His lips tilted upward into that devastatingly wicked smile of his. The one that made her heart race harder within her chest. Her breathing became shallow and she braced herself for whatever he decided to do with her. She prayed it was a kiss. Anything else could very well be a disappointment.
The marquess lifted his hand and trailed a finger over the side of her face, then cupped her cheek in his palm. “Tell the truth, darling,” he began. “You wanted something more than a mere flower. Why else would have have sneaked into my garden?”
He was correct of course. She would never admit as such. That would be tantamount to accepting that her desire for him outweighed all of her common sense. “What else would I hope to gain?” She tilted her head to the side. “Tell me, my lord. What do you believe I desire?”
“The answer to that is obvious.” He pulled her into his arms. “You want something only I can give you.” He leaned down and brushed his lips against her ear. “You want me.”
She closed her eyes and sighed. Oh yes, she wanted him. So much that her body hummed with a need she could not identify. Charlotte wanted his kiss, and perhaps far more than that. It would be a mistake, but oh what a glorious one it would be. “And if I do?” she asked, her voice coming out breathless from the longing heating her body. “What are you offering, my lord?”
“I’m willing to give you more pleasure than you can possibly imagine,” he told her. “So much ecstasy it might be enough to sustain you for a lifetime.”
Charlotte almost moaned just from the words he whispered against her ear. She wanted to scream yes, please, and more; however, she refrained from giving in to that urge. If she begged he’d expect that from her whenever they came together. She had to keep some control over her desires or she’d forever be a slave to him. “That sounds promising,” she told him. “But I’m not so certain that is an achievable goal.” A part of her hoped it would be. So, so much...
“Shall we test the theory then?” He chuckled softly and it tickled her ear. “Challenge accepted, darling. Be prepared to burn for me.” He sucked her earlobe into his mouth, and she gasped at the sensation. “And beg for more.”
The marquess moved his lips along her jawline. She nearly melted in his arms. When his lips found hers she lost all ability to think. He licked his tongue over her lips and she opened willingly for him. He stroked her tongue with his in a dance that left her reeling with need. She started to shake with it and her legs turned to jelly. He held her deftly against him as he continued to plunder her mouth with such expertise she started to believe him. Charlotte may very well remember this night for the rest of her life.
He moved his hands down to cup her derriere. With his hardness pressed against her belly she started to question the wisdom of allowing him to take liberties. He moved one of hishands to her breasts, and that new sensation sent her over the edge. It was all too many different feelings laden within her own body. Charlotte felt as if she might burst, and when the hand he cupped her bottom with began to lift her skirts—she had to make a decision, and fast.
“You’re falling for me, aren’t you?” he whispered in her ear. “And you will allow me to have all of you.” He stroked his hand over her naked thigh. “Say yes, darling, and you’ll be mine forever.”
Charlotte sat up in her bed and gasped. She’d woken up from a dream so fervid it had seemed real. Not a nightmare but still unsettling all the same. He’d been in that dream. Almost as if he were touching her, kissing her, loving her... She wanted to go to him and make that dream a reality. That would be a foolish endeavor. One that would lead to her heartbreak. Ever since that invitation had arrived, her dreams had become more and more intense.
She had to see him. Charlotte had been suppressing that need for days now. She could not have another dream like that one. It was making sleep next to impossible. Going over to the Easton estate was not a good idea. It was beyond foolish. Still, she fully intended to act on that reckless impulse.
The moon was bright in the sky even though it wasn’t completely full—much like it had been in her dream. She could use that light to navigate through the woods over to Easton Manor. The only thing she was not certain about was how to locate the marquess once she reached the estate. Where would he be? Would he already be asleep? The last time she’d trespassed on his land, he hadn’t been. She hoped that it would be as easy to find him this time as it had been the previous visit.
Slowly, she left her bed and dressed as quietly as she could. If either Jaclyn or Georgina awakened, they would stop her from going, or worse—they might want to accompany her. She couldnot allow either of those two things to happen. Charlotte had to meet with the marquess. Alone. The last thing she needed was witnesses to this madness.
Once she was dressed, Charlotte tiptoed out of the room. She wouldn’t put her boots on until she was safely outside. She carried them in her hands as she descended the stairs. After she exited the school, she stopped to slide them on. Then she made her way toward the woods, and therefore the Easton estate. She took a deep breath and then kept walking.
Not once on her way there did she stop to think about what she was doing. If she pondered on it too much, she would turn around, and she didn’t wish to do that. Her breathing became more ragged with each step she took. Finally, she reached the edge of the gardens and slowed her pace. She stared at the foliage and considered her options. Should she return to the area of the garden she’d visited before? The flowers had been gorgeous. At the very least, she could admire them while she visited.
Charlotte stopped at the primroses and leaned down to smell them. Their fragrance tickled her nose as the sweet scent enveloped her. Somehow, for some reason, this action comforted her, and the anxiety she had been carrying floated away. Perhaps she would steal a couple of blossoms again—like the peonies that she’d considered in her dream, but she much preferred the primroses. Charlotte smiled at that thought. It would seem fitting somehow to fulfill that fantasy and create a bouquet from the marquess’s garden. She hadn’t kept the other pilfered blooms. Answering questions about where she’d found them hadn’t been something she wished to do. For that reason, she refrained from plucking the primroses now. But still, the flowers were a temptation. Charlotte did so adore primroses.
“Are they your favorite?” a man asked from behind her.
She stiffened when he spoke. Charlotte didn’t need to turn around to know who stood there. He had come. She shouldn’t have doubted that he would. Fate wanted them to meet like this. She still didn’t fully know what was in her heart or what drew her to the marquess, but she intended to unravel that mystery. “Perhaps,” she answered as she turned around.
“Is that why you keep sneaking into my garden to steal them?” the marquess asked.
“No,” she told him. “I didn’t come to steal any flowers tonight.”
He stepped closer to her. “Then why are you here?”
Charlotte shrugged. Would he believe her if she told the truth? Doubtful. But what could she say that he would believe? He thought her a simpering, foolish young miss. Should she pretend to be that girl he believed her to be? “Why would I be here?”
His lips tilted upward. “I couldn’t say,” he said. “As you could have waited until tomorrow to visit. You do have an invitation to attend the activities here.” He stepped even closer. “I have to think that you have a more...” The marquess leaned forward until his mouth was next to her ear, “...personal reason to see me.”
Charlotte closed her eyes and reminded herself to breathe. This was already so similar to the dream that had awakened her earlier that night. He was oh so near her. If he reached out, he could touch her, but he continued to lean in, making her aware of every part of him. She wanted to step back. No, that wasn’t true. What she truly desired was to wrap her arms around his neck and demand he kiss her. He wouldn’t, of course. He had made that clear the last time they had been in proximity to each other. “You could be correct,” she conceded. “I did wish to speak with you.”
There. That was succinct. He wouldn’t know that his nearness affected her so much. Damn him and the temptation he wrought within her. She didn’t move. Charlotte would not give him the satisfaction of knowing that she wanted him. She would not beg him to touch her or kiss her.
He didn’t step away. Instead, he lifted his head and met her gaze. They were still so close that they nearly touched each other. “What did you wish to see me regarding?”
She blinked several times as all ability to think left her. “I told you I could not attend.” That almost made some sort of sense. “Why would you invite the entire school?”
“That’s not actually accurate, is it?” He chuckled softly. “As there are, what, six of you still in attendance at the moment.”
