Page 17 of Swindled By a Spinster
He reached around her, released the latch and pushed open the door. “After you, my lady.”
The man’s ability to set her heart racing and yet settle her nerves at the same time was a unique skill only Kilman possessed. He never pressed her to partake in any adventure she wasn’t willing to and he supported her unconditionally, which is why she grabbed him by the lapel and rolled up onto her tiptoes to kiss him as she slowly backed into the room.
The backs of her legs bumped into the wood frame of the bed, bringing her to a halt. Phoebe broke contact with Kilman’s all too delicious lips to look back over her shoulder at the inviting bed. “We… we should… I should…”
Kilman turned her by her shoulders and said, “Breathe. Relax.”
The tips of his fingers grazed her skin as he began to make short work of the row of buttons at the back of her gown. It wasn’t the first time he’d played maid for her, and she was certain it wouldn’t be the last. She slowly expelled the breath she had been holding and the tension in the muscles of her neck eased. Her gown dropped to the floor.
Kilman stepped to the side and pulled back the corner of the bed linens.
Her future husband motioned for her to lie down. “I doubt you slept much last night. Let’s get you tucked in under the sheets andthenwe can discuss whatever is bothering you.”
Cold with only her shift on, Phoebe obediently crawled up onto the bed and let Kilman cover her with the thick coverlet. She didn’t dare close her eyes for fear she might fall asleep.
Kilman divested himself of his vest and boots and proceeded to the other side of the bed. “It will be warmer with the two of us in the bed.”
She pushed back the bed linens next to her and waited for Kilman to hop in. They’d never shared a bed before. She had slept on his shoulder and curled up in his lap, but not in a bed together.
Kilman tilted his head up and rolled his eyes toward the ceiling for a moment and then lay upon the bed and rolled onto his side to face her.
He raised up and supported his head with the palm of his hand. “Are you still uncertain about marrying me?”
“It was never a matter of me being uncertain.” She curled up on her side, tucked her hands beneath her cheek and faced the man she loved. “Did we not agree to wed under the right circumstances and at the right time?”
“I’ve come to realize that there is no better timing than the present. Waiting for some unspecified event to occur is just delaying the inevitable.” His eyes were closed.
He must be exhausted and here she was wanting to talk matters through.
Kilman blinked his eyes open and smiled. “If I remain a lord of leisure and not return to the Home Office, will you marry me?”
“If that is truly what you wish. Yes. I’ll meet you at the altar and declare in front of a reverend that I don’t want to be separated from you ever again.”
Lowering his head to the pillow, Kilman murmured, “I love you.”
It was the first time he’d uttered the words to her and she soaked in the declaration as she watched the even rise and fall of his shoulders. She leaned forward to place a kiss upon Kilman’s cheek but hesitated. She should begin to refer to him as Torrancenow that they were engaged. There was no reason to continue to maintain a polite distance. She’d always been fond of his given name. Lips a hair’s width away from his cheek, she whispered, “I love you too, Torrance.”
Arm slung over his eyes,Torrance began to awake from a deep sleep. A warm body was snuggled close to his side. He slowly lifted his arm and peeked over to find Phoebe sound asleep. She had finally addressed him by his given name, confirmation that she did indeed wish to be his wife. For the first few years of their partnership she’d used honorifics to keep him at bay, then he’d slowly built a level of rapport and sufficient trust for her to call him by his title. His patience had finally paid dividends, and she was ready and willing to be his.
He rolled onto his side, careful not to wake her. She was bloody gorgeous. Watching her sleep was one of his favorite things to do. He couldn’t resist, he ran the back of his finger down the bridge of her nose.
Her eyes fluttered open. “A good morn to you, Torrance.”
His heart soared at the sound of his name upon her lips. It took a moment or two for him to float back down to reality but once his pulse settled back to its normal pace, Torrance reached out and brushed the pad of his thumb across her lower lip. “Good morning, Phoebe.”
“I don’t hear any commotion below stairs. What do you think has Archbroke delayed?”
He let go of her pretty face and rolled onto his back placing his hand firmly behind his head. “You are a sound sleeper, my pet. The walls were practically rumbling all night. I’d wager Archbroke and the others are still sound asleep after theirlong journey.” Hopes of making love to his future wife were being dashed by the second yet his cock remained hard and at attention. All he could do was lie there and stare up at the ceiling and pray for divine intervention of some sort to save him.
The bed linens slipped lower down his chest as Phoebe sat upright. He reached down to grab the edge of the material before it could go any lower and reveal his uncomfortable state.
“Then there is no time to waste. We should…” Phoebe paused when she caught him staring.
Pert nipples pressed against her thin shift. Damn. Damn. Damn. He averted his gaze but it was too late. He’d been caught. “My apologies, my pet.”
To his absolute surprise, Phoebe crawled atop of him and sat up. “Do you remember our trip to Bath last summer?”
Egad. He’d never forget suckling her breast while she straddled him in his travel coach. “Of course,” he croaked. “Ahem… Bath… yes… Bath was both a successful and memorable mission.”
