The Arrangement by Mary Balogh

Author:Mary Balogh [Balogh, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Published: 2013-08-26T23:00:00+00:00

12

When Sophia awoke, she was warm and cozy and slightly uncomfortable. She tried to ignore the discomfort. His arms were about her, she could hear from the evenness of his breathing that he was asleep, and she was snuggled against him. Against all that masculine, hard-muscled beauty and virile strength.

And he was hers. He was her husband.

She did the counting-back thing again—twice, lest she had forgotten a few days somewhere along the way. But no. It was almost morning—she was aware of the slight graying of dawn beyond the window curtains. Almost exactly one week ago, then, she had been standing among the trees above Covington House, watching the arrival of the carriage everyone had been expecting, and watching first Mr. Fisk and then Viscount Darleigh alight outside the front door.

A stranger, then. Her husband now.

It was only a week ago.

Sometimes—most times, in fact—a week could go by and she would look back and not be able to remember a single thing of any significance that had happened. This had not been one of those weeks.

She did not want to move. She wanted to hug the moment to herself lest it somehow steal away and be lost forever. He had touched her all over. He had come inside her and had spent long minutes there. He had not been repelled by her. He had enjoyed her. And he had held her in his arms all night. They were still both naked.

She closed her eyes and willed herself to go back to sleep, or at least to lie in drowsy warmth, enjoying the feeling of being held, of having been enjoyed. But comfort grew more and more elusive, and finally she could ignore her bodily needs no longer.

She slipped out of his arms and out of bed without waking him and picked up her new silk nightgown, which was probably horribly creased after a night of lying on the floor. She let herself into her dressing room and relieved herself. She was a little sore but not in a really painful way. It felt actually rather pleasant when she considered what had caused it. Fortunately, there was some water left in the jug on the washstand, though it was not warm, of course. And there were clean cloths and towels. She washed herself off and patted herself dry. No, there was no sharp pain, only the dull throb of having been a bride the night before.

She pulled her nightgown on over her head and enjoyed the feel of it slithering into place down her body. It was by far the loveliest night garment she had ever possessed.

She hoped she had not disturbed him. She hoped she could crawl back into bed and snuggle against him and warm up and remember. Last night had been their wedding night. The consummation had been the culmination of the ritual of the day. Perhaps it would never be the same again. Perhaps…

No, she would not think like that. She would get back into bed and just remember.

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