“You came.”
“How observant of you,” she said, more sharply than she intended.
He chuckled. “So, my lady. Where would you begin? Would you like to undress me? Or would you prefer I undress you?”
She raised a hand to his chest as if to ward him off, but it remained against the solid wall of muscle, and she could feel the heat radiating from him. Nervously, she sucked in her lower lip, and his eyes narrowed in reaction. “Yes, well...there’s no need to rush things, is there?”
Laughter glinted in his eyes, and he lowered his lips just above hers. His hot breath scorched her, and she sucked in air, feeling lightheaded.
“Indeed not. We have all night.”
His mouth was so close she could almost feel his lips on hers. And just as quickly, he moved away, startling her with the abruptness of his action.
“Come, Jenna. Have a drink with me. It will help you to relax, and we can discover more about one another before we...discover more about one another,” he finished with a wicked grin.
Unable to control herself, she burst into laughter, all the nervous tension escaping her in one fell swoop.
“That’s better,” he said handing her a glass. “Are you frightened?”
She stared at him for a long moment. Certainly there was little point in lying to the man she intended to be intimate with. “Very.” She brought the glass to her lips and took a swallow of the liquid, surprised at the ease in which it slid down her throat.
“There is no need to be frightened,” he said softly. He brought his hand up to cup her cheek, and her entire body jumped in reaction.
In a desperate attempt to put some distance between them, she pulled slightly away and took another draught from the glass. “What is this?”
He smiled at her, obviously not fooled by her stalling. “I think you’ve had enough.” He took the glass from her and set it on the sideboard. “Come here.” He held out his hand to her, and after a long pause she slipped her fingers into his, relishing the warm thrill of his touch.
He pulled her across the room and closer to the object of her trepidation—the bed. To her relief, or perhaps disappointment, he passed it and maneuvered her to the corner where two armchairs sat facing one another. They were separated by a small end table. Two lighted candles rested atop it, lending the area a decidedly intimate glow.
“Sit down,” he urged. He took the seat across from her, and she in turn eased into the plush armchair. He had obviously sat here numerous times, because his scent surrounded her, enfolding her entire body. “Now, my lady, I propose we play a little game to aid us in our endeavor.”
Surely it was a sin for a man to have a voice that would coax the clothes from a nun. His silky tone penetrated every layer of material she wore, making her achingly aware of her desire for him.
She fixed her eyes on him, determined to act with some measure of calm. That was until he uttered his next words.
“I propose we take turns asking questions of one another. Once we answer each question, we must remove an item of clothing.”
Her mouth flew open, and to her embarrassment, her nipples hardened and thrust outward. Scorching heat suffused her cheeks and vivid images of him...naked...burst through her thoughts like fireworks at Vauxhall Gardens. And what demon possessed her to nod her acceptance she would never know.
Chapter Four
Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes. “I, of course, will do the gentlemanly thing and allow you to go first. You may ask me a question at your leisure.”
She stared at him dumbly, not at all surewhatto ask him. The ability to process simple thought patterns fled whenever she was around him.
His voice broke through the thick silence. “Perhaps you’d like me to ask you a question first?”
She nodded, certain that she could at least think of an answer even if she couldn’t manage to form coherent thoughts.
He studied her a moment then cocked his head. “I’ll begin with an easy one.” He rested his forearm on the table between them and drummed his fingertips. “Tell me, Lady Jenna, are you having second thoughts about our arrangement?”
What to say? Other than she was sorely tempted to rip the clothing right off his broad chest. But thanks to her timidity she would now be first to forfeit an article of clothing. “No. I think I am rather looking forward to our agreement.”
Was that surprise that flickered in his gray depths? But it was gone as quickly as it had flashed, and now his pupils widened, making his eyes more black than smoky. Though she had never viewed blatant desire in a man, she thought it was now reflected in every facet of his chiseled face.
“What piece of clothing shall you remove first?”
She looked down, stretched her legs out and shook off her shoes. It was about now she regretted not dressing with more care for this evening. In her haste to leave, and since she knew she would eventually be divested of her clothing, she had foregone such essentials as pantaloons and a corset, opting instead for stockings, a chemise, and a very modest day dress.
