Page 8 of A Raven Revived (The Raven’s Den #4)

Chapter Eight

D aisy spent the next few hours in a euphoric state of disbelief with a besotted grin on her face, staring at Fitz across the dining table. They were going to be married. But shortly after dinner, Maggie took a tumble and scraped her knee. After Trent cleaned her up, she begged Daisy to join their nightly story time, and of course she couldn’t say no to that. She held her while Trent read, until she finally gave in to sleep.

Now that Daisy was lying in bed trying to sleep, herself, it suddenly occurred to her that she had questions. She’d agreed to marry Fitz, but hadn’t given any thought to what that actually meant. Where would they live? What about her job? What about her friends? The only way she’d have a dowry was if her father still provided her one, which was unlikely and would mean going back and facing everyone. Would she have to do that anyway in order to get his permission? Ice crystals filled her veins as panic spread through her.

She had to talk to Fitz.

Carefully, she opened her bedroom door and peered into the hall. All was still and dark. She moved quickly and quietly down the corridor. Why hadn’t she thought of any of these questions earlier? Trent would not be happy if he caught her sneaking around. Oh well. Too late to turn back now.

When she found Fitz’s room, she carefully opened the door and slipped inside. He stood in front of the window but turned toward her upon her entrance. He wore pajama bottoms but no top. The curtains were wide open, and moonlight spilled across his bare chest. She couldn’t seem to pull her eyes away. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly watering.

“Daisy.” His soft voice got her attention and she reluctantly raised her eyes to meet his. “You should not be here.”

She took a quick breath and pulled herself together. “I have questions.”

“Questions that couldn’t wait until morning?”

She shook her head. “I’m scared.”

Those two words were all it took for him to immediately cross the room to her. He took her hands in his.

“You’re freezing.” He pressed her hands against his warm chest and pulled her into his embrace. “Why aren’t you wearing a wrapper?” He looked down at her feet. “Or slippers?”

She shrugged. “I needed to talk to you.”

“Let’s get settled by the fire, and then we can talk about whatever you’d like.”

He pulled a blanket off the foot of the bed and wrapped it around her, then ushered her over by the fire. He sat down on the floor, his back against the front of the chair and patted the floor between his legs. She happily dropped onto her bottom and scooted herself back against him. His arms held her in, promising warmth and safety.

“Better?”

“Mmmm. So much better.”

“Did you get your feet tucked in there?”

He leaned over her shoulder to look, and she nodded.

“Good. Now, what has you scared, Daisy?” His voice was soft and gentle beside her ear.

“Well, I said yes to marrying you without really thinking through everything that would entail.”

She felt him stiffen slightly. “Have you changed your mind?”

“No. No, of course not. I love you, Fitz. I want to be with you.”

He squeezed her tighter and pressed a soft kiss to the side of her head. “Then what is it?”

She swallowed over the sudden tightness in her throat. “I’m not sure if my father will provide a dowry or even give his permission.”

“I don’t give a damn about a dowry or your father’s permission.”

She turned so she could see his face. “You don’t?”

He shook his head. “We’re only a stone’s throw from Gretna Green. We could be married tomorrow if we wanted.” His soft lips pressed against her temple. “That being said, I do think we’re probably going to have to tell your family. I still have occasional contact with mine, so we wouldn’t be able to keep you, and our marriage, a secret forever. I also think we should give them a chance to celebrate with us. But you wouldn’t have to go there. I can go and tell them and see how they react.”

She let out a long sigh and pressed herself back into his embrace. “What of the marriage contract with your brother?”

“Three years is a long time, Daisy, and a lot of things have changed since you left. Geoffrey married someone else six months ago. By all accounts, Lady Redmore makes him quite happy.”

“Your father passed?”

He nodded. “About two years ago.”

She pulled her arm out of the blanket and cupped her hand against his cheek. “I’m sorry, Fitz.”

He gave a sad little smile and pressed a kiss against her palm. “As you know, we weren’t terribly close, but thank you, all the same.”

“For some reason, in my mind, everything was still exactly as it had been when I left. Has anything changed with my parents?”

“I don’t believe so, but I haven’t seen much of them since…”

“Since I ran away?” she finished for him. “They’re going to hate me, Fitz.”

“I wish I could assure you that they won’t, but the truth is, I just don’t know. But if they don’t want to be a part of your life, then that is their loss. Your father may not be happy you’re marrying me. We didn’t part on very good terms the last time I saw him.”

“What happened?”

He let out a long sigh. “I didn’t think he was doing enough to look for you, and I told him as much.”

“Did you look for me?” It had never even occurred to her that he might have.

“Did I look for you?” He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I looked everywhere, and I hired every resource I could; trackers, investigators, you name it. But we couldn’t find any trace of you.”

“I guess I did the thing right.” She shrugged, but guilt was churning in her belly, even as her heart swelled with the knowledge that he really must have loved her, even then.

“Are you sure about this, Fitz? Are you sure you really want to marry me? I don’t bring much good with me, but I do bring a whole lot of bother.”

His gaze locked with hers, firelight dancing in his eyes. “You are the good. I don’t need anything else. I’ve never been more convinced of anything in my life, Daisy.”

He lowered his lips to hers. This kiss wasn’t hungry and demanding like the night she’d come to his room at the inn. This one was tender and sweet, but that didn’t stop her pulse from racing and warmth blooming in her belly. His tongue traced her lips, sending a frisson through her body. She needed more, so she took control, plunging her tongue between his lips. He groaned as he allowed her to explore the recesses of his mouth.

She felt him start to pull away, so she reached around the back of his head and curled her fingers in his hair. He’d make them stop, and maybe even send her away, but she wasn’t ready. She needed him tonight. They were both gasping for breath by the time she pulled her lips away from his.

“Will you touch me tonight?” she asked desperately. “I don’t think I have the courage to do it myself without a bottle of wine.”

He chuckled softly. “Perhaps I will. If you ask nicely.”

There was something incredibly sensual about his smile. She slowly pushed the blanket off her shoulders.

“Please?”

A groan issued from his reddened lips. They recaptured hers, more demanding this time as his hand wrapped around the back of her head and locked her to him. Their tongues dueled in a seductive bout of fencing that sent desire racing through her. His other hand wandered over her back, shoulders, waist, like he was searching for something.

“I need to feel your skin.” He spoke through heavy breaths that feathered over her cheek. She nodded as his lips moved down to her neck sending chills through her.

“Lift your arms,” he said as he tugged her nightgown from underneath her. She did as he asked, and the fabric whisked over her head. She was naked, but before she even had a chance to decide how she felt about it, he wrapped his arms around her and the heat of his bare skin against hers took her breath away. It was glorious.

“Mmmm. I like this.”

He traced his tongue over her shoulder before lifting his head to look into her eyes. “So do I.”

He laid her back onto the blanket she’d been wrapped in, raising himself up on his knees to look down at her. His eyes darkened as his gaze raked over every inch of her naked body.

“You are incredible, Daisy.” He dropped down and licked a path from her navel to the base of her throat. Her nipples instantly peaked and needy desire pooled between her thighs.

“Are you going to make me beg?” She was panting, every inch of her humming with a salacious longing.

Slowly, a wolfish grin grew on his lips. “I most certainly am.”

He dipped his head and flicked the tip of his tongue over her nipple, startling a gasp from her.

“Fitz!” She breathed in a shuddering breath. “What are you doing to me?”

His deep chuckle reverberated against her neck as he leaned in close to her ear. “I’m touching you.” She watched as he traced his finger over the top of her other breast. He stopped a hair’s breadth from her nipple and her breathing stilled, as if on the edge of a precipice. She waited, but he didn’t move. Then he just pulled his finger away from her.

“Fitz,” she whined, and he chuckled again. But then suddenly, her nipple was inside his fiery mouth, and she cried out. A burst of sensation pulsed through her entire body, but he didn’t stop. He suckled and lapped and licked and teased. Her body writhed and squirmed beneath him as she gasped for breath. The need grew so insistent between her legs, she reached down to touch herself, heedless of any embarrassment she should feel. She simply had to ease the ache that was growing there.

He grabbed both of her wrists and pinned them to the floor at her sides. He shook his head slowly. “No you don’t. Tonight, you’ll get your pleasure from me.”

She stared into his eyes, panting. “Please, Fitz.”

That bloody grin was back. “Patience, love.”

“I don’t want to be patient.”

He laughed before drawing her other nipple into his mouth. This was surely torture. A delicious kind of torture but torture all the same. The heat of his mouth was replaced by a cooling sensation as he blew over the wet peak. She breathed in sharply. How much more of this could she take?

He began a path of slow, languid kisses down her stomach, over her hip, and down her left thigh. Her leg jerked as his teeth grazed lightly over her knee.

“Ticklish?” He swirled his tongue around her knee, and she squealed.

He moved to the other leg, pressing hot kisses along the inside, slowly making his way toward the juncture of her thighs. Please just let him touch her there.

“Spread your legs.”

She didn’t hesitate to follow the growled command.

“Wider,” he said, his kisses growing ever nearer to her throbbing core. Was he going to kiss her there?

In answer to her silent question, he dragged the tip of his tongue along her most sensitive flesh, forcing a long moan from her.

“My God, Fitz.” Her whole body shuddered with pleasure.

His hot breaths fanned across her skin as his tongue gently teased her. She never could have imagined sensations so delicious.

His voice hummed between her thighs, as if tasting her was an indulgence.

Her body began to tremble and shake as her pleasure climbed ever higher. He continued with his slow, gentle strokes, his rhythm never faltering, as she panted and whimpered.

The pleasure grew so powerful it was almost painful, before it finally exploded. It rushed through her body like water flooding over a dam. A torrent of sound escaped her, no words, she couldn’t manage words. Just moans that bordered on screams.

He clamped his arms around her thighs to hold her writhing body in place while he continued his ministrations, forcing her to endure every last wave of exquisite sensation. For a long moment after he stopped, she held her breath and didn’t move, aside from sporadic little twitches. Slowly, she released it, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

He lowered her legs to the floor and placed gentle kisses along her hip and stomach before settling himself beside her.

“Are you still mad I didn’t let you do it yourself?”

Incapable of words, she turned her head to the side and stuck out her tongue. His laugh was rich and deep, and it warmed her like no blanket ever could. She turned on her side and placed her hand over the bulge in his pajamas.

“What about you? Did you…?”

He shook his head. “The next time I find my pleasure, it will be inside your body.”

She nodded. “Just tell me what to do.”

He cupped a warm hand around her cheek and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Not tonight, love. We’re not married yet.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. Who are you trying to protect my virtue for? Yourself?”

“Well, that may be true, but also, the first time will likely be a bit uncomfortable for you.”

“That seems like all the more reason to do it now so that I can simply enjoy our wedding night.”

“When you put it that way, you may have a point.”

Besides that, she wanted to see that look on his face again. The look of desperation. Of needing her so fiercely, he’d given up all control and been overcome by pleasure.