She held her breath, her eyes wide and pleading.
He shook his head. “I am not one for public play.”
“Well, then. Where would you like to discuss this design?”
Chapter Six
Robert kept his expression neutral, unwilling to show his emotions to anyone he did not know well. His school years had taught him that people would use them against him. On the other hand, he was not sure he could even wait until his room to taste the peach he wished for. Dinner had been torturous. He hadn’t experienced a cockstand for that long ever, even in his teenage years,and he was concerned that he had enough blood left in his legs to walk.
She referred to designs. Is she really interested in my leatherwork or simply what it can do for her?Thinking about it more, he wasn’t sure those reasons were much different, given the purpose of the garments.’Tis supposed to be about pleasure. Relax and enjoy the party. She’ll be gone at the end of the week.
Her curiosity also provided a unique opportunity. Beth was ideal for much of his work, because he designed with her shape in mind. Her body was ideal to him. He loved womanly curves. Of course, he tailored each piece to its buyer or their partner, as needed. After all, they paid his ridiculous prices for custom work.
He charged those prices because he could. However, his design of each new toy, garment, or tool was pictured on a buxom figure, with a waist that dipped in, flaring again to rounded hips, like Beth’s.
“We can use the second drawing room.” He gestured toward the rear of the house, testing her interest in spending time with him beyond discussion. “It need only be a brief conversation. Bags plans to show my pieces tomorrow night.”
Her initial parlay back at the London party had been toward Bags, and he didn’t compare to his friend looks-wise. However, if she wanted a repeat of last night, given how attracted he was to her physically, he was willing to accept second place.
“Do you not want me to return these? I’d rather hoped to ask you about a few of the others.”
He gaped, momentarily forgetting he had offered somewhere other than his room as a deliberate probe. Ladies in polite society did not push like this, and if they did, it was to men like Michael and Bags, never him.
Recovering, he stammered, “Uh, my rooms?”
“Yes.” She nodded and linked her arm through his.
Robert’s mind was already running through his inventory, deciding what he wanted to see on her most. The corset, the chair sling…
His cock stirred in his breeches as he led her to the stairs. He slid a glance sideways.
At the bottom of the stairs, she dawdled and gripped his arm tighter. Her impressive bosom heaved. Ah, thekleis—he’d borrowed the Greek word for key for the protrusion, as it was also part ofkleitoris, the sensitive part of Beth’s body it mimicked—must be extra interesting on the stairs. He smirked, tugging her forward.
As they ascended, he tucked his arm with her hand on it tighter against his side to support her. Not allowing her to linger, he kept a steady pace upward. By halfway, she was panting; by the last several steps she was twisting on each one, curling forward at the waist.
“How do you like my design? It seems to work as I intended, although I had not accounted for stairs.”
“If you intended it as a torture device, ’tis certainly working as intended.”
“Ah, foreplay, torture. A fine line, don’t you think?” He shrugged, stifling a laugh.
She glared at him, still gasping for breath.
A grin formed despite his attempts to suppress his humor.
“I may need to change petticoats,” she muttered.
He continued to smile as they gained the hallway, deeming this pattern a success. He’d bet that garment was wet with her juices and clinging to her, given her reaction to the stairs.
In his suite, Beth bounced in excitement as he began to open his trunk. Allowing it to snap closed, he gestured her back. “Oh, no. Use the bedroom to remove the garment you borrowed, then go sit in an armchair. I am not showing you everything tonight. I want to be sure I see you tomorrow as well.”
Her responding smile was incandescent, and he blinked.
I shall have to do that more often. Just because she initiated doesn’t mean I should sit back and not woo her.He frowned.Wait. Woo her?Wooing should not be a consideration. Their dalliance was only for the duration of the party.
But praise was chivalrous, and he was determined to offer her that, after she’d been so encouraging to him.
As she went to change, he brought out two sets of leather cuffs with lace ties, connected by an adjustable strap. The strap was two pieces, connected like a belt, with a series of holes, a buckle, and a keeper, a loop of leather beyond the holes for the length of the piece beyond the buckle.
