Livy sagged against the door in relief, and it closed with a gentleclick.
“On one condition.”
She stiffened.“Which is?”Her stomach clenched.She wasn’t going to like this condition, was she?
He stopped before her.“I will seduce you.And you will let me.”
Her brows crashed together.“I most certainly will not!”The arrogance of the muttonhead.
“You can try to resist me,” he went on.“If you say no, I promise, on my honor, I’ll stop.But trust me, love, by the end of this…” He leaned forward, teeth flashing.“The only thing you will be saying to me ismore.”
His lip curled up, disgust swirling in those green eyes.She blinked.Disgust?
“I will prove that you are no different from every other woman walking this earth.Flighty.Unfaithful.Inconstant.Only ever concerned with your own selfish desires.”
He drew a finger under her chin, tilting her head up to his.He slowly pet the bottom of her chin.
She swallowed hard, as if she could swallow away the impact of his touch on her skin.She forced strength into her voice, despite the nerves, despite the fact that this man was making her dizzy with his nearness.“Is that not what you are doing, my lord?Seducing me for your own selfish desires.”
He nodded in acknowledgment.“I suppose it is a fair deal.You use me.And I use you.”
She could do this.She could resist this stupidly attractive, a tad melodramatic, seducer of women.And then she would have her Warren.Her blue-eyed, fair-haired, sweet dream boy.She just had to make a deal with the devil to get him.
Looking down her nose at him, she reached up and swatted his hand away.“You have a deal.”
She held out his clothes to him.He took them and threw them onto the settee behind him.
“Only one thing left then.”
She furrowed her brow.“One thing…?”
“We seal the bargain.”
Oh.Well, all right then.“Do you have a spare bit of parchment?We can both sign—”
He threw his head back and laughed.
“Oh no, darling.With a kiss.”
11
Derek
Derektookholdofher jaw, squeezed.He wasn’t risking her getting away.“No throwing punches this time.”He cocked a brow at her.
She didn’t speak, but the muscles in her jaw rippled beneath his fingers, like she was grinding her teeth.What a surprise she was.He hadn’t felt a thrill as strong as this, hadn’t felt as alive as he did right now… Christ, ever.
He leaned forward in small degrees, and her eyes widened with every inch.She held herself stiff, mouth clenched tight, tension radiating from her, her pert nose flaring.If she thought she’d get away without opening that pretty mouth of hers, she was mistaken.
He chuckled deep in his throat.She was going to present a challenge.It was a rare occurrence a woman refused him.The way they threw themselves at him,hewas the one who turned them away.She would pay for her little trick.Stealing his clothes to manipulatehim?It was time for her to learn the Marquess of Dunmore’s rule about women.They didn’t own him.They wereneverin control.
He pressed a soft, barely there kiss to her lips.They were pressed so tight he could scarcely enjoy their lushness.But she couldn’t hide their softness, as soft as the rose they stole their color from.Massaging her jaw with his thumb, he tried to coax a response from her, but she remained rigid in his arms.He dragged his lips over and then trailed them over her jaw.She shivered.His pulse picked up.Progress.
He tilted her head away from him, exposing her delicate neck.He inhaled deeply.Ah, vanilla.His eyes rolled heavenward.She was going to taste as sweet as she smelled.And he was going to devour her.He drew his tongue along the column of her neck.She gasped, and he smiled against her skin.
That’s it, darling.Don’t fight it.
He worked his way back to her lips, but she remained stock-still, mouth clamped shut.He growled, and his blood heated, a dangerous combination of desire and frustration.He licked at the seam of her mouth, but she rolled her lips inward, shutting herself off from him further.She couldn’t possibly be unaffected by him.That shiver.That gasp.They didn’t lie.God knew his body was responding to hers, his blood simmering, ready to ignite the moment she let him in.
