Her Devilish Marquess (12 page)

Derek shifted next to her, and she finally
looked in his direction in time to see him turning to face her. He
lifted himself up on his elbow and surprised her by asking, “If we
have a child, what name would you prefer?”

“
Pardon me?” she asked, not
sure she heard him right.

“
I thought if our activity
results in a child, then we should be prepared to name the girl or
boy. Not many people think to come up with the name ahead of time.
They often wait until their baby is almost born. I’ve met a couple
who waited a week after the baby’s birth to give their son a name.
If we decide on a name now, we won’t have to go through the entire
nine months agonizing over choosing one.”

“
But…but I haven’t thought
of having children.” Sure, he’d mentioned it during the wedding,
but she didn’t bother to take it seriously.

“
Not many people do when
they’re in bed. We, however, will do things differently. What can
be more exciting than coming up with a name for a baby? Think about
it, Danette. We can pick whatever we want, and that name will be
what others will call the child for the rest of his, or her,
life.”

“
I-I don’t know what to name
a child.”

“
It can be anything you
want.” After a moment, he asked, “Isn’t there a name you wished
your parents had called you?”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “You don’t like my
name?”

He chuckled and rubbed her arm reassuringly.
“That’s not what I’m saying. I love your name. It’s just that while
growing up, I often thought Piers would have been a better name. I
like it more than Derek. Didn’t you ever, at any time in your life,
wish you had a different name?”

“
Well, my mother has a
friend whose name is Thalia. I always thought it was
pretty.”

“
Would you like to have a
daughter by that name?”

“
I think I’d rather have her
be Lysandra.”

“
Then if we have a girl,
we’ll name her Lysandra. Now, what would you like to name a
boy?”

“
You don’t want to name him
Piers?”

He shrugged. “It could be a good middle one.
I don’t know if I’d make it the first name.”

“
Why not?”

“
I don’t know. It just
doesn’t seem to fit.”

Curious, she turned toward him. “Don’t you
want to have any say in the child’s name? I thought gentlemen,
especially titled ones, cared a lot for what their son was named.
We could name him after you. It’d be a legacy.”

“
The legacy I wish to leave
all of our children will be a happy and healthy childhood. I don’t
need one named after me.”

“
You’re an unusual
gentleman,” she replied as she got up on her elbow so she could
make eye contact with him. The moonlight filtering through the
drapes lit up the room enough so she could see him. “I can’t recall
a time when a gentleman didn’t want a namesake.”

“
If we have a son, I want
him to have his own name, something uniquely his. He shouldn’t have
to share it with someone else.”

She thought over all the male names she knew
then said, “What about Roman?”

“
Roman?”

“
I think it sounds
distinguished. I imagine a boy with that name would be intelligent,
thoughtful, and considerate of others.” Her face growing warm, she
chuckled. “I know names are just names, but it’s easy to attach
meanings to them, isn’t it?”

“
It is. Tell me,” he scooted
closer to her and put his arm around her waist, “what does the name
Lysandra make you think of?”

“
I suppose when I think of
that name, I imagine a girl who’s beautiful, graceful, and poised.
She’d be easy to like, and people would be drawn to her. Things I
wish were true for me.”

“
They are true for you,
Danette. I could see how beautiful you were the moment I peeked at
you behind those drapes.”

The memory, along with the sherry, was
probably what made her giggle. “It was silly of me to hide in the
drawing room when you came to visit, wasn’t it?”

“
You were shy. I was a
stranger. You had no idea what to expect. But, despite being shy,
you didn’t bump into anything or trip, so I’d say you were both
graceful and poised. I’ve found you to be an easy lady to like. If
we have a daughter and name her Lysandra, then she’ll be a lot like
you.”

She was so touched by his words she couldn’t
think of a single response. But he saved her the trouble of trying
to come up with one when his lips brushed hers. The kiss was softer
than she’d expected. It took her a moment to realize he was asking
her for permission to continue. Despite her uncertainty, she
returned his kiss, her skin flushed with her bold move.

The move, however, paid off, for she felt
his arm, which had been resting on her waist, relax. Maybe he
wasn’t nervous about the actual act of lovemaking, but he had
definitely been nervous about the prospect of initiating it. And
knowing this, she felt considerably more at ease.

He slid closer to her, though their bodies
still weren’t touching. Instead, he seemed more intent on kissing
her. This was nice. Her mother had told her she’d know if she had a
caring husband if he didn’t rush into the lovemaking, and if she’d
had any doubts before, now she knew Derek would be considerate of
her in all things. This thought led her to realize she was already
in love with him. She hadn’t believed love could be possible this
soon, but there was no other explanation for the way her heart
warmed.

Derek urged her to settle back on the
pillow. She followed his lead, and soon, she was immersed in the
world that separated her and Derek from everyone else. It was
wonderful to lie down with him and get lost in his kisses. When his
tongue brushed her lower lip, it only felt natural to part her
mouth and let his tongue interlace with hers.

He made no move beyond kissing for the
longest time. From time to time, his mouth would leave hers so he
could kiss her cheeks and her neck, the neck being the most
sensitive by far. She especially enjoyed it when he left a line of
kisses from the bottom of her neck up to her ear. The action made
her shiver in pleasure, something she hadn’t been anticipating.

She didn’t become aware of the pleasant
sensation building up in her core right away. She’d been too
engrossed by the thrill of his kisses to concern herself with much
else. But when she shifted closer to him, she became aware of the
moisture between her legs. And from there, she realized it felt
strangely pleasant down there. She’d never experienced something
like this before, but she was eager to find out where it was
leading. If it was anything like the kissing, it’d be most
enjoyable.

When Derek finally made the move to touch
her, it seemed as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He
caressed her shoulder first and then let his hand go down to one of
her breasts. He cupped her in his palm, and then he traced the
curve of her breast with his fingers until he settled at her
nipple. His thumb circled it, making it harden, before he brushed
the tip.

This intimate touching was much more
arousing than the kissing had been, and it only served to make her
core ache all the more. She let out a moan and shifted against him.
This time she felt a part of him that was hard. It shocked her for
a moment since she hadn’t expected it, but then she recalled what
her mother had told her about the differences between gentlemen and
ladies and how these differences led to children.

She wasn’t sure if she was hurting him by
pressing so close to it, and she thought about scooting away from
him—just in case he was in pain. But then he drew her into his arms
and pressed himself more firmly against her. Well, he wouldn’t do
that if she’d hurt him. So she was relieved of that worry.

With a groan, he shifted away from her and
retrieved something from his side of the bed. She was ready to ask
him what he was getting when she remembered the small bottle he’d
brought with him.

“
I didn’t realize how much
self-control this whole thing was going to take,” he whispered, his
voice taking on a husky quality that made her breath catch in her
throat.

In the dim light, she saw him open the
bottle and pour a small portion of the liquid on his fingers. After
sealing the bottle, he put it back then turned back to her.

“
I didn’t mean to break the
mood,” he apologized.

“
It’s not broken,” she
assured him, closing the distance between them.

She was far too aroused to stop now. The
ache between her legs was demanding to be satisfied, and if those
herbs he’d brought worked half as well as he said, then she was
eager to experience what was coming next.

This time she kissed him, quickly renewing
their connection, and he made no qualms about following her lead.
Soon, she was settled on her back. She fully expected him to touch
her breast again, but he brought his hand between her legs. The
moment his fingers touched her entrance, she spread her legs wider
to invite him inside of her.

He caressed the folds of her entrance first,
an action which made her that much more excited for what was to
come. She lifted her hips, urging him inside, and he obliged
her.

She wasn’t sure who groaned the loudest, but
there was no doubt he was receiving pleasure from this, just as she
was, though she didn’t think he could possibly be enjoying this
quite as much as she was. It was her core, after all, that clenched
around him, pulling him in deeper. And when he stroked her, he
rubbed a part deep within that made her cry out for more.

He followed her prompting and was soon
stroking her core in earnest. Her hips rose to meet him with each
thrust. The tension mounting within her grew stronger, and before
long, the need for release was so overpowering her body left all
sense of propriety and acted on its own accord. She’d never, in her
entire life, acted with such abandon. But at this moment, she was
given over to her passions. Crying out in pleasure, she moved her
hips faster to aid him along, and she was sure she grew even louder
right at the moment she reached the peak. Her body stilled, and her
core clenched around his fingers. In waves, the pleasure peaked and
waned, each one less intense than the first. When her core finally
slowed its persistent clenching and unclenching, she relaxed,
lightheaded.

His fingers slid out of her, and he settled
between her legs. Still weak, she could only manage to lift her
hips to take him into her. He thrust into her, and the initial
sting surprised her. Too late did she remember her mother’s warning
about a lady’s first time. But he remained still, allowing her time
to accommodate him, and it wasn’t until she urged him to move that
he did. She relaxed once more as she was assured the pain was gone
for good. Her focus, at that point, went to the feel of him as he
made love to her.

He filled her core completely, and she
recognized the part deep within her that had given her the most
pleasure just moments before. He was stroking it now, something
that made her moan along with him. If this was how it was going to
feel from now on, she would have no trouble looking forward to the
bed.

He continued with his thrusting, his actions
growing more urgent, his body getting tense. And then, there was
the moment when he went still and let out a cry. She became aware
of the pleasant warmth inside of her as he filled her with his seed
and held him tightly to her to better savor the moment. They were
connected now. From this moment forward, they were truly husband
and wife, and her heart beat with excitement. Yes, it was so soon
after they met, but she loved him. She’d never been more sure of
anything in her entire life.

Chapter Nine

W
hen Derek woke up late the next morning, his bride was still
beside him. There was that brief moment upon waking that he thought
he’d dreamt the entire thing—the arrangement, the wedding, and the
wedding night. But as soon as he opened his eyes, Danette was
sleeping on her side, facing him.

Her black hair was spread across the pillow.
Her rosy lips were slightly parted. The blanket only came up to her
waist, but her arm was settled on her breasts, blocking a full view
of them. The result was absolutely alluring.

Content to watch her, he didn’t dare disturb
her. It wasn’t every day he got the chance to wake up to such a
pleasant sight. Would he spend the rest of his life waking up next
to her, or would they eventually retire to their own bedchambers as
most of the nobility did? He liked to think they would still want
to share a bed after many years together.