But he didn’t. Filling the space between the doorframe, James was a dashing devil in a rich blue jacket and waistcoat, with the brightest of white cravats and pale gray breeches. Coming to a stop in front of him, her breath caught in her throat.
“You look lovely,” he said, his tone a little husky, making her toes curl. A familiar throbbing began between her legs.Blast!
She must resist. Staring at his cravat instead of into his sultry eyes, she answered, “Yes, I know. Lord Payton has already said as such. I’m aprimelady. Now let me pass.”
He made a face of distaste. “Is that the best he could do? Rather uncouth, if I may say.”
“No, you may not. Step aside, Hargrove. He’ll think I am too dim to find my own slippers.”
“I would have gladly taken you to the assembly tonight.”
Sighing, she finally looked directly at him, their gazes locking. “I gave my word to attend with Lord Payton. I didn’t even know if you were planning to go seeing as you hate everything about Brighton except the whores.”
“I didn’t tup her.” He’d said it so softly she almost missed it.
“You didn’t...,” she began but stopped herself.How did he know that was what was bothering her so greatly?But his admission, which she believed because he had no reason to lie, caused an immediate sense of relief to filter through her. She could stop imagining him at least withthatparticular female.
Ultimately, of course, it changed little. Besides, she could guess the reason his plans for amorous congress had been thwarted. He’d been half seas over, and thus the blowsabella could as easily have milked a pigeon as have got him to swive with her.
Tonight, after the assembly, the entire performance might be repeated by him and the whore, except with him drinking less.
“Frankly, Lord Hargrove, I don’t care if you tup the entire female population of Brighton. I am attending the soirée with a gentleman, and thus your actions are of no concern to me.”
He looked unruffled by her coldness.
“Are you saying if I stroke your delicate chin like so,” and with his ungloved thumb, he did exactly that along her sensitive jawline, “it will be as nothing to you?”
Glynnis lifted her chin away from his touch. She swallowed.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“And if I put my hands upon your waist and draw you close,” and he did so, “you won’t lean against me and tilt your head back for a kiss?”
She shuddered as their fronts touched and the heat of desire shot through her like lightning bolts. Forcing herself to remain rigid, she had no choice but to tilt her head to look at him.
“I won’t,” she declared.
“Actually, you are rather,” he said.
“I’m not leaning against you in any way.” She was amazed by the steadiness of her voice when inside, she was feeling decidedly fluffy, crumbly, soft, and even squishy.
He ignored her. “And if I bend low and kiss you, will you bite my lower lip and push me away?”
She sucked in a breath and waited. Agonizingly slowly, he lowered his mouth to hers. Glynnis reminded herself she didn’t really want this, no matter how her body seemed determined to become molten liquid. She wanted a man who would marry her! She needed a husband.
But when his hands reached around to grab the round swells of her buttocks, she moaned against his mouth.
As he drew her hips against his, curling her into his body so she could feel his stark arousal, she wondered how this would end.
“I can send Payton away,” he murmured, barely lifting his mouth from hers. “We’ll enjoy one another’s company, and then I shall be the one to escort you tonight.”
Lord Payton!She’d almost forgotten him. A perfectly good marriageable man was awaiting her below. As much as she cared for James Lambert, she needed a future.
With determination she could only maintain briefly, she sank her teeth into his lower lip as he’d predicted, releasing him when he yelped. Then she made a fist and rammed it below his ribs next to the mother-of-pearl buttons on his waistcoat.
Glynnis probably hurt herself more than him, but he got the message and let go his inappropriate hold of her bottom.
“Step aside,” she said as strongly as she could, “or I swear I will scream.”
