Page 42 of Suddenly a Bride
But before she could attempt it, he gave a mighty groan and slid his arms about her, molding her to him. Her feet left the rocks as she gladly put her arms around his neck. He tilted his head, and his mouth opened over hers. With a single thrust his tongue entered her, stroking the roof of her mouth and sliding over her teeth. The shock of it settled like a heat storm through her middle and made her body shiver helplessly against his. Her breasts ached where they were pressed hard to his chest, and she didn’t know how to assuage this yearning. She could only run her hands through his soft hair and kiss him back, letting new sensations overwhelm her, even boldly stroking his tongue with her own. As his big body shuddered against her, his hand slid over her hip to pull up her knee. For the barest moment, she felt the wild pressure of him between her thighs.
Then suddenly he set her down, grabbed her arms, and held her away from him, leaving her bewildered by the ache spreading through her. As she stared into his hooded eyes, she felt as though she was watching him board up every speck of humanity behind a fence.
He was so wounded by what Elizabeth and her parents had done to him. She understood him so much better, knowing now that he needed to feel comfortable with their marriage. She was no longer hurt that he was taking his time getting to know her. But she would still attempt to hurry the process.
Without a word, he grabbed her hand and began to walk back to the riverbank. She watched his slow step, and realized that it must be difficult to maneuver over mossy wet rocks when he couldn’t bend one knee. One moment she felt guilty, and the next she was again resolute. He had kissed her, and surely the result was worth his efforts.
Ah, what a kiss it had been! She knew she should be concentrating on where she was stepping, especially now that her skirts clung sodden to her legs and hampered her. But she let Edmund pick the path and dwelt on how wonderful it had felt to be held in his arms against that powerful chest while their hearts pounded and their mouths mated.
Her mother had been right. Kissing was wonderful. And she wanted more of it.
In her dreamy state, she forgot to pay attention to what she was doing. Her foot slid down a slanted rock. Losing her balance, she tried to release Edmund’s hand, but he only gripped her harder.
Both feet flew out from under her, and she landed in a small pool of water that soaked her to her hips. As Edmund fell, his elbow struck her shoulder hard enough to make her wince. He landed in a heap face down at her side.
Wide-eyed and aghast, she stared as he came up on his hands and one knee, spitting water and shaking it from his hair.
When he glared at her, she timidly asked, “Are you well?”
“I distinctly remember telling you to watch where you were stepping, my lady.”
Biting her lip, she tried not to laugh. “But are you well?”
“I am wet but fine. Besides a bruise on your posterior, I think you’ll have another one from my elbow.”
He stood up with remarkable grace, then hauled her up as if he was plucking a carrot from hard earth.
When they reached dry land, she stumbled the last few steps to a big rock and collapsed on it, spreading her wet skirts, then leaning back on her arms to lift her face to the sun.
“Put on your shoes,” he said. “We still have another stop before we reach the castle.”
She lazily opened her eyes and watched her husband as he looked over the river, not at her. Was he regretting their kiss? Saints above, they’d been married for over a week! She wanted to question him but sensed he wasn’t in a talkative mood. Was he ever? she thought, trying not to smile.
“But Edmund, hunger weakens me. I made all these delicious treats. Do you not want to sample them while we let the sun dry our garments?”
She thought if his jaw was clenched any tighter, his teeth would break. Was he trying not to kiss her? What a provocative idea.
“Gwyneth…”
Ignoring him, she knelt down in the sandy dirt and opened the basket. She brought out a selection of tarts and cakes, removing the string from each package and spreading them before him.
“Pick what you want,” she said. “I can describe each of them for you if you like. Or you can kneel down here and smell them.”
And then she realized that he couldn’t kneel, not with both legs. Her gaze shot to him as she wondered if her thoughtless words would send him stomping to his horse.
“Edmund, forgive me, I spoke before thinking.”
With a shake of his head, he brushed her words off. Dripping with little rivulets of water, he limped to the large rock she’d just vacated and sat down. Grinning, she lifted a tart and a cake in her hands and awkwardly moved a few steps on her knees until she was between his wet boots. Boldly she rested one elbow on his bent knee to prop the food up for him.
“Which appeals to you?” she asked.
But her smile slowly died as he stared into her face, not at the pastries. His eyes had lost their distance and now smoldered with a blue flame. She was practically between his legs, and she wanted to press herself against him and demand he give her another soul-shattering kiss. Was he thinking about it too?
But she was not so brave. When he took the tart from her hand, she sat back on her heels and bit into the sweet cake. She watched him eat. He looked across the river rather than at her. He could have pushed her away when she kissed him, but he hadn’t. He’d been just as swept away as she was. She would have to make sure they kissed again—soon. She could do nothing about the hurt inflicted on him by his first marriage except show him that she would not treat him that way. As for his relationship with her cousin the earl, she still sensed that there was much he was not telling her. Should she bide her time and hope he’d confide in her, or should she find someone else who would speak for him?
When he was finished, she offered him another tart, but he shook his head and got to his feet. She closed the basket, then followed her husband back through the woods, looking over her shoulder as the beauty of the falls faded between the trees. It was a wonderful place for her first kiss.
When she stumbled, he called back, “Perhaps you should watch the ground better than you watched the rocks.”
