Lady Adalyn (The Saga Of Wolfbridge Manor Book 1), Sahara Kelly [the best e book reader .TXT] 📗

“I shall sleep better tonight now that we have a plan,” she said. “Thank you all.”

They bowed, each with a smile and a look in their gazes that warmed Adalyn to her core. She turned to leave, catching Giles’s eye. He too bowed. “Good night, my Lady.”

She nodded and he returned the gesture with a slight incline of his head.

He’d remembered. Daniel would be joining her this night.

Her heart quickened at the thought of what might lie ahead.

Chapter Twenty

Adalyn paced, back and forth across the carpet in her bedroom, wondering if she was doing the right thing. Was Daniel the one to finally bring her to her full awakening?

She’d been at Wolfbridge for three months and had interacted with these men on a daily basis, growing more and more fond of their attentions, and responding to their affectionate kindness.

She was a normal and healthy woman and the arousal of physical desires as her acquaintance with her gentlemen deepened was a natural development. Her decision to act on it, and her selection of Daniel as her first…well, it seemed right. And she was prepared to rely on her instincts.

She stopped in front of the fire and let it warm her legs through her robe. She wasn’t frightened.

That thought rippled over her brain and made her blink. She was not afraid of being intimate with Daniel, of letting him touch her and touching him in her turn.

How much she had changed over the last three months—when she’d arrived at Wolfbridge, she’d brought bad memories with her. And now? They were gone, faded images of things that might have happened to someone else. They no longer haunted her or troubled her dreams, nor would they interfere with her life going forward.

It was a joyous discovery; that she could eagerly anticipate this night without any worries. She trusted Daniel, knew he was gentle and cared deeply for her. As did they all.

She felt cherished every day, loved even, and she relied on her men for the emotional support she’d never experienced.

And now she was about to discover more of what they could offer.

A tap on the door set her heart racing.

“Come in.”

“Adalyn,” he smiled, closing the door behind him. “You’re not in bed yet?”

“Good evening, Daniel.” She couldn’t help a smile. He looked…scrumptious. His brown woollen robe echoed the brown of his eyes, glittering whisky-gold in the firelight. “I am glad you’re here.”

“As am I.” He walked to her and took her hands. “It’s been a difficult time, hasn’t it?”

She nodded. “Yes indeed. I confess to lying awake and worrying about Trick a lot, which I know doesn’t help, but…” she shrugged. “He is near and dear to me. As are you all.”

He tugged her to the bed. “Let’s get you warm and comfortable.” He untied her robe and pulled back the covers, urging her up onto the pillows.

“Join me, Daniel.” She reached out and drew the linens away from her other side.

He looked at her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I have never been more sure of anything in my life.” Her gaze held his for a long moment.

Finally he moved. “As you wish.”

Slipping off his robe, he rounded the bed and she saw his skin reflect the candlelight. Nude and beautiful to her eyes, he also slid onto the mattress, covering himself with the sheet and quilt, and resting his head on his arm as he looked at her. “Tell me what you want, Adalyn. Talk to me. I love to listen to you, you know.”

She took a breath, filling her nostrils with the unique scent that was Daniel. A mixture of leather, wool, man and a touch of sandalwood—she’d have known him in the dark.

“You all smell different,” she muttered, giving voice to her thoughts.

“We do?” He grinned.

“Oh dear, I didn’t mean that in a bad way. Do forgive me. I spoke aloud…perhaps I should not have.”

“Hush.” He put a finger to her lips. “You never have to be careful around us, Adalyn. Speak your mind always. We all would demand no less from you.”

She smiled, letting her mouth curve beneath his touch. “Very well.”

He kept his position, his fingertip drifting across her cheek and trailing over her neck as she spoke.

“Evan carries the scent of spices. Cinnamon sometimes, or rosemary…and mint. Mixed with the lavender soap he favours.”

“How about Jeremy?”

She closed her eyes. “Ah yes, Jeremy always smells fresh, especially in the mornings. I think it must be his shaving cream. Spearmint, maybe, or something like that. Not floral exactly, but a natural green kind of fragrance…” She paused, trying to identify the light touch of whatever it was that was Jeremy.

“And Trick…leather, horses, and grass—that wonderful scent of morning rides in the country. It is also uniquely him…” Her voice tapered away for a few moments. “God, Daniel. Did I do the right thing?”

He immediately closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms, cuddling her close to his chest, understanding her. “Yes, Adalyn. You did the right thing. And if Trick were here he’d agree with me, I know that for certain.”

“I’ve all but condemned him to a year of misery. That tears at my heart so much…”

“I can believe that, my dearest, but you must perceive you had no other choice.”

She sighed, nuzzling against his neck, enjoying the heat radiating from his bare skin. “I know that. Now. But when I made my decision, I had no idea of the rules of Wolfbridge.”

He stroked her, letting his arm run gently down past her elbow to her wrist and then back again. “You followed your heart, Adalyn. It led you to make the right choice, not necessarily the easy one.” He pulled her even closer and tipped up her chin to look at her. “You did exactly what the Mistress of Wolfbridge should do. And we all support you, you know that.”

“I know…” Her gaze fell to his mouth. “I know, Daniel…” she whispered, a jagged edge