Page 30

Two months later…

Dear Laurel,

I hope you are enjoying Paris, but not too much because I fear you will decide to stay even longer. Is it not enough that you extended your stay by an additional fortnight?

My apologies for being a selfish sister, but I miss you terribly. It is only the promise of new gowns and fabrics from Paris that has given me any pleasure in your trip at all.

Grandfather is rather crotchety as well. But do not tell him I said that.

I send you much love and hope you will not allow my pique to spoil your trip,

Penny

Laurel finished reading the letter aloud to Julian while they enjoyed afternoon tea in their rented townhouse in the Faubourg Saint-Germain neighborhood of Paris.

Julian shook his head, taking the letter from his wife's hand to read it himself. "She did not mention me once. Her own brother."

"I'm sure she meant to," Laurel said, holding back a smile.

Julian turned the page over. "She certainly had enough space to at least include a small greeting to me."

"Are you truly hurt that she did not mention you? I assure you, the girl adores you. As do I."

Julian returned the letter to Laurel, then kissed her temple. "No, I suppose not," he said, spreading jam on a slice of bread. "But it seems as though my wife has become the favorite in my family."

"For what it's worth," she said, giving him a saucy glance, "you are my favorite."

He took her hand and placed a kiss on her palm, his gaze locked on her. "That is worth a great deal," he said when he lifted his head.

Laurel reached out and caressed the side of his face. "Julian, I love you so very much." She pulled him close for a proper kiss, then slid over to sit in his lap, their tea and refreshments forgotten. "Come," she said, a short time later, "let me show you how much."

He gazed at her for a long, heart-stopping moment. "I can think of no better way to spend the afternoon," he said, "but I have an appointment soon with a possible customer for our copper ore. It cannot be delayed."

Reluctantly he stood, his expression filled with love.

"However," he said, reaching inside his coat for a slim box wrapped in delicate paper and laying it on the table next to her discarded letter from Penny, "I will be happy to allow you to show me how much you love me when I return. Perhaps this will be useful."

"A present? Julian, what is it?" Laurel picked up the package and held it in her hands.

"You will have to open it and find out," he said, kissing her on the tip of her nose before hurrying out of the room.

Laurel stood at the window observing the early evening activities. She could hardly believe she had been a resident, albeit temporary, of the fashionable Paris neighborhood for a month already.

Paris had been everything she'd ever dreamed of, and more. The fashion houses and museums. The opera and concerts. And of course, all of those things were much more enjoyable in the company of her loving husband, Julian.

She turned away from the window with a smile when she heard him enter the room. "You look stunning, as ever," he said to her, his gaze running over the silk dressing gown she wore.

Moving to stand close to him, she straightened his cravat and placed a kiss upon his lips. "You are not entirely unattractive yourself," she said.

"Sassy vixen," he said, grabbing her wrist and drawing her close. "I am entirely unattractive," he growled against her mouth before claiming it in a kiss that made her head swim.

Laurel melted in his arms and pressed herself against his hard body. Her hands slipping around his torso, her fingers finding their way inside the waistband of his trousers.

"My," her husband said when the kiss ended, "Whatever happened to that shy girl I married?"

She withdrew her hands and took a step back from him. "Have I offended your sensibilities, my lord?" she asked, unable to restrain a smirk as she tilted her head and teased her husband.

"Heavens no," he replied, reaching out to tug at the ties of her dressing gown. As the lace-edged garment fell open, a heated look came over his face. "I see you opened my gift."

Laurel blushed. "Yes, it is quite scandalous. I cannot believe you visited Madame Silvette. You are shameless!"

Julian drew the dressing gown off his wife to reveal a virtually transparent chemise with a deep neckline. "I assure you I was not the only gentleman calling upon Madame Silvette, though I might have been her best customer of the day."

Gasping, Laurel glanced down at the barely-there garment she wore. "How much did you spend?" she asked with a laugh. "It is not as though a great deal of fabric was used."

Julian stepped forward, tracing his finger along the plunging neckline, slipping in to brush over her taut nipple. "You may expect a large order to arrive tomorrow. But this," he said, pushing one thin shoulder trap aside, "I decided I could not leave the shop without."

Laurel's heart blossomed with love at her husband's intimate touch.

Though they had spent many hours learning and loving each other's bodies in the weeks since Grandfather Ebersole's birthday, Laurel believed she would never be entirely blase about her husband's attentions.

And she hoped he never felt that way about her.

Considering the way his breath caught as the gown fell low, exposing her breast, she was confident it would be many years before that became an issue.

And then her husband took her in his arms and she had no further coherent thoughts until the sun came up over Paris the following morning.

Thank you for reading Countess by Contract . I hope you enjoyed Laurel and Julian’s journey to love. If you’d like to read more about The Wicked Winchesters , click here .

Xoxo

Celeste