A Christmas Knight (14 page)

Colour rose in his face. ‘This wasn't some deep, dark plot, you know. I wasn't intending to share a bed with you this weekend. Actually, I'd been planning to take you to Venice in April. The most romantic city in the world, in springtime. And
then
I was going to seduce you.'

‘April. That's quite a long time to wait.'

He shrugged. ‘You're worth waiting for.'

She could see in his eyes that he meant it. And it melted her. ‘Maybe it's time we stopped waiting.'

He sucked in a breath. ‘Are you sure about that?'

‘Very sure,' she said softly. She tipped her head back so that she could look at him. Lord, he was gorgeous. His pupils were so huge that his eyes looked black, there was the faintest shadow of stubble on his face, and that beautiful mouth… How could she resist?

‘You're beautiful. Adorable,' he said softly, and bent his head. He brushed his mouth against hers, and when she leaned into him he caught her lower lip between his, teasing it and cajoling her into letting him deepen the kiss.

Desire spun through her; Dominic was irresistible. And, best of all, he was all hers.

He stroked his fingers under along the bare skin of her back, above the top of her dress. ‘Your skin's so soft,' he
said, his voice full of wonder. ‘Louisa, I really need to touch you.'

She needed him to touch her, too; she could feel her nipples hardening and her breasts were aching. ‘Then touch me,' she whispered. ‘Please.' Just so he knew this was completely mutual and he wasn't pushing her into anything she didn't already want.

His hands were shaking as he lowered the zip and slid the straps from her shoulders. He dipped his head to nuzzle the skin of her shoulders, making her shiver in delight. She arched against him and his mouth traced a path of kisses along the column of her throat, then slowly along her jaw and up to her mouth, He kissed her again, his mouth sweet and sensual and offering more and more pleasure. She slid her hands into his hair and kissed him back.

He eased the bodice of her dress down towards her waist and his hand skimmed her midriff. She closed her eyes as his hand slip up further underneath and at last he cupped her breast, teasing the hard peak of her nipple between his forefinger and thumb and rubbing it against the lace of her bra.

He broke the kiss, his breathing uneven. ‘Louisa, I want to see you.'

She knew what he was asking, and nodded. He slowly eased her dress over her hips, and she shimmied until the material hit the floor. There was a deep, intense look in his eyes as he unhooked her bra and let the lacy garment fall.

And then he looked.

He sucked in a breath. ‘You're gorgeous.'

Desire kicked sharply through her. ‘I need to see you, too.'

‘I'm in your hands.'

Slowly, she removed his tie. Opened the buttons of his
shirt, very, very slowly. Pushed the soft cotton off his shoulders. And stared.

It was the first time she'd ever seen him stripped to the waist; there was light sprinkling of hair over his chest, and he had perfect six-pack abs, which she knew came from riding and working in the stables rather than from pumping iron in a gym.

Feeling brave enough to touch him back, now, she stroked his pectoral muscles. ‘You look like a Greek god.'

He laughed. ‘Hardly. I'm just a man.'

Just? she thought. No, Dominic wasn't ‘just' anything. He was special. And she loved him. Really, really loved him.

Not that she could scare him by telling him that. Not now, when they were going to make love for the first time. Better to concentrate on a different truth: the fact that she really, really wanted him. Physically, he blew her mind.

She reached up and pressed a kiss against his chest, and he gave a sharp intake of breath. ‘Do you have any idea how much I want you?'

‘About as much as I want you, hopefully.'

His eyes widened. ‘Oh, yes. I want you
now
,' he said hoarsely.

Common sense was forgotten; all she knew was that she needed this man to touch her and make her see stars. ‘Yes.'

He dipped his head and kissed her throat in a way that made her arch back against him. He drew a line of kisses along her collar-bone, teasing the pulse-point and making her wriggle, and then slowly, slowly moved downwards. His mouth was warm and sweet against her skin, making her want more. Then, at long last, he closed his mouth over
her nipple, sucking hard. She gasped his name in pleasure and slid her fingers into his hair, urging him on.

After that, things went blank for a while. She had no idea which of them moved first, which of them finished undressing the other, but then they were skin to skin, and it felt so good.

‘If you want me to stop,' he said huskily, ‘say it now and I'll go and have a cold shower.'

‘If you stop now,' she said, ‘I think I'll go insane.'

He smiled. ‘You and me both, honey.' He stroked her thighs apart, and sucked in a breath. ‘Your skin's so soft.' He cupped her sex, and she pushed against him.

‘Don't tease.'

He pushed a finger into her, circling her clitoris with his thumb.

She closed her eyes and a breath shuddered from her. ‘Oh, that's good. Oh, Dominic.
Yes
.'

‘Mmm. You're so responsive.' He stole a kiss, then kissed a path down her body. Her hands fisted in his hair as she felt his mouth on her, just where she needed it most.

Her orgasm surprised her, unexpectedly fast and fierce, and she gasped.

‘OK?' he asked, looking concerned.

‘Yes, I… It's been a while,' she admitted. ‘I'm a bit out of practice.'

‘You're delightful,' he told her. ‘Sexy as hell. And I really, really want to make love with you.'

‘Yes,' she breathed. ‘Yes, please.'

He took his wallet from the table next to the bed and removed a condom; he ripped open the foil packet and rolled the condom onto his penis, then kissed her again, his kiss sweet and yearning. At last, he fitted the tip of his penis against her and slowly eased into her.

‘Dominic.' She stroked his face. She knew he was
holding back, being gentle with her—but gentle wasn't enough right now. ‘I want all of you.' She shifted so she could wrap her legs round his waist.

 

Dominic could hardly believe that this warm, generous woman wanted him as badly as he wanted her. He felt as if he was losing himself in Louisa. Her warm sweet depths were wrapped round him, her eyes were all dark with desire, and he couldn't resist dipping his head to steal a kiss. She slid her hands into his hair, drawing him closer, and kissed him back.

It was as if stars were exploding inside his head as he felt her body ripple round his, urging him on towards his own climax. He'd never felt anything quite like this before, such a pure and deep connection. All he could do was hold on.

But when his pulse had finally slowed to normal, guilt kicked in.

‘I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you.'

Her legs were still wrapped round his waist, and she refused to let him go. ‘You didn't take advantage of me. I was there with you, all the way.'

‘This was supposed to be Venice in April. A four-poster bed, candlelight and Bellinis. I wanted to make it really romantic.'

‘Some people,' she said softly, ‘would think that an ancient castle is just as romantic. Including me.' She stroked his face. ‘I wanted this as much as you did. And I've already made you wait for long enough.'

‘You're incredible. You make me feel as if I can conquer the world.'

‘You can.' She stole a kiss. ‘And you don't feel quite so tense now. Are you still worried about tomorrow?'

‘Being Oliver's best man? Yes and no.' He sighed. ‘I
mean, Mina loves him to bits. She's stood by him, even when he went through the ragingly angry stage and tried to push her away. Getting married is absolutely the right thing for them to do. But he's not going to be able to walk down the aisle with her. He's not going to be able to carry her over the threshold. It's things like that I feel I've stolen from his future.'

‘He doesn't blame you. He told me last night, apart from the fact he thinks he contributed to it himself, it could've happened in a rugby match. And he really doesn't hold it against you. You're the only one doing that.' She paused. ‘And you've given him something else. Did you know he's retraining?'

‘No.' Oliver hadn't breathed a word to him. Given the state of his back, it had to be a desk job. ‘What's he doing, taking over the estate management from Papa or something?'

‘He's going to be a GP. So he gets to care for his patients all the way through. And, as he put it, it's family-friendly hours.'

‘He's planning to have a family?' Dominic really hadn't expected that.

‘Put it this way, he was talking about changing nappies. And whether they're able to have children of their own, or they need IVF or they decide to adopt, I think Oliver's going to be a very hands-on dad.' She stroked his hair away from his forehead. ‘He reminds me a lot of you. He's got that same energy.'

‘Yes.' And he wanted to be a hands-on dad, too. With a ready-made family—and maybe a little brother or sister for Tyler. And a puppy. A house, a garden, a family: Tyler's dream definitely matched his, and he hoped that it matched Louisa's, too.

Not that he intended to propose to her in bed. Or right
now. He hadn't even told her he loved her—though he had a feeling that she might already have guessed that.

He kissed the tip of her nose. ‘Though there's something I should tell you, Nurse Practitioner Austin. I'm really looking forward to falling asleep with you in my arms. And waking up with you.'

‘Guess what?' Her face was all soft and sweet. ‘I'm looking forward to that, too.'

And suddenly his plans for Venice didn't matter any more. Because this was just perfect. Everything he wanted.

T
HE
next morning, Louisa woke, feeling all warm and cosy, to find herself sprawled all over Dominic. Her head was on his shoulder, her arm was round his waist and her fingers were curving down over his hipbone. Her legs were tangled with his; and his arms were wrapped tightly round her.

‘Good morning,' he said softly.

She felt herself flush. ‘Have you been awake for long?'

‘Long enough to enjoy you sleeping. You're delectable. And I love the way your skin feels against mine.' He shifted so he could kiss her. ‘All's very right with my world this morning.'

So he'd stopped panicking about being Oliver's best man? Good. Hopefully he was finally starting to forgive himself.

‘Does your hair take hideously long to dry?' he asked.

‘Not if you have a hairdryer I can borrow.'

‘Good.' He kissed her again. ‘Because I really need to introduce you to my shower.' Three seconds later, he scooped her out of bed and carried her into the shower, laughing.

This was something she would never have done with Jack. And yet, with Dominic, it felt right. The intensity
in his eyes when he looked at her, the sheer desire on his face: they sent a thrill through her. And was she deluding herself, or was it more than just desire? Could Dominic feel the same way about her that she felt about him? Did he love her back? The possibility shimmered in the air.

They spent longer in the shower than Dominic had planned and it was a rush to get her hair dried, but finally they made it downstairs. Louisa was glad to help out with all the last-minute tasks and checking to make sure that all the arrangements for the wedding were going smoothly. The flowers were breathtaking—the bold, clean lines of the calla lilies softened by the pretty star-shaped flowers of the tuberoses—and the marquee was filled with staff, setting the tables and checking the table plans and putting the place-holders in the right places.

Milly sent Dominic off with the dogs, saying that he needed to burn off some of his energy before he drove her insane with all that pacing around; and Louisa was drafted in to help amuse the five-year-old flower girl and three-year-old pageboy, telling them stories and teaching them new songs.

And then finally it was time to get ready for the ceremony. Dominic stared as Louisa emerged from the bathroom in her dress. ‘You look fantastic,' he said.

‘Don't sound so surprised,' she said drily.

‘Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you. What I meant was, apart from last night, I've only ever seen you either in uniform at work or wearing jeans. You look lovely.'

‘Thank you. You look pretty amazing yourself,' she said. Formal dress suited him; and when he gave her a shy smile her heart skipped a beat.

‘Do you have a wrap or something?' he asked. ‘The church can get pretty chilly.'

She nodded, and fished out the lilac pashmina. He
draped it round her shoulders. ‘I really like your hair like that, too.' He dipped his head and kissed the back of her neck; the touch of his lips against her skin made a shiver of desire ripple all the way down her spine. ‘Sorry,' he said. ‘There's just something about you that I can't resist.'

The compliment made her glow, and she tucked her hand into the crook of his arm as they left the room and headed downstairs.

‘You look fabulous, Louisa,' Milly said. ‘That colour really suits you.'

‘Thank you. You look lovely, too,' Louisa said, meaning it.

Milly was wearing a suit in sky-blue silk, with a matching hat and a corsage of tuberoses. She took another corsage from the box resting on one of the little tables in the hallway and pinned it to Louisa's dress.

‘Thank you. They smell gorgeous,' Louisa said, breathing in the heady, exotic scent.

‘Don't they just?' Milly smiled. ‘So clever of Mina to choose them.'

Milly handed her a buttonhole for Dominic, a single calla lily, and Louisa carefully pinned it onto his lapel.

Roderick emerged from the kitchen. Milly cuffed his arm and wiped the tell-tale crumbs from the corner of his mouth. ‘Honestly,
men
! Do they never stop eating?' she asked, rolling her eyes.

‘I was hungry,' Roderick protested, ‘and you know what it's like at weddings. It takes ages before anybody gets fed, what with the photographs and the receiving lines and all that hanging around.'

‘Just
behave
,' Milly said—and Louisa could see exactly where Dominic had got his irresistible little-boy grin.

Oliver was the last to arrive in the hallway, wheeling himself down the corridor.

Louisa saw the stricken look in Dominic's eyes, and slipped her fingers through his, squeezing his hand gently. ‘Smile,' she said softly. ‘Everything's just fine.'

He gave her a grateful glance and did so.

‘So are we all ready now?' Milly asked, deftly pinning on Oliver's buttonhole.

‘I'm nervous,' Oliver admitted, ‘but I'm ready. Because Mina's about to make me the happiest man in the world when she walks down the aisle to me.'

Everyone else was looking at Oliver, but Louisa was looking at Dominic—and she saw him flinch. And, as they walked to the church, she noticed his steps starting to drag as they drew nearer.

‘I think I need a breath of fresh air,' she said as they reached the beautiful old building. ‘Dominic, would you mind…?'

‘Of course,' he said, and stepped to the side with her. ‘Are you all right?' he asked quietly.

She waited until his parents and Oliver had gone inside. ‘I'm fine, but you're not. Talk to me.'

He rested his head against the cold stone of the porch. ‘This is all so
wrong
. Oliver should be walking down that aisle, not wheeling himself down it. How can I possibly be his best man when I did that to him?'

‘We talked about this last night. It was an
accident
. Oliver's come to terms with the situation,' Louisa said softly. ‘Now you need to do the same. There's nothing you can do to change it, so just try to make the best of it. Do you know what he said to me last night? If life gives you lemons, you have to make lemonade. And he's right. Look at the good bits. Your family's lovely. They adore you—including Oliver—and that's why he asked you to be his best man. Nobody else will do. And today's a really, really special day.'

‘You're right,' he said, taking a deep breath. ‘It's Oliver's day, and I need to put the past and the might-have-beens out of my head. And thank you for stopping me acting like a selfish jerk.'

‘You're welcome,' she said.

He was still holding her hand when they walked into the church. It was full of white flowers, and the sun shone through the stained-glass windows, dappling the flowers with rich jewelled tones. The perfect winter wedding: all they needed was a tiny sprinkle of snow after the service, to act as confetti, she thought with a smile.

The tiny church soon filled up, and then the organist started to play the Trumpet Voluntary. All chatter ceased and everyone stood up, turning round to look at Mina. She looked amazing, walking down the red carpet in the aisle on her father's arm, the bridesmaids and flower girl and pageboy behind her. She joined Oliver at the top of the aisle; the vicar made the introductory speech, and when it came to the vows Oliver hauled himself out of his wheelchair. Clearly it was a struggle for him—Louisa could see the flash of pain across his face—but he was obviously determined to say his wedding vows to his bride while standing on his own two feet.

Louisa held Dominic's hand really tightly, and there wasn't a dry eye in the congregation as Mina and Oliver made their vows and he kissed her before lowering himself back into his wheelchair. She could see Dominic blinking back tears when he returned to the pew after handing the rings over, and the lump in her throat grew even bigger when a woman started playing a violin solo and then a man with a gorgeous tenor voice started singing Louis Armstrong's ‘Wonderful World' while Mina and Oliver signed the register.

The next few hours passed in a blur. Photographs,
the champagne reception, a gorgeous meal and then the speeches. Dominic gave a very funny speech that had everyone laughing. But then he grew serious.

‘I've always looked up to my big brother, right from the first moment I was able to toddle along behind him. Oliver's an amazing man, full of courage and strength and kindness, and I couldn't have wished for a better role model. I'm incredibly proud of him.' Dominic's voice cracked slightly. ‘And I love him very, very much. So I'd like you all to join with me in wishing him and my new sister-in-law every happiness for the future.' He raised his glass. ‘The bride and groom.'

When Louisa glanced over at Roderick and Milly, she could see them both wiping away a tear as they raised their glasses. And there was a suspicious sheen in everyone else's eyes, too, as they raised their glasses and echoed Dominic's toast.

‘That was a beautiful speech,' she whispered to him, ‘and you've really done your family proud.'

He said nothing, but held her hand very tightly through the rest of the speeches. Particularly when Oliver looked him straight in the eye during his speech and said, ‘And I'd like to thank my best man. He's given me more than he knows, over the years, and I couldn't have asked for a better brother. I've been truly blessed in my family—and I'm so glad I can share that blessing with the love of my life, too.'

It was a public declaration from both of them. But would it be enough to break through the barriers Dominic had put round his heart? Louisa wondered. He'd heard his brother's speech, but had he listened to it—really listened to it—and understood that it was time to let the past go?

His face gave nothing away; and now wasn't the time or place for her to ask.

And finally it was time for the first dance.

Louisa had half-wondered if they'd skip the dancing, but clearly Oliver had other ideas. And when Dominic ushered her away from the table, she realised that the marquee led into the ballroom, where a band was set up at one corner.

They began to play the first notes of a song she recognised.

‘“You Raise Me Up”. What a fantastic song for a first dance,' she said. ‘The lyrics give me goose bumps every time.'

It was a very, very, very slow dance, but Oliver and Mina managed it. And at the end of the dance, everyone cheered the bride and groom. Dominic had his arms wrapped round Louisa and was holding her really close; she could feel the tension running through him.

‘You're supposed to dance with the chief bridesmaid now,' Louisa reminded him gently, ‘while your mum dances with Mina's dad and her mum dances with your dad.'

‘Yes, of course.' He shook himself.

‘Go and be the gorgeous, charming man you are. For Oliver and Mina,' she said softly.

‘As long as you promise to dance with me for the rest of the evening.'

She brushed a kiss against his lips and smiled at him. ‘Absolutely.'

 

Dominic did exactly as Louisa had suggested. He danced with Mina's sister, chatted normally to her—and he was able to be charming, and all because he knew Louisa was waiting for him. With her, he felt different. He felt like a better person, not just the man who'd changed his brother and his family's life for ever. When he'd listened to the words of the song Oliver and Mina had chosen for the first dance, he'd realised that they fitted the way he felt
about Louisa, too. She made him more than he thought he could be.

When the song ended, he noticed that his brother was sitting down; not so unusual, but there was a tightening round his eyes that made Dominic suspect Oliver was in an awful lot of pain. Quietly, he went over to him. ‘Are you all right?' he asked, concerned.

‘I just got married. I'm more than OK. And I had the first dance with my beautiful bride. That was the one that mattered.' Oliver smiled at him. ‘I know what you're worrying about. Don't. All that physio and work in the swimming pool paid off. I'm not going to be stuck in bed for a week, recovering.'

‘You're in pain right now.'

Oliver shrugged. ‘It's worth it.'

Dominic took his hand. ‘Oliver, I'm so—'

‘Shh,' Oliver said. ‘I know. And I'm fine—really, Dominic, I'm fine. I've been training with my physio for that dance for months, so I haven't knocked myself up. And I'm still going to carry my bride over the threshold tonight, except she's going to be sitting on my lap as I carry her.'

Guilt squeezed Dominic's heart.

‘Dominic, listen to me. I'm not sitting here thinking about what I don't have—I'm sitting here, truly thankful for what I do have. This is my perfect day. I've just got married to the woman I love most in the world, in the place I love most in the world, with all the people I love around me. And I'm about to start a new career as a GP. I've got so much ahead of me, so much good stuff to come.' He paused. ‘The past is the past. It's time you let it go, little brother.'

‘How can I?' Dominic asked.

‘Listen to your girl. She talks a lot of sense.'

‘She talks a lot, full stop,' Dominic said wryly.

Oliver laughed. ‘Then, between the pair of you, I bet it's hard to get a word in edgeways.'

‘She lets me be silent, too,' Dominic mused. And it was true. With Louisa, he'd discovered that he could be himself. She knew the worst of him, and yet she hadn't pushed him away. If anything, she'd drawn him closer.

‘She's lovely. And I'm glad you've found someone, Dominic. I've hated seeing you slowly shutting yourself off from people these past two years.'

‘She's special,' Dominic said softly. ‘Really special.'

‘Be happy. That's all I want for you,' Oliver said, ‘to be as happy as I am. Now go and dance with your girl before we both get maudlin.' Oliver smiled at him. ‘And, just for the record, I meant everything I said in my speech. I'm proud of you.'