Why couldn’t she touch him? He’d said no, to be sure, but what if she disobeyed? What if she slid her hands down her body and touched only the top of his head, where all that soft hair tangled, still half-wet, over his forehead?
Arms shaking, she pushed herself up on her elbows, her breath coming hard, strangled moans fighting their way out of her throat. She could not quite believe it was her making those sounds, but then everything seemed very far away for some reason.
He glanced up, his cool dark eyes meeting hers, and the movement of his tongue and lips quickened, his fingers sliding against her, too. She felt the tip of his finger press against her entrance, circling as if considering, and it was too much, too much.
She dropped onto her back again because her arms could not hold her up for much longer. Climax tore through her, enough to make her stomach clench and her fingers curl into the blankets around her.
The world went small, then large, then she was back in herself, and Stephen had ceased his ministrations. He stood up—the wretched drying sheet had not dislodged itself, although it was certainly sagging lower over his hips than before—and leaned over her.
“Well,” he said, and there was a hoarseness in his voice that had not been there before. “Might I congratulate myself on a job well done?”
That brought her down to earth a little more sharply.
Amelia scrambled up into a half-sitting position. Her skirts had tangled around her legs, and Stephen carelessly grabbed the hem, tugging it down effortlessly. It was rather thoughtful of him, she had to admit.
She cleared her throat. “I… That was extremely pleasant.”
The glow that had swept through her was beginning to fade.
What have I done? Oh, that was worse than a kiss.
“Extremely pleasant,” Stephen repeated, rolling the words over his tongue.
Thoughts of his tongue made heat sweep through her one more time.
No, no, no!
“Um, yes.”
He snorted. “Every man yearns to hearthosewords.”
Color dusted her cheeks. “I did not mean to be impolite.”
“You were not impolite. I could tell by your moans how much you enjoyed our activities.”
Oh, heavens. She had moaned, hadn’t she?Loudly, with no care for who might hear.
“It was a mistake,” she whispered.
His gaze sharpened. “My dear, I gave you every opportunity to escape.”
“Escape? No, I do not blame you. I… I blame myself,” she stammered, scrambling to the other end of the bed.
Now that the mattress was between her and Stephen, she felt a little more clear-headed.
Stephen eyed her, crossing his arms over his chest. The motion made his biceps bulge, and she quickly looked away.
“I hope you do not intend to act as though you were an unwilling participant, my dear.”
“Unwilling? No, no, you do not understand why I am distressed.”
He smothered a yawn. “Nobody comes to my rooms unless I summon them. Except for you, of course. You need not fear discovery.”
“Discovery always comes,” she answered instantly. “Mama endured the threat of discovery for years, but in the end, we wereexposed. Women do not get to hide from the consequences of such… such choices, not like men do.”
“I am not given to hiding. In case you weren’t aware, I feel something of a fondness for you, my dear Amelia.”
She gave a bitter laugh. “Yes, like my father was fond of my mother. Look where that got us all. Look where it gother.No, I cannot do this. I’ll never be a man’s mistress. This has already… already gone entirely too far.”
