“I’m sure not all your fans are so young.”
He strode to her, grasping her chin. “You are the only lady I want.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Are you sure? It appears you could have a lady for every day of the week.”
Thomas, unable to stop himself, brushed a light kiss over her lips. “It is only you that torments my thoughts.”
Desire flared between them, and unable to stop himself, Thomas said, “I’ve arranged something for us tomorrow. A date for you and me to be completely alone.”
She gulped, and his eyes flicked down, lingering on her throat, wishing he could run his lips down it.
“Are you ever going to join me?” Benjamin hollered from the drawing room, breaking their stare off.
They both stepped back from each other, and Thomas said, “Until tomorrow, wife.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The next day,Lisbeth sat with Thomas in a small stone cottage on a beautiful property outside of London. Benson, her guard, had dropped them off there with two horses and would return later in the evening.
The land was adorned with a gorgeous lake, fields of flowers, spectacular manor ruins, and plants just starting to bloom. Lisbeth had been shocked when they arrived at the stone cottage that already had a roaring fire and food laid out for them.
She glanced around and smiled. “Did you have Morrison and Benson help you out with this?”
Thomas grinned. “I did. You said you wanted to be alone, so here we are.”
Nerves flared in Lisbeth’s stomach. She wasn’t sure why; they’d been intimate before. Thomas laid out bedding, creating a makeshift bed in front of the fireplace. He removed his jacket, cravat, and shoes. Warmth shot through Lisbeth.
He sat and held out his hand. “Join me, Lizzie.”
She blushed and removed her shoes before sitting. He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her against his chest. Lisbeth snuggled into him. Thomas kissed the top of her head and asked, “Two weeks together. How do we think it is going?”
She smiled impishly. “Fine, besides your many admirers.”
“It makes me wish I hadn’t agreed to work with Anderson all those years ago.”
Lisbeth shook her head. “Don’t. It made you wealthy and also sparked people’s curiosity about antiquities. There are dozens of boys and girls out there who want to be the next Thomas Easton.”
He slid her off his chest, so she was lying on her back, and he was staring down at her. Thomas frowned. “Still, I’m worried about that letter you received.”
Lisbeth sighed. “You can’t control the actions of someone else. I’m sure it was an angry young fan. They will move on.”
One of his hands glided down her front, and Lisbeth sucked in a breath. Their eyes connected, and desire crackled between them. “Did you bring me here to seduce me, Mr. Easton?”
She hoped so. He smirked. “And if I did, Mrs. Easton?”
Her heart pounded, and a rightness coursed through her. Lisbeth teasingly said, “Well, you denied me in the carriage. Perhaps I’m not interested now.”
Disbelief flicked across his face. “I could never deny you anything. We both wanted to wait. Had you pushed me on it, I would have gladly hiked your skirts up and filled you with my cock.”
Her core clenched. Thomas frowned. “The last time we were together, we were so angry, but saying I didn’t enjoy it would be a lie. Still, I wanted our next time to be more than that. I wanted it to be an opportunity for us to discover each other with love and care.
Lisbeth blinked back tears. His words reverberated with sincerity. A million hurts existed between her and Thomas, and he still loved her. She could see it on his face. He leaned down and ran kisses up her neck, and as if to lighten the mood, he murmured, “Now, going forward, I promise to tup you in the carriage anytime you request.”
She giggled. “I may demand it quite often.”
He grinned wickedly at her. “I would like nothing more.”
Lisbeth was done with all the games and the coyness of when they would be intimate. She grabbed his hand and raised it to her lips. “Thomas, make love to me, please.”
