“I doubt I would be bored, Miss Eldridge.”
That mobile eyebrow rose. “Very well. The barest bones only, though.”
“I’ll settle for that.”For now.
He couldn’t look away from her. The skin of fine porcelain, the eyes that were green and yet flecked with gold that glistened in the firelight. And that hair. Tumbled strands of chestnut, richer than any fur, shining as if lit from within.
She sipped her tea, then licked her lips.
Reid felt a bolt of lust pierce through his body with almost violent force. It was as if someone had lit one of Whinyates’ rockets and sat him on top of the damn thing. He resisted the urge to see if the top of his head was still in the right place, but it was a challenge not to reach up and check.
“So.” He cleared his throat of some obstruction that made it rough and low. “The barest bones, Miss Eldridge. I await the tale with eagerness.”
And I shall have you naked beneath me, writhing with desire, very very soon.
*~~*~~*
He really is quite extraordinary, she thought.
He was sitting next to her, smelling faintly of hops and barley, with eyes that had darkened as his arousal increased. She wondered if he knew that. Perhaps someday she’d tell him. But she’d promised him the bare bones of her life. That was exactly what he would be given.
“I never knew my mother. She gave me life and in doing so, lost her own.”
“How sad.”
“I’m sure it was, but I was too young to understand.” She paused. “It affected my father, of course. The loss must have been terribly painful. I suppose I was a constant reminder of that pain, or he couldn’t deal with a babe in the house…I don’t know. Whatever his reason, before I was a year old, he sent me to live with my aunt. She was actually a distant relation, I think, and had no husband or children of her own. She became my family and loved me well. I can remember no other.”
There, that would do. Much of it was the truth, anyway.
“You were happy?” He watched her.
“Yes. Growing up, Aunt Dorothea made sure I had friends, and there were cousins who would visit. It was fun.” She gave nothing away. “Time passed, and when I reached the appropriate age, my aunt arranged for my marriage.”
“You are wed?” One eyebrow rose at that news.
“Widowed. The gentleman selected was quite a bit older than myself.” She hid her eyes for a moment, sipping her tea as a distraction. “I believe his goal was to produce an heir. Sadly, he passed away before such a happy event could take place.”
“I see. Most unfortunate.”
“Indeed.” She put the mug down. “However, life continues, as it must. I was able to establish a small household and often entertain friends. I do not lack for anything, so I must count myself fortunate.”
“And is there another prospective husband being lined up in the wings?”
“No.” She met his gaze. “I doubt that I shall wed again. But I shall enjoy life—and love—on my terms.”
“What does that mean?” He put his mug down as well.
“It means…” She looked at his lips, those cool firm lips that she’d already tasted. They were a meal she had yet to finish, as was the rest of him. “It means that I shall enjoy pleasure where I find it. I have no care for the proprieties, rumor or gossip. As long as I am discreet…I shall live my life as it pleases me.”
He moved nearer. “And what pleases you? May I be allowed to know?”
She moved as well, turning toward him as they sat next to each other on the bed. “It would please me were you to touch me.”
“It would also please me.” His voice had roughened. “Where may I be allowed to place my hands?”
“So polite.” She chuckled. “Let’s see.”
Taking his hand, she moved it behind her and let him feel her waist. “That is very nice, sir.”
