Compromising Charis Read online

He lifted up on one arm, and stroked her face with his free hand. “Never could I have believed I would find a woman like you. Virgin or not. Never imagined taking you, and knowing I was the first and having that matter more than anything I could have dreamed of. Never could I have conceived of sharing moments like this. And now I can’t imagine living without them. Nor can I countenance the notion of any other man in your bed. I’m not a lackwit, my love. But without you in my life, I’d be a lackheart.”

  Charis’ eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Sinjun.”

  “I mean it.” He kissed her lips. “You’re a special woman. We’re meant to be together. Can’t you feel it? It’s perfect, us being like this. As if fate arranged our meeting. Perhaps I knew it the moment I caught sight of you. I don’t know. The only thing I do know is that it’s right.”

  She nodded. “Yes. I feel it too.”

  “Then marry me. Say yes. Take a chance on a man who isn’t a lackwit?” His eyes twinkled as laughter shone in their depths.

  “Yes.” She smiled back, her heart full of joy, and her lips curving even as he kissed them again. “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. I’ll marry you.”

  He hugged her so tightly her eyes watered. “Thank heavens.” He settled them again, tucking her against him comfortably. “Now, tell me why a so-called ruined woman turns out to be a virgin.”

  “Nobody ever bothered to ask.”

  “What?” Sinjun’s eyebrows shot up.

  “They were all too busy assuming I’d done the deed.” Charis’s cheeks heated as her anger re-ignited. And she recalled the events of that night. “We’d done everything, but, you understand. Five more minutes, and I would have surrendered my innocence. Or what was left of it.”

  “And you let everyone believe….”

  She sighed. “You’re a man. You couldn’t understand what it’s like. There was no ‘letting’ involved. Everybody believed it. The screaming, the anger, the horrid shame of being dragged around with only a sheet to cover you. Nobody listened to anything I said. They just shouted and shouted, and before I knew it, I was ruined.”

  “Not one person listened?” He sounded outraged.

  “No. No one. It was all innuendo, and shock, and horror. I was unmarried and naked in bed with a man. Naturally, I was condemned. Ruined beyond redemption. My father all but threw me out of the house with only that damned sheet.”

  “Why didn’t they force you to wed?” Sinjun all but snarled the question.

  “It’s as I told you in the carriage. William wasn’t acceptable in my father’s eyes. He couldn’t bring anything to a marriage. No property or fortune. My father was so angry, he would have sent me to a nunnery rather than see me wed and possibly happy. I swear he took pleasure in having William attached to an overseas regiment.” She shrugged. “Any joy in my father disappeared with my mother.”

  “She passed away?” He touched her then, a warm arm, a loving hug.

  “I lost her when I was young. When she died, my father changed. And so did my life. Had she been alive, things would have been different.” Charis smiled a little. “I doubt I would have ended up in bed with William. However, I think she might have told me more about what to expect when I did find myself alone with a naked lover.”

  Sinjun grinned as her hand idly stroked his hip and roamed around to caress his buttock. “Seems you’re doing quite well without instruction.”

  “I must have a knack.” She pinched him. “Or I really am a loose and fallen woman as my family insists.”

  “Idiots. Utter idiots.” Sinjun snorted his disgust.

  “Yes. Fortunately, I won’t have to associate with them again.” She peeked at him from beneath her eyelashes. “I won’t, will I?”

  “Maybe at the wedding. I suppose your father should give you away.”

  “Oh, dear.”

  “But after that, you’re all mine, and we can disappear into the wilds of Cornwall if you like. Never tell a soul where we’ve gone.”

  She grinned hugely. “What a wonderful idea.”

  “I thought so.”

  “Wait. One thing.” She held him away. “How do you feel about breeding horses?”

  “They can do it themselves. I’m planning on breeding with you.” He chuckled. “But yes, I think that might be fun.”

  “Then it’s a deal. I will marry you, Sinjun. My not-a-lackwit husband-to-be.” She paused. “I wonder what the real lackwit will say about all this.”

  Sinjun cuddled her close and kissed her thoroughly. “Now, about that. . . ”

  * * * *

  “What did you say?” Charis’s face was a study in outrage.

  Sinjun was enjoying himself enormously. Even though he’d known his future wife for less than twenty-four hours, he had predicted fireworks once he revealed his identity.

  She did not disappoint.

  “You are… you are….” She was sputtering, her hands clenching into fists. “You muckworm. You cribbage-faced snirp. You beef-witted slowtop. You rabshackle lobcock. . . .”

  Fascinated, he watched her struggle for more epithets. He knew they were destined for each other. But, of course, being Charis, she would doubtless create a few bumps along their road to a happy life together.

  “I know. I am the basest of the base. The lowest of the low. A noddicock if you will. Or a sapskull. You forgot that one.” He interrupted her, and attempted to look suitably chastened. “I should have told you the minute I realized who you were.” He sighed and spread his hands. “But I’m a mere male. There you were, in all your sunlit beauty, smiling up at me, and stealing my heart in those first few moments. How was I supposed to explain that I was the lackwit you were running away from?”

  “Faugh.” Charis stomped the length of the small parlor, trailing a rather impressive dragon. The Chinese silk robe Sinjun had found for her in George’s wardrobe was a bit on the large side. But it wasn’t inappropriate since Sinjun’s beloved looked like she was about to breathe fire every bit as impressively as the sinuous creature whisking over the carpet at her heels.

  “And then you asked me to compromise you.” He shrugged. “What could a man do? I’m only human. Tempt me with such an offer and I will fall. Prick me and I will bleed.”

  “Smack you with a riding crop, and you’ll not sit down for a week.” Charis snarled at him. “I can’t believe this. I’ve been compromised by my affianced husband. It’s just. . . just. . . . ”

  “Poetic?”

  “It’s. . . . aaargh!” She grabbed a handful of her hair and tugged it, as if trying to extract the right expression to convey her emotions. “I can’t possibly marry you. I’ll be a laughingstock.”

  He blinked. “To whom? Why can’t you marry me? I’ve compromised you most thoroughly. And I’m hoping to do it again soon, once we’ve sorted all this out.” He tilted his head to one side and smiled. “Actually, sooner is better. Did you know your robe is slipping?”

  She glanced down to see her breast uncovered, and crossly tugged the silk back into place. “Don’t get distracted. I will not marry you under any circumstances.”

  “All right. Why don’t we go back to bed and continue this discussion? I have some more things I’d like to show you. Some things I think you might like.”

  “Really?” Charis caught herself up. “Wait. Stop it. That’s not fair.”

  “Why not?”

  “Since I’m not marrying you, I can’t possibly go to bed with you again.”

  “Of course you can.” Sinjun figured it was time to bring out the heavy artillery. He stood, letting his own borrowed robe slide down over his naked body to puddle on the floor. He knew his cock hardened as her gaze swept over him. “There are so many things I want to do to you, love. So many things to do with you.”

  He watched her absently moisten her lower lip with her tongue. “Oh.”

  He grinned. “Yes. Things with tongues. And fingers. And toes. Maybe even elbows.”

  “Elbows?” She looked intrigued.

  “Mmm. .
. hmm.” He neared her, and tugged at the silk tie looping her waist. “All sorts of wonderful things for us to explore. It could take years. . . . .” The fabric fell away and he touched her soft belly, marveling at the texture.

  “Years, you think?”

  “At the very least.”

  Charis gave a little sigh of pleasure, and let her hands rest on his forearms, stroking him, petting him like a cat. “Oh well. I suppose I could marry you after all.”

  His hand drifted downward. “Glad to hear it. What changed your mind?”

  She gasped as his fingers strayed toward sensitive places. “I like the way you touch me.” Her hips moved involuntarily, opening her charms to his gentle explorations.

  “Anything else?”

  “Yes.” She moaned a little. “I want you to keep making me feel like this for the rest of my life.”

  “I will. Is that it?”

  “No.” She took a ragged breath. “I love you.”

  “Good. I love you too.” He cupped her soft folds and stroked them, making her shudder with delight. “Let’s spend our declining years together doing this.”

  “All right.”

  “I see I’m going to have an obedient wife.” He chuckled. “I’m marrying the right woman, without a doubt.”

  “And I’m marrying the right man.” A wicked gleam crept into her half closed eyes. “Besides, you’re so very good looking. Aunt Margaret will have a fit when she sees you.”

  Sinjun sputtered out a laugh. “God, you’re a never-ending surprise, Charis. Come on.” He lifted her high against him, enjoying her little gasp as her feet left the ground. “We both need some serious compromising.”

  Smiling, Charis wrapped her arms around his neck, and let him carry her back to bed.

  About The Author:

  Sahara Kelly was born and raised in England. Which probably explains her love for the Regency, and the occasional “Brit” phrasing that creeps into her novels. Transplanted across the Atlantic to New England, Sahara wryly acknowledges the odd symmetry of her life. Her family is alternately surprised, puzzled and supportive of Sahara’s writing career, accepting that there are times when she’s deeply immersed in other worlds and they’ll have to make do with pizza for dinner. A semi-reformed chocoholic, Sahara still keeps a small bag in her desk drawer for those times when characters prove obstinate or plots twist back on themselves like some demented literary Mobius strip. She loves to hear from readers ([email protected]) and invites you to visit her website where you can choose to view either her latest FLASH endeavor or a static site… www.saharakelly.com.

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