Page 66 of The Rogue

Henri entered the church and felt her heart lift as she looked to see Lawrence standing waiting for her. His eyes widened on seeing her, his expression one that made her heart swell, and then he smiled that charismatic, slightly piratical smile that made that excitable organ beat frenetically, and Henri wanted to run, rather than walk demurely down the aisle towards him.

“Ready?” her father asked, smiling at her fondly.

“Yes. Absolutely, completely and without a doubt in my mind,” she said, beaming in return and walking to stand beside the gorgeous figure of the man about to become her husband.

Any doubts she may have harboured, that Lawrence had wanted to stay simply to reclaim his old life, rather than for her, were forever dispelled by the look in his eyes as she came to stand next to him. The blue eyes were alight, dancing merrily with such love and happiness she felt a lump in her throat. Thank God, she thought, for that chance encounter, for the loss of a letter, and her foolish decision to blackmail The Rogue.

***

Lawrence looked about the room and couldn’t help but smile. It was perhaps a rather unconventional wedding breakfast, but then the earl had long since been considered a rather wild and eccentric figure, so it was not so very extraordinary that his younger brother should likewise buck convention. He had to admit that some of the guests were a rum looking lot, and he noted with amusement the rather anxious and scandalised looks being cast by their disapproving Aunt Seymour and bewildered Aunt Dotty, as some of the more boisterous guests made their way through the Champagne.

He had expected to feel at least a slight sense of regret for the loss of his freedom but whenever he looked upon the dazzling face of his new wife, all he could feel was wonder. That life had somehow contrived to give him a second chance was beyond anything he had ever dared to hope for, and that he would be given that chance with Henri beside him made his chest grow tight with unexpected emotion.

In fact, he seemed quite unable to remove the ridiculous smile that had been on his face since the moment he’d laid eyes on the vision of his bride to be as she entered the church and had stolen his breath. So, he simply watched as his beautiful wife laughed and spoke animatedly with everyone around them and tried hard to rein in his impatient desire to grab her by the hand and get to what he considered the most important part of the wedding. Her dress might be lovely, and her hair exquisitely coiffed, but all he wanted was to divest her of every stitch with all haste and have her hair spilling freely over the pillows in a delightful disarray.

He was forced to put such happy thoughts aside for a moment, however, as his brother walked over to sit beside him.

“Congratulations,” he said, a slight smile twisting his mouth as he raised his Champagne glass.

“Thank you, I feel quite worthy of such congratulations on behalf of my wife,” he said. “Though I am sure I deserve none of it, I intend to take it all and enjoy it to the hilt.”

“Spoken like a true Sinclair,” Alex murmured sitting down beside him, his usually cold eyes alight with amusement.

“And what about you, Alex? I have stolen your intended it seems, so now you must be back on the market.”

Alex raised one haughty eyebrow, looking faintly disgusted. “I was prepared to do my duty to continue the family name, but now ...” He raised his glass once more in a toast. “You have my blessing to take up that particular challenge as I feel no such urgency or desire to relinquish my freedom.”

Lawrence frowned at him and wondered what Alex’s life was really like. Was there truly no one he cared to share it with? Alex caught his expression and gave him a hard look in return.

“Don’t you dare go getting any appalling notions about seeing me settling down. I am beyond happy to see you and Henri so well matched and content with each other, but I beg you to leave my own affairs well alone. I’d go as far to agree that your wife is a rather unique young lady, and you are a lucky man but follow in your footsteps I will not.” This last was said with no little force and Lawrence knew he would be compelled to let the matter alone, but not until he’d added one last word.

Lawrence found himself seeking out his bride once more and knew his eyes gave him away. “Yes, I am a lucky man,” he said, his voice quiet. “Which is why I would see you happy too, surely there is someone ...”

Alex cut him off sounding bored beyond belief. “Really, Lawrence, who do you think I could trust with the life I live? Any wife would be bound to discover what I was involved with eventually and I could never reveal it to someone I didn’t fully trust. Besides that, the idea of having to forever explain myself to a woman or be forced to consider her comfort ...” He shook his head in apparent disgust at the idea. “No. I am quite content I assure you. I have enough willing bed warmers to keep me occupied, a full and busy life with my legitimate affairs, and adventure enough for any man with my less lawful endeavours.” He patted his brother’s shoulder with affection and got to his feet, effectively curtailing the conversation. “And now I would strongly suggest you stop meddling in my affairs and look to your own!”

Lawrence laughed and nodded. “I find I have no argument with that idea,” he said, and went off in search of his wife.

***

Henri sighed with content and turned on her side to consider her sleeping husband. They had been married almost two weeks, and she still could not quite believe it had happened at all. It was such a short time ago she had been standing in the little haberdasher’s shop with her heart in her throat as she gazed upon the dashing and rather terrifying figure of a pirate with bright blue eyes.

She reached over and pushed a lock of hair from his forehead, admiring the strong jaw line, and still a little regretful at the loss of his gold earrings. Last night, however, when she had complained about their absence, he had promised to wear them for her when they were alone, an idea which made her smile.

Henri trailed her fingers down a muscular arm and then pushed the covers back further to admire him as a whole. It was morning, and there was just enough light creeping around the curtains to allow her to enjoy the view. The new scar on his side was still pink and fresh but was healing well, and the older wounds did nothing to mar his perfection in her eyes. Broad shoulders and chest, with just a scattering of dark hair that led her fingers down a taut stomach to narrow hips and heavy thighs, and signs that her husband was possibly not as sleepy as he was making out.

Her smile widened and she trailed a finger over the hard length of him, biting her lip to stop herself laughing as goose bumps shivered over his skin. With a lazy and barely there touch, she continued, stroking one finger back and forth until there was a plaintive huff.

“Henri, it’s cruel to tease.”

Chuckling she bent her head and continued to tease him nonetheless, this time with her tongue, until he was writhing beneath her and cursing.

“Keep still,” she scolded, trying to sound cross.

“I’m going to make you sorry for this,” he growled, and she looked up to see his blue eyes gleaming with a wicked light that promised to make good on that threat.

“I should think so,” she said, one eyebrow arched, before she returned to her work.

With diligent practise she had come to discover exactly what it was that made her pirate groan and buck his hips and she was only too willing to indulge him, finding her own pleasure in the harsh sounds of his breathing and the soft curses as she worked with mouth and tongue against his most sensitive flesh. But the sweet torment had clearly gone as far as he would allow and the next moment, she found herself flipped onto her back and restrained against the mattress.

“And here I was,” he said, his voice low and intimate. “Believing I had married such a sweet, warm-hearted creature, and now ...” He moved against her, sliding himself between her legs and making her gasp with pleasure. “And now I discover that she’s a wicked temptress, determined to drive her poor husband out of his mind.”

“Oh dear,” she sighed, blinking up at him with as innocent an expression as could be found in the circumstances. “I suppose you will have to punish me, now that you’ve discovered my evil intent.”

He nodded, his expression grave. “I am sorry to inform you, madam, that you will not be leaving this bed until I am satisfied that you are properly contrite.”

Henri bit her lip. “That might take some time,” she said, once she felt able to contain her laughter, though her voice still trembled with it.

She looked up to find her husband grinning at her. “I’m counting on it,” he said, before joining them together with a sigh of pleasure.

Henri gasped and wound herself around him, sinking her hands into this thick hair, pulling his head down for a kiss.

“You may call your ship The Redemption,” she said, laughing. “But you don’t fool me, you’re an irredeemable rogue!”

“Aye,” he chuckled, biting her lip lightly and kissing her again, before adding with a smirk. “But I’m your rogue.”