Covet - Miles Bridgerton's story

Chapter 8 - Campfire (Part 1)

NOTE: Some mild drug use. If you were fine with Benedict's and Colin's tea, you'll be fine with this as well.

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Miss Sarah Cranleigh had proved out to be a surprisingly good babysitter, or in other words Lavender had accepted this stranger remarkably well, so Amelia had no problem in leaving her daughter alone with Geoffrey's number one nemesis, in order to have a moment alone with Eddie. As much as Amelia did enjoy having people – most of all Lavender – around her all the time, a quiet moment with her husband was all she needed right now, when the early pregnancy made her feel tired and constantly on edge. She was dipping her fingers into the cool water of Eddie's bathtub a bit absentmindedly, resting her arms on the rim of it.

"Why don't you slip out of that dress and join me in this bath?" Eddie purred, grabbed her hand that was floating around in the water and gave it a soft kiss.

"No, we both know what would happen then..." She smirked at him. "Besides, this water is freezing, you would never get me into it. No matter how tempting your body might be..."

"It's not freezing, it's wonderfully chilling after all the hay mowing." Eddie replied with a smile. "Argh, my every muscle aches and still that damned Augie went and beat me..." He growled and squirmed around in the water.

"Poor little lordling..." Amelia chuckled in a teasing tone. "Some people do this kind of work everyday, you know." She stated, moving her chair so she was sitting next to his head. "But most people don't have such a lovely wife as you do..." She grinned and began to rub his shoulders.

"Oh God, yes..." Eddie moaned. "You are definitely the best wife in the entire world..." He hummed with pleasure, while she worked her way through his sore muscles.

"I'm glad that we agree on that." She smiled and massaged some soap into his wet hair.

"But, um... Don't get mad, but I simply must say that... You do spend quite a lot of time with Geoffrey..." Eddie began in a hesitant tone.

"Yes, because he is my good friend." Amelia replied a bit dryly and kept lathering the soap.

"But he was also your fiancé..." Eddie muttered, making Amelia stop washing his hair.

"So it bothers you that we are friends?" She enquired quite sharply.

"No, but... Yes, a little bit maybe...?" He stuttered.

"Eddie Bridgerton." Amelia snapped, grabbed a tight hold of his hair and bent his head backwards so she got to look him in the eyes. "You have also been the best possible husband in the entire world, so far, so please don't turn into some jealous twat now and especially not over Geoffrey Dorset." She said sternly while Eddie grimaced when she did not let go of his hair.

"Ow, ow, ow, alright, you're hurting me...!" He complained, so Amelia eased her grip of his dark chestnut locks and he sank underneath the water to wash away the soap. When he surfaced again, he turned around in the tub to sit with his face towards her, but also to keep his head at a safe distance from her claws. "You wouldn't like me hanging out with Cornelia either." He pointed out, a bit sourly. "You said that she kept staring at me during the ball."

"Yes, but that's completely different!" Amelia exclaimed loudly. "Everyone knows that Cornelia Ber– Dorset was deeply infatuated with you and apparently still is, judging by what I saw!"

"How is it different?" Eddie huffed. "I took the girl to that damned ice cream parlour once, because I was forced to! I was not engaged to her and did not stand on an altar with her!"