Page 47 of An Innocent Maid for the Duke

He collapsed. Wrecked. Overcome. And feeling for the first time in a long time that he wasn’t completely alone.

Whatever that meant.

* * *

Languid in a haze of warmth, her body lax, Rose became aware of a heavy weight pushing her into the mattress. Jake. Lovely Jake. Who had just—

Heaven help her, she’d gone and done it. Something she had always said she would not. And she’d enjoyed it, too.

Without a smidgeon of regret. Indeed, there was a whole lot of joy bubbling strangely inside her, trying to escape. Not that she’d ever dare express how she felt in such terms. He’d likely think her foolish or some such, mock her for being silly, and then she’d be mortified.

Mortified. Such an interesting word. She’d read it in a book and looked it up inJohnson’s Volume II, an enormous set of tomes Jake had placed on tables in the library for her use. She stretched, luxuriating in the strange new feelings coursing through her veins.

Jake threw the sheet back and went to wash himself off. He shot a considering glance from across the room, rinsed out the cloth and came stalking back. ‘Your turn.’

Tenderly he washed her belly and her thighs with his mouth set in a thin grim line. He had more smiles while brushing his horse. ‘What is wrong?’

‘If I had known, I would have been more careful.’

More careful? Everything had been too lovely for any sort of words she could think of.

‘You will likely be sore come the morning.’ He tossed the washcloth across the room and it landed with athunkin the basin. ‘Why did you leave me to believe this was not your first time?’

She must have looked as blank as her mind felt, because he tapped her nose with a finger, much as she had done to him earlier. It was as if they had their own private language. The thought pleased her.

‘Rose, this is no smiling matter,’ he said sternly. ‘You have never been intimate with a man before.’

‘Not like that I haven’t. Had the odd kiss and a cuddle, but that was all. Never met anyone I liked well enough. Besides, live-in servants can’t marry and...’ She bit her lip.

His expression became thoughtful. ‘Is that what you want?’

‘I haven’t given it much thought.’ Not quite the truth, but really a husband and family had been little more than a dream.

‘You deliberately misrepresented matters.’ He sounded bemused.

‘Mispre—What?’

‘Misrepresented. Made me think you were something you weren’t.’

She pulled the sheets up to her chin. ‘Are you accusing me of lying?’

He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. ‘Misleading me. You said you’d known a great many footmen.’

‘I was a housemaid. Houses are full of footmen.’

‘Then it is my mistake.’ He petted her hair where it lay across her shoulder. ‘I should have been more direct. When I asked you if you knew them, I meant in the biblical sense.’

‘The biblical...’ She shot upright. ‘You meant had I swived them?’

‘Yes. I’m afraid I did.’

‘Then you should have said so.’

‘Indeed.’

She frowned at him and realised he was smiling, but not in a mean way. He looked pleased.

‘Come here, sweetling. Cuddle up. I find I am too tired to think, right at this moment. I want to hold you.’