Trevor could feel the rush of heat in his cheeks.Good lord, was he actually starting to blush?“I suppose it is rather ungrateful to denounce my cohort.” Trevor assumed what he hoped was a wounded, contrite look.
Meredith’s eyes darted knowingly back and forth between his. Trevor resisted the urge to tug at his cravat, which suddenly felt a bit tight and constricting.
“You must tell me, my lord, what urgent matter required your corruption of my staff.”
“Certainly.” The marquess gestured toward the sofa. “May I?”
“If you must,” Meredith replied, biting the words through clenched teeth. She moved aside so he could gain entrance to the center of the room. “I had hoped you would not be staying long enough to require a seat.” He paused, tilted his head back, and gave her a smoldering smile. The backs of his calf touched the edge of the settee, yet Trevor deliberately remained on his feet.
“Oh, for heaven sakes,” Meredith huffed ungraciously and flopped into a chair.
He marveled that her graceful beauty was still evident, even when she was trying to be a bore.
“Why was Julian Wingate here?”
“That is none of your concern.”
Her voice was strong and steady, but he caught the unease quiver in her eyes and realized her bravado was a mask for her nervousness.
“I thought Wingate was engaged to be married,” Trevor said.
“He is, and to a woman of my acquaintance. She is the sister-in-law of my oldest friend, which makes the situation even more awkward.”
“How so?”
Meredith shrugged nonchalantly. “Though the notion might be considered old-fashioned, or even stuffy, I feel his intentions toward me are hardly appropriate for a man about to be married.”
“Do you believe he will renounce his fiancée if you favor his suit?” Trevor scowled as an even more unpleasant thought came to mind. “Doyou favor his suit?”
Meredith rolled her eyes. “Mr. Wingate was not offering me marriage.”
Trevor shot to his feet. Annoyance billowed through him. “He shall answer to me for such insolence.”
“Oh, do sit down, my lord.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “What did you expect? After your little display at the park the other afternoon, I have been on the receiving end of several less than reputable propositions. At the theater last night, not one respectable woman spoke directly to me. It was as if I were invisible.”
“Your reputation?”
“In shreds, I fear. Though it might be restored in time. One can never tell with this sort of thing.” She ran her tongue thoughtfully over her upper lip. “Not that I mind all that much. Truly. I have never overly enjoyed society, though I confess I prefer having the option of rejecting thetoninstead of the other way round.
“However, I am very concerned about how this will impact my brothers. Already there are several fathers who have made rumblings that they do not wish their young, impressionable daughters to associate with them.”
Trevor huffed. “Your brothers are both far too young to be considering marriage.”
“Perhaps. Yet I have learned through years of observation that doors closed are seldom reopened. I would not wish that to be my brothers’ fate.”
She lowered her eyes, and he noticed she was fidgeting with the single flounce on the skirt of her gown. Though she was trying valiantly to make light of the situation, it was clear she was unhappy. And regretful.
“Do you know what you need?” he asked, gazing at her steadily. “A little reminder of what landed us in this hornet’s nest in the first place.”
He reached out and curled a stray wisp of blond hair around her ear. She looked up, clearly caught off guard. A wave of tenderness and desire surged though him. Taking her lovely face gently between his hands, he held her head still and pressed his lips upon hers.
He wasn’t sure she would accept his kiss. He felt her stiffen, hesitate, but then, to his great joy and relief, her lips parted to welcome the thrust of his tongue.
The sweet taste of her nearly made Trevor dizzy, bringing forth a rush of pure pleasure to every nerve in his body. He slipped one arm around her back, pulled her closer to him, and continued to kiss her mouth slowly, intimately, until he heard her moans of excitement. She was a passionate creature, and he yearned for her in a way he almost could not understand.
He softened his lips and moved over hers in gentle, exploratory touches. His fingers lightly caressed the delicate, vulnerable place where her neck and shoulder joined, and then the tip of his tongue followed the same path. She moaned louder and curled her arms around his neck, straining upward toward his heated body.
Trevor inhaled her warm, womanly scent, and his spiraling arousal reached the heights of sweet desperation. He felt as though he were standing on a cliff and the ground was slowly giving way beneath him.
