“I agree. Who thought severed heads would make for a piece of art?”
Miles glanced around. “I see you didn’t have much luck with getting things back into the trunk.”
Susanna shrugged. “Yes, well it’s a work in progress.”
He crossed to the doorway and stood with his hands behind his back. “Do you need anything else?”
Just you.She shook her head. “What time do we leave in the morning?”
“I was thinking nine o’clock? It will take half a day to get there.”
“That’s all? That doesn’t leave me much time to come up with a plan for how we should approach Mr. Marlow.”
The corner of Miles’s lips kicked up on one side. “I have no doubt you will figure something out. Good night.”
“Oh wait!”
Miles turned back to her, his hand on the doorknob.
“This is a bit embarrassing but could you help me with some buttons? Clara helped me earlier, but without a maid I can’t reach…” Susanna closed her eyes. She sounded like a brazen hussy asking him to undress her.
“Turn around,” his deep voice directed.
She opened her eyes and found that he stood right in front of her. She turned her back to him and exhaled a slow breath in an effort to get her racing heart under control. His fingers brushed the nape of her neck as he swept a few errant hairs out of his way. Then he began to unbutton the dress. His fingers trailed a warm path down between her shoulder blades as he undid each button. She realized for the first time that he did not wear his gloves. In fact, had he worn his gloves at all today? Just another layer of his usual formality that had fallen away in these past two days.
His fingers were deft and he made his way quickly down her back. Susanna gripped the front of her dress to keep it in place. His breath tickled her neck as he bent close. She could perfectly picture his face, his brows lowered and his lips pressed together in concentration.
Go slower.
“That’s all of them I think,” he said.
He did not move away though and she turned her head to glance over her shoulder. His hand hovered over her shoulder as though the fingers itched to touch the skin there. She lifted her eyes to his, and the desire burning in them sent a spike of lust straight to her core. She quickly lowered her lashes. “Thank you,” she murmured.
“You’re welcome.” Miles took a large step back, turned on his heel and quit the room. From the other side of the door his voice boomed, “Lock the door.”
Susanna rolled her eyes and crossed to do as he asked. Her hand a bit shaky still she twisted the key in the lock. She leaned her forehead against the cool wood of the door. Dear Lord, the suppressed desire she had glimpsed in his eyes was potent. What would it be like if he unleashed it? She moved from the door and removed her dress, laying it carefully across a chair. She closed her eyes as she untied her short stays, imagining it was Miles that pulled the ribbons. That his fingers burned a path across her shoulders as he pushed the garment to the ground.
She sighed in frustration and picked up the candelabra, moving it to the bedside table. She climbed onto the bed. As she unrolled each of her stockings, she imagined her hands were his large ones smoothing down her calves.
Then she threw the counterpane back to scoot back against the pillows. She was far too hot for covers. Closing her eyes, continued her fantasy. After he removed her stockings would he kiss his way back up her leg, branding the soft skin on the inside of her thighs with his lips? She slowly slid her shift up inch by inch letting her fingers trail up her inner thighs until they reached her core which was already damp as she imagined Miles’s chestnut eyes staring up at her from between her legs. She rubbed circles around her clit slowly at first but she was too worked up, too achy, for that to satisfy. She increased her pressure as she imagined Miles licking her right there and moaned at the wicked thought.
A loud intake of breath pierced her fantasy and she froze. The man at the center of her thoughts stood in the open doorway between their two rooms his hand still on the doorknob. His eyes blazed with desire. Her clit throbbed under her fingertips in response. She should be mortified to be caught touching herself so intimately, but instead his molten gaze set her whole body aflame.
“Don’t stop.” He moved toward the bed, coming to a stop at the foot.
The candlelight from the bedside table illuminated his sharp features. His expression brooked no protest and she started to move her fingers again. Sliding them through her slick folds as he watched her with an intensity that stole her breath.
“Spread those pretty thighs for me,” he commanded.
She did as he asked, not able to do anything but comply when he stared at her with such hunger. She slid two fingers into her channel wishing they were his fingers. The thought had her arching her back in pleasure.
“That’s it, spread those long legs. You’re so wet. I can see your folds glistening. What do think of when you pleasure yourself? Tell me.”
Susanna tipped her head up so she could meet his heavy-lidded gaze. “You. I was thinking about you.”
*
Miles groaned andreached out to grip the bedpost, her words nearly bringing him to his knees. He had raised his hand to knock on the door that connected their two rooms. But before he could, he had heard her moan, and his first thought had been that she was harmed in some way. So, he had opened the door and walked right into his own personal hell. What he had fantasized about for too many nights to count. Susanna laid out on the bed, her shift rucked over her hips, and her fingers playing with her quim.
