She felt a twinge of fright. But it was only Freddie. “I am not a wench,” she said. "And I don’t know quite what youmean by willing.”
"Whatareyou willing for, Jule?” he asked. His voice was low and he dipped his head to kiss her below one ear.He took her completely by surprise by nipping her earlobewith his teeth.
"Oh,” she said, breathless. But she was not going to back off. She had a few ghosts to banish. And a future to secure."I want you to kiss me, Freddie. Will you?”
She was walking into fire with her eyes wide open, she knew. They were quite hidden among the trees and milesfrom anyone. She reminded herself again that he was justFreddie. But she had a sudden and quite irrational longingto see one of the Daniel sextuplets come wandering out ofthe forest so that she could berate him for always being inthe wrong place at the wrong time. He would look at hermost scathingly for putting herself in such a compromisingposition, she thought. But she would be safe.
“Always willing to oblige, Jule,” Frederick said, drawing her against him so that she could feel his size and strengthand know her utter helplessness. He splayed one handagainst her back below the waist and set the other armabout her shoulders. She lifted her face and waited for arepetition of that morning’s experience. Except that Freddiedid not have the dislike of her that would cause him to putan end to the embrace as soon as reason could see past lust.
But it was quite different. His lips were parted, as Daniel’s had been, but his mouth did not assault hers. Hislips caressed and teased, as did his tongue. She relaxed herown mouth and allowed him his will. It was—it was pleasant, she thought.
He kissed the end of her nose and gazed at her with those incredible bedroom eyes that would surely reduce to mushany woman who had not known him all his life and did notknow that he was merely Freddie.
“Mm,” he said. “More of the same, Jule? Or are you willing for something a little different?”
She was being given a choice? His arms were loose about her. She would be able to draw free of them if shewished and walk away. She lost her fear suddenly. He wasnot dangerous, as Daniel had been dangerous that morning.
“Maybe something a little different, Freddie,” she said cautiously. “But not too different.”
His eyes laughed at her before his mouth returned to hers. And his hands moved slowly, lightly, circling herupper back, smoothing over the sides of her breasts, cupping them gently. His thumbs feathered over her nipples.His tongue stroked over her lips, probed lightly up behindthem.
It felt good, Julia thought, and quite unthreatening. She was enjoying the embrace. If he were not Freddie, she mightbe quite excited by it. It would be very possible, shethought, to become mindless with the pleasure of it. And sohe would find her willing for a little more and a little moreuntil...
Oh, yes, she thought suddenly, sliding her hands along his shoulders and admiring their rippling muscles, Freddiewas every bit the expert that everyone said he was. Themaster seducer. He would not overpower with the strengthof his passion. Not an innocent and potentially skittish partner, anyway. He would have infinite patience, leading onby slow and pleasurable degrees until he had what hewanted and his partner would be convinced that she hadhad what she wanted too—his worshipful love.
She was intrigued by this insight into a Freddie she knew of but did not know. A woman would not feel ravished orruined by Freddie. She would feel beautiful and she wouldfeel loved. She would feel that she was the one finally toentrap him and his eternal love and fidelity. Freddie’s paththrough life must be strewn with broken hearts.
“Freddie,” she said, setting a hand on either side of his head, drawing back her own, and then returning it to kisshim once lightly on the mouth, “that was nice. But I am notwilling for any more.”
“Nice!” He smiled lazily at her. “Faint praise indeed, Jule. But the rest can wait. I don’t intend to rush you. Ithink you are worth waiting for.”
And Primrose Park too, she thought and immediately felt mean for the mental sarcasm. He was being very gentlemanly—well, to a certain extent anyway.
“Do you?” she said. “Are you in love with me, Freddie?”
“I think,” he said, bending his head to kiss her below the ear again, “I may surprise us both by being so before I amfinished, Jule.”
Which was, she had to admit, a clever answer. And a flattering one. And perhaps a true one. It was impossible totell if Freddie was acting a part or for once in his dealingswith women telling the truth.
“I like the way you kiss, Freddie,” she said. “It is unthreatening.”
His smile became a grin for a moment. “If I were you, Jule,” he said, “I would never try to earn a living from paying compliments. I think we should marry. Soon. To hellwith this monthlong game. Make us both happy. Marry me.Let me announce our betrothal today.”
It was so very tempting. Freddie was by far and away the most attractive of her cousins—the eligible ones, anyway,and by far the most interesting too. And she would behappy with him. Until he gambled Primrose Park all awayand until she began to have incontrovertible evidence thathe was dallying with other women. She would neverchange him, she knew. She would only be changed by him.Changed for the worse.
“I don’t know, Freddie,” she said. “I’m not sure. I need more time.”
He dipped his head and kissed her again, openmouthed, more fiercely than he had up to that point She felt instantalarm, but he drew back almost immediately and smiled ather.
“Take all you need, Jule,” he said. “I can wait. But the siege is on, I warn you. I want you. For my wife. I thinkperhaps if I examine the state of my heart—something I assiduously avoid doing—I will find that I have alreadyfallen.”
“In love?” She could swear he meant it.
“In love,” he said, releasing her and stooping to pick up her parasol, which she had dropped earlier. “But don'tforce me to examine my heart just yet, Jule. I am terrified.”
They walked on, talking amiably about all sorts of inconsequential matters until they came in sight of the boathouse and the blankets and the gathered relatives.
“We could have the wedding here,” Frederick said, having finished amusing her with an account of a curricle race between London and Brighton—one in which he had notparticipated, though Julia guessed that he must have betheavily on its outcome. “It would be a lovely setting for awedding, Jule.”
