The air was hot and sweet between them as Mr. Notley’s gaze searched hers in question. Her hands tightened on his thick, hard shoulders as she pulled him toward her. Her pulse thumped through her veins, making her feel as though her whole body vibrated with the force of it. Until finally, his lips connected with hers.
Her breath caught in her throat, and a spark of some unnameable pleasure jolted through her centre. His beard was soft against her skin, not at all coarse as she’d imagined. Skimming her hands over his shoulders, Juliana raked her fingers through his hair.Silken, as though he’d recently brushed the locks.
A low moan rumbled through his chest, his arms coming around her waist. An answering ripple of desire wove its way down Juliana’s spine, settling low in her belly. His palm cupped her jaw, and the added warmth almost made her groan. With coaxing lips and a gentle stroke of his thumb along her jaw, he was inside her.
Cinnamon. He tasted sweet and spicy, the lingering burn of cinnamon intoxicating as his tongue swiped devilishly over hers.
Juliana had kissed men before, but those kisses by comparison had been rushed and sloppy, whereasthis… Oh, sweet merciful heavens,thiswas slow and heady, as though each moment were deliberately thought out with her pleasure in mind. And she wanted more.
His head tilted, allowing him to explore at a different angle, and a whimper found its way up her throat. She tightened her grip around his shoulders, raking her fingers against his skull.
He groaned, breaking the kiss to glide his lips along Juliana’s jaw. She tilted her head to accommodate him, her eyes closed as gooseflesh spread over her skin, and her core throbbed with want.
Finding the spot just below her ear where she frequently put her favourite fragrance, he stopped and inhaled deeply.
“Right here,” he whispered hoarsely, nudging the spot with his nose and lips.
Juliana shivered and pressed herself tighter against him. The hard ridge of his arousal strained insistently against her most sensitive area, and she gasped at the jolt of pleasure and anticipation that it caused. She moved her hips against him again, this time deliberately, and exulted in the heat that spread through her.
Mr. Notley groaned again and found her lips once more, his kiss growing insistent. His hands roamed her back before settling on her bottom, pressing her more firmly against his arousal.
Juliana’s pulse was galloping wild through her veins, and she could not seem to keep her breathing under control, but she scarcely cared. She gave herself fully into the sensations rocking her, and she would gleefully take more.
The rapid footfalls of dogs and a child broke into Juliana’s lust-fogged mind, and just as quickly as it had begun, their kiss ended. Mr. Notley spun and paced away, his spine stiff and his fists clenched.
“Please excuse me, Miss Smith,” he muttered, slightly winded. “I will send Samuels to escort you in my stead.” With that, he strode away, sparing her nary a glance.
Juliana’s heart still raced, and her lips felt kiss-swollen, her body aching and frustrated. But what she felt most was hurt. Mr. Notley had abandoned her in a difficult circumstance, after sharing kisses that had her reeling.
“Miss Smith! Miss Smith!” Elizabeth reached her, rounded cheeks stained several shades of purple. “I found fruits that I can’t reach. Can you help me, please?”
“Of course, dear,” Juliana replied numbly.
She woodenly returned Lizzy’s smile and followed her along the path, the dogs trotting alongside. Lizzy’s blonde ringlets bounced with each step, as though the girl’s excitement and exuberance could be expressed by each golden lock. And instantly, Juliana understood what had frightened Mr. Notley off. He’d been fearful of the repercussions.
Mr. Notley had his niece to consider in all of his actions and, mayhap, for just a moment, he’d been selfish. They’d also been close to discovery. But what would his reaction have been if they had shared those kisses in a more private setting? Would they have begun to explore each other’s bodies?
The thought sent a wave of heat through her. Juliana mightn’t have experienced lovemaking before, but she knew what it entailed…and she knew that it would ruin a woman for marriage.
Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, she bit gently as she walked. Her position as Lizzy’s governess would soon end, and she would resume her journey to London. What would become of her if she were discovered before then, or her rendezvous did not go as planned? Would she be forced to return to Jasper or the vile man to whom she’d been sold? What if someone discovered the carriage? She would be precisely back from where she’d fled.
If she was no longer a maiden, however, would her brother be able to sell her off? Wouldanyman wish to marry her? Hope blossomed in her chest. It was a risk, certainly, but she was already on the shelf, and she was about to embark on a personal adventure from which she anticipated great fulfilment. And, truly, anything was better than marrying Viscount Rivers. It was worth the risk.
Impossible though the thought was, Juliana believed that she’d found just the man to take on the task.
CHAPTER8
Leo paced in front of the large desk in his library, wishing that the scent of leather, parchment, and ink would calm his senses. But instead, the warm aroma of flowers remained in his nose, the taste of berries on his lips, and the sound of soft moans and sighs in his ears.
“Christ!” Leo shook out his hands before running them through his hair and beard. His heart still raced, and his cockstand wouldn’t sodding alleviate.
Given more time with Miss Smith, he might have taken her right there in the conservatory, and that was a bloody dangerous thing. The heavy hands of guilt and shame swarmed his chest and settled hard in his gut. He couldn’t have her—or any woman—and he’d best remember that. He needed to clear his head, needed to think.
Why did Miss Smith affect him so? He wanted her so damned badly—theremustbe a reason why. Who was she, really? He knew very little about her, and that realization was rather alarming. Why did she make him feel such unwanted emotions? Hell, how was she educated? He’d not even requested references, for God’s sake. Had she a family that missed her or days off in order to visit with them? Or, hell, was she in trouble with a magistrate for her radical views? Worst of all, he did not know why he missed her so badly when she was apart from him.
Spinning in his pacing, he punched a fist against his hip. He’d brought this woman into his home, and she’d grown close to his niece, had found her way under his skin…and he knew not the first thing about her. He didn’t even know the truth of how she’d been left on his land, covered in blood and holding a pistol.
Frustration rode him, his heart tripping over in his chest and his gut buzzing.
