The edges of his mouth curled up. “I am not complaining. I just need some time to recover.”
She took in his lithe limbs, the softening penis between his legs. The area between her own legs pulsed with swollen contentment. “I hadn’t expected you to be so proficient at this.”
“Only because it’s you. It’s not always like this.”
“It’s not?”
He let out a strangled sound. “No, never. It’s usually good but . . .”
“But?”
Pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, he said quietly, “It’s amazing because it’s you and me. Together.”
Warmth bloomed in her chest and wrapped around her heart like vines. She wasn’t used to this tender and honest side of him. “You’re very sweet for a man who put slugs in my shoe as a boy.”
A slow grin spread across his face. “Once. I did that once. And you deserved it.”
Sitting up, he reached for his undergarment, then used it as a cloth to wipe away the traces of his orgasm. “Too bad we aren’t at the chateau. We could go swim in the ocean to clean off.”
The idea appealed, but she wondered over the inspiration. “Was that something you did in France? Nude bathing in the Seine?”
“No. I’d be too afraid of what’s floating in there.”
He didn’t elaborate and her curiosity got the better of her. “I want to hear about your life in Paris.”
“I’ll tell you anything you wish to know once I have you in the bath. Shall we go in now?”
His frown made it clear that he dreaded walking back into the Archer house. “I think we should sleep out here.”
He shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. We don’t have blankets or pillows, let alone running water. You’ll be miserable.”
“I don’t want to force you to spend the night in there.”
Bending, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “You’re not forcing me to do anything. Help me make new memories in there to replace the old ones.”
It was impossible to argue with that logic. They gathered their clothing, donning only what was necessary for a mad dash back to the cottage. Harrison also grabbed the cold champagne bottle before dousing the lights in the carriage house.
He took her hand and led her through the house, which smelled of lemon polish. The cottage must have been closed before Harrison had it opened for their wedding night. She wondered if his mother planned to come out for the summer this year. Maddie did not anticipate sharing meals and holidays with her new mother-in-law.
Perhaps she and Harrison would move to Paris, far away from the Archers. Hadn’t he said he wished to return?
Another matter we must discuss.
Though it was empty, the mood in the house was somber, with its dark woods and lack of personal touches. No flowers or family paintings. No silhouettes or photographs. When his father had been alive, anyone in the house had to walk softly and speak in whispers so as to not disturb him. It had been a depressing place to visit.
They ended up in Harrison’s smaller chambers. Thomas had been given the bigger room between the boys, but Harrison claimed not to mind. His room had a large oak tree near the window, with a branch he’d used as a means of escape.
He dropped her hand but continued to the washroom. The water started running as she wandered around the bedchamber, curious to see if bits of the old Harrison were still here. The wardrobe held the clothing the staff had just unpacked and the mantel was bare, with no books or knickknacks. There was a side table by the bed with a single drawer. She peeked inside and saw a handful of items stuffed in there . . . including a very specific old coin. It was the one she found on the beach years ago and gave to Harrison for his sixteenth birthday.
He’d kept it all this time.
Smiling, she picked up the small metal piece and carried it into the washroom. He was fiddling with the taps on the claw-foot tub, but turned at her approach. “Water’s taking forever to get hot.”
She held out the coin. “You saved it.”
“Of course I did. Best birthday present I ever received.”
“I didn’t think you even liked it.”
“Maddie, a sixteen-year-old boy cannot show a girl how much she means to him. It would be embarrassing.”
“Is this back to you wanting me even then?”
“Yes. Does that make you uncomfortable?”
“No, but I can’t believe I never knew. Why didn’t you say anything at the time?”
He scratched his jaw, then busied himself with the water. The temperature must have been to his liking because he stood and started removing the little clothing he had on. “Let’s get clean and we’ll talk. All right?”
“So you’ll bathe first?”
A devious smile twisted his lips. “We’ll bathe together.”
“In that tiny tub?”
“You’ll see. Just get undressed, Mads.”
He sank down into the water, causing some to slosh out of the tub and onto the tile floor. As she stripped off her things, he watched her avidly, not even pretending to give her privacy. So strange to have a husband now, a man who had seen her naked. Had been inside her body. Had licked and kissed her everywhere. Her life had changed in an instant . . . and yet this felt right.
She went to the opposite end of the tub and started to get in. He waved her toward him. “Down here, beautiful.” Sitting up, he spread his thighs.
“Oh. I see.” She climbed in and sat between his legs, her back to his chest. It was surprisingly comfortable. “You must think I’m foolish.”
“Why would I think that?” He settled them together and wrapped an arm around her front. “Because you’ve never taken a bath with a man before?”
“That, and everything else. I feel like these past three years have changed both of us. Except for what the gossip columns reported, there’s this missing hunk of time, starting with when you left New York.”
He smoothed her hair back, pushing a damp strand behind her ear. “My time in Paris wasn’t half as exciting as the rumors made it sound.”
“Still, I’d like to know about it. That, and why you left.”
A long exhale rumbled in his chest. “There were two reasons I left. Do you remember the ball during your debut, the one at the chateau?”
“Yes. My mother insisted on hosting the ball in Newport rather than the city.”
He cupped water in his hand and dribbled it over her breasts, causing her to shiver. “Late in the evening that night, I went outside with Preston. He had cigarettes and convinced me to smoke one with him. So we were outside, shivering in the spring air, smoking in an alcove below the terrace where no one would see us.”
“How rebellious of you.”
“Preston always could talk me into doing stupid things. Anyway, you came outside with a few girls and I heard one of them ask you about me. About whether we would marry.”
She searched her brain for the memory but came up empty. “What was my answer?”
He paused and put his hands on the sides of the tub. “You said you could never be interested in marrying me, that you thought of me like a brother.” A harsh laugh followed. “Preston got me out of there immediately. He didn’t even ask, just piled me in his carriage and took me home.”