Page 71 of The Viscount's Unwanted Bride
She blinked, shocked, and her eyelashes stuck together. A musky scent filled her nostrils, and when her lips parted, she instinctively swiped them clean with her tongue. The seed wassalty but not unpleasant, and she hummed, but as she realized exactly what she’d done, her insides turned to ice.
She backed away from Theodore, her hand flying to her mouth. He’d said that if his seed got inside her, she could end up pregnant. Did this mean…?
“I’m so sorry,” she cried, horror twisting her gut. What a stupid mistake. He’d never trust her now. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t think about it. Am I pregnant now?”
Theodore’s brow furrowed, and then he chuckled.Chuckled. As if this were a laughing matter.
“It’s all right.” His tone was laced with affection. “You won’t become pregnant from swallowing it.”
The sudden tightness in her chest loosened. “Thank God.”
“I’m the one who ought to be sorry,” he continued, and something soft dabbed at her face. It traced over her nose, down her cheek, and breezed gently over one eye. “I spilled all over you. I didn’t expect my response to be quite so… forceful. My apologies.”
She giggled. “No need for apologies, my lord.”
“Theodore,” he reminded her. “Or Theo, if you prefer.”
She opened her eyes and patted her face, noting that it was still slightly sticky. Ignoring that, she met his eyes, and her heart swelled at the fondness in them.
“Theo.” She tasted the name. “I like it.”
Calling him a diminutive was intimate. It implied closeness. And that made her feel special.
“May I call you Kate?” he asked, caressing her cheekbone and holding her gaze.
“Yes.”
He grinned. He kissed the tip of her nose. “Excellent. Now, Kate, I suggest we take ourselves upstairs before the servants realize what we’ve been doing in here.”
Her cheeks burned, and she glanced at the door. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten that any member of the household staff might have walked past it at any moment. She hadn’t tried to remain quiet at all. If they’d heard her, she’d never be able to meet their eyes again.
“Hey. Stop that.”
“Stop what?” she asked, befuddled.
“Thinking too much.” He tucked his handkerchief into his pocket and got to work fastening his trousers. “Husbands and wives are expected to do certain things with each other, especially when they’re newly married. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
She nodded. He was right, of course. Although that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be more careful in future. None of the staff needed to know what she sounded like in the throes of passion.
Theo stood and offered her his hand. She took it, and he helped her to her feet. Her legs were slightly weak, and she stumbled and landed against his chest while they steadied beneath her.
Once she was properly balanced, he led her out of the drawing room. She kept her head down, a little embarrassed regardless of what he’d said. They took the stairs to the second story, and he led her into the family wing and stopped outside her bedchamber door.
Only then did she realize that she didn’t know what his intentions were now. Was she supposed to go inside and tidy herself up while he did the same in his own chambers?
Theo opened the door and kept his arm around her as they entered, preventing her from continuing to wonder. He led her to the chair in front of her dressing table and gestured for her to sit. When she did, he left the room.
Her heart sank. For a moment, she’d dared to hope that he might be going to stay with her for a while, but she should have known better.
She stared at her reflection, making a mental picture of her flushed cheeks and wide eyes, and wondered if anything inside her had changed now that she was no longer fully innocent of the ways of husbands and wives.
It felt so momentous that something ought to have happened to commemorate the occasion, but other than the awareness of a pleasure she’d never expected, all was the same.
It didn’t seem right.
Kate stood, ready to summon Margaret to help her wash and dress for the first evening in her new home, but before she could do so, the door opened, and Theo stepped back inside, a bowl in one hand and a washcloth in the other.
He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
