“You are an honorable man, Demetrius.”
“I try to be.” He took a drink. “Except where you are concerned.”
“I do not understand.”
“Honor would demand that I not seek you as a lover because you are better than me. Yet my need for you is great. A passion and desire that I have never experienced before. But I fear that you will regret our actions if I seduce you.”
At least he still wanted her.
“It is my decision to make and I wish you would stop viewing us as being of a different status. It does not matter,” she insisted. “I had not even realized that there was the possibility of pleasure and I want to know…experience the possibilities. More importantly, I want it to be you, Demetrius, nobody else, and I can promise I will never ever regret what may occur between us even if it means that I must be the one to seduce you.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Ah, Lavinia, you already do. It is the touch of your hand, the side of your neck that beckons for a kiss. It is the gentle sway when you walk and the way your eyes darken after we have kissed. It is the swell of breasts above your bodice even though you did not dress to tempt, and the scent of honeysuckle when you are near. It is the memories of your gasps and sighs as you neared your first release that kept me awake last night. A practiced courtesan could not make me want her with even a quarter of the desire I experience when you simply walk in the room.”
She wanted to be seduced and Demetrius was done fighting his desire. Tonight, she would be his.
With those thoughts he rose from his chair and settled beside her on the settee and as he pulled her into his arms the clock in the entry chimed ten and he stopped.
“What is wrong?”
“Max needs to be let out or I have no idea what I may discover when I return later.” Or tomorrow, he did not add.
“I can go. He does prefer me,” she teased.
“We shall both go. Put your shoes back on and go upstairs for your cloak.”
While she was gone, he scattered some of the wood within the fireplace so that it would burn individually and quicker, then set the screen to keep sparks from flying out and was waiting for Lavinia when she returned downstairs.
“We should not be long,” he promised.
Instead of offering his arm, or holding her hand, Demetrius put an arm around her waist as they hurried from her cottage to his. As soon as he reached the door, Max bolted out past them followed by Cal.
Demetrius just chuckled and stepped inside to light more lamps and study the room.
There was no damage. Neither Max nor Cal had relieved themselves nor was anything broken, spilled or destroyed. They two were truly learning to be less destructive.
“How long will they be?” Lavinia asked.
“It could be a few moments or longer than an hour. Depending on what they discover.”
“Shall we simply wait?” Lavinia pulled her cloak close to her body. It was cold within the cottage since he had not been here in some time and the fire had died down.
“Come with me. I shall get you warm.”
“What of Max and Cal?”
He had never left them unattended, but he also did not expect them to run off. “I will leave the door open for them.”
“Then anyone can come in.”
“How many people have you seen walking in the area since you arrived?” he asked with humor.
Lavinia frowned. “Nobody.”
“We are all alone.”
“If you are certain?”
Was she having a change of heart? Or did she not realize his intent? “Have you changed your mind, Lavinia?”
