He stepped closer, his hand finding the small of her back. She arched instinctively, breath catching. Through the thin layers of her dress, his fingers pressed and stroked, until that single point of contact consumed her awareness. His touch drifted upward, tracing her spine to the nape of her neck, slipping beneath the fall of her hair.
I cannot stop him. I do not want to stop him. Every sense is tingling.
She turned her head to take him in, to drink in his beauty. His hand was on the nape of her neck now. The intimate contact wasthrilling, as was the sense of possession which his touch gave her. The idea of belonging to him was extremely… enticing.
Am I being seduced? Is this what it feels like when a rake sets his sights on an innocent lady? I will not be used!
Harriet had let her lips hover near his before pulling back, slipping from his touch. Her breath came fast, as if she’d run a mile. Color burned in her cheeks, but she made no attempt to hide it. Instead, she tossed her hair back and met his gaze head-on. Slowly, deliberately, her eyes swept down his body—grazing his unmistakable arousal—before immediately lifting to his face again.
“I… am willing to accept your proposal,” she breathed raggedly, “—on a few conditions.”
Jeremy made no move to conceal his nakedness as he leaned on the window frame.
“And they are?”
“If Ralph learns of this, then the arrangement is immediately over, and for all intents and purposes,never happened,” she ordered slowly.
“Agreed.”
“There will be no more of...this,” she continued, waving her hands between them, “we will be betrothed innameonly, andfor a month only. After that, the facade ends. It ends if you attempt to seduce me, also.”
He arched a brow. “You fear me that much?” he asked wryly.
“I simply will not allow myself to be used,” she replied.
“But you already are, as am I. I use you to get what I want, and you use me to get what you want. There is nothing wrong with that.”
“I will not be a plaything,” she amended instead, “to be discarded when you grow bored.”
Jeremy's face hardened, and Harriet wondered if she had offended him.
“Accepted,” he uttered, “your honor will be safe. I will not attempt to seduce or compromise you. Provided you can make the same promise to me. My honor is just as important as yours.”
Harriet found herself gaping at him, and he laughed, throwing back his head. He turned away from her, returning to the fire, and Harriet found herself watching his behind as he went.
Stop that! I must not look at him in that way. But then again, why else am I entering this arrangement if not to experience that which has been forbidden to me? To taste freedom…
Jeremy had paused to gather the pile of clothes Harriet had brought. Appalled by her own recklessness yet powerless to resist, she crossed the room in a rush. His head lifted in surprise as she reached him, flinging her arms around his neck and claiming his mouth. His damp body pressed hard against hers, and she felt the stirring of his desire, insistent once more against her belly.
Jeremy responded by throwing his arms about her and spinning her until the chair was at her back. He lowered her into it, lips expertly playing with hers, sending waves of pleasure with each contact.
Harriet clung to him, fingers sliding into his hair to hold him close. She broke away just long enough to kiss the line of his neck, nip at his skin, and smile at the gasp it drew from him. One hand wandered over the hard planes of his body, feeling muscle shift and tighten beneath her touch.
Then she braced both palms against his chest and shoved hard. Even with all her strength, he yielded only an inch before rising slightly, gazing down at her. His blue eyes burned, his face taut with desire, cheeks flushed.
“I… I needed to get that out of my mind. To experience it once. It must not happen again,” she panted, “but I agree to your proposal. I will be your betrothed for a month.”
For a long moment, Jeremy simply stared at her. Then he drew back with all the force of a departing galleon before offering hishand to guide her up. As she regained her feet, he stole another quick peck of her lips.
“Nowit is really done and will certainly not happen again,” he remarked with an insolent smile. “In the meanwhile, we can discuss how we may get you out of the house for dinner with the Suttons. There is still much for us to plan.”
CHAPTER TEN
Harriet watched Penhaligon Manor emerge in the distance as the carriage rounded a bend in the road.
“Oh my, it is quite the grand house,” she had murmured to herself. “A mirror to its master's personality, perhaps.”
It was of dark stone and had an antique appearance. Crenelations along its rooftops suggested a martial function, as did the solid brick buttresses that supported towers that rose from four points around the house. It looked like a medieval castle that had been transformed to suit the needs of a lord who had no need to defend against enemies any longer.
