Kerenza?

As he lurched to his feet, Robert’s face must have shown his profound shock, because everyone around the table fell silent. Morwenna stood away from the table and retreated a couple of paces, regarding him with a distraught expression.

“I tried to tell you last night,” she said, wringing her hands.

“Kerenza,” he said slowly. A child? His child?

Silas, Caro, Amy, and Pascal glanced at each other and by unspoken consent also stood. “I’m afraid I’ve put my foot in it,” Silas said.

Morwenna mustered a shaky smile for her brother-in-law. “It’s not your fault.”

Caro looked between Robert and Morwenna. “We’ll leave you alone.”

“Thank you,” Robert said through stiff lips. He waited until the others had gone, then stepped close to Morwenna without touching her. “Is this what I needed to know?”

While she didn’t back away, she regarded him warily. She reminded him of the woman who last night had seemed afraid that he might do something violent. When Silas’s valet had shaved him this morning, Robert had looked in the mirror and acknowledged that she had cause for her uncertainty. He’d arrived at Nash House looking like a complete villain. Little remained of the dashing captain she’d married. Instead she’d welcomed back a grim-visaged and ramshackle stranger with a saber slash marring his face.

“Are you very angry that I didn’t tell you?” she asked in a small voice.

Was he?

He’d spent so long concentrating on basic survival, he’d lost the habit of examining his feelings. One didn’t need the finer points of self-analysis to stay alive another day, when hope was so far gone, it was hardly a memory. One just needed the dogged will to endure.

Now he was back in London, and life wasn’t nearly so simple.

“We had so little time together before I went away,” he said thoughtfully. Since leaving her, he’d had plenty of opportunity to regret that. He’d found the woman for him, then they’d spent most of their first year of marriage apart. Now he’d made it home, that was going to change.

When a wry smile curved her lush lips, relief eased the tightness in his shoulders. At least she no longer looked ready to take to her heels. “It was enough.”

“How old is she?”

“Four.”

His daughter’s age confirmed that she was his. Not that he had any doubts. Before last night he might have questioned the child’s parentage. Morwenna had loved him, but five years was a long time to wait for a dead man.

“You feared you’re not her father.” A horrified light sparked in her eyes. Horror that turned to swift outrage. “When I said I had things to tell you, you thought I meant to confess to taking lovers.”

As he opened his mouth, he knew it was a mistake to try to defend himself. “Well, I walked in on you getting engaged to that dunderhead Garson.”

“He’s not a dunderhead,” she said hotly, drawing herself up to her full height.

“He is, if he wants to marry my wife,” Robert said with equal heat.

“Your widow.” She raised her head, haughty as a princess. Last night’s skittish creature was no longer in evidence, thank God. “And you’re the only man who’s ever slept in my bed.”

Why the devil were they fighting? Although he liked to see anger revive the spirited woman he’d wed. That vivid girl had never given him his way, just for the asking.

When he looked closely, he could see that he’d been wrong to think that their long parting had left her unmarked. She was still breathtakingly beautiful. But her loveliness now conveyed a depth and richness of character. In his bride, that had been just a promise of things to come. And the deep blue eyes that accused him of misjudging her were softer and wiser, and too familiar with grief and loss. She was no longer the carefree girl he’d married.

Of course, she wasn’t. She was a mother.

By heaven, he was a selfish cur. He’d never before considered their separation from Morwenna’s side. He’d needed every ounce of strength and determination to come back to her, and he’d been through hell in the process. But she must have been through her own hell while he was away. She’d spent all this time believing he was dead. What had that done to her?

“I know I’m the only man who’s been in your bed,” he said calmly, folding his arms and leveling an unwavering stare upon her.

She frowned. “How on earth can you know?”

“Because you made love to me as if you’d waited all this time, as if you’d missed me as I missed you. Surely you remember what we did together last night. It was spectacular.”

“What nonsense is this?” She frowned again, this time, through a blush. “Of course I remember.”

He dropped his hands to his sides. “You didn’t say anything.”

“Neither did you.”

“I thought if I spoke, you might come to your senses about what we were doing and make me stop.” More vile selfishness, damn it. But he’d needed her last night. Needed her like he needed air to breathe.

“Why on earth would I stop you? I...wanted you.”

Heaven save him. Hearing her admit her desire in that husky, hesitant voice had him as hard as a blasted ship’s mast. Hard and ready. And blessedly alone with her.

What he planned to do right now was audacious, but irresistible. “Do you still?” he asked slowly, his gaze unwavering.

Her cheeks turned a delightful rose pink. “It’s morning.”

He ventured a step closer, pleased to see she didn’t retreat at his approach. “We’ve come together in the morning before.”

She gave the door an uncertain glance. “In our own house when we weren’t likely to be interrupted. This is Silas’s house.”

“And he’s left us to sort out our differences.” Robert crossed the room and locked the door with one determined twist of his hand. “Very considerate of him.”

“Someone could come into the garden and look through the window,” she said shakily, as he turned back to face her.

“Not bloody likely.” Robert cast an unimpressed glance out the window at the torrential rain. “It’s like Noah’s Flood out there this morning.”

“They’ll all know what we did,” she muttered, avoiding his eyes.

He rounded the polished mahogany table until he stood mere inches from her. “They might guess.”

“We can’t, Robert. What about Kerenza?” Morwenna bit her lip, and the sight of white teeth sinking into that pink, cushiony flesh only made him hotter. “Don’t you want to hear about your daughter?”

“Oh, yes. More than anything else. Almost anything else.” He was desperate to bury himself deep inside his wife, but he hadn’t completely surrendered to his primitive self. Last night, he hadn’t asked her what she wanted before he went ahead and took her. “Are you really going to deny me, Morwenna?”

Her pale hands fluttered up to her throat, and she looked charmingly indecisive. Well, it would be charming, if he didn’t feel like his balls were about to burst.

“No, I’m not going to deny you.”

A potent mixture of desire and relief kicked him in the gut. He sucked in a great gust of air, and his heart thundered with building anticipation. With greedy hands, he caught her up against him and kissed her again. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he recognized that after all she’d been through, she deserved his tenderness, his care. But he was so ravenous for her, it was as if last night’s fierce loving had never happened.

And she’d borne his child. This willowy body had grown round with his baby. Thinking of that made him want her even more.

Their mouths met in wild union. He couldn’t get enough of the taste of her. He sucked her tongue into his mouth, and she made a choked sound of approval. Then another moan when he curved his hands over her breasts, rolling the pointed nipples between his fingers through the frail barrier of her dress.

“By God, I need to kiss your breasts,” he grated, hating how the high neck of her dress kept him from touching her skin. “Why the devil did you wear this damned stupid rag?”

She gave a cracked laugh. “Because this damned stupid rag hides what you did to me last time you touched me.”

His hands tightened on the lush flesh. “I’ll burn it.”

“No, you most certainly won’t,” she said on a shocked laugh, even as he pushed her until her back collided with the wall between the two sets of French doors. If any blasted fool did decide to brave the rain and venture into the garden, he and Morwenna would remain out of sight.

A gasp of excitement escaped Morwenna as she hit the wall, then another longer gasp when he shoved up her frothy skirts, found the slit in her drawers and stroked between her legs. He met sleek heat, blatant evidence of female desire. He brushed his thumb across the center of her pleasure and basked in how she shivered with uncontrollable response. A rush of liquid warmth greeted his daring caresses, promised a fervent welcome when he thrust inside.

He kissed her again, all seeking and passion. His memory of making love to his bride was of sweetness and innocence awakening into fiery sensuality. But this woman met him as an equal, demanded her share in what sizzled between them.

When she tangled avid hands in his hair to bring his head down for more kisses, he was overcome with awed delight. It was his turn to shiver when she lowered those insistent hands to the fastenings of his trousers.

“Don’t rip them,” he muttered as she hauled on the buttons. “If you do, Silas will never let me hear the end of it.”

She gave another choked huff of laughter, but he noticed she became more careful. Too careful by far.

“Damn it, you’re driving me mad,” he muttered, scraping his teeth along her neck until she trembled like a flower in the wind.

He’d wanted her last night. But this was more powerful. He’d never been as desperate for a woman, for anything. And her clumsy attempts to free him threatened to incinerate the last shreds of his control.

He brushed her hands aside and in a couple of rough movements, freed his cock. She gave another choked sound of appreciation, and her impatient fingers curled around him. The sensation of her hand pumping him made him shake and groan. He bumped his hips forward, as she raised one leg to curl it around his hips.

“That’s my girl,” he grunted and caught her buttocks, hoisting her up to position her ready for him. The rich scent of her need teased his nostrils and made his head spin.

The world had shrunk to black velvet heat. There was neither past nor future. Just this woman and her sumptuous passion.

“Oh, Robert...”

The sigh of surrender brought an end to restraint. On a long groan, he sank deep inside her.

”Yes,” he hissed in reverence, as she clenched around him in immediate, astounding female climax. She was quaking and gasping, her breath hot against the side of his face as she struggled to inhale through shuddering ecstasy.

He held on—barely—as the ripples of her pleasure gradually subsided. Then he thrust once, twice, and gave himself up to her in a gush of endless love and need.

Even when it was over, the remnants of that mighty release left him shaking. Panting, he released his bruising grip on her hips and shuddered anew as her legs slipped to the ground, breaking the union of their bodies.

In gratitude too extreme for words, he buried his head in her shoulder where he’d wrenched her dress aside. The sultry scent of satisfied female flooded his senses and calmed the mad rush of his heart. She stroked his hair and made a soft sound of contentment.

“By God, you deserved better than that,” he muttered.

He felt as much as heard her choked laugh. “I doubt I’d survive anything that was better than that.”

Their titanic encounter had held no tenderness. It had been all hunger and demand. Twice he’d taken her like a man starving to death. And he couldn’t swear that he’d be any more restrained in future. He wanted her too much. But this gentle massaging of his skull made him feel like melting into a puddle at her feet.

“Nonetheless I should have been kinder.”

“Next time.”

“Goddammit, I can’t keep my hands off you.”

“I know.” Her smugness soothed the lingering turbulence in his soul.

Finally, he dredged the shameful confession out. “I hated telling them about what happened to me.”

“I know you did. I’m sorry.” She paused, and when she spoke next, humor warmed her tone. “But, my love, if you’re going to feel an uncontrollable urge to swive your wife every time you describe what you’ve been through, I’m going to be awfully busy.”

My love? Did she mean it? She hadn’t yet declared her affection, and while what they’d just done proved that she wanted him, he needed more than her desire.

But he was achingly conscious that he’d been here less than a day. They were still finding their way back to each other. It was too early to insist on vows and promises. Good Lord, last night, she’d been frightened of him.

“I want you so much. All the time. It’s like a fever in my blood.”

“I want you, too.” Before he could respond to that, she went on. “Aren’t you going to the Admiralty today?”

Blast, he’d managed to forget the world outside this room, and he didn’t welcome the reminder. “Yes,” he mumbled, pressing closer.

He wasn’t yet ready to face his responsibilities. Home only made sense when he had his hands on Morwenna, so he was in no rush to return to the everyday. She felt like the one real thing in the midst of swirling chaos. God forgive him, in this place that should be familiar, but felt as strange as landing on the moon, even his family were like beings of another species.

“Would you like me to come with you? I could remain in the carriage.” Still she stroked his hair. Every touch seemed to whisper, “Welcome home.”

“I’ll be hours, I suspect.”

“I can wait.” Then in a lower voice, “And I’ll have something nice to look forward to on the way back. You’ll be ready for me again, once you’ve had to explain yourself to the Admiralty.”

He raised his head, curiosity getting the better of his urge to sink into her and never come up for another breath. “You really don’t mind?”

Wide dark blue eyes, shadowed with lingering passion, met his. “That you turn to me to ease your troubles? Of course I don’t mind.”

His lips twisted in self-derision. “Some women might feel that I’m not showing proper respect.”

That somber gaze didn’t shift from his face. “Don’t you respect me, Robert?”

“I honor you with every second of my life,” he said, his voice gruff with sincerity.

Astonishment lit her eyes, although surely she must already know that was true.

“Oh, my dear,” she said in a broken rush and rose on her toes to kiss his lips. Odd that this kiss, totally devoid of passion, should lay waste to every defense in a way those extravagantly passionate kisses hadn’t.

He cleared his throat to shift an inconvenient lump and made himself straighten, although his hands remained at her waist. He couldn’t bear not to touch her.

“Now, my wife...” His voice sounded impressively steady, although he had to work like the devil to keep it that way. “It’s time to tell me about Kerenza.”