Page 22 of His Unexpected Duchess (Hearts of Whitmores #2)

CHAPTER 22

C hecking his pocket watch, Nicholas huffed in irritation.

Over thirty minutes had passed since he had let Joanna off his arm to attend to her dress. Though he had a sister, he knew a simple mend like this one couldn’t possibly take this long.

Except he couldn’t very well go into the ladies’ retiring room and drag his wife out.

I’m not upset with her. I couldn’t dream of such a thing right now. Tonight has been going so well. Or so I thought. Could I have imagined her glances and her laughter? Her touch? What if she still believes me to be nothing more than a heartless rake?

Left alone for so long, Nicholas couldn’t help but fear that he had made a misstep. It wouldn’t be the first time. Unfortunately, he typically saw the problem he caused. Just not now.

It had been a wonderful evening. Though Joanna had been clearly anxious about their arrival, he’d teased her and danced with her and charmed her until she was smiling and laughing in his arms.

Questioning everything that had happened, he started to search for his wife so he might have some answers.

There were two rooms for people to dine in, since their host had declined to prepare a proper meal. It would not be enough food to last the entire night, but he hardly minded, since he had every intention of leaving before midnight. He wouldn’t keep Eleanor out that late and didn’t think Joanna would want to stay for so long. But she wasn’t in those two rooms and wasn’t in the ballroom either.

Nicholas was stepping out into the hall when he finally caught sight of her. Absolute eagerness soared through him. He took a step and paused, trying to comprehend the emotion. He craved her company in a way he hadn’t craved anyone in a very long time.

It was a good feeling. His hands smoothed down his coat before he picked up his pace to catch up to her.

Every step he took, he watched her intently. He caught the way her hand rose to her chest, then to her neck, and then abruptly stopped. Joanna hadn’t spotted him as of yet. Her eyes flitted about as if she was searching for something. Then, she saw him. But she kept looking anyway…

A frown creased his brow as he realized that something must be wrong. The way she was breathing deeply with her mouth closed suggested that she was trying to pull herself together. To anyone else, she would look just fine. Perhaps a little anxious. But this was more than that.

“What’s wrong?” Nicholas asked when he reached her side.

Her eyes widened. He thought he saw a flicker in her green gaze, like hope, before she looked away. When she shook her head, his heart stuttered.

“It’s nothing.”

She still doesn’t trust me.

“Joanna,” he growled.

Already she was shaking her head. She bit her lip and looked down. Mirroring her, he saw the way she clasped her hands, as if she was grasping for something.

“I don’t want to worry you,” she murmured.

Someone greeted them, and he nodded politely, hinting for them to take their leave before he turned back to his wife.

He searched her for clues but couldn’t find anything out of place. Her dress must have been mended. Had someone said something? Was it her stepmother?

“Joanna,” he spoke firmly as he grabbed her elbow, praying she would understand. “Talk to me. I will not leave you alone in this.”

“I…”

Nicholas exhaled. “Please.”

Sucking in a breath, Joanna looked at him. And looked. Her long eyelashes fluttered. He wondered what she saw, and he prayed it was enough. Was he going to have to beg? Because he would. A strange realization, but he cared that much about her.

“All right.” Joanna suddenly put her hand on his arm. “But not here.”

“We can go home. I’m sure Eleanor is––”

But she shook her head, silencing him at once. “No. Not her. Not… It can’t wait. I need to… The library. Can we go to the library?”

He put his other hand over hers and gave her a sharp nod. “Lead the way, my dear.”

Although Joanna was clearly reluctant to do anything, she eventually began moving.

Nicholas didn’t hesitate. He felt the frantic energy thrumming through his wife as they walked away from the party. Their joy and laughter were over, he feared. Something terrible had happened. He racked his brain for ideas the entire way until they reached the library.

“Joanna––” He halted by the door to close it, but his wife was already walking away from him.

He forgot the door and followed her to a large desk. They’d each grabbed a candle on the way. He set down his candle on the desk as he watched her rifle through a shelf and drop two books on the floor.

Bewildered, he asked, “What are you doing?”

Except Joanna didn’t answer. She moved quickly, sorting through papers and books. She brought them close to her face so she could inspect them. He thought he heard her muttering under her breath before she set everything aside. And then she went back to the desk, breathing hard.

“Joanna? Joanna,” he hissed.

He paused and looked over his shoulder. He should have closed the door. Someone would surely find them here. What if someone heard them? This room wasn’t open to guests.

He turned back to his wife. “Take a deep breath, won’t you? Stop doing whatever you’re doing and talk to me. What are you doing?”

Joanna gave a brief shake of her head as she yanked on another drawer. It fell right out, and she grunted, barely catching it with both hands. But several papers spilled out.

A curse escaped Nicholas’s lips before he could help it. Hurrying around, he picked up the papers and shoved them back into the drawer. “We are making a mess, and for what?”

“I have to… We need to…”

He closed the drawer and straightened up, turning to her. His mouth opened and closed when he saw her hands trembling. She wasn’t doing this for fun, he had already guessed that. But something had to be more wrong than he could have anticipated.

Shaking his head, he grabbed her wrist and tugged her around the desk in the hopes of getting her to look at him.

“Joanna? Joanna, please, take a deep breath. Look at me.”

Those green eyes of hers were wide and scared. They darted around like foxes in the marsh, desperate for an escape. Still, he waited. He breathed and he held her hands and he waited. And then he waited some more as she finally set her eyes on him.

Whatever panic was roiling within her seemed to go still, at least for a second, as they looked at each other. He closed the distance between them.

Why is she so scared?

“Joanna,” he murmured. “Let me help you.”

“I… Someone’s coming.” The panic returned to her gaze as she whipped her head around. He started to do the same until she spoke those three shocking words. “Nicholas, kiss me.”

He froze.

I think I heard the words. I must have. She didn’t stumble over a single word. There were only three of them. And yet… Did she really say that? To me? Did she mean it? Does she even know what she said?

“Now,” Joanna insisted, reaching for him.

Nicholas reacted at once. He wasn’t about to miss out on this opportunity. Since Joanna had left him stranded in the hall the other evening after the opera, he had been looking for a chance such as this one. To take her into his arms and kiss her.

He wanted his wife. And when she asked him to kiss her, he was only too happy to oblige.

He tugged her forward by her hands and then wrapped his arms around her. One went around her waist and the other around her shoulders. He cradled the nape of her neck, bringing them together just the way he wanted.

The way he wanted her .

Their lips met in a clumsy crash as Joanna clutched at the collar of his waistcoat. Her grip was too tight, but it loosened in the next second. She melted in his arms, her soft lips moving against his. They came together again properly, warm and eager.

She was sweeter than he had predicted. She let him do as he liked. He nibbled on her bottom lip to gain entrance. She tasted like the lemon cake he had earlier but sweeter—she was much sweeter. Their noses brushed, and she exhaled in surprise.

Just the opportunity he needed to plunge his tongue into her soft mouth.

Deepening the kiss, Nicholas coaxed a soft whimper from her. Heat surged between them.

He forgot how to think. Nearly forgot how to breathe. His blood was pounding in his ears, and he could hear nothing else. The world faded into nothing.

This was what he had wanted. This was what he had needed.

Nicholas marveled at her responsiveness. His body knew just how to hold her, just how to ravish her. They were made for each other. He wanted this and nothing else. Her and no one else.

The door creaked open, then they heard a light gasp. “Oh, dear me.”

“Let’s leave them be, shall we?”

“Hurry, hurry. Can you believe them? They’re married to each other. How odd.”

And then the door creaked shut. Nicholas might have even heard a small click, though he couldn’t be too sure. Joanna had tangled her fingers in his hair—he couldn’t think of anything else but her nails raking across his scalp. It sent tingles through his body.

“Oh, do that again,” she whispered when he played with her tongue. She leaned in, pressing her body against his.

“This?” He demonstrated and then nipped her lower lip. “Or this?”

“All of it. Please.”

That was it, Nicholas thought. His heart was going to burst right out of his chest hearing her ask him so sweetly for another kiss. He wanted to drown in her and forget everything else.

“Just don’t let go of me,” he murmured, trailing his lips away from her mouth and along her jaw.

Her breath caught. “I don’t think I know how to.”

Blast it, how I love this woman.

The thought should have stunned him. Instead, it invigorated him.

This moment meant something for them. Nicholas knew this deep down in his heart and in the way Joanna leaned into him. They had just taken a pivotal step that would change their relationship. He knew that whatever walls had been between them would come crashing down.

Such a notion should have scared Nicholas. Instead, he found himself thrilled. He was ready to fly so long as he had Joanna in his arms.