Page 72 of Earl, Enemy, Husband?

‘I couldn’t wait.’

She closed her eyes briefly. ‘Nor I.’

She looked up him.

‘Let me unpin your hair,’ he said. The sensual cast to his mouth, the sound of possession in his low murmur, strummed that place low in her belly that he had brought to life once before.

How long she had wanted him to repeat the experience. And yet he had seemed to become distant. Could it be jealousy over her playing cards with his friend that had fired his passion tonight?

She turned back to the mirror, watching in fascination the intense expression on his face as he eased the pins from her hair and dropped them on the shiny surface of her dressing table. They sounded like rain on a window pane, bouncing as they landed, scattering hither and yon, a shower of pins, while her heart beat like thunder.

Every now and then a lock of her hair drifted down to fall on her shoulder, her back or against her cheek. Until the last pin dropped.

Slowly, gently, he ran his fingers through her hair, separating the strands until they spread out across her back and down to her waist, and over her shoulders to lie on her breasts.

He glanced down at the pins and shook his head ruefully. ‘I don’t think I could let anyone put that lot on my head.’

She laughed. ‘I doubt anyone will require it. But fashion is all for us ladies. Besides, not so long ago men wore wigs all day long, or curled their hair in those little sausage things over their ears; surely they must have used pins?’

‘My father wore those. And, yes, pins; thank God we don’t do that any more.’ He took her hand and brought her gently to her feet.

Heat rushed upwards from her belly. Her chemise was of the finest lawn, and quite see-through. She reached for her dressing gown.

He gave her a saucy grin. ‘You will not need it, my sweet. But there is one thing I would ask of you.’

His sweet. How her heart sang to hear such tenderness from his lips. ‘Anything’, she wanted to say. But had she not said anything once before to a man and been ruined?

Instead, she smiled. ‘If it is in my power,’ she murmured.

‘Allow me to take the place of your maid and help you out of that most alluring garment.’ The lightness of his tone eased her concern.

‘If I may be your valet.’

He curled a finger under her chin and gently lifted her face. Their lips brushed. Her heart sang and her body tightened.

Such sweet, painful longing filled her, and she gasped. And, while he kissed her, he undid the tie and neck of her chemise. Slowly he stroked her shoulders, and as he did so the garment slipped down to her elbows. She straightened her arms and let it drop to the floor.

His lips left hers and he stepped back and raked his gaze down the length of her. Every place on her body that his gaze lingered seemed to pulse and quicken. She could scarcely breathe, her heart beat so hard.

‘It is as I thought all evening as I watched you,’ he murmured, with such heat in his gaze her toes curled inside her stocking. ‘Diamonds become you.’

She had forgotten the jewels. She put her hand to her throat, feeling the hard stones against her palm. ‘You have been thinking about me wearing nothing but these jewels all night?’

He nodded with a satisfied smile. ‘All evening. Since the moment you took off your cloak.’

She could not look him in the face. Her cheeks felt hot. ‘I am glad you did not say so before, or I would never have kept my composure.’

‘I don’t know how I managed to keep mine. If I could have had my way, I would have whisked you up to one of the chambers and tested my theory there and then.’

‘You wouldn’t have dared.’

An eyebrow shot up; his glance was full of lazy amusement and fire, and his mouth had a sensual cast. ‘Are you sure?’

How had she thought him merely handsome? She laughed. ‘I wish I had known; I would have dared you.’

He chuckled. ‘You, madam, are trouble.’ He pulled her close and kissed her until all thoughts fled from her head. Vaguely she felt him ease out of his robe, felt a ridge of flesh against her belly and reached down.

He hissed in a breath as her hand curled around his shaft, hard yet hot and smooth. The heavy stones beneath, the rough hair against her skin: all male. And utterly enchanting. He widened his stance and she gently rolled the sack in her palm. He groaned softly. The sound of it stirred her inner core.