Page 396 of Conveniently Wed
He waited for her to stand.
She was too proud to back down, remembering her earlier words and how she intended to live up to her end of the bargain.She stood with her spine straight and her chin up and placed her hand into his. A quiver took to her fingers as his large hand engulfed hers.
She wished with all that was within her that her ma had told her more of what to expect than just that he would know what to do.Such little comfort considering he couldn’t even get her name right.
8
He walked hand in hand with his trembling wife and almost laughed out loud. It was either that or scream. How could he have made such a foolish mistake? He had always considered himself a rather smart man, but today had topped the scale of foolhardy behavior—a day he had envisioned turning out so differently. Most women wanted to jump in his arms. Not this one.
He’d been prepared to take his time to get to know her before suggesting anything physical. But the last thing he wanted was for this jittery butterfly to flit away in search of an annulment because he hadn’t consummated the marriage. He had stood at the altar and had only relaxed after she said,I do. He wasn’t about to lose her now.
But oh, the blow to his ego. She viewed him as someone old enough to be her father, and the years were not something he could erase. He had never had to beg for any woman’s affection, nor take what was not happily returned, but what choice did he have?
“Here we are.” He swung open the door at the top of the steps, and with a gentle press to the small of her back, propelled her inside.
An elaborately carved canopied bed covered in a blanket of deep green and burgundy dominated the room. There was no doubt they were in his bedroom. Katie scanned the spacious area. Matching carved mahogany furniture, including two upholstered wingback chairs that sat on either side of the glowing fireplace. His wardrobe door was open, and she saw his clothes hanging within. That personal and intimate view brought heat surging into her cheeks. She cast her eyes to the floor.
“This area rug is beautiful,” she said, desperate to still the twist and turn of her stomach. “And look at these curtains. What are they made of?” She stepped forward enough to cause his hand to fall from the curve of her back, then kept on walking toward the window. She lifted the heavy material in her hand and pretended to know her fabrics well enough to surmise the type.
He came up behind her, and the heat of his body radiated as he reached on both sides and drew the curtains shut. A blanket of intimacy enveloped them. His arms lowered slowly around her, and she shivered. He held her for a moment, easing her back against his chest.
“Relax, my dear.” He breathed the words in her ear.
I’m not your dear.A flash of the diamond on her finger told her otherwise.
She held her breath as he lifted her long hair to one side and dropped a featherlight kiss on the back of her neck. His whiskers tickled her skin, and a trembling she could not control came over her.
He stepped away. “Come.”
She turned as he moved across the room to a side door and swung it wide.
“This is your room. It will afford you some privacy on those days you desire to be alone.”
Did he not know that every day, that room would be her choice? But her courage had not found feet, and she stood rigid and unmoving.
“Come, my little Kat. You’ll like it.” He disappeared into the room, and she forced herself to follow.
The first thing she noticed was her trunk with the few personal items she owned placed at the foot of a beautiful bed. That small familiarity brought a spike of comfort. She lifted her eyes to see a fresh bouquet of roses on the dresser. Someone had taken great care to prepare the room and even hang her sparse selection of clothing in the oversized wardrobe. The soft pink-flowered wallpaper drew her the rest of the way into the room, and she turned in a slow circle to take it in.
A gasp slipped from her lips. “Oh, my.”
Shadows flickered from the glowing candle and fire crackling in the hearth. Warmth replaced the bite of anxiety that had been nibbling at her stomach all day. Soft light danced on the walls and reflected off the largest full-length mirror Katie had ever laid eyes on. She ran her hand down the ornately framed stand and caught his reflection smiling back.
She gave him a shaky smile before moving to the bright flowered pitcher and matching bowl, which rested on the washstand. She picked it up and held it next to the wall. “It matches the wallpaper. How pretty.” She replaced it with care and ran her fingertips over the stack of fresh linen. “This is all for me?” she asked, turning to look at him.
“All for you.” His face beamed.
Tears sprang to her eyes, and she blinked against them. “I’ve never had my own bed, much less my own room.”
“I wanted you to have a place you could call all your own. And you can change anything you like. The colors or fabrics or whatever you women like to fuss about. In other words, whatever your heart desires, you can have.”
“Mr. Rich…I mean Josiah, this room is already perfect.” She spun around with her hands outstretched. “More than any girl needs.”
“You’re not just any girl, Katherine, you’re Mrs. Richardson, and you will grow to understand that affords you some of life’s finer things. But you must be so tired. We’ve both had an exhausting day. It’s time I let you unwind and settle in for the night.”
He moved close. His gunmetal gray eyes grew smoky and flashed with something Katie could not understand. His jaw tightened, then relaxed. He lifted both her hands and gently stroked the insides of her wrists with his thumbs. A tingle worked its way up her arms as she bravely held his gaze. He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed the back of each. The air pressed out of her lungs, yet she could not inhale. No one had told her a kiss to the hand could feel so intimate.
His eyes bore into her with intensity. Heat flushed from her toes to her hairline. He bent his head, giving her ample time to protest. She didn’t, just squeezed her eyes shut and waited. His warm breath fanned her cheek, then he dropped a light kiss on her forehead.
