her neck. She shivered at the touch.
“I wanted to do this when I unbuttoned your dress in that inn. I had to force myself to walk away from you.”
His admission caused chills across her neck and down her spine. He pushed her dress off her shoulders then worked to remove the rest of her garments until she stood before him wearing absolutely nothing. She closed her eyes, not wanting to watch him look at her.
“Tilly, look at me,” he said. One finger tipped up her chin.
She met his warm brown gaze.
“Do you know how lovely you are to me?” he asked.
“I think that is merely lust speaking.”
He started undressing himself. “What does that mean?”
She followed the movements of his hands, first removing his shirt and then his trousers and then his underthings until he stood before her gloriously wearing nothing more than his sinewy flesh. Good gracious, but her husband was a sight to look upon. The muscles in his thighs were perfectly shaped. So thick and well sculpted.
She reached a hand out to trace down his muscled torso. “You are perfect, as if Michelangelo himself carved you.”
He hissed a breath through his teeth. “I like it when you touch me.” He took a step closer to her. “But I want to go back to this nonsense you said earlier. You believe I said you were lovely only because I wish to have relations with you?”
Truly, she did not wish to discuss this. She was not blind to her imperfections. She shrugged. “It does seem as if your compliments are wasted on me. I am your wife. I shall not deny you in the bedroom, whether you find me attractive to look upon or not.”
“Tilly.” Again he tipped her chin so she would look at him. His brow weighed heavy with a frown. “You are a very beautiful woman.”
She wrapped her arms around her middle. “Can we get into the water? It is getting chilled in here.”
He nodded, then stepped into the enormous copper tub. Once he had leaned back, he held a hand out to her to follow suit. She stepped into the heated water and sighed. The hot water lapped at her flesh as she settled herself in front of him. He pulled her so she lay flush against him, her back to his chest. He looped an arm loosely around her waist, then reached up and cupped her breast lightly.
“I am odd looking, at best,” she said. “No one would ever believe me to be more than that. Perhaps I have a few pleasing features.”
His hand continued their ministrations on her breasts, kneading and teasing. “I don’t know who the devil told you such lies, but that is ridiculous.”
“I am too tall for a woman.”
“I am taller than the average man. Your height makes it so I don’t have to lean down too far to kiss you, thus avoiding a neck injury. Perfect.” He nibbled against the back of her neck and her nipples tightened almost painfully.
She arched her neck to give him better access as his tongue licked at her sensitive flesh, his teeth nibbled her skin. “My legs are too long.”
“Long enough to wrap around me while I plow inside you. Perfect.”
His words melted inside her like butter on a warm piece of bread. She leaned her head back. “My breasts are too small.”
His other hand slid up her belly so that now he cupped both her breasts. He squeezed them, flicked their hardening nipples. She arched into his touch. “They are the exact right size for my mouth and hands. Perfect.”
She fought off a smile. “I have far too many freckles. As you have seen, they are everywhere.”
“Ahh, those infernal freckles. You have no notion of how many nights I lay awake wondering about these freckles of yours. They are like stars on your fair skin. I want to connect them with my fingertips and tongue. Find designs in them. Count them. Perfect.” He shifted slightly, bringing one hand up to her shoulder. His fingers lightly traced the skin there. “I believe these are my favorite of your freckles.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him to find him staring intently at her skin. God, he knew precisely what to do to arouse her. One touch and she was liquid fire in his arms. “Why?”
“This little collection here,” his finger traced across her skin, “reminds me of the constellation Andromeda. A fellow soldier really enjoyed astronomy. He taught me about the different constellations when we