Always the Bridesmaid by Emily Murdoch

Author:Emily Murdoch
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2020-01-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

RICHARD RECLINED ON the pillows and blew out a slow breath. He heard the pounding of his heart like a storm battering a port. He had only one other sensation: the warmth of Tabitha nestled against his side. He smiled in the dimness of the room, consumed with happiness.

Had he ever felt this good before? Had he ever felt this close and connected to a woman?

There was something hot in his stomach, and it did not burn like desire, but warmed him like an open fire after a long winter day’s hunt.

Tabitha shifted against him. No, it had never been like this before. This was new.

A twinge of fear soured his stomach. He had not used any protection—after swearing he would never find a wife, he had risked the chance of a child. But the odds were slim, surely. God would not be so cruel.

“Share your thoughts?”

Richard started and joined in her laughter. The last thing he wanted was to share the idea currently racing through his mind, untamed and unexplained.

It still shocked him that Tabitha had accepted his offer, happy to give up her hopes of marriage, her thoughts of wedlock and all it entailed, for the chance to let him love her. And love her he had, and fiercely. How many more opportunities would she have, as his mistress, to experience his lovemaking?

“I was thinking,” he said softly, “that we must agree not to tell anyone about this. It must be a secret, you understand, a secret between us. You and me.”

He glanced at the chestnut hair drifting across his arm and shoulder. Tabitha had a smile dancing on her lips. She was utterly at peace—as though she had found what she had been looking for, and knew she would never be parted from it.

“Of course,” came the sleepy reply. “I am more than happy to keep it a secret, just between us.”

It was not the response he had been expecting—or rather, it had been the one he had hoped for, but had not expected her to agree to so readily. To agree to be his mistress, to keep their dalliance secret and, his body shifting uncomfortably at the very thought, agreeing to the possibility of more in the future…

“Richard,” Tabitha murmured sleepily, “what changed your mind?”

Richard shifted his arm, clasping that delicate waist and bringing her closer to him. He groaned slightly at the feeling of her breasts grazing his chest and tried to clear his head. This was important, this conversation. It would not do to grow hard again and find himself unable to even think, let alone speak.

“Knowing you has changed my mind about a great number of things,” he said slowly. Although difficult to speak of such things, with her it was possible. “You were told you would become the same, had the same weaknesses as your father—but you have not. You said things of that nature can be overcome.”

“I believe it,” Tabitha said quietly. “Every word of it.”

The one candle in the room guttered, leaving them in complete darkness.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.