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Beatrice stiffened. He was awfully surly for someone who had just brought Beatrice to unimaginable heights of pleasure and who, hopefully, felt the same.

“Is something wrong?” Beatrice bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling.

He met her gaze, and his features softened. “No, love. Nothing’s wrong.”

Beatrice let out a breath, feeling slightly better.

“It’s just…” He cleared his throat. “This isn’t how it was supposed to happen.”

“How was it supposed to happen?” Beatrice asked, afraid to hear the answer. Afraid he would say something foolish and ruin the moment.

He finished cleaning her up, discarded the handkerchief, and helped Beatrice sit up. He tucked a loose lock behind her ear. “In a bed,” he said softly, his eyes roaming her face. “On a soft mattress. Completely naked. With hours at our disposal, so I could have prepared you more thoroughly.”

Beatrice smiled. “Oh, I am always prepared.”

Adam chuckled and kissed her nose. He glanced outside, his features turning tense again. Beatrice smoothed the frown on his forehead with her finger. He caught her hand and kissed her knuckles, then each of her fingers, before turning it palm side up and kissing the inside of her wrist. “We need to talk,” he said hoarsely. “But not here. Not in the carriage.”

Beatrice nodded. “Not inside. My maid is waiting for me in my bedroom.”

“I can wait for her to finish undressing you…” He paused. “Although I prefer to do it myself.”

“I don’t think I can explain that to her,” she said with a chuckle. “You shouldn’t wait. Getting out of this gown isn’t easy…” She bit her lip, and he kissed her, tugging that lip from between her lips.

“I shall come by tomorrow then.”

She nodded. “Tomorrow morning or…?”

He grimaced in thought. “I have to take care of a few things during the day…”

“Oh!” Beatrice exclaimed. I can’t believe I forgot! “My family is arriving tomorrow.”

“Your family? Your father will be in town?”

“Yes. My father, my sisters, all of them. They will accompany me to… um…” Beatrice paused, not wanting to entertain the thought of her upcoming nuptials. She swallowed. “To Northumberland. We are to leave in three days and remain there for the banns and the wedding.”

He looked away as if rejecting the mere thought of her wedding. And at the moment, Beatrice wished she could reject it, too. After tonight, she couldn’t imagine lying with anyone the same way she had with Adam.

Oh, who was she kidding? She could never imagine lying with anyone besides him. He was the only person who’d uncovered her lustful thoughts, and he was the only one she wanted to explore those thoughts with.

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose as if struggling with some dilemma inside him. Beatrice gently pulled his hand away and kissed his lips. “We’ll talk in-depth tomorrow.”

“Right.” He nodded. “I’ll come at night. And we’ll talk.”

Chapter 21

Beatrice had collected all her items into her trunk except for a couple of unmentionables and day gowns that she’d need for the rest of her stay in London. She loved to be prepared. Besides, she had a lot of nervous energy to burn.

Last night was the most spectacular night of her life. She went to an auction, stole Adam’s pocket watch back, received it as a gift, and then lost her virginity to a man she loved—in a carriage no less!

When she had packed her bags for her journey to London, she had never dreamed of such a turn of events.

Yes, she’d dreamed of falling in love, but it was romanticized in her mind, and all very blurry like her vision without her spectacles because she had no idea what love truly was.

Now she knew.

She loved that man. And perhaps he didn’t love her back, but he wanted her. He cared for her.

He would come to her tonight, and he would probably ask her to marry him again…