My Fair Marchioness (Scandalous Affairs Book 3) by Christi Caldwell (book recommendations for young adults txt) 📕

packed my computer into my carry-on bag, I returned to the bedroom to find Riley already asleep in the bed. I inspected the room and assessed that he did a good job of getting everything together. It was sweet that he did that for me so I could get some writing done. I always knew he cared about me, we were best friends after all, but it was like he was going out of his way to show it to me.

I didn’t want to keep comparing him to Eric, but the differences between the two men were eye-opening. I was wondering if I really had been happy with Eric before it all went to shit yesterday. Maybe we had both settled? I didn’t want to think about it right now.

I dug into my carry-on for my pajamas and slipped into the bathroom to take a quick shower. While I was washing my hair, I realized the kindness Riley had shown me tonight was probably the sexiest thing he could have done. It made me want him even more than I already did. Maybe it was the honeymoon thing, but I definitely wanted to jump his bones again.

I towel-dried my hair, afraid the hairdryer would be too loud, and I didn’t want to wake Riley. I tip-toed back into the bedroom and put my dirty clothes in the top section of my suitcase. I looked for comfy clothes to lay out on the chair next to the bed so I could quickly change into them tomorrow morning. I then slid into the bed beside Riley and felt him shift onto his side so he was facing me.

“Did you get everything done?” he asked sleepily, his eyes still closed.

“I thought you were asleep,” I mused and brushed his hair out of his eyes.

“I’ve been in and out.”

“Hmm. Thanks for letting me go write. I needed to get that out.”

His blue eyes popped open, and he wrapped his arms around my waist, trapping me in my position lying on my back.

“I knew you needed to,” he told me, nuzzling my neck sleepily. It was kind of cute, and I never thought that Riley and cute would be in the same sentence. He was so big and manly. Kittens were cute; a six-foot-tall, two-hundred-pound hockey player, not so much.

I struggled in his arms, and he laughed until he released his grip, and I shifted so I was facing him. I pulled him to me and kissed him softly. I sighed into him, and he kissed me back. I deepened the kiss by flicking my tongue across his bottom lip. I think I pouted when he pulled away and didn’t let it go any further.

“Thank you,” I told him.

“For what?” he asked, brushing a piece of red hair behind my ear. His calloused fingers lingered on my cheek and stroked in a soft and gentle pattern.

“For letting me write. Even though I knew you would rather be doing something else.”

“You had that twinkle in your eye; I wasn’t going to keep you from that. I know your writing’s important to you, and I’ll always support that.”

Not sure what melted at that, my heart or my ovaries.

“Oh, Aaron,” I whispered.

He smiled down at me with a soft, small curve of his lips. The way he looked at me, like he was looking into my soul, made me want to push him away. His blue eyes searched mine, and then they closed slowly, and he kissed me again. A small, soft kiss, but one that made me feel safe and secure.

I found myself disappointed when he rolled me onto my side instead of tearing off my clothes and getting on top of me again. He pushed my hair on top of the pillow so he didn’t lay on it, and then he clutched me against his chest, holding me tightly around the waist. I wrapped my arm around his larger forearm, circling the red and gold artwork on his arm.

He lightly nipped my neck. “Stop, that tickles,” he whispered.

A smile played across my lips. “I know that. It’s fun.”

“You’re a naughty girl, Fiona Riley.”

I turned around in his arms to fix him with a glare. “Um…I’m not changing my name!” I protested.

He smiled at me, and I knew he was trying to hold in his laugh. I shoved him away, realizing he’d said it just to annoy me. He leaned down to chastely kiss my cheek. “Oh, sweetheart, I know you won’t ever change your name, and I would never ask you to.”

“I’m not fucking property!”

“No, sweetheart, you’re my equal, my partner,” he agreed.

Something unlocked inside my heart at his words, but I swallowed and tried to shove it down. I wanted what he was offering, but could Riley really deliver? I pushed down the feelings that were trying to bubble up to the surface. The feelings of optimism, that maybe, just maybe, my best friend and I could make this marriage work.

Instead, I stroked my hand across his chiseled jaw and kissed him again. He kissed me back, and soon I lost myself in the feel of my husband’s tongue tangling with mine while his hands roamed across my body. Our legs entwined while we kissed until we were burning up the sheets and I had a fire inside me, raging to get as close to this man as I possibly could.

I straddled his hips, and his hands gripped my waist while he groaned against my lips. I smiled into the kiss and made my way down his jaw to that spot behind his ear. I loved the sound of him sighing in pleasure underneath me. I felt the stiffness of his erection beneath me, straining to be inside me again while I kissed my way from his ear to the column of his throat.

“Fi,” Riley hissed.

I pulled back to look down at him, his piercing blue eyes alight with desire. Wordlessly I pulled my t-shirt over my head and ran my hands down his bare