chuckled. "Absolutely not. I forbid it."
Being ordered to remain nearly naked ought to have bothered Olivia at least a little. The fact that it didn't should have bothered her a lot. Mother had never touched on this particular topic, but Olivia was fairly certain that undress on command was not something a lady should tolerate.
This was not her mother's house. It was
her
house, hers and her lord's. And if her handsome, astounding lord husband wanted her barely dressed, then barely dressed she would willingly be!
"I can wait until breakfast," she amended.
Dane rose from the bed. "Then I believe I'll return to my room now."
Olivia really wished he wouldn't, but she could hardly beg him to sleep with her. Although she doubted she'd be able to go back to sleep with him there within reach. Begging was beginning to look better and better.
So, purely in the spirit of good manners, of course, she spoke. "You're welcome to stay if you like."
He didn't turn to look at her. "I think not."
On his way from the room, he took a fresh candle from the decorative box on the mantel and lit it in the glowing coals. After he affixed it in the silver candlestick, the flame stabilized and filled the room with a golden glow.
Olivia caught her breath as the light revealed him in all his bare-chested magnificence. The glimpses she'd caught of his body when he'd… taught… her had only hinted at the rippling breadth of his torso. The candle glow highlighted every hill and valley of his muscled chest and all the lean power of his rippling abdomen.
He turned at her faint gasp, raising the candle in order to see her better. Olivia realized that she had sat upright at the sight. She had also forgotten to pull her nightdress closed to cover herself. Suddenly shy, which was ridiculous considering what he had done to her—and what she wanted to do to him—she grabbed her neckline.
She thought she saw his jaw clench and she was sure his eyes could scorch steel. It looked as though his lordship might not be leaving after all.
Then he blinked and took a breath, and the flash of male ferocity left his features. He smiled easily in the way he had, as if he were just an ordinary fellow, easygoing and congenial.
What a ridiculous notion! As if a man like him was ever ordinary!
He wagged one finger at her. "Tut-tut. Play fair."
Hiding her disappointment, she tugged the nightdress closed and tilted her head at him. "Did you actually say 'tut-tut,' my lord?" she asked him teasingly. "I thought only ladies of a certain age used that phrase."
His jaw dropped and he stared at her for a long moment. "You truly aren't afraid of me, are you?" he asked, shaking his head in bemusement.
Olivia drew her knees up under the covers and rested her arms across them. "You keep asking me that. Why would I be afraid of you? Are you a bad man?"
The question caught him up for some reason. He stood there, a half-naked god of a man, and actually seemed to ponder his answer. She frowned at him. "It was not meant to be a poser, my lord."
"I do not like to think of myself as less than honorable," he said slowly. "I do have rather high standards of behavior for myself and others."
"Of course." She nodded easily. "You are a gentleman."
He gazed at her soberly. "And for you, as my wife."
An uneasy tremor went through Olivia. His tone was suddenly severe. She nodded again, slowly. "Of course. I am a lady." She truly tried to be, anyway. She must take care to prove it to both of them.
He seemed to relax then, for he smiled slightly.
"Then I bid my lady good eve." He bowed and strode from the room, taking the light and Olivia's previous contentment with him.
4
« ^ »
The next time Olivia awoke, pearly daylight streamed in through the high arched window, turning what had been dark and intimate now quite commonplace, if luxurious.
A flutter of cloth drew Olivia's attention toward the dressing-area door where she saw a maid shaking out one of the gowns from Olivia's
Being ordered to remain nearly naked ought to have bothered Olivia at least a little. The fact that it didn't should have bothered her a lot. Mother had never touched on this particular topic, but Olivia was fairly certain that undress on command was not something a lady should tolerate.
This was not her mother's house. It was
her
house, hers and her lord's. And if her handsome, astounding lord husband wanted her barely dressed, then barely dressed she would willingly be!
"I can wait until breakfast," she amended.
Dane rose from the bed. "Then I believe I'll return to my room now."
Olivia really wished he wouldn't, but she could hardly beg him to sleep with her. Although she doubted she'd be able to go back to sleep with him there within reach. Begging was beginning to look better and better.
So, purely in the spirit of good manners, of course, she spoke. "You're welcome to stay if you like."
He didn't turn to look at her. "I think not."
On his way from the room, he took a fresh candle from the decorative box on the mantel and lit it in the glowing coals. After he affixed it in the silver candlestick, the flame stabilized and filled the room with a golden glow.
Olivia caught her breath as the light revealed him in all his bare-chested magnificence. The glimpses she'd caught of his body when he'd… taught… her had only hinted at the rippling breadth of his torso. The candle glow highlighted every hill and valley of his muscled chest and all the lean power of his rippling abdomen.
He turned at her faint gasp, raising the candle in order to see her better. Olivia realized that she had sat upright at the sight. She had also forgotten to pull her nightdress closed to cover herself. Suddenly shy, which was ridiculous considering what he had done to her—and what she wanted to do to him—she grabbed her neckline.
She thought she saw his jaw clench and she was sure his eyes could scorch steel. It looked as though his lordship might not be leaving after all.
Then he blinked and took a breath, and the flash of male ferocity left his features. He smiled easily in the way he had, as if he were just an ordinary fellow, easygoing and congenial.
What a ridiculous notion! As if a man like him was ever ordinary!
He wagged one finger at her. "Tut-tut. Play fair."
Hiding her disappointment, she tugged the nightdress closed and tilted her head at him. "Did you actually say 'tut-tut,' my lord?" she asked him teasingly. "I thought only ladies of a certain age used that phrase."
His jaw dropped and he stared at her for a long moment. "You truly aren't afraid of me, are you?" he asked, shaking his head in bemusement.
Olivia drew her knees up under the covers and rested her arms across them. "You keep asking me that. Why would I be afraid of you? Are you a bad man?"
The question caught him up for some reason. He stood there, a half-naked god of a man, and actually seemed to ponder his answer. She frowned at him. "It was not meant to be a poser, my lord."
"I do not like to think of myself as less than honorable," he said slowly. "I do have rather high standards of behavior for myself and others."
"Of course." She nodded easily. "You are a gentleman."
He gazed at her soberly. "And for you, as my wife."
An uneasy tremor went through Olivia. His tone was suddenly severe. She nodded again, slowly. "Of course. I am a lady." She truly tried to be, anyway. She must take care to prove it to both of them.
He seemed to relax then, for he smiled slightly.
"Then I bid my lady good eve." He bowed and strode from the room, taking the light and Olivia's previous contentment with him.
4
« ^ »
The next time Olivia awoke, pearly daylight streamed in through the high arched window, turning what had been dark and intimate now quite commonplace, if luxurious.
A flutter of cloth drew Olivia's attention toward the dressing-area door where she saw a maid shaking out one of the gowns from Olivia's
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