fabric that separated her from Nick. After a heartbeat’s hesitation he helped her, his breathing as ragged as her own. As she raised her arms to drag the gown over her head she felt his hands capturing her nakedness. Collecting up her breasts, he buried his face in their softness. Gasping, she freed herself from the flimsy material and they fell together on to the covers in a tangle of limbs.
Nick’s lips moved back up her body, slid over her mouth, his kiss urgent and demanding while his hands on her skin caused her body to writhe out of her control. She threw back her head, shuddering with surprise and delight as his hand moved between her thighs, gently easing them apart. She arched beneath his questing fingers, moving against them, not knowing why, only aware of the ache in her groin and the pleasurable sensations he was arousing deep, deep within her. He kissed her neck; she felt his lips briefly on her collar-bone, then they fastened over one erect nipple and she gasped. The pleasure was so heady and intense that she thought she might faint. She was soaring, flying and falling all at the same time. Her hands gripped him, fingers digging into his shoulders as the first spasm shook her, then a second. She knew a moment’s panic as those pleasuring fingers eased away and Nick rolled over and entered her. She gave a little cry and he froze. Desperately Eve pushed against him.
‘No, no, do not stop,’ she gasped.
She heard him give a shaky laugh. ‘I don’t think I could, even if I wanted to.’
The blood was pounding in her ears, singing through her body as they moved together. The wave of pleasure had receded, but it was building within her again. She matched her movements to Nick’s, running her hands over his muscled back, keeping pace with him as the tempo increased, the heady wave building and building until at last, when she thought she might die of pleasure, it crested and broke. She heard a cry, but did not know if it came from her or Nick. He tensed and tensed again before they subsided together, shuddering and gasping for breath.
They lay side by side on the silken bedcovers, fingers entwined. The daylight had gone now, replaced by a fine silvery moonlight that cast a magical gleam over their naked bodies.
‘Nick?’ Eve raised herself upon one elbow and looked at him. Her heart lurched. Could this handsome man really be her husband? Was it possible that he could love her, that she could satisfy him? She gently brushed her hand across the scattering of crisp black hairs that grew on his chest. ‘Was—was that how it is meant to be? Was it, I mean, was I—?’
His hand came up to trap hers against his chest. He grinned at her. ‘You were magnificent, Eve. I am a very lucky man.’
She flushed with delight. He reached up, hooked his fingers around her neck and began to pull her down to him. ‘In fact,’ he whispered, ‘I think we should try that again, just to be sure…’
Eve awoke the next morning to the sound of birdsong outside her window. As her sleepiness disappeared and memories of the previous night returned, a delicious feeling of well-being spread through her body. She reached out, expecting to feel Nick next to her, but she was alone in the bed. Eve opened her eyes.
Nick was standing by the window. With the early-morning sun behind him she could not see his face but she knew that he was watching her.
‘Nick?’
As he came towards the bed she noted that he was dressed for riding, already booted and spurred.
‘I did not want to wake you. You looked so peaceful.’
‘You are going out? Will you not wait for me and I will go with you—’
‘That is not possible,’ he murmured, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking her hand. ‘I have to go away for a few days. The messenger came this very morning from Hastings. Business, I am afraid, my love, that requires my urgent attention.’
Eve sat up. ‘Hastings! What business can be so important it takes you away so soon after the wedding?’ she demanded.
‘That I cannot tell you.’
‘Oh, but—’ He put a finger on her lips and shook his head at her.
‘Hush, my dear. You must trust me on this.’
He was still smiling at her, but there was something in his blue eyes that gave her pause, made her bite back the host of questions she wanted to ask him. He leaned forwards and kissed her, very gently. ‘Only the most urgent business could tear me away from you at this time,’ he said. ‘Can you believe that?’
She nodded, suddenly feeling sick with misery. This was nothing unusual, she told herself. Gentlemen did not discuss business affairs with their wives. She shivered, suddenly aware of her nakedness. Nick walked across the room to fetch her wrap of apricot silk. She slipped out of bed and scrambled into it, giving her attention to fastening the ties so that she did not have to look up. He reached out for her.
‘I am sorry, sweetheart.’
As he hugged her to him, Eve leaned her head against his chest, willing herself not to cry.
‘How soon will you be back?’
His arms tightened around her. ‘I do not know. A week, if all goes well. Longer, if not.’
‘And—you cannot tell me what is this business that takes you away from me?’ Eve knew he would not tell her, even as she asked the question. He put his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up. She looked up into his eyes, blinking to clear her own of the tears that threatened to spill over.
‘I must ask you to trust me, my love.’
‘I do,’ she said passionately.
He kissed her. ‘Then stay here, keep yourself safe for when I return.’
She shuddered suddenly and had a vague premonition of danger. ‘Promise me you will return!’
He laughed down at her, the light glinting in his blue eyes. ‘You adorable little goose, of course I shall return!’ He kissed her soundly and she leaned into him, returning his kisses and hoping he would sweep her up and carry her back to the bed for one final act of lovemaking before he left. Her disappointment as he gently put her aside was so strong it almost made her weep. ‘I must get on, my sweet.’
‘Can you not give me ten minutes to dress? I would like to come downstairs and take my leave of you.’ She noted his hesitation and added quietly, ‘Please, Nick.’
He relented. ‘Very well. Ten minutes.’
Nick watched her walk out of the room, her head held high. A wave of tenderness welled up in him. She did not understand why he must go yet there were no tears, no tantrums. He had asked her to trust him and she did. He put out his hand, opened his mouth to call out to her, but something held him back. The moment was lost; the door had closed behind her.
‘Just as well,’ he told himself. ‘The less she knows of this affair, the better.’
A little over ten minutes later, Eve accompanied Nick out of the house, trying not to cling too tightly to his arm.
‘Will you be able to write to me, sir?’ She tried
