She raised her fist to knock, and the door swung swiftly inward. A gasp caught in her throat, the scent of cinnamon and coconut so strong it made her knees wobble.
“Miss Smith is here to see you, sir,” Percy announced, stepping aside.
Kitty barked, and Juliana started as the greyhound bounded gaily into the room.
Mr. Notley jolted upright, spinning to face her as he stood from his position by a comfortable hearth. “Miss Smith!”
Kitty and her brother, Boots, raced toward one another, leaping together in circles before darting past Percy and Juliana out of the room.
Very aware of Mr. Notley’s expectant gaze, heat spread over Juliana’s chest and neck. And suddenly the words refused to come. The man wore a green silk robe that showed enough of his neck and chest to make her stomach swoop and the skin behind her knees tingle.Oh, Lord, am I breathing?
Her gaze slid down to his bared feet and hair-smattered calves. It was such an unintentionally intimate thing that made her stomach give a self-doubting dive.
With a quavering breath, she stepped diffidently into the room, wishing that she could draw upon whatever nerve it was that had prompted her to concoct this ludicrous plan from the start.
Percy gave her a short bow and slipped past her into the hall, closing the door with an ominousclick.
There was a muffled crunching sound before Mr. Notley swallowed back the remainder of the drink in his hand, placing the emptied snifter upon a nearby table, and cleared his throat. “What brings you to my rooms, Miss Smith?”
In for a penny. After coming to the conclusion that, should her plans go awry, this could very well be her only way to withdraw from Jasper’s arranged marriage for her, Juliana had come up with several propositions for Mr. Notley. All of which had fled her mind the moment she’d seen him in his robe.
Instead, she strode with a purpose that she didn’t feel through his spacious master bedchamber—past the grand bed, table, tallboy, and wardrobe.
“Wha—”
With an internal pang of nervous anxiety, Juliana gripped the man’s surprisingly broad shoulders, lifted up on her toes, and broke off his words with a kiss. Sparks seemed to tingle over her skin at the contact, and her heart hiccoughed.
His lips were soft but unmoving, his chest rising and falling with each quick breath. They stood thusly for several long, hard heartbeats. He didn’t turn her away, but neither did he show signs of wishing to move further.
Perhaps he would refuse her. She ought to step away, leave him to his evening in solitude. He’d shown interest in an intimacy between them when they’d been in the conservatory, but perhaps that was just a moment of weakness. Mayhap she was not the type of woman that Mr. Notley enjoyed, or perhaps his interest had waned. Hehadfled the conservatory rather swiftly, and she hadn’t even begun this encounter with conversation. She’d simply thrown herself at his person. Shame and embarrassment crashed through her.What have I done?
Her stomach in knots, she began to pull away. But he followed. His lips were no longer unmoving but seemingly stilted with hesitation and uncertainty. All at once, her feelings of humiliation fled, and her purpose and desire returned.
Juliana glided her palms over the thick muscles of his shoulders toward his neck, where she explored his hair, still damp from his bath. She traced her fingertips along the muscles of his neck and combed her fingers through his wavy blond locks.So soft.
His breath came in short, rapid bursts now, and Juliana exulted at his response. All prior thoughts fled from her mind as she focused solely on satisfying her need to touch him.
Heat radiated from his body, urging Juliana flush against him. While she’d enjoyed their kisses earlier, she wanted what came next, and didn’t waste her time in getting it.
Opening her mouth to him, she let him inside while simultaneously rubbing her sensitive flesh against the hardness tenting his robe. A low growl emanated from his chest, harsh and predatory, and entirely thrilling. Lord above, the sharp zest of cinnamon coated her tongue and filled her nostrils.Delicious.
She fisted one hand in his hair and explored his back with the other. There was scarcely a scrap of fabric separating them, and that knowledge enflamed her even further.
His tongue flicked hers, probing and exploring as his hands pulled the pins from her hair. Heat spiralled through her body and curled her toes, her heart fluttering wildly and her skin coming alive with taut need.
Her kiss became urgent as her passions consumed her. She rocked her mound against the hard ridge of his erection in an effort to assuage the riot of feeling inside her.
* * *
A stringof obscenities raced through Leo’s mind. The woman had him wound so tightly he very much feared that he’d come off against the fabric of his robe. Hell, it had been too damned long. And her hair—good God, her fucking hair!—was dark and full, and it bounced in ringlets over her shoulders as it was released.
At the moment, he didn’t care a whit for his prior reservations; Miss Smith was in his arms, and she was glorious.
Seeking that rush of pleasure again, he slid one hand into her hair. The other squeezed her full, round arse and pressed her against his needy cock. He groaned again, rational thought all but entirely gone as he broke off their frantic kisses to trail his lips down her petal-soft neck.
The scent of flowers and lust radiated from her, driving him mad with want.
He rocked her hips against him once more, ready to lift her skirts and have her right where they bloody stood.
