He lay there with his arms at his sides, his entire body as rigid as a stick of wood, and prayed she’d leave it there, fall asleep, and leave him alonein his misery.
She was quiet for a moment, but then she stirred again, and he felt her fingertips brush his chin. He gasped, nearly jumping out of his skin. “Whatare you doing?”
“Helping you remove your cravat. I can’t sleep if I think you’re uncomfortable, and it’s crooked, anyway.” Her knuckles brushed against the sensitive skin of his throat as her nimble fingers worked on the folds. Finally, she got it unwound and slid it from his neck. “There, that’s one knotàla Haslemereundone.Now your coat.”
Benedict wasn’t usually slow to catch on when a woman wanted him, nor was he usually slow to take advantage of such a fortunate occurrence. Tonight, his brain was befuddled with love and desire, but at last it dawned on him what Georgiana was doing. “Are you…are you trying to take my clothes off?”
She let out a soft chuckle. “Yes. I confess I didn’t think it would take so much effort. Perhaps you’d be willing to help me?”
“No! That is, I mean…” Benedict shook his head to clear it. “You do realize what’s much more likely to happen between us if you strip off my clothing, don’t you?”
“I have some idea, yes.” She’d been trying to tug his arm out of his sleeve, but now she paused. “If youdon’t want me—”
She let out a little squeal of surprise as Benedict heaved himself up and with one quick move rolled her onto her back and stretched out on top of her, his chest heaving with emotion. “Don’t you dare say I don’t want you. Idowant you. I have since I first laid eyes on you, and you called me a selfish,useless rake.”
Georgiana’s lips quirked. “I never called you a rake that first night. I called you a scoundrel.”
“Ah, yes. I remember now.” Benedict stroked a fingertip over her lips so he might memorize that sly little smile. “Yet in spite of your cruelty, I want you more than any woman I’ve ever known.”
Her eyes went wide. “You want me more than Lady Wylde?”
“Lady Wylde!” Benedict gave her an incredulous look. “Why does Lady Wylde keep coming into it? I haven’t given her a single thought since the day after her masque ball, whereas your face haunts me no matter where I am, or what I’m doing. How can you even imagine she compares to you?”
“But she’s very…and I’m just—”
Another rumble tore from his chest, and he silenced her by pressing his fingers to her lips. “Not another word about Lady Wylde, Georgiana. Do you understand me? She’s of no importanceto me at all.”
Georgiana peeked up at him and gave a quick nod.
“Good.” Benedict reluctantly pulled his fingers away from her soft, warm lips, and dragged a hand through his hair. “This isn’t about my not wanting you, Georgiana. Far from it.”
She twisted one of the buttons on his coat. “This is our only chance, Benedict,” Georgiana whispered, the ache in her throat unbearable. How could she let him go without spending a night in his arms?
Benedict’s breath caught. “Do you wantme, Georgiana?”
She nodded, still avoiding his gaze, but that wasn’t enough for Benedict. He tipped her chin up with his fingers. “Look at me. When you tell a man you want him, you say it aloud, Georgiana, and you look him in the eyes.”
Her eyes met his, and the faint embers still glowing in the grate were reflected in their golden-brown depths. “I-I want you, Benedict. I can no longer remember a time I didn’t want you.”
Her words flowed through him, touching every place inside him, then settling in his heart. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a tender kiss into her palm, but he was already shaking his head. “You shouldn’t want me, sweetheart. Nothing but heartbreak willcome from it.”
“Please don’t say you’ll break my heart because you’re a rake or a rogue or a blackguard who cares for no one, because it’s not true. I may have thought that of you once, but that was before…” Her throat moved in a rough swallow. “Before I knew you. You’re a loving, caring brother and uncle, and…and a goodman, Benedict.”
Benedict’s eyes drifted closed at her words. He loved her, and to hear her say she believed he was a good man meant everything to him. All he could do, the best he could do was be worthy of her faith in him. “Listen to me, love. I…I’m taking Jane and Freddy away, Georgiana. The only way I can be sure they’ll be safe from Kenilworth is if weleave England.”
For a brief moment, Georgiana’s dark eyelashes swept down to hide her eyes. They were glistening when she opened them again. “Where will you go?”
“North America. I don’t think…I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to return, Georgiana. Do you think I’d steal your innocence only to abandon you?”
He shifted to move away from the temptation of her, but she twined her arms around his neck, stopping him. “You can’t steal something I’m offering to giveyou, Benedict.”
“You think so now, Georgiana, but later, after I’m gone,you’ll regret—”
“No. My only regret will be not giving myself to the man I love.” She slid her hands from the back of his neck to his face, cupping his cheeks in her palms. She could only give the gift of her innocence to one man, and she would give it to the man who already held her heart. “If it isn’t you, Benedict, it won’t be anyone.”
* * * *
It was nothing but the truth, and a truth that came from the very depths of her, from a place so deep in her soul no one had ever touched it before. She’d thought noone ever would.
