Page 36

A s Harrington settled on top of her, Diana mused that this was the best day of her life, even better than her wedding day.

Just this morning, she had thought she would be stuck in London for the foreseeable future, attending boring balls and insipid dinners, listening to the same vapid gossip over and over until she wanted to scream into her pillow.

Instead, here she was, on this ship with Harrington. She was going somewhere. Doing something.

She was on an adventure!

And, if that thing he had just done with his finger was any indication, married life was going to suit her splendidly .

Harrington seemed to be more nervous than she was. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly. “Are you sure about?—”

“ Yes .”

“Because we don’t have to?—”

“We’re going to,” she said firmly, then paused. “Unless you don’t want to?”

He gave her a look that said, are you daft? Which, given the circumstances, was actually reassuring.

But then, he said, “Shit. I don’t have a sheath.”

“We don’t need one.” It was an odd thing to say to one’s wife, not that Diana wanted to pause the proceedings so they could discuss his comment. There were more pressing matters at hand.

Although… now that she considered the matter, it wasn’t a bad thought.

If she wanted to follow the drum and accompany Harrington on his future deployments, it would be significantly easier if she didn’t have a babe on her hip.

Although she did want to have children someday, it was probably best to postpone that happy event for a few years, to the extent that it was possible.

As for today, Izzie had explained how to count the days between her cycles so she knew when she was most likely to conceive.

She should be all right for the next few days.

She reached down, aligning his cock with her opening, and squirmed with anticipation. He made a strangled sound in response. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close and urging him to slide forward. He complied with a muttered curse.

Diana had always been led to believe that this portion of the act would involve pain and blood. But much to her surprise, Harrington slid inside her with relative ease.

He stiffened atop her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go so fast. Did that hurt?”

She gave an experimental wiggle. “You know, it didn’t.”

He lifted his head. “Really?”

He looked so adorable with that confused-yet-hopeful expression on his face, Diana couldn’t help but smile. She ran her fingers through his hair. “Really. In fact…”

Suddenly, his eyes were intent. “In fact?” he asked, slowly pulling back and pressing forward again.

She exhaled shakily. “Do that again!”

He grinned his scoundrel’s grin and proceeded to do just that.

Diana bit her lip, squeezing her eyes shut. It hadn’t been her imagination—that felt good . And it would feel especially good if he would brush her in that particular spot he had been rubbing earlier. Diana shifted her hips around, trying to find the right angle…

His voice in her ear was smug. “You like that.”

She opened her eyes, dazed. “What? Yes, I do.”

This time, at the peak of his thrust, he ground his hips against her. She gasped as he rubbed against the little nubbin he’d been licking earlier. “And how about that?”

“H-Harrington!” she gasped. “I didn’t realize it would feel so… so…” He did it again, and she lost her train of thought mid-sentence.

He grinned. “Let’s see how you like this, then.”

He sat up, sliding out of her. Diana snarled in protest. He merely laughed, scooping her up and bringing her with him. He flipped her around as easily as if she were a doll, positioning her on her knees, and came up behind her.

He slid inside her again, and it felt so good that she had to grab one of the rafters overhead to keep from swooning onto the bed.

He made an approving sound, wrapping his arms around her midsection, and began thrusting in and out.

Diana arched her back against him, trying to get him to rub that spot inside of her.

Harrington seemed to know what she wanted, because he slid one hand low, over the thatch of golden hair at the juncture of her thighs. He pressed down with the heel of his hand, and she gasped. Now, he was hitting that spot with every stroke.

“Ha!” he said in her ear, triumphant. “Like that, do you?”

She had lost the ability to form coherent sentences. “I… I…”

His voice was full of mischief as he said, “Let’s see how you like this.”

He brought his other hand to the first spot he had shown her, the one on the outside, and began rubbing her with rapid strokes. The effect was almost instantaneous. She could hear herself babbling nonsense. Her thighs started to quake, and the pleasure grew so intense it was almost unbearable.

Just when it became too much, the tension broke. Her body bucked against his as she cried out her pleasure. He was pounding into her fast now, gripping her hips, and she felt his body turn to stone behind her. Then, it was his turn to shout her name.

He surprised her by pulling out of her at the last second, and she felt the pulse of his seed splattering onto her backside and dribbling down her thigh.

His breathing was harsh. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered. He leaned down to fish his handkerchief out of the pile of clothing strewn across the floor. He tenderly wiped her clean, then tossed it toward the washbasin in the corner.

Pulling her into his chest, he lay down on the narrow bunk. Diana smiled as she settled against his shoulder. “And here I thought my first time was supposed to be a miserable experience. That was incredible .”

He gave her a squeeze. “It was incredible for me, too.”

“Good.” She bit her lip, because the question she wanted to ask him was a bit awkward. “I noticed that you withdrew before your peak.” He said nothing, but his body remained relaxed beneath her head. She added, “You also mentioned not having a sheath—an odd concern with your wife, surely.”

He shrugged. “Part of that is force of habit. I’ve never lain with a woman without one before.”

Good . Not that she was an expert on such things, but she knew there were diseases one could get through sexual intercourse. She knew Harrington did not have the reputation of a choirboy, but it was reassuring to know that he had taken precautions. “And the other part?”

His expression was thoughtful. “I suppose I still can’t believe it.

That you ”—he made a gesture that swept the length of her nude body—“would want to be married to the likes of me . I think a part of me is still trying to keep the door open for you, in case you decide you want an annulment after all.”

She squeezed him tight. “We’re not getting an annulment.

I defied my brother to marry you. I came to your room every night during that house party.

I bribed my way onto this ship, then shoved you down on the bed and ravaged you.

What more do I have to do to convince you that I want to be your wife? ”

He smiled. “I love the fact that you came after me. I’m not too proud to admit that I was in something of a state before you showed up. I was so certain you would be furious with me for leaving without a word.”

“Have you learned nothing about us Latimers? Beneath the elegant facade, we’re mulishly stubborn.” She stroked a fingertip across his chest. “And we do not hesitate to take what we want.”

“And what you want is me?” He shook his head, and his voice held a note of incredulity. “I guess there’s no accounting for taste.”

She tickled his side. He tried to squirm away, but there was nowhere to go in the narrow bunk.

She took pity on him, sitting up. He settled on his back, smiling up at her.

She swung a leg across him, straddling his hips, and feigned a put-upon expression. “I can see that you will require a little more convincing.”

“I certainly wouldn’t object,” he said, his voice husky.

She leaned forward, kissing his jaw and trailing a fingertip down his taut stomach. Her body hummed with satisfaction as she felt his cock harden and rise between her spread thighs, eager to make her acquaintance once more. “I believe I can guarantee that you won’t have any objections.”

As usual, Diana was correct.