35. Chapter 35

Stepping out of Georgette's room where she and Callum had just tucked Georgette and Jacob into bed together, she looked over her shoulder to Callum as he quietly closed the door.

He'd been telling them a tale of how he once had to swim out to a ship in the sea that had half sunk to rescue a friend of his that had been set upon by pirates.

Just enough imagination layered over what she presumed was a real story, that it made a fantastical tale. And long enough that both of the children had fallen asleep to the soothing cadence of his low voice.

She grinned at him, the happiness in her chest exploding so hard the grin didn't do it justice.

He caught her silly grin, smiled, and then lunged at her, swooping her up into his arms, her legs dangling over his forearm.

She laughed as he carried her down the hallway and stopped at the door to one of the many bedrooms in this wing of the house.

Dipping the top half of her body down, he flicked out his right hand from her back and turned the doorknob, then stepped into the room.

Her eyes went big. "What is this?"

This bedroom, which she had never paid much attention to unless there were guests at Springfell, was filled with lit candles, a fire in the fireplace, and much of her belongings from her room. The large bed made perfectly with a dark blue silk coverlet and pillows. Everything in it fresh and clean.

Callum stepped farther into the room, still carrying her. "With your chambers in shambles, I asked Mrs. Jorge which room would be suitable to move into, then helped her and the maid and the footman bring all your clothing and items in while you were getting ready for our nuptials."

Her hand going to his chest, she looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes. "You did?"

"I did." He set her down, then pointed to the wide wall of windows with the drapes open. "Mrs. Jorge said this room has the best view of the gardens, and if it were up to her, this is where she would imagine you would want to awake every day. The best view of the gardens and the forest beyond."

Nemity moved over to the windows, nodding. It was dark out, but torches were lit all the way down to the grand pond, setting a warm glow across the estate. This was the perfect spot to wake up, and she'd never even thought about moving into here.

Callum wrapped his arms around her from behind, looking out along the land.

Her fingers wrapped around his arms holding her. "This is perfect. Perfect. Thank you."

"Good." His head dipped, kissing her brow.

She looked to the right at the door to the adjoining dressing room. "Did you bring your own clothes in here as well?"

"A few items." He shrugged as he pointed to the dressing room door. "That dressing room is expansive, but your wardrobe does take up most of the space, I'm afraid."

She chuckled. "I do own a lot of finery." She looked to the left, her lips pulling to the side as she surveyed that half of the room. She spun in his arms, looking up at him. "Well then, we will need to put in a new door into that side of the room to convert the next room over into your dressing and late-night drinking room."

He glanced to that wall, then looked down to her. "As long as you're in my bed, I'll never have need of late-night drinks."

His head dipped down to her, his kiss searing, but slow. Lazy. Like he had all the time in the world to imprint himself onto her. Not that he needed to.

She was his.

His fingers untied the knotted sash at the back of her dress, then slipped under the top edges of her sleeves, pushing them down from her shoulders.

A groan caught in her throat and she pulled away from the kiss. "We promised we would be back downstairs."

Callum didn't accept her pull away, and his lips dove down to her neck, teasing the delicate lines that sent shivers along her bare arms. "I think we'll be forgiven for disappearing for the night."

The groan made it up out of her throat. "Thomas is going to kill us."

"Probably." He tugged down her dress past her breasts and slid it down her body to pool on the floor. "I cannot believe you got Thomas to stay for the wedding."

She smiled, her fingers diving into his hair as his lips went lower. "I can be persuasive."

"You guilted him, didn't you?"

She laughed. "Maybe. And did you see his face when we left him in the drawing room to entertain Lady Agnes?"

"I did." Callum chuckled as he undid her stays. "I thought he was going to throw a knife at your back just so some blood would flow and he could get out of it."

His lips slid over her right nipple and her head fell back as pleasure shot down through her belly to the crux of her. "It's his punishment for what he did to us in the carriage."

"Did he apologize?" His words were muffled as he rolled her nipple between his teeth.

"He did." Her hands slipped down from his hair to untie his cravat. "But I stand by this being his punishment. He needs some uncomfortableness in his life. Besides, I think Lady Agnes always liked him when he was younger, so she was delighted to be sitting next to him at dinner."

Callum chuckled as her stays dropped to the floor and he switched to her left breast. "You can be cruel."

"Also a delight."

"My delight."

Her back arched, setting her breast fully into his mouth as she dropped his cravat to the floor. Her thoughts were starting to get muddled, but she wanted to get the business of Thomas out of their way before she fully captured her husband in bed. "I worry about him."

"It's not unwarranted." Callum slid her chemise off her shoulders and sent it to the floor. "Is he a danger to himself? Maybe. He's a danger to others? Maybe. Look at what he did to you, and you were the one—the only one—he cared enough about to protect."

Her fingers dove under the lapels of his coat and she tugged it off his frame. "Well, we need to help him."

He dropped to his knees, leaving a trail of kisses down her belly as he tugged off her slippers, then stripped off one of her stockings, followed by the other. He looked up at her, his chin dipping into her lower belly. "Except how do you help someone that doesn't want to be helped?"

Her eyebrows lifted at him, a smile playing on her lips as she sank her fingers into his hair. "Do you know the answer to that, or are you really asking the question? Because I can see where this is headed."

He shrugged, then got to his feet. "Well, it would be devious."

"Does it matter if it's devious if it helps him?" She unbuttoned his waistcoat, dragging it from his arms and then pulled free his lawn shirt.

His fingers brushed against the side of her face, then moved back, curling into her hair and loosening pins, sending them to drop onto the pile of clothes at her feet. His look met hers. "You already know my moral code on that one—I've lived a life of deviousness for a long time."

"You don't think he'll be suspicious of any new staff in his household? He obviously knows about you."

He pulled his lawn shirt off over his head. "Of course he would be suspicious. He's not an idiot and he knows all about the Guardians."

She nodded, her mouth watering at the sight of his bare chest. "So, we would have to insert someone into his life that he won't suspect?"

Callum stepped close to her, sliding his hands down her back and he picked her up, pressing his naked skin against hers. "We probably need to insert two. One that he does suspect and one that he doesn't."

"Diabolical." She laughed. "You have an idea of who?"

"I do." He walked across the room and set her long on the bed.

"Good." She nodded as he pulled off one of his boots, then the other.

"Especially good because you are naked in the bed and I am done talking about Thomas."

She laughed, reaching her hand out to him. "Come here, husband."

She didn't have to make the demand twice. His trousers dropped off his legs and he climbed onto the foot of the bed, kissing a pathway up her naked body. Calf, inner thigh, veering into her folds for a few glorious moments, and then moving onto her belly, both of her breasts, her neck and then her lips.

This night was going to be long. And arduous. And every second of it extraordinary.

She smiled, the happiness in her chest increasing tenfold.

Full of disbelief that this was where she landed, after all this time, after all the heartaches.

Here. A family. Callum.

Everything she always dreamed of, everything she always wanted, with this man in her bed, hovering over her. She'd had to wait for it, sometimes impatiently, but it was finally here. A life worth celebrating.

She wasn't wrong about luck being on her side.