Lady Guinevere and the Rogue with a Brogue - Julie Johnstone Page 0,114

care which it was as long as she was in his arms where she belonged.

It was late in the night when the door to the guest bedchamber finally opened, and Asher moved through the darkness toward Guinevere. Her heartbeat increased in anticipation with each step closer he came. He paused beside the bed, and she could feel his gaze settling on her like a warm embrace.

“Mo chridhe?”

“I’m awake,” she replied.

His answer was a swish of clothing being removed, then thuds as he kicked off his shoes. He stretched his arms above him, and she traced the barely visible outline of his chest in the moonlight. Her eagerness grew as he discarded the rest of his clothing, and then the bed creaked under his weight. He lifted the coverlet, and the cool night air caressed her naked body.

He settled on his side facing her and reached toward her under the coverlet. A trace of fingers to her shoulder. Then a whispered trail over her collarbone. “I missed ye,” he said, moving his hand to where she knew he expected her nightgown to be. He froze. “Ye’re naked.” Pleasure made his brogue deliciously heavy.

“As are you.”

He cupped her breast. “This is how I like ye best.”

She chuckled at that and brought her hands to his arm. “Tell me what happened.”

He’d left the Chinese drawing room earlier to speak with Talbot in private. Neither of them had returned before she had decided to take mercy on the yawning Kilgore and Beckford and await Asher in a guest bedchamber so the two men did not feel obliged to stand on formality with her.

Asher stilled and withdrew from her for a moment. “I told him that I forgave him, but I did not forget. Forgetting will take time and can only be considered when I believe he no longer harbors any ill will for me and desire for ye.”

“That was generous of you,” she replied, smoothing a hand over the hard ridges of Asher’s stomach and relishing the way his body twitched at her touch. She knew how difficult it must have been for him to offer forgiveness to Talbot so soon after learning he had betrayed Asher.

“Not so generous. Selfish, really. It takes more effort to hate than to forgive, and I need all my reserves for ye.”

“What did he say?” she asked.

“He said he wants nothing from me. Not the money or the townhome our father left him. He said he would become successful in his own right, more successful than me, wealthier than me, and I told him I hoped so.”

“I feel sorry for him,” Guinevere said.

“Aye, lass, I know ye do. It’s why I love ye. Ye have a true and good heart, but it is my heart, and I will never let anyone come between us again.”

“Tell me of the letter.”

“I will,” he assured her. “But not now. Now, all I want to do is love ye thoroughly, wickedly all night. Tomorrow there will be groveling.”

And before she could agree, his mouth settled on hers for a long, drugging kiss that made her insides quiver. When he stopped, it was only to trail a fiery path down her neck to her nipple, which made her moan with pleasure and arch toward him. His hand came to her hip and then slipped between her thighs to the most secret spot only he had ever touched. He began to work his exquisite magic, and all thoughts fled but getting closer to him. She pushed her pelvis harder into his quickly moving fingers, and pleasure exploded, causing her to cry out as waves washed through her. She clung to Asher until her body went languid, and then she pressed her lips to his chest.

“That was exquisite,” she managed to get out as he rolled on top of her, straddled her, and slid his strong fingers under her buttocks.

“Ye are exquisite, my bonny lass,” he replied and then entered her with a groan of pleasure that mingled with her own.

He stilled for a moment and traced a finger over one breast and then the other. Gooseflesh covered her skin at the love on his face.

“I am sorry for doubting ye.”

He began to move within her, but she set a stilling hand to his chest. He paused, and she said, “I’m sorry for doubting you, too. I should have known you’d never marry me for money and land.”

“And I should have known ye loved only me.”

“Do you think we will have many more misunderstandings in