He rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefinger, sending streaks of exquisite pleasure racing to her groin. Her pelvis squeezed, tightened, until every muscle strained with the effort.
“I want to be inside you so badly I hurt,” he whispered.
“Oh God.”
His words were nearly enough to send her catapulting over the edge. And suddenly she wanted him inside her every bit as much as he did.
She scrambled off his lap, catching herself as the carriage bucked and swayed. With shaking hands, she pushed at her trousers. They were at her knees when the carriage slowed and she catapulted forward.
Ridge caught her and held her steady. Her cheek pressed against the thumping of his heart.
“We’ve stopped,” he said in a harsh whisper.
She scrambled up, yanking at her trousers and looking frantically around for her shirt. The flames of embarrassment consumed her. Her face felt like a hot ember.
He thrust her shirt at her, and she snatched it from his grasp. She had just pulled it over her head when the door opened.
The coolness of the evening air was a welcome balm to her burning cheeks. Her breath was still coming in spurts and her heart raced. Ridge climbed down from the carriage then held his hand back to her.
She grasped it and allowed him to help her down, but pulled it away as soon as her feet hit the ground. She couldn’t look at him. Never had she been so completely and utterly uncomfortable in a situation as she was right now.
She didn’t regret her actions. No, that wasn’t at the heart of her discomfort. Well, she did, just not for reasons of modesty. What bothered her was the fact that she was so readily able to put aside her deception and enjoy what the viscount offered. All the while lying to him. Plotting to destroy his dreams.
He was looking at her. She could feel his stare. She chanced a peek out of the corner of her eye and saw that he was indeed watching her. A deep frown marred his handsome face.
She closed her eyes then turned away. Fool. She had allowed him too close.
“Let’s see to our rooms,” Ridge muttered as he moved by her.
She followed him into the inn and waited as he spoke to the proprietor. A few moments later, Ridge thrust a key at her.
“You have the room next to Kavi and Udaya. I’m sharing with Robby.”
She made the mistake of meeting his gaze. He probed her with his eyes, curiosity, the need for information radiating from him. She dropped her gaze as if she had been scorched.
He let out a sigh and walked away, leaving her to follow. They plodded up the stairs and into a long hallway, doors dotting both sides. At the end, he motioned to one of the doors.
“This one is yours.”
She nodded and turned to insert the key into the lock.
“India.”
She hesitated a moment then turned around to look at him.
His eyes burned through her, his expression one of complete intensity.
“I won’t allow you to pretend that not fifteen minutes ago you wanted me inside of you as badly as I wanted to be there.”
Her cheeks burned at the images his words provoked. She was unable to look away even as badly as she wanted to run into her room and hide. Hide from him, hide from herself.
“My only regret is that the damn carriage stopped when it did.”
He stared at her as if daring her to disagree. Well, she wasn’t going to tack hypocrisy on to her growing list of sins. She had wanted it as badly as he did. Maybe more. And that made her feel even worse.
If there weren’t so many lies hanging between them, she would walk straight into his arms right now and demand he take her to bed.
But she was in too deep, and her father’s life depended on her deception.
