There was nothing he wanted more. He leaned into her and gave her a slow, lingering kiss. He kissed her jaw as his hands slid behind her to remove the ties holding her dress. The garment fell to the floor, and he kicked it away with his boots. She pulled his shirt from his pants, pulling it over his head and then tossing it.
His eyes flicked down to her front. The peaks of her breasts were pebble hard underneath her chemise. With one hand, he untied her petticoats and kicked them away. He purred in approval. “Lady Hensley, no corset. You have become rather bohemian.”
She winked at him, playing along. “Porto, or maybe it was Malaga that turned me.”
Diana, in her chemise and drawers, was as intoxicating as a naked Diana. He kissed her again and pushed his hard cock against her stomach. This woman drove him mad. He pulled his shaft from his pants and, in one motion, wrapped her legs around him while parting the slit in her drawers, entering her. She gasped as he pressed her back against the wall. At first, he entered her in deep, slow long thrusts, savoring the sensation of her around his cock. She cried out, but he placed a finger on her lips. “Shh…you have to be very quiet if you want me to stay buried in you. Is that what you want?”
He rotated his hips, and she whimpered. He pumped into her quickly, and he whispered in her ear. “Do you think you can do that?”
She nodded, and he rotated his hips again before entering her over and over again. She clenched his shoulders and murmured, “Sebastian.”
Her quim clenched around him, and he could tell she was so close to climaxing. He pounded into her deeply and paused, staying lodged in her. He ground against the nub of her most feminine spot until she let out a quiet, strangled sob, peaking and crashing all at once. She sighed as he felt her pulsate around him. He leaned his forehead against hers, breathing heavily.
His shaft, still buried in Diana, throbbed with the need for release. Sebastian began to move again. His thrusts became deeper and more savage. She clenched her legs around him, urging him on. He wanted to sear this woman with his desirefor her. That is all he thought about as he pounded into her. Sebastian gasped, on the verge of spending. At the last moment, he withdrew, releasing his seed before collapsing against her. Their hearts pounded in sync.
He gently slid her to the floor before gathering a cloth by the basin and cleaning them both. Diana leaned against the wall of the cabin, taking deep breaths. Her chemise and drawers were still on, and her hair had fallen out in large curls around her face. She was a vision. A vision he would never be able to forget. He sat on the narrow bed, content to watch her for the moment.
They were both silent, but eventually, Diana asked, “Sebastian, will we still be friends when we return?”
His eyes flicked to her face. “Why would you question that?”
She seemed reluctant to share more. “Just promise me all this won’t make us hate each other.”
Alarm filled him. He could never hate Diana, and he wouldn’t be able to endure her feeling such an emotion towards him. “Come here.”
She walked to the bed, and he pulled her into his lap before placing a kiss on the top of Diana’s head. “All will be fine.”
But deep down, Sebastian felt deceptive about promising her something he couldn’t truly control.
The next morning, Sebastian sat in the main saloon, waiting for theSS Larkto dock in Tuscany. He’d struggled with writing his most recent letter for the column. He’d feared he would share too much. He wanted to write about his time with Diana at the cove or dancing with her in Messina’s garden, but he couldn’t.
After he left her the night before, he’d spent a few hours pondering his feelings for her. Sebastian was falling for her. What a damn fool he was. He’d told her yesterday it would be fine, but he’d lied. He was losing his heart to a woman he could never have. It would be wise if he ended their liaison, but he was too obsessed with her.
Every day he could spend with Diana he would take and deal with his heart later. He would find a way to make sure this all didn’t end in catastrophe. He wanted her to walk away from their time happy. Sebastian needed that for Diana. He smirked at his letter. It was rather short but maybe Sardinia was just for him and Diana.
To the Ladies of London,
The water and cliffs of this island are delightful. While I enjoyed all the places we have visited, this one is truly the best stop. The water and the history are both perfect for any ladies hoping to go on an adventure.
But by far my favorite part of the visit was the dancing.
Sebastian Devons
Chapter Twenty-One
Tuscany—Mid-July 1850
They arrived atthe hotel in Livorno in the early afternoon. While most of their stops were small cities or towns, Livorno was a lively, large port city in Tuscany. The buildings were a mangle of ancient structures and new ones being built. Diana was excited to explore the area.
As they were settling in their rooms, Diana received a missive from Messina stating the Calverts weren’t in Tuscany. She sighed. It would have been quite the coup to have been able to develop some type of partnership with them. Still, all in all, the trip had been only beneficial for the Historical Society for Female Curators. She refused to be disappointed.
A knock on the door distracted her thoughts. She opened it and an attendant bowed. “My lady, you have guests.”
Diana frowned. Her mother was in Livorno. Was it her? Diana assumed she would call on her tomorrow. Nerves filled her that she would be seeing her sooner. She made her way to the top of the marble foyer stairs and looked down. Her eyes widened in shock. Her mother did wait below, but Arthur was also with her. What was he doing here? He glanced up and smiled. “Surprise, Lady Hensley.”
Surprise was certainly the word for it. She didn’t know what to make of his sudden appearance. It was so out of character for him. As far as she was aware, Arthur had never been outside ofEngland. Her eyes flicked to her mother. She looked so much like her sister Clara. The same blonde hair, slender figure, and pale-blue eyes. Diana’s eyes were the only similar trait she had with either of them. Her mother’s eyes raked over her as she pinched her lips together.
From that one movement, Diana suspected her mother found her appearance unsatisfactory. She descended the stairs. “Good day, Mother. Lord Tremont, I’m shocked you are in Livorno.”
