“What are you doing?” he demanded, his voice sounding thick.
How lowering. “Embracing you.”
“Why?”
Heavens, if he had been such a surly lout the eveningbefore, she surely never would have invited him to her bed. But his reactionnow aside, if she’d learned anything from her past, it was that she would neveragain follow her head rather than her heart. “Because I couldn’t let you go withouttouching you one more time,” she admitted, flushing even though he couldn’t seeher face.
He tensed. “You don’t know what you’re playing at, my lady.”
“You’re utterly right. I don’t.” But he hadn’t extricatedhimself and that had to count for something. “I do know I’ve never felt morealive than when you made love to me.”
She decided in that instant that she would take the tworemaining days she had at Lady Needham’s and make them worthwhile. Afterward,she would return to her solitary life in London. Perhaps this was her onlychance for passion. How could she simply allow him to walk away as if he hadn’tchanged everything?
Feeling very brave, she slid her hand over his flat stomachdown to the placket of his trousers. He was already hard, but as her fingerstentatively traveled over the outline of his cock, he became positively rigid.He sucked in a breath. An answering heat bloomed through her. She wanted himinside her again. And novice though she may be, there was no mistaking hisresponse. After all, he still had not fled the chamber as he’d intended to do.She began to understand that she had a great deal more power than she had eversupposed.
“Do you feel the same way?” she asked, her heart hoping.
“You’re not being fair,” he ground out. “But perhaps Ideserve this torture.” He cupped her hand over his stiff cock, showing her howhe preferred to be caressed.
“I hold you accountable.” She stroked him, rising to hertiptoes to press a kiss to the side of his neck. “If you hadn’t trounced mytrain, I never would have met you.”
“Perhaps you’ve already met me,” he said, voice low, velvetto her senses. “Did you ever think of that?”
She pondered his suggestion, for it took her aback. Withtheir masks firmly in place, it was easy to imagine they were strangers who hadnever crossed paths. More romantic, certainly. Of course, she had met many menin London. None had drawn her to their side in the way this man had. None haddone such sinful yet wonderful things to her body. None had made love to her.
Only him.
But why would he pose the question? “Have we met?” she askedhim, curious.
“I believe we have,” he answered cryptically.
It seemed as if he knew her identity despite her mask. HadLady Needham told him? “Do you know who I am?”
“No,” he said on a groan as she continued to tease him. “Ibegin to think I do not.”
She decided not to further probe him on the subject. Whetheror not he knew who she was, they would both return to their ordinaryexistences. He was perhaps another’s husband. She was certainly another’s wife.They had no future, nothing save this depraved weekend of abandon.
“Do you still think you’re too old to play charades?” shequeried, tongue in cheek. Good heavens, she was feeling beyond brave now. Itwas as if Lady Needham’s infectious yet incorrigible persona had worn off ontoher. She didn’t even recognize herself.
“Hell.” He turned around at last, slipping his arms roundher waist. “You’re going to kill me.”
She tipped back her head, meeting his gaze. “Not today, Ihope.”
“Tell me what you want from me,” he said, voice gruff.
She didn’t hesitate. “I want to feel you inside me again.”
“Naughty woman.” He dipped his head close to hers, barelygrazing her lips as if he couldn’t help himself. “Did you like having my cockin you?”
“Oh yes,” she breathed.
“Do you want it again?”
“Of course I do.”
“Mmm. You’ll be the end of me for certain.” He took hermouth in a ravaging kiss then, hot and hungry, open and possessive.
She kissed him back, locking her wrists around his neck andpressing her body to his. Their tongues tangled as she welcomed him once more,tasting him. Her nipples hardened beneath her chemise and the stiff abrasion ofher corset. Her fingers sank into his thick, soft hair. Oh good heavens, shewas on fire for him. What did this man do to her? She had lived twenty-twoyears without ever feeling as if she were about to burst into flame. And yetnow, here she was, helplessly in this stranger’s thrall.
