Goose bumps dotted areas of her body she didn’t even know existed. The earthy scent that had permeated her senses when she’d stepped into his house washim. His presence was everywhere. She drew in a deep breath, briefly closing her eyes. Any previous reaction to him from across the yawning space of a ballroom paled in comparison to being just a breath away.
Her knees buckled and her mouth went completely dry. Saints preserve, this man was lethal. She had to strain her neck to look up at him, and his strong arm around her felt like a band of steel.
“Er...precisely,” she mumbled.
“So you want to indulge in an affair. Why me?” he whispered just beside her ear, and his warm breath slid over her neck like the finest silk.
“You have a reputation for being competent in such matters,” she said primly.
He threw back his head and laughed, and she watched in fascination. His gray eyes twinkled, and a broad smile curved his handsome features. Where before he’d appeared mysterious, fearsome even, he now looked almost boyish. But his lips. They still looked like they were made for sin.
He released her and stepped back, studying her with those dark eyes. “So, tell me, what happens when on your wedding night, your new husband discovers you are no longer a virgin?”
She averted her eyes, feeling embarrassment at how much thought she’d given the matter. “I planned to tell him I had a childhood riding accident. I rather think he might be relieved for all the interest he shows in such matters.”
“It would appear you’ve thought of everything,” he said dryly. “So how are we to conduct this affair, Lady Jenna? I assume you don’t want such a matter to be public knowledge.”
“Of course not,” she gasped in horror. “Mamma and Papa would die. Just die! I could never show my face in society again if such a thing got out. I couldn’t bear their disappointment.”
“Then why are you willing to take such a risk?” he asked softly.
She briefly closed her eyes and twisted her fingers in the folds of her skirts. She didn’t know how to answer without sounding spoiled, willful. How could anyone understand the shameful longings that curled within her? She opened her eyes again and decided to go with some semblance of the truth. “Because I want to experience passion. I want to know what it’s like to throw caution to the wind and take on utter bliss. For a few stolen moments, I want to forget about my future.”
She finished her declaration in a ragged whisper as the agony of her reality crashed in on her once more. “I know I cannot escape the reality of my life, my duty. I only want a brief respite.”
“You have much confidence in my abilities. Are you so sure I can give you what you so desire?”
“I think you can do much more than that, sir,” she whispered.
His gray eyes darkened to the color of a stormy sky. “And what do I gain from this experience, my lady?”
She chewed her lip in consternation. “I know I am not at all like the women you are used to. I am not beautiful or seductive. You obviously have no need for money, so I will not offer you compensation.”
“Not beautiful? I beg to differ, Lady Jenna. Indeed you are enchanting. What sort of man is your intended husband? Not only does he not inspire passion within you, but he doesn’t think you beautiful?” He fingered an errant curl that fell down her neck. “He doesn’t deserve such a woman. You were right to come to me.”
She sucked in her breath. Suddenly Stuart’s rejection didn’t sting quite so badly. “Does this mean you agree to my proposal?”
“Yes, my lady. I think it does.”
She opened her mouth, but the only sound that came forth was a squeak.
He eyed her with a grin. “Have I struck you speechless?”
“We must—we must agree on the terms,” she stammered.
“What terms? We are to become lovers.”
“Surely you understand the necessity for me to be discreet, so we must agree to times when I can come and go undetected.”
He nodded. “Go on.”
“My parents are away on a trip to Italy, otherwise I would not have attempted this. I am staying in town with my brothers, but I have never done an outrageous thing in my life, so I know they would never suspect I would act this rashly. They let me come and go as I please as long as I take my maid with me.”
“And where is your maid today?” he asked with a smile.
“I left before she awoke. I am usually a late sleeper, and I intend to return before my absence is noticed.”
“So you wish to have our meetings early in the mornings?”
