Elizabeth Elliott (47 page)

His head lowered for another kiss, but an insistent
pounding on their door made him stop just a breath from her lips. He swore under his breath.

“They will go away,” she assured him, trying her best to distract him from the racket.

He caught her wrists and gave her a wry smile. “There are matters afoot that may need my attention.”

“What matters?” she asked, as he strode toward the door.

She sat up and straightened her skirts while she waited for a reply, but he pretended to ignore her. Guy opened the door no more than a crack, but Claudia heard the clear sound of Evard’s voice on the other side.

“News from London, my lord! ’Tis as you expected. The king himself put a reward on Dante’s head. Two hundred pieces of silver, dead or alive.”

Guy pushed his way into the hallway and the door slammed behind him. Claudia stared after him in stunned silence. A cold knot of dread tightened in her stomach when he reappeared moments later, his mouth set in a grim line. “You heard?”

She gave a mute nod.

He crossed the room in long strides and lifted her in his arms, then placed her on the bed. “Trust me, Claudia. ’Tis not as dire as it sounds.”

“The king has a price on Dante’s head.” She looked up at him and tried to blink back tears. “This is not dire?”

“Nay, ’tis no more than an inconvenience.” His hands went to the unfastening of his breeks and he soon stood naked before her.

Her eyes widened. “What are you doing?”

“I would not have you upset in your condition. It does the babe no good, nor yourself.” He gently pushed on her shoulders until she lay back against the pillows. “You made your peace with Dante in the missive you sent him right after our return to Montague, yet you fret for weeks before you received his reply. The subject of your brother does nothing
but upset you. I intend to take your mind off Dante, and turn your thoughts to something more pleasant.”

Claudia gave an exasperated sigh and sat up again, even as Guy’s hands worked at the laces of her bodice. “I am not so pliable as you would like to think. Do you expect me to simply ignore such news?”

“Aye.” He gave her a firm nod and eased her gown and chemise off her shoulders. This time he used the pressure of his kiss to urge her to lie down again, his lips holding hers captive as he pushed her clothing over her hips. His kiss turned carnal.

She bit his tongue.

“Ow! You play too rough, little cat.” He lifted his head. “I would rather hear you purr.”

“What is it you are not telling me?”

“Nothing, love.” His hand stroked over her stomach, then gave her breast a more intimate caress. “I cannot feel any change in you yet. Are you sure you carry our child?”

She tried to ignore the heat that his touch unleashed inside her. “The truth, Guy. Why are you so certain that I need not worry about Dante?”

“Do you trust me?” He murmured the words close to her ear.

She managed to nod.

“Then put your fears to rest when I tell you that your brother is safe.” His tongue darted out and he released a gentle puff of breath that made her toes curl. The sound of his voice vibrated deep inside her. “He is in a place where none will think to search for him.”

His hands moved over her body insistently, expertly, knowing just how to increase her need for him. Resistance flowed out of her, replaced with a burning need to return the pleasure he bestowed. Her hands began their own explorations, fanning the flames of her own desire. He moved quickly to take her. She shook her head, trying one last time to deny him until he answered her questions. “Where is he, Guy?”

It was too late. His hand moved between her legs and her
head fell back on the pillow as she gave herself over to the magic of his touch. His voice held the satisfied tone of a victor. “Open for me, love.”

She obeyed without question, just as she trusted him without question. He had accomplished his goal before he even moved inside her, for her thoughts were far from fear or worries. The beauty of their lovemaking never failed to amaze her, the astonishment that they could join their hearts and bodies so completely that even their souls seemed to touch. And the incredible calm after the storm that made any worries seem very far away.

Cradled against her husband’s chest, Claudia tried her best to stay awake. She meant to ask him again about Dante, to sit up and demand that he tell her everything. Soon she would do just that. For the moment, she was loath to miss the simple pleasures of listening to the steady sound of his heartbeat, feeling his hand move in gentle strokes along her back, the deeper pleasure of being held in his arms and knowing he would hold her there always.

Until she met Guy, these were pleasures she never dreamed possible in her life. In his arms she found the home she always longed for and a love deeper than any she imagined. Within the year they would become a family in every sense of the word. Her lips curved into a smile and her eyes drifted shut. Guy’s voice came to her in a soft whisper.

“Montague.” He placed a gentle kiss against her forehead. “Dante is within the walls of Montague, my love.”

To Jennifer Pattison Hall
,
for her tireless crusades against
the heathen Schedules
.

Very special thanks to Mr. C. H. Ostfeld of Milan
,
for all Italian translations that appear in this text
and for his heroic rescues of sleeping hands
and children’s songs
.

Bantam Books
by Elizabeth Elliott

T
HE
W
ARLORD

S
COUNDREL

B
ETROTHED

About the Author

Elizabeth Elliott took a turn off the corporate fast track to write romances on the shores of a lake not far from Woebegone. In her spare time, she works as a free-lance writer/consultant in the software industry. At home with her husband and sons, she is currently writing her next novel.