Confessions From An Arranged Marriage by Miranda Neville

Author:Miranda Neville
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins US
Published: 2012-03-31T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Blake had always enjoyed the time after lovemaking when he and his partner, sated and happy, could relax and talk about silly and insignificant things. He hoped Minerva’s unwonted silence stemmed from her status as a new nonvirgin. All his lovers had been women of experience and he believed they’d enjoyed themselves. Many of course had been paid to do so, but he didn’t think they’d feigned pleasure. He wasn’t pleased with his own performance this evening. Once he’d entered her he should have slowed down, given her time to adjust. The wet heat of her virgin quim surrounding his cock has been too much. He couldn’t ever recall losing control like that and he couldn’t find the words to explain it.

If he’d hoped the consummation of their marriage would usher in a new era of understanding and harmony with Minerva, he couldn’t flatter himself the golden age had yet begun. Despite his best efforts to entertain her, by midway through a dinner conversation exceptional for stilted triviality and long silences, he would have welcomed a disquisition on parliamentary tactics.

Almost. He wasn’t quite that desperate.

“No luck with proving Mouchy-Ferrand a lover of Bonaparte, I guess. Too bad.” If he couldn’t amuse her, he’d annoy her instead. Anything was better than indifference.

“No.”

“Never mind. With another month in Paris you’re bound to find another candidate.”

She cast him a challenging look and he was glad to see she hadn’t sunk into a decline. “Certainly I shall. Even though I have the disadvantage of not knowing a lot of horse-mad men.”

“Life’s unfair.”

“Why did you follow me to the Hôtel Mouchy?”

“One of the horse-mad men told me the duke is famous for being unscrupulous with women. I was worried about you. Quite rightly so. I thought you’d grown out of these dangerous impulses.”

“Thank you,” she said with a curt nod. “Though I would have been fine. It didn’t seem to me that the princess was unwilling. Very strange.”

“Supposing they had been plotting treason, as you hoped. Suppose they’d caught you spying?”

She dismissed the question with a shrug. “If I had been detected, I would have thought of an excuse.”

The more he considered it, the more concerned he became. Minerva had a confidence in her own powers that he envied, but one day her lack of caution might—would—lead her into serious trouble. He only hoped he’d be there to prevent it.

“I’m glad I came after you, Minnie,” he said softly with a melting look across the table.

She didn’t melt. “As I said, there was no need. I’ll call on Princess Walstein again. But I must say, it’ll be hard to think of her in the same way.”

At last the tedious meal came to a close. “Would you like to go out this evening?” he asked. “We could try one of the other cafés. Or Tortoni’s again. You liked the ices there.”

“I don’t think so, Blake. I think I’ll retire early. I’m very tired.” She blushed and looked away. “And rather sore.”

That was that. Not that he would have asked for or expected to have her again tonight.

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