Page 64 of The Allure Of Lord Devlin
“Thank God.” He sounded almost shaken. He laid his head on her breasts, his body still joined with hers, and pressed a single, tender kiss to her skin. He rolled on his side and pulled her tightly against him. “Always be mine.”
She lay watching him. He looked younger and more vulnerable with his face relaxed and happy. Her heart felt full seeing the smile on his face. Dharma thought he needed to smile more and decided he deserved to always look happy. No more shouldering life’s trials on his own. She wanted to be there to help him.
She would be there to help him. To love him. To protect him.
Dharma pressed a light kiss to Devlin’s cheek. He didn’t even move a muscle, merely hugged her tighter. “We need to get dressed,” she whispered into his ear. “We have my dinner tonight.”
“And then I’m taking you to your bed and loving you all night long.”
Her laugh filled the room. “Suddenly I’m not hungry for food.”
This time Devlin’s laugh echoed around the room and she decided it was the sexiest sound she’d ever heard and she vowed to make him laugh every day for the rest of their lives.
ChapterTwenty-One
Dharma made her way down the long corridor toward the top of the stairs. Even the shadows seemed to be judging her tonight. She drew a deep breath and prayed she would not fail. This was her first public appearance as the Marchioness of Devlin.
They had married this morning at Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Devlin’s mother and Philippa had seen to everything.
Devlin acted as if being accepted back into society was his right, and how she admired his ability to forgive those who used to look down their noses at him and his family. She was not so forgiving, and she had a long memory.
His brother Harry had made it home in time for the wedding, but there was still no news about George, and Dharma knew it haunted Devlin. He blamed himself for not clearing his father sooner. He would blame himself if anything had happened to George. She wished she could take that responsibility from his shoulders, but the man that he was would not let her. She loved that about him, but it also worried her.
Tonight’s ball at their London home in Mayfair might not have yet commenced, but already it was the talk of the season. The unexpected rise of the Devlin name, coupled with his marriage to Dharma, meant the cream of London Society would be here tonight, no doubt to appease their curiosity and—more stomach-churning in her mind—to judge.
Her nerves buzzed like dragonflies—dragonflies with large wings and fiery breath.
Rosemary appeared beside her. “Nervous?”
“I feel sick to my stomach.” She watched Rosemary’s lips twitch. “Don’t laugh. This will be you soon. Wait until your first ball as Hawthorne’s wife.”
“I can’t wait. Three months. Devlin is making us wait three months.”
She sighed. “You know what he’s like with propriety. He doesn’t want society to have any reason to think you had to marry.”
“He’s going to be insufferable, isn’t he? Society will rule us all.”
“Not if I can help it,” Dharma vowed under her breath. “It’s my first ball as his wife and Devlin needs everything to be perfect. That’s making me nervous. I don’t want to let my husband down.”
“You could never let him down. He loves you so much. I never thought I’d see him so happy. Thank you.” Rosemary gave her a small smile. “Let’s slay them together. We Devlin women must stick together.”
She laughed and hugged her new sister-in-law. “I always wanted a sister. Now I have one who’s also my best friend.”
“I never thanked you for standing by me all those years. You are such a special woman, and my brother is so lucky to have won your heart.”
She wiped a tear from her face. “We are all so lucky to have Devlin in our lives.”
They made their way together to the entrance of the ballroom. The women spied Devlin at the bottom of the stairs, and Dharma’s breath caught in her throat. He looked so handsome. His formal attire hugged his wide shoulders and emphasized his lean waist and narrow hips. A stiff white cravat gleamed at his throat, making the black-on-white look less severe. His brown hair glinted in the candlelight, and his chiseled face drew her longing gaze. But it was the fiery approval and possessive love she saw shining within his eyes that made her heart flip.
Rosemary took her arm and nodded at Dharma. “You at least have your knight to save you should you ever need it.”
Dharma felt herself quake. She would descend the stairs alone, all eyes on her. Devlin sent her a quelling look that gave her courage and calmed her. She had dived from a ship into the freezing Thames and survived a bullet wound and fever. She was not about to let a room full of society gossips intimidate her.
She raised her head, and, keeping her eye on Devlin, waiting for her proudly at the bottom of the stairs, she began her descent.
“Isn’t my wife the most radiant woman you’ve ever seen?” were the soft words that greeted her as she safely reached the bottom.
“Second, most radiant,” said a familiar voice at her husband’s side. Tobin and Philippa were standing with him.
