Diana laughed so hard that their bodies separated, leaving her with a sense of regret for the loss. “It is quite a talent to be vulgar and clever at the same time.”
He grinned, then pulled the bedcovers over them. The fire was dying down and there was a chill in the air that they hadn’t noticed earlier. Diana was content to lie against Gervase, her head on his shoulder, her arm across his waist. Her lover; what a marvelous reality the words had taken. Once more intuition had guided her truly. The thought of this joining had been terrifying, and only faith that they were meant to be together had given her the strength to accept him.
Now, like mist on the moors, her fears had vanished, and not just because passion had burned them away. Deeper than desire lay some inexplicable quality in Gervase that made her feel peaceful and protected with him, a kindness that had disarmed all her buried angers.
She sighed and pressed closer. Dark secrets might still lie between them, but tonight they had begun a journey together that must surely, in time, lead them to light.
They lay languid until he said, “We still haven’t determined how you are going to be compensated. If you thought that offering a sample would raise the price, you are correct.” She rolled over on her back and he raised himself on one elbow, playing with her long hair. In the dim light it looked black, with only an occasional hint of chestnut richness.
“Do you want to have all your bills sent to me? Or would you prefer to have a regular allowance, perhaps three hundred pounds a month?” He formed her hair into patterns on the pillow, arcing out like willow leaves.
Diana felt a flash of irritation at his assurance. It was a very generous offer, but . . . did he assume that after a satisfying tumble, she would automatically fall in with his wishes?
Maddeningly, his confidence was not far off the mark, but she wasn’t going to let him know that. Far better to keep him off balance. “Need we be so formal? Bring me presents instead. Surprise me. If I satisfy you and you pay a just price, that will work well enough.”
He frowned, his dark brows drawing together as he looked down at her. The comfortable intimacy was fading. “I prefer that matters be settled.”
“I am not a ‘matter to be settled,’ my lord.” Diana let her lashes flutter down over her eyes, consciously casual, as if what he did was of no account to her. “Have you never learned that with people you must be flexible or you will be infuriated?”
He snorted, caught between irritation and amusement. “I want a mistress, not a philosopher.”
“You have both, and a thousand other things as well. If that does not please you, you are quite free to look elsewhere.”
“Perhaps I will in time, Diana. But not yet.” He laid one hand on her breast and moved it in slow circles, teasing the nipple as he captured her mouth with his. “Definitely not yet.”
Diana was startled to find herself responding. She’d thought she’d had quite enough for one night. But apparently not, and by the growing pressure against her thigh, Gervase hadn’t either.
He whispered, “Once more I will diverge from the script. If you had really been a virgin, a gentleman would refrain from doing this again so soon. Fortunately you are not the former, so I need not behave like the latter.”
Diana learned that knowing what to expect added to the pleasure. This time their lovemaking was shorn of the pent-up desire that had driven them earlier, and it lasted for an endless, languorous time, with Gervase bringing them both to the edge again and again, then retreating. The prolonged buildup led to a powerful, long-lasting climax, subtly different from the earlier one, but equally intense.
After, Diana lay with her head on his chest, her hair spilling across them both like a veil as their slow breathing matched in rhythm. At this rate, her lack of experience would be eliminated in no time. His strong hand cradled her neck and he was so still that she wondered if he slept.
Though it would be easy to drift into dreams, she preferred not to. “Gervase?”
“Yes?” His eyes opened and there was a very strange expression in them, one she could not analyze. Contentment? Satisfaction? Doubt, or perhaps even fear? Diana was usually very good at sensing others’ emotions, but this was too complex a blend to define. She reminded herself that while sex was in some ways a simple act, this was not a simple man.
“It’s very late. Time for you to leave.”
She felt his hand tense on her neck. Had he expected to stay? According to Madeline, some men liked to sleep with their mistresses, whereas some did not. It was an individual taste.
His voice was cool and detached, remote from the intimate tangle of their naked bodies. “How fortunate that you reminded me. I prefer to sleep alone myself.”
If that was true, why did she feel that he was angry at being asked to leave? Though Diana had never spent the night with a man, she didn’t doubt that she would enjoy having Gervase’s warm, solid body next to hers. But occasionally Geoffrey came down in the early morning, and she would not risk her son finding a man in her bed.
As he pulled his pantaloons on, Gervase asked curtly, “What are your other rules?”
Though his withdrawal hurt, there was nothing she could do about it. Lifting her chin a bit, she said calmly, “Always inform me in advance when you wish to visit.”
“So you can chase your other lovers out of your bed?” His voice was definitely hostile as he tugged on his wrinkled shirt.
“If that is what you choose to believe.” Diana felt shy about climbing naked out of the tumbled bed, but modesty seemed ludicrous after what had passed between them. She got up quickly, then retrieved her silk robe from the sitting room. Wearing it could be justified by escorting him downstairs.
“What other explanation could there be?”
His gray eyes were chilly and his height and broad shoulders made him an intimidating stranger as he loomed over her. It was hard to remember how close they had been short moments earlier.
Diana quailed inwardly but didn’t drop her gaze. “You might consider that I have a life apart from my . . . work. I might be out, I might be busy with something not easily interrupted. If I am expecting you, it will be more convenient for both of us.”
