He had been a rake. Well, not one that ruined innocents and such, but he had taken great pleasure in his mistresses, various widows, brandy and gambling. He had also buried those tendencies the moment five innocent cousins moved into his home.
Except, all the desires he previously enjoyed stirred at the very sight of Lady Penelope.
Now, the two of them were quite alone, in a dark carriage, and he wanted nothing more than to make her his. It had been a need since…Well, since she claimed that she did not like him very much.
No, it had been before that conversation, not that he had considered a courtship because…well, she claimed to not like him very much.
Now that he had asked her a direct question that revealed his character more than she realized, he waited for her response.
No doubt he alarmed her.
It should alarm her, but Lady Penelope simply looked humored.
When she opened those coral lips to speak, Henry didn’t wait to hear what she might have to say but slipped a hand behind her head, his fingers sinking into the silky curls and placed his mouth against hers. It wasn’t a chaste kiss but passionate, heated…claiming.
At first, there was no response but then she engaged him with just as much need. Her hand grasped his shoulder as he delved, his tongue mating with hers. He placed his other hand on her side and smoothed it up her ribcage, stopping just short of her glorious breasts. Penelope arched as if she wanted him to touch her but even in his haze of desire, Henry knew better than to do so.
His body was already filled with need and knowing that he would gain no release, touching her any further would only bring torture.
With those thoughts he broke the kiss and pulled away.
She simply blinked at him; her brown eyes dark, full coral lips swollen.
“That, Penelope, is why an innocent should never be alone with a rake.”
When her pearly white teeth bit her bottom lip he nearly growled and delved again, but they had already arrived at Felding’s home and had been sitting there since right after he had started to kiss her. As anyone walking the street might see them, he pulled away from her and opened the door and stepped out onto the street.
He then held out his hand to Penelope to assist her to the ground. Hers was shaky in his, which gave Henry the satisfaction that he had finally unbalanced her.
At least she wasn’t upset or angry because if she had been, he had no doubt that she would have slapped him. Or perhaps she had not yet recovered. Therefore, if she marched into his home tomorrow and did slap him, at least he would know why.
“Thank you for seeing me home, Your Grace,” she murmured as a slight blush stained her cheeks.
He kept himself from smiling with satisfaction at having her flummoxed, which might be for the first time in her life.
“It was my pleasure, Penelope.”
He then watched as she walked to the door, which was immediately opened by a butler, before climbing into the carriage once again so that he could be taken home.
Bloody hell! What had he just done?
Penelope had been kissed before, but never in such a manner. The kisses in her past had been sweet, lackluster and she had often wondered how lips placed together could lead to ill-advised and ruinous decisions.
Now she knew why.
None of the men who had kissed her before had been a rake.
Goodness!
“Did you enjoy Athena’s Salon?”
She paused as she passed the parlor and turned to look in. Her sister-in-law, Rosalind, was sitting at the pianoforte while her brother sat in a chair reading, glass of brandy at his elbow.
“Yes,” she answered.
Rosalind frowned. “You appear distracted. Is anything amiss?”
Her world had just been upset in the most remarkable and confusing manner, but she did not dare tell Rosalind or Noah what happened in the carriage.
