Free Mysty McPartland by The Rake's Substitute Bride Page B

her. She knew she couldn’t live with the guilt if something ever happened to him. She might not want this marriage, but she would be mortified if Nathan was hurt. Why was everything becoming so hard now, she silently bemoaned? Could it only be less than a week that she’d been quite content with her life?
    Now everything was so mixed up and she didn’t know what she should do about the situation. Was her pride so important that she could put Nathan’s life at stake? No it definitely wasn’t. However, she was going to take her time and think things through before she made any decisions. Perhaps something could be worked out and her husband wouldn’t be blamed for any of her actions. However, she did promise him that she wouldn’t return to the brothels and she couldn’t break her word to him.
    Heaven help her, she was just going to have to find a way to keep her promise to him and her pride intact. Surely she was intelligent enough to come up with a solution that would keep everyone happy?

Chapter Eleven

    Nathan stretched awake and chuckled when his wife grumbled. She would probably be mortified when she woke and found herself wrapped around him again. Letting out a contented sigh, he wondered what time it was. He couldn’t even hear the servants moving about downstairs. Hell, he’d never been to bed so early in years. Unless it was when he was making love to a woman, and he was most assuredly not sleeping then.
    It had taken him a long time though to fall asleep last night, his disappointment had kept him awake. Even if he knew that it was too early in their relationship for his wife to completely trust him. Yet, he had held out hope that she would have confided in him. Without realizing what he was doing his hand lightly stroked up and down her back while he pondered the problem.
    His contemplation vanished though when his wife once more stirred and her covered breasts rubbed against his chest. He bit back a groan when his morning arousal pulsed with eagerness. Clenching his jaw, when she did it again he hissed out a breath and arched a brow when noticing her suddenly sit up. He watched her blinking the sleep from her eyes and let out a moan of despair when she focused on him grinning in devilish amusement. “Good morning sweetheart.”
    Horrified to find herself lying all over Nathan, Sheldon wanted to cringe in shame, but seeing the laughter in his eyes, she became annoyed.
    “It seems that your plan to stay on your side of the bed was most ineffective. I think you owe me a boon for taking advantage of me while I slept.” He teased her.
    Her eyes narrowing, Sheldon tried to move away, but the arm wrapped around her waist prevented her. Nervously she licked her lips. “And what sort of token of payment are you asking for sir?”
    His eyes drawn to her mouth, Nathan knew exactly what he wanted. He drew her back down and lifting his hand, he cupped the back of her head as his gaze held hers. “A morning kiss should suffice.” When she opened her mouth to protest, his lips whispered over hers and it wasn’t long before the stiffness left her body and she relaxed against him. Unable to help himself, he increased the pressure of his mouth upon hers.
    The moment he declared what he wanted, Sheldon’s heart raced and she couldn’t stop the excitement pouring through her. The meeting of their mouths was as light as a feather, yet it made her hunger for more. She moaned softly and parted her lips and she let out a sigh of pleasure when his tongue slipped inside. It seemed so natural to let her own caress his, the first slide of her tongue against his set off an explosion in the pit of her stomach.
    Her breasts grew heavy and the tips tingled. She couldn’t stop herself from rubbing them against his chest. Her hand came up and her fingers tangled in his hair when the kisses became more potent and aggressive. All the fight against the attraction she felt for him was being drained out of her and at the moment, she