Page 67 of To Dare the Devil

Max gave a bark of laughter. “He said that?”

“He did.” Kathy grinned, smug now.

“Well, he’s not wrong,” Max whispered, pulling her closer. He reached up to touch her hair, which had been simply arranged in a low chignon. “I’ve never seen your hair loose, Kathy. Is it very long?”

Kathy blushed, suddenly shy, which was ridiculous, as she had been dying from impatience for this day. “Why don’t you come and find out?” she said, her voice unsteady.

Max bent his head and brushed his mouth against hers, a barely there kiss that still sent her blood surging in her veins. “You’re not sorry?”

“I’ll never be sorry,” she replied, sliding her arms about him and holding on tight. His heartbeat thrummed in his chest, strong and even, reassuring. A moment later, she gasped as Max swung her up into his arms.

“Oh, Max, your back! You’ll hurt yourself.”

He sent her a look of mild reproach. “I’m not in my dotage yet, love.” Kathy rolled her eyes. “I meant the knife wound. You’ll make it bleed again.”

Max shook his head. “That’s healing well. Stop fretting. It’s traditional to carry you over the threshold and I mean to do everything right in this marriage, beginning now.”

“Everything?” she repeated sceptically.

Max nodded, his expression grave. “I shall be the perfect husband.”

He carried her over the threshold and up the stairs. “I’m not certain I like the sound of that,” Kathy grumbled, looping her arms about his neck.

“Whyever not?”

“Because if you’re perfect we can’t ever argue, and I enjoy arguing with you, and also we can never make up again, which seems a shame, and—”

“Good heavens, there’s more?” he demanded, amusement glinting in his eyes. “And here I was thinking you’d be pleased.”

“Oh no, and this is the most important point of all.”

“Go on then.”

Kathy lowered her head to whisper in his ear. “I am reliably informed that reformed rakes make the best husbands, and I want you to teach me to be wicked with you.”

His eyes darkened, and he chuckled as he pushed open his bedroom door. “Well, I promised to never let you down, and if you want me to be wicked, I suppose I shall have to indulge you.”

“You shall,” she said, struggling to keep her expression serious as he lowered her gently to the floor. Kathy smiled, rediscovering the room she had seen once before. It was comfortably, if sparsely furnished.

He caught her curious glance about and shrugged. “When I returned after—well, after everything—I cleared out a lot of furniture and belongings. Reminders of the past. Through that door is your bedroom, and you must decorate it, and anywhere else, just as you please. Though, I confess, I hope you will spend your nights here, with me.”

Kathy glanced at the enormous bed, mingled anticipation and nerves swirling in her belly.

“It’s new,” he said hastily, and rubbed the back of his neck, looking awkward. “The bed, I mean.”

“Thank you,” she said, realising he had not wanted them to begin their married life in a bed where he’d entertained so many other women.

Kathy moved about the room, inspecting the paintings on the walls, the books he’d left on his bedside table. She opened the book on the top of the pile and smiled as she saw a neatly folded sheaf of papers with her handwriting on. All the lists she’d given him, progress reports and orders to be made, tucked carefully into a book of love poetry.

She turned back to him. “You kept all my notes.”

Max cleared his throat and nodded. “Er… yes. I did.”

Oh, he was adorable. And nervous, she realised. She considered this, realising her virginal state and his past were conspiring to make him awkward. Somehow, the knowledge made her feel less anxious. Lifting her arms, she took the pins from her hair, allowing it to tumble free, over her shoulders, down past her waist.

“Oh.” Max’s breath caught, and he moved towards her. Bolder now, she flashed him a grin and then kicked off her shoes, gathering up her skirts and climbing onto the enormous bed.

“My, but it’s huge,” she said, flopping backwards so that her skirt and petticoats billowed about her. She sat up on her elbows and patted the space beside her.