He’d taken his wife’s maidenhead.
The thought was still enough to make him ill. Almost. Verylikely, it would have if it hadn’t also made him so painfully hard. Desperatefor distraction, he turned to his lovely hostess, Lady Needham. She was an oldacquaintance, blonde and petite, ineffably lovely, old enough to know the rulesof jaded love and just the sort of woman a man could dally with free ofconsequence. She and Lord Needham had been living separate lives for someyears. She never spoke his name. He hadn’t ever thought it odd, but for somereason he did now.
“I must say I haven’t indulged in charades since your lastparty, Nell,” he said quietly, allowing his fingers to trail for a moment ather elbow. “I haven’t forgotten.”
She smiled, fine lines forming at the corners of her eyes. Forall that she was an acclaimed beauty, even she was not goddess enough to avoidtime’s unforgiving hand. “Ah yes, I believe you had Lady Billingsley as yourcompanion then.”
He stiffened at the mentioning of Eleanor, still painful.“And you wound up dancing on the table.”
Her expression turned sly. “Did I? I daresay I don’trecall.”
“I saw your drawers,” he drawled, recalling every moment ofher impromptu performance. No one could hold a candle to Nell when it came tobravado.
“Odd, that.” She winked. “I don’t ordinarily wear them.”
He grinned back at her, glad for the levity. He’d had suchfew opportunities for it of late. If only her revelation had some effect on hiscursed lust. But though Nell remained alluring as ever, she wasn’t the womancausing his blood to race to the wrong end of his body. “Are you wearing themtoday, my dear?” he asked mildly, trying to divert his attention from hisinconvenient attraction to his wife. “Lord knows I’m in need of a pleasantdistraction.”
Most women would have swooned at such a question. Nell threwback her head and laughed. “I suppose that is for you and the rest of thecompany to discover.” She tapped him on his coat sleeve. “Now do come along.It’s time to start the festivities, and if it’s a diversion you need, I havejust the thing for you, Simon darling.”
* * * * *
Dear sweet heavens.
Maggie twined her hands together nervously and paced thelength of the chamber she’d been assigned by Lady Needham. It was a man’schamber. Of that much she was certain. But whose? She was beginning to fearthat naughty charades was a great deal too naughty for her sensibilities.
Nell, as she was wont to be called, had blithely explainedthat each lady was to retire to a chamber she appointed for them and to awaitthe partners she chose to send them. Upon the arrival of their partners,charades would ensue. They were to keep score and announce the winners atdinner. Of course, Nell had added with a wink, the naughty portion of thecharades was left to the imagination of the players themselves.
Naughty indeed. She fanned her heated cheeks with her hand.Perhaps it wasn’t too late to escape. She was decidedly in the rabbit hole andmost definitely over her head. Her decision made, she rushed for the door, hersilk mules clipping on the carpet.
The door opened, stopping her completely. Her heartfluttered, her stomach feeling as if it were tipping like a runaway carriage.And then the nervousness quickly melted into a far more heady sensation.
Anticipation.
It was him. Her lover. He too stilled, his gaze burning intohers. His sensual mouth flattened in what she could only suppose wasdispleasure. Had he been hoping for someone else? Perhaps the night before wasall he had sought from her. Perhaps she had disappointed him in her clumsy innocence.There was also the troubling matter of the woman he’d loved. Even Lady Needhamknew of his past, and he had told Maggie himself that he had loved the womanfor many years. Such strong emotion wouldn’t dissipate easily. Mayhap heharbored regrets because of her.
“You,” he said, the lone word filled with emotion.
Anger? Irritation? She couldn’t tell. “Sir,” she saidlamely, dipping into a curtsy. It was likely a silly show of formality in theircircumstances, but she was unbearably nervous. What was the proper protocol forgreeting the man who had made passionate love to her the night before, the manwhose name and face she didn’t even know?
“Damn Nell for this,” he gritted. “She thinks she’s beingclever.”
Oh dear. He wasn’t pleased. In fact, he seemed wound astightly as a watch spring. She faltered, at a loss. “Clever?” Did Lady Needhamknow what had transpired between them? The prospect was mortifying.
“Never mind,” he growled, snapping the door closed at hisback before stalking into the chamber. “It would seem we’re at the mercy of ourhostess’s whims.”
“I’m sorry you find my company so offensive,” she murmured.
He frowned, his eyes darkening to a deep, glitteringemerald. He stopped a mere foot away from her, clenching his fists. “Notprecisely offensive. There are things at work here that you don’t understand.”
It was her turn to frown. “You are correct in that I don’tunderstand the reason for your sudden discontent. But perhaps you couldenlighten me.”
“I could.” He spun on his heel and gave her his back,striding in the opposite direction. “But I don’t wish to, and I find I’m toobloody old for a game of naughty charades.”
He reached for the door, preparing to leave her, and in thatmoment she was stricken by the oddest feeling that if she allowed him to leave,it might well be the last time she saw him. She hurried after him, her heartmaking her act even when her head balked at the notion. “Wait.”
He stopped but didn’t turn to face her, didn’t say a word.His head was bowed as though he were waging some sort of inner battle.
Uncertain now that she’d given him pause, she laid atentative palm on his shoulder. Images of their wild night of passion hit her.She thought of how wonderful his tongue had felt on her most sensitive flesh,how he had filled her, brought her to the heights of pleasure. She knew hisshoulders were broad and strong, smooth to the touch. Before she could rethinkher actions, she stepped closer, her skirts brushing his trousers, and wrappedher arms about his lean waist. She laid her head against his back, breathing inhis spicy scent, relishing his nearness, his seductive heat radiating into her.
