Chapter Sixteen
Aediva picked up the tattered shreds of material ruefully. How was she going to explain this to Judith? The gown was ruined. Not that she could regret it. She couldn’t regret anything that had happened last night.
She looked down at her sleeping husband and smiled, memories of the night before making her body tingle anew. Their lovemaking had been tender and wild and overwhelming all at once, sweeping her away in a primal, tempestuous sea of desire. She’d felt powerless to resist as the waves had whirled higher and faster, carrying her along, until a sudden shuddering sensation had overtaken her, dropping her panting and breathless onto some unknown shore. She’d cried out with pleasure at a sensation centred deep down in her core, unable to stop herself from quivering uncontrollably as she’d clung to his body—the only thing left to cling on to.
Then she’d lain dazed beside him, her mind and body still struggling to find each other as ripples of feeling had continued to pulse through her veins, knowing at last that there were no secrets between them.
‘Sleep well?’
She blinked, so lost in her reverie that she hadn’t noticed him wake up.
‘Quite well.’
‘I’m glad to hear it.’ He propped himself up on one elbow. ‘What were you thinking about? You were smiling.’
‘I was thinking that you’ve ruined Cille’s dress.’
‘Remind me to apologise when I see her.’ He grinned. ‘Now, come back to bed.’
‘It’s getting late.’ She pursed her lips, trying to resist the temptation. ‘Don’t you have work to do?’
‘Bertrand can do it today.’ He leapt up suddenly, coiling an arm around her waist and pulling her down on top of him. ‘I’ll tell him you’ve worn me out.’
‘You will not!’
‘Then you’d better stay and make su
re I don’t start any rumours.’
She laughed, happily conceding defeat as she propped her chin on his chest. ‘Was it worth it in the end?’
‘It?’ He chuckled softly. ‘Yes, it was. Didn’t you think so?’
‘Definitely.’
‘It’s just a pity we’ve wasted so much time arguing. We’ve been married for two weeks.’
‘Mmm...’ She sighed contentedly. ‘I suppose I might have been a bit difficult...’
‘Difficult?’ He laughed at the understatement. ‘You tried to kill me the first time we met!’
‘You knocked me over! Besides, I only wanted to scare you.’
‘As I recall, you tried to stab me twice in the first two days.’
‘The second time doesn’t count. You gave me the knife, remember?’
He ran a hand through her hair, teasing the strands through his fingers. ‘So I did.’
‘And I saved your life.’
He cocked an eyebrow. ‘Is that so?’
‘I saved you from the rebel ambush. You could have been killed if I hadn’t warned you.’
‘You said something about a river. Is that what you call a warning?’
‘I stopped the fighting.’