topics on the ocean steamer, though never sleeping arrangements after the wedding. Surely, they’d share a bed, would they not? “Open the door. I have a gift.”
Another one?
In the last week, he’d purchased her a music box, books of poetry, and a new wardrobe, complete with more riding habits than weekdays. “I appreciate you, but I don’t need lavish presents. Besides, we’re not to view one another until the ceremony.” Even then, she’d don a veil.
“But it is cake.”
Cake? Juliet opened the door a notch, and he handed her a plate containing an apple dessert with a heavenly cinnamon scent. Temporarily, she set it on a nearby ornate table with wooden legs and a granite top. “I am royally impressed you brought me food. It’s perfect.”
“You are perfect,” he said through the narrowly opened door.
A lady never rolled her eyes, but nobody watched, so Juliet did. And yet his flattery worked its magic, and she smiled. “I’m anything but. Are you nervous?”
“I am beyond excited to wed you finally.”
“Finally? We haven’t even known each other for a year.”
“But I have waited for you my entire life.”
Her heart slammed against her chest as she laid her cheek against the thick wooden door. “Sometimes you say exactly what I’m feeling. It’s uncanny.”
“Did Livy also give you a marriage manual as a wedding gift? Mine is titledThe Proper Young Husband’s Book.”
“Yes. She handed meThe Proper Young Wife’s Book, which has an entire chapter devoted to kissing rules.”
He laughed. “I do not believe we need guidance on the subject.”
Silence hung between them until she said, “Indeed.”
“Are you garbed in your gown yet?”
“Why are you asking?”
“I am trying to recall if tradition dictates that I cannot gaze upon you fully attired before the ceremony or if I cannot see you at all beforehand.”
She had no idea, but adored his eagerness and recalled the last time they’d spoken through a barely open door back in Everly. Back then, she feared she wasn’t worthy of him and had been pushing him away. But Livy and Tabitha helped her understand she had to open her heart more and depend on God to help her.
Henry wrapped his big hand around the door’s edge, inches from her lips. The temptation to kiss his fingers, one at a time, prodded her to act. Dare she? Soon, they’d wed. Juliet gently pressed her lips against his warm knuckle before straightening.
He drew a sharp breath, and the air they shared sizzled. Neither believed in superstitions, and one little peek should not cause a kingdom-shaking catastrophe. “Do you want to forego tradition?”
“You have no idea.” His voice carried a huskiness she craved.
“Please enter if you wish.” She backed up as the door slowly opened to reveal her future husband.
Impeccably dressed, he wore a royal uniform of gold trousers, a white cummerbund and same-colored shirt, and a blue jacket with brass buttons. His freshly shaven face carried the scent of sage on his skin, and she wouldn’t mind messing up his neatly coiffed hair. But she’d wait until the honeymoon.
What a blessing to have such a charming and impossibly wonderful husband-to-be.
When Juliet opened her mouth to tell him not to mess up her hair, he dropped his finger to her lips, tracing the top, then the bottom. “Do not say anything. I want to stare at you for a minute or two silently.”
His tawny eyes held a fire. It wasn’t like they hadn’t seen each other in days. They’d shared a candlelit meal last night. But standing in a bed chamber, with her wearing nothing but slippers and a silky robe, had a distinct intimacy. She tightened her belt.
Shivers danced over her skin as the desire for her future husband built. He cupped her neck, and her knees weakened. Thank goodness he embraced her, or she might have collapsed. Their lips met, as did their souls.
