The scent of a man.
Instinct drove her to open her mouth to further invasion. She feltfingers trace up to thread through her curls, sending shivers down herspine to weave with the magic of his other hand. A fever spread throughouther body. She surrendered utterly, her hands clutching at his robe.
Eventually his mouth released hers. She shuddered and rested herswimming head on his shoulder, feeling his hand stroke over her hair.
“Beth?” he asked softly.
Chapter Fifteen
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A part of Beth’s body reacted to the question like a child offeredsugar plums, but her mind balked. If he had carried her to the bed thenand taken her, she would not have resisted, but she could not, at thatmoment, consent. She was too overwhelmed by the strangeness of it all.Having regained a degree of sanity she was afraid to return to that wilddisintegration.
She shook her head against his shoulder.
He sighed and released her. But then he slipped his fingers to twinewith hers and pulled her into her bedroom. Beth could feel the thudding ofher heart as he studied her. A part of her still wanted him to persuadeher.
But in the end he let her go. “Ring for your maid. We’ll speak to theduke and duchess and set off. Don’t dally.”
With that he left for his own rooms and Beth collapsed down on a bench,not at all sure she was grateful for his restraint.
An hour later, armored in a new walking dress of sage green crepe, Bethrejoined her husband. He was safely conventional in blue and buff and thatmoment of uninhibited passion seemed like a fevered dream. Together theywent to find the duke and duchess.
The duchess kissed Beth on the cheek. “How smart you look, my dear. Iunderstand Lucien is wafting you off to Hartwell. The duke and I spentpart of our honeymoon there.”
Beth noticed the duchess flash a look at the duke and saw that austeregentleman smile. For some reason she felt embarrassed, as if she hadwitnessed an intimacy.
The duke also gave Beth a kiss. “Welcome to the de Vaux family,” hesaid with a degree of complacency which Beth longed to disturb. Heobviously thought his stratagem was working perfectly. Beth was sourlypleased he would have to wait longer than nine months for his pure-bloodedgrandchildren.
In fact, she was surprised at how vinegary she felt. The worst was overand she had not been subjected to intimate assault. It appeared that themarquess was willing to wait until she was ready to consummate themarriage. They were going off to some peace and quiet in a small house inthe country. She should be feeling sweet, not sour.
She determined to be sweet, not sour.
As soon as she was in the luxurious chariot, this time with themarquess beside her, she set herself to be pleasant. The weather certainlycontributed to good humor, for the late spring countryside was at its verybest.
“Tell me more about this estate. Hartwell,” she said.
He was lounged at his ease and showed no sign of amorousness, thankheavens. “As I said, it’s a cottage ornee. Quite pretty, I think, withcharming rustic gardens.” His lips twitched into a grin. “Deceptivesimplicity sums it up, actually. It takes a great deal of work and moneyto preserve its bucolic charms, but it’s charming all the same. There’s astream at the end of the garden and an orchard and a dovecot.”
“Should I have brought my silk and lace shepherdess outfit?” Bethteased.
“Like Marie Antoinette at the Petit Trianon? Definitely not. But thereal charm of Hartwell is that we may wear exactly what we wish.” Hereached up and unknotted his cravat, unwound it, and tossed it onto theopposite seat. “Voila!Freedom.”
Beth undid the strings of her high straw bonnet, pulled it off, andtossed it to lie over his neckcloth.
His eyes sparkled and he undid the buttons of his shirt.
Beth eyed him warily. “This is not a competition I am willing to engagein, my lord.”
He smiled. “Lucien ? or I’ll strip naked here and now.”
“Lucien,” Beth said hurriedly.
“Lucien, my darling?” he suggested.
“Just Lucien,” she replied. “I call your bluff. You would not stripnaked here.”
“You really must learn not to challenge me, my lady,” he said softly,echoing the words she had used earlier. But then he laughed. “I’ll nottake you up now. You did, after all, fulfill my condition. And I want noforced endearments.”
