Black Richard's Heart (The MacCulloughs #1) - Suzan Tisdale Page 0,120

playing tricks or something else far more forbidding, he didn’t know.

’Twas what his heart told him as he had bounded up the stairs that made him speak the truth: Yer father would want ye happy.

“Richard, had ye nae lived? I would still be a prisoner in my own home, living in the attics, locked away and forgotten.”

He grunted and shook his head. “I thought ye said yer hope had been ground to dust?”

A crimson blush crept up her neck. “Mayhap I was bein’ a bit over dramatic. Marisse is forever tellin’ me I let my imagination get the better of me.”

Richard pulled her to his chest and pressed a kiss on the top of her head. He was done running, done with hiding, and done living in the past. He enjoyed the way Aeschene felt in his arms, the way she snuggled her cheek against his chest. Squeezing her closer, he ran a palm up and down her back.

After a long moment, he loosened his hold, pushing her back just enough so that he could look at her.

Such delicate, feminine features on a most exquisite face. Lips he’d kissed before and knew them to be as soft as the petals on a rose. Creamy, silky skin that he wanted to caress. Those big blue eyes were filled with questions, but he wanted them filled with passion and desire.

Tenderly, he cupped her jaw as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Her sharp intake of breath was quickly followed by a sigh as she melted into his arms.

Pulling her closer, he lifted her against his chest, her feet no longer touching the floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened. Passion and desire coursed through his veins.

He traced his tongue across her lips, demanding entry. Their tongues met, circling, dancing, a silent plea for more.

“Yer mouth is ambrosia,” he whispered as he set her back on the floor.

Her lips were swollen, her eyes glassy with yearning. Her fingers trembled as she fumbled with the laces on her dress. Richard stilled her hands, gently pulling them away. “Nay,” he whispered huskily. She looked hurt, almost wounded. “Let me.”

As he untied the laces he whispered sweet words to her. “I have been wanting to do this for a very long while.”

“Ye wish to undress me?” she asked curiously.

He chuckled. “Aye, lass. ’Tis my most fervent wish,” he said as he slowly undid the laces.

“Who am I to deny ye such?” she asked cheekily.

He had never been given the opportunity to undress her himself, for she always left the evening meal before him. By the time he got to his room, she was in her nightdress waiting for him.

Ever so slowly, he pulled the dress over her shoulders and down her arms. The fabric fell to the floor in a soft swoosh, pooling at her feet. He pressed tender kisses along her neck, then next her shoulders as he slid his hands under the top of her chemise. Several tender kisses later, the chemise fell away.

Candlelight flickered, casting her skin in a golden glow. He stepped back, drinking in the vision of her beauty. She stood naked before him, her hair falling over her shoulders, chill bumps covering her skin. Her breaths were ragged with anticipation. “God’s teeth,” he whispered in wonder and awe. “Ye are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.”

A light blush infused her cheeks. Nervously, she licked her lips. She had no idea just how seductive she looked, standing naked, her chestnut hair all but sparkling in the candlelight. Narrow waist, perfect breasts that had grown taught with her own desire. He had never wanted anyone as much as he wanted her in this moment.

He sat down on the chair by the hearth and pulled off his boots as quickly as he could, unable to take his eyes off his wife. His fingers trembled as he pulled off his trews. Taking a deep breath, he pulled his tunic over his head and tossed it away. No longer would he hide his scars as in shame. Shame had no place between husband and wife.

The moment his bare skin touched hers, ’twas all she could do not to weep with joy. Richard didn’t give her much time to think on the matter, for his mouth claimed hers.

Tentatively, she pressed her palms against his chest for the first time without any barriers between them. Hard muscles that seemed to ripple under her caress. His soft hairs tickled