Chapter 331: Chapter Three Hundred And Thirty One
Rowan walked out to the front entrance hall. The driver had already begun bringing in all of their luggage.
Rowan stripped off his traveling coat and tossed it onto a chair. He untied his white cravat and rolled the long white sleeves of his shirt up past his elbows, revealing his strong, muscular forearms.
He stepped outside into the cool evening air. He grabbed the leather straps of the large trunks and began to help the driver carry the luggage inside.
Upstairs in the quiet bedroom, Delaney slowly woke up.
She opened her eyes and blinked against the warm, golden light of the fire. She looked around the strange, beautiful room. For a brief second, she was entirely confused. Then, she remembered the carriage ride. She remembered falling asleep on Rowan’s lap.
Delaney sat up slowly. She noticed that her bonnet, gloves, and shoes had been completely removed. She smiled softly, knowing exactly who had cared for her so gently.
She was still wearing her dress. She swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her stocking-covered feet touched the smooth wooden floor.
Delaney stood up and walked out of the bedroom. She moved quietly to the top of the wooden stairs.
She looked down into the entrance hall.
She saw Rowan helping the driver bring in the very last trunk. The two men set the trunk down with a soft thud against the floorboards.
"That is all of it, Your Grace," the driver said, standing up straight and wiping his hands.
"Thank you, Cedric," Rowan replied, his deep voice carrying a slight hint of breathless exhaustion. "Get some rest tonight."
The driver bowed respectfully. He bid the Duke a polite goodnight and left the cottage immediately, heading to his designated small quarters located near the stables in the back of the property.
The front door was firmly shut and locked. The house was now completely empty, except for the two of them.
Rowan turned around in the hallway. He looked up the stairs and saw Delaney standing quietly on the upper landing.
Rowan smiled broadly. He raised his hand and wiped a line of light sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. His white shirt was slightly unbuttoned at the collar, and his sleeves were rolled up.
Delaney swallowed looking at all that goodness staring at her.
"Del, you are awake," Rowan called out softly.
He walked towards the bottom of the stairs. He placed his hand on the banister and looked directly up at her.
"Are you hungry?" Rowan asked, his eyes filled with warm concern. "The housekeeper left some hot food for us in the kitchen."
Delaney walked slowly down the steps. She reached the bottom and stood in front of him. She nodded her head. She was indeed quite hungry after the long journey from London.
Rowan smiled. He turned his body, ready to leave the hallway to go to the kitchen and bring her a warm plate of food.
But Delaney immediately stopped him.
She reached her small hand out. She gently took hold of his large, warm hand. His skin felt slightly rough and completely hot from his hard work carrying the heavy trunks.
Rowan stopped walking. He looked down at her small hand holding his, and then he looked back up into her hazel eyes.
"Let’s take a bath before we eat, okay?" Delaney suggested softly.
She looked at the light sheen of sweat on his forehead. She knew he had worked hard, and she wanted to help him relax. Furthermore, the idea of sharing a warm bath with her husband in their new cottage sent a thrilling, wonderful spark directly through her chest.
Rowan’s eyes instantly darkened. The tired lines around his face vanished, replaced by an eager intense look of desire.
Rowan nodded his head very slowly. "Okay," he agreed in a low, rough whisper.
In a few short minutes, they were inside the spacious bathing room. A large, deep copper bathtub sat in the very center of the floor, filled with warm water that Mrs. Emma had thoughtfully prepared before she left. The sweet, calming scent of lavender soap filled the air.
They were both completely undressed. The water sloshed gently against the sides of the copper tub as they settled inside.
The tub was large enough for both of them, but it was still a highly intimate tight fit. Rowan sat at one end of the tub, leaning his broad back against the warm copper metal. He stretched his long legs out directly beneath the water.
Delaney stayed behind him.
She picked up a soft, clean sea sponge and a bar of fragrant soap. She dipped the sponge into the warm water, creating a thick, rich lather of white bubbles.
"Lean forward just a little bit," Delaney whispered softly.
Rowan obeyed instantly. He leaned his upper body forward.
Delaney pressed the soapy sponge against his broad back. She began scrubbing him gently but firmly. She moved the sponge in slow, continuous circles over his warm, wet skin. She traced the hard lines of his muscles, entirely loving the feeling of taking care of him exactly as he always took care of her.
Rowan let out a very low contented groan. He closed his eyes, resting his arms on the sides of the tub. The feeling of her soft hands working the warm water over his tired muscles was absolutely heavenly.
"You are completely tense," Delaney noted softly, washing the soap over his wide shoulders.
"I was carrying very heavy trunks for a highly demanding Duchess," Rowan teased her lazily, keeping his eyes closed.
Delaney giggled quietly. She squeezed the warm water out of the sponge, rinsing the white soap off his back.
"Turn around," Delaney instructed softly.
Rowan opened his eyes. A hungry light danced in them. He slowly stood up and turned his large body entirely around in the tight space of the copper tub.
The warm water rippled and splashed softly over the edges as he moved. He settled back down, now facing her.
Delaney moved to the very front of the tub. She straddled him, the water rising exactly to her waist. She dipped the sponge into the water again.
She reached her hand out and began to slowly scrub his chest. She washed the white soap over his stomach. She loved how his breath caught slightly whenever her fingers accidentally brushed against his bare skin. She was completely focused on her task, moving the sponge lower and lower.
Because they were so close together in the deep, warm water, their bodies were completely pressed against each other.
Delaney’s bare legs were tangled with his own legs beneath the surface of the bubbles.
As she leaned forward to scrub the lower part of his stomach, she suddenly felt something very hard, warm, and firm pressin against her thigh beneath the water.
Delaney stopped moving the sponge. Her eyes widened slightly.
She shifted her leg just a tiny bit to see what it was. The hard object pressed even more firmly against her skin. It was totally rigid and impossible to ignore in the tight space.
Delaney looked up from his chest. She met his dark, burning eyes. Her face instantly flushed a bright deep shade of red.
"You are poking me," Delaney said. Her sweet voice was entirely soft and breathless.
Rowan did not look away from her. His chest rose and fell rapidly with uneven breaths. The muscle in his jaw ticked tightly. He had been trying very hard to remain perfectly polite and still while she washed him, but the feeling of her soft, wet body pressing against him in the warm water had completely destroyed his control.
Rowan let out a low rough groan.
"It doesn’t want to stop," Rowan replied honestly. His voice was a strained dark rumble that vibrated exactly through the water between them.
Delaney looked at his tense face. She dropped the soapy sponge into the water. She let it float away.
Delaney moved just a tiny bit closer to him, entirely closing the remaining space between their bodies. She rested her wet hands flat against his chest. She looked into his eyes with a wicked curiosity.
"How do I make it stop?" Delaney asked softly.
