“Marital congress?”
“That’shardly titillating,” she scoffed.
He lifted a brow, looking delightfully, mockingly stern. “What do you know about titillation?”
“Very little…yet. Come now.” She pretended she was about to shake him by his lapels. “You’ve explained forbidden words to me before.” She pouted in an exaggerated fashion.
“Don’t tempt me.” He shook his head. “I won’t tell you.”
“I can’tbelieveyou’d disappoint me so.”
Oh, she had known from the start he wasn’t going to satisfy either of them tonight. But before she went back to bed, she wanted him to be sure of her own desire.
For his own good, of course.
She brightened. “How about you tell meafterwe’ve wed, and before the glorious joining?”
“Pfft.” The sound he made was half-disbelieving snort and half-surprised delight.
“Please?”
“Very well, beloved.”
A thrill surged through her as he used his new endearment for her.Belovedfelt nice. Secure.
“I will teach you a naughty word or two,” he continued, “afterwe are wed. And only if you promise never to use them with anyone but me.”
“Madman!” She pushed him lightly, although it wasn’t as if he could move very much. “Why would I want to use words like that with anyone except my husband?”
His gaze softened. “I still haven’t asked you, you know.”
He looked so boyish, so hopeful. He made her heart pang with such resonance, if she went back to being serious, she thought she might cry.
She couldn’t cry. That part of her heart was still too tender. And she was about to hand over her life. At present, giving her hand was all the leap she could make.
“Extraordinary!” She widened her eyes. “And with me on your lap! And in only a shift and wrapper! My good Lord Neville, you should be ashamed of yourself!”
“Oh, I am,” he assured her. “Entirely ashamed. And very, very, very…”
She adjusted herself again, making sure her thigh rubbed along what she judged to be his manhood. His responsive groan made her smile. Perhaps her Auggie wasn’t so very proper after all.
“Honestly, Augustus! You’re so easily distracted. Now”—she touched a finger to her chin—“what was it you were going to ask?
Without any warning, he stood up, easily lifting them both from the chair. He smirked down at her shocked expression. “You’ll find my distinctive shoulders quite useful.”
“So I can see.” She blushed. “Are you going to carry me about the room, now?”
“No, I’m going to set you down.”
“Oh,” she said disappointedly.
He deposited her back into the chair where they’d been sitting. Then, he lowered himself down on one knee by her side in the same position she’d been when he’d first awoken.
“Millicent Wainwright,” he said as he threaded their fingers together. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
The earnestness in his expression chased away all her teasing.
“Honor, you say?” Well,almostall her teasing.