Octavia drew to his side and looked out. She could not recall the last time it had rained so hard and for this long.
“Would you care for some tea?” she finally asked.
“Yes, please,” Bolton answered.
She settled onto the chair as Octavia already suspected that if she sat on the settee, Bolton would sit beside her. While she longed for touch, she also knew that being in such close proximity she may succumb to desire.
Octavia wanted him, yes, but she also began to reconsider what she truly wished for this Season. Was it truly a lover or did she simply want affection?
Bolton settled directly across from her, and she reached forward to pour. When she looked up and met his dark, smoldering eyes, Octavia knew with certainty that she wanted both affection and a lover.
Angelo may have been chilled, but the moment Octavia stood beside him at the window he began to warm.
The setting was intimate and perfect for seduction. A fire burned brightly, warming the room and his suitcoat and boots had already been removed.
She was wearing a simple day gown, and it would not be difficult to lift her skirt or undo the buttons at the back.
He would not lift her skirt. When he seduced Octavia, he’d remove all her clothing and feast, not simply lift her gown, and give pleasure before finding his own.
Angelo shifted to hide how his body responded to what he wished to do with Octavia. It was rather surprising. He wasn’t a green lad who physically reacted to any female who may be near, yet he would have no difficulty loving her deeply and thoroughly at this very moment. Therefore, he must take his mind off seduction and consider more mundane matters until she was of a mind to be seduced.
He sipped the tea Octavia offered and realized that for all the times they’d spent in conversation, he was having difficulty trying to think of something to say. Oddly, he also did not mind. It was comfortable simply being with her and enjoying the intimacy. He also welcomed the warmth coming from the fireplace as his stockings and trousers were finally beginning to dry. But they couldn’t continue to sit in silence.
“What is rule number five?”
She laughed again. “Why are you obsessed with knowing the rules?”
“So that I do not inadvertently break them.”
“I can promise that most do not apply to you unless you have secrets that have not yet been exposed.”
The side of his mouth quirked. “I would happily expose all of my secrets to you, Octavia.”
She arched a brow. “I still have not given you leave to address me as such.”
“Yet, I will continue to do so when we are alone, especially in an intimate setting such as this.”
His words had the effect that he hoped for because her cheeks grew pink in what he believed was desire and not embarrassment.
“Rule number five,” he reminded her.
“Widowers should be avoided as one does not know what to expect. They may be seeking a wife, especially if they have children, or are still in need of an heir. Too much time in their company will invite speculation as to whether it is courtship or pleasure, especially if he is newly widowed.” She smiled. “Have you had a wife that nobody is aware of? Are you a widower, Lord Bolton?”
“No,” he answered, amazed at her rules and reasoning behind them. “And please, call me Angelo.”
The rose of her cheeks deepened. “I will not.”
“Ever?” he countered.
“We shall see,” she said before taking a sip of tea, but Angelo saw the corners of her luscious mouth tip up.
After a scratch on the open door, the butler entered carrying a silver tray. “A message from the home of His Grace. They await your response.”
Octavia took the parchment, opened and read it. She then looked out the window. “Please tell the footman that I will not be attending the Chester Ball this evening. I have already been caught in the elements and wish to remain beside a fire and warm so that I do not become ill.”
The butler nodded and quit the room.
Angelo had planned on attending, but no longer wished to do so. If Octavia was not going to be present, why should he?
