Cedric grabbed the champagne bottle and popped the cork, forcing aside the desire that gripped him, concentrating instead on the feeling of satisfaction. Everything was going exactly according to his plan and that gave him an inordinate amount of pleasure. Pouring out a couple of glasses, he then carried them over to where Anna sat and handed her one. She gave it a faintly suspicious glance, then took it. He raised his own glass and tapped it against hers.
“Here’s to our marriage.”
She gave a little nod then took a sip of the fizzing liquid. “So, you wanted to discuss the wedding?”
“Indeed I did. I see no point in waiting, so the ceremony will take place next week at the church in Haerton village. Then we will honeymoon in France,”
Anna blinked. “Next week?”
“You have a better time?”
“Oh, no, I just didn’t expect it to be so soon.” She frowned. “But…a honeymoon?”
Ah, he might have known he wouldn’t be able to slip that one by her. She was too sharp for that. He shoved one hand in his pocket and sipped at his champagne. “Of course a honeymoon,” he said casually.
“Why would we need a honeymoon?”
“Don’t you want to go to France?”
“Stop distracting me. That’s not what I asked.”
He didn’t particularly want to confess this part of his plan to her, but she would find out soon enough. Because yes, she was far too sharp not to guess his intentions. And it had been something that he’d been considering for the past couple of days as he’d taken charge of the wedding preparations.
“Very well.” He met her gaze head-on. “I decided on a honeymoon because I fully intend to seduce you into extending our wedding night to at least a week.”
Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened, then shut. So he went on, “You want to conceive our child via medical assistance, but if we’re going to have one night anyway, then we might as well use that to try for a baby. And if we’re going to do that, then why not extend that to a week while we’re away?” He smiled. “It makes perfect logical sense, don’t you see?”
At least, it had made perfect logical sense to him. One night wasn’t going to be enough, not with the kind of heat they generated between them, and, since they had a child to conceive, they may as well make use of that heat to its fullest extent.
“Yes,” she said at last, her voice more than a touch hoarse. “I do see.”
It was clear she was shocked and more than a little uneasy, and it made something tighten uncomfortably in his chest. What was it about sex that disturbed her so much? Even just now, she’d kissed him and there had been clear desire in her eyes. So it wasn’t him.
Had she had a bad experience with someone else, though? Was that why she’d remained a virgin? Why are you so interested? What does it matter? Perhaps it didn’t matter. After all, they weren’t going to stay married long. Yet the tightness in his chest intensified, a surge of something that felt like anger going through him. Whether it mattered or not, he didn’t like the thought of her being hurt. He didn’t like it at all.
“I won’t force you,” he said with quiet emphasis. “Understand that right now. I would never do that to you or to any woman. If you don’t want me, you only need to say.”
More surprise flickered over her face and Anna looked away, clearly flustered. “I’m…that’s not what…” She trailed off and was silent a moment. Then she said, “I said I would give you a night and I meant it.”
“But you’re reluctant.” Cedric cut in.
She said nothing, taking another sip of her drink.
“Why?” His own drink was forgotten as interest grabbed onto him. “Did someone hurt you? Did someone-?”
“No.” The word was sharp. “No, nothing like that. I just…” She stopped again. ‘I haven’t felt this way before. About anyone.”
The admission was hesitant and for a second he didn’t understand it. “You mean…desire?” he asked.
Slowly, she nodded. “I haven’t met anyone I wanted before. Not like this.”
There was a brilliant flash of gold as she glanced at him. “Not like…you.”
He didn’t know why that hit him the way it did, like a short, sharp punch to the chest. Maybe it was because no one had ever said that to him before. Oh, women wanted him. Women went out of their way to make that very clear. But none of them had ever told him they’d never wanted anyone else but him. It was only physical desire, he knew that. It didn’t mean anything. And yet he felt as if it did all the same. Because for the first time in his entire life, someone wanted him. Not his money, not his power, not his reputation. Not even his skill in bed.
She hadn’t known about any of those things when she’d seen him by the lake, and yet she’d wanted him.
You. Not Vincent.
It shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t have anything to do with Vincent. But it did matter. It mattered a lot.
“That frightens you?” he asked, watching her.
“No. It…it means that…” Her fingers around her glass were clenched, her other hand gripping the material of her dress. The restless energy to her seemed to increase, and he’d crossed the space between them before he could think better of it, taking the glass from her suddenly shaking hand and putting it down, then holding both her hands in his and instinctively squeezing gently to calm her.
Her gaze dropped, but she didn’t pull away or stiffen up. She just looked at her hands in his and slowly her agitation began to ebb away.
“I’m difficult, Cedric,” she said in a low voice at last, her gaze still on their linked hands. “I have a very bad temper as you probably know already, and I don’t lose it very often, but when I do I can…hurt people.” The flush to her cheeks had become more intense, but this time he knew it wasn’t hunger. It was shame.
“When I’m pushed or challenged, it gets worse, and it seems you have that unfortunate effect on me.”
She looked up at him suddenly, a raw honesty in her eyes.
“I’ll certainly try not to be difficult after we’re married, but when I’m around you…well, I can’t guarantee anything.”