Nodding, he bustled her up the steps and knocked on the front door. He tossed his hat to the footman who opened it. “I’ll take Reggie down to the kitchen for his dinner,” Julius said. He nodded his chin towards the stairs, and Amanda took that as her cue to make for his room.
She took the steps two at a time. Out of breath, she held her hand to her side and made her way down the hall at a more dignified pace.
The evening fire had already been laid in Julius’s room. Amanda kicked off her slippers and sat on the edge of the chair in front of it, rubbing her hands together before the flames.
Julius pushed through the door, holding a tray in his hands, and kicked it shut. He set the tray on the low table next to her. “I got our dinners, as well as the dog’s.” Shucking his coat, he sank into the chair next to her. He stretched his legs out and sighed.
Amanda fixed a small plate and handed it to Julius. “You seem happy.”
“I will concede content.” He turned his head to look at her. “It is a great burden off my mind to know you forgive me.”
Amanda nibbled on a bit of beef pie. “I, too, am glad we’re no longer in a quarrel.”
Julius slid his cravat off and unbuttoned his vest, getting comfortable. The white silk shirt beneath clung to his chest, and Amanda tried not to stare. He dove into his meal. A bit of sauce pooled at the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away, and stuck the tip of his thumb in his mouth, sucking it off.
The tips of her breasts tingled with heat. Her body remembered how good his mouth felt. She undid the top two buttons at her neck and gulped down some wine. The chairs were positioned too close to the fire.
Julius narrowed his gaze on her throat. Setting his plate down on the table, he asked, “Hot?”
She nodded.
“There’s a solution to that.” Crossing one leg over the other, Julius rested his elbow on the armrest, and his chin on his fist. “Stand up.”
She stood.
“Take off your dress. Slowly.” Julius swirled the wine around in his glass and took a sip, his gaze never leaving hers.
Wanting to tear the heavy cotton from her body, Amanda forced herself to ease the buttons through their holes. When she reached the waist of her gown, she shrugged the sleeves off her shoulders. The material fell to her waist, and she pushed the dress over her hips and to the floor. She plucked it from the ground and began to fold it.
Julius took it from her hands. “Later.” He tossed the garment over his shoulder and sat up. “With the firelight behind you, I can see every line of your body beneath your shift.”
Amanda twisted, trying to see what he did.
He growled. “I can see how hard your nipples are for me. Hard and tight and begging for my mouth.” Grabbing a fistful of the skirt of her chemise, he pulled her between his legs. He rubbed his thumbs over the tips of her breasts. “Your skin must be so sensitive right now. Is your shift scraping against your skin? Driving you crazy?”
Her chest rose and fell beneath his hands. “Yes.”
He slid his hands down her sides and tugged her closer. Close enough that when he stretched his neck, he could take one of her hard peaks in his mouth.
She fisted the shoulders of his shirt. Arching her back, she tried to press more of her flesh into his hot mouth. The first pull sent a bolt of desire straight to her core. “Julius,” she moaned.
“Shhh.” He blew against the wet fabric, and her knees buckled. Only his hands kept her upright. He moved to her other breast, lavishing the same attention on it.
Dazed, she glanced down. The thin cotton had become translucent where his tongue had laved. Her nipple stood dark and erect beneath the clinging shift.
Setting her back a step, Julius cupped her breasts. Then he grabbed the neck of the chemise and tore it down the middle.
Amanda gaped at him.
“Get on the bed.” Julius toed off his boots. He tugged the ruined garment from her body and then smacked her lightly on the bottom to get her moving.
She scampered to the four-poster. Her skin felt tight, itchy, as though it didn’t quite stretch properly around her frame. Running her palms down her thighs, she sucked in a deep breath and devoured Julius with her eyes. He removed his clothes with a ruthless efficiency, his shirt tearing at the shoulder when he ripped it over his head. Every inch of skin he exposed made Amanda ache. She loved the feel of his body pressed against hers, slick with sweat, hot from exertion. She clenched the coverlet.
She wanted to feel every inch of him.
He prowled towards her, his eyelids at half-mast. He raised a knee on the bed, and she pressed her hand against his chest to stop him. She held her breath. The last time she’d expressed this desire, things had gone very wrong. “Julius, I want …”
“Tell me.”
