Page 28

He raised his head to stare down at me before finally kissing me again. His hand made its way between my legs easily thanks to the slit along one side.

My breath caught when he touched me there, between my legs, through the thin linen of my undergarments. I should have pushed him away, but instead I held on to him, unable to hold back a whimper.

I was already wet. Before my conversation with Caroline, I wouldn’t have known what that signified. But Greyson knew I was aroused.

His voice was sinfully low against my ear. “You like my hands on you.”

I nodded fervently. “Yes.”

His hand slid inside my drawers, his bare fingers gliding against my skin. When I made a soft keening sound, he captured it with his mouth.

One long finger moved inside me as his thumb circled a point above my opening. And all too soon I was experiencing the pinnacle of something I’d never expected to feel. I pulled my mouth away from his and gasped into the front of his waistcoat.

My senses were a muddled mess, but I was aware of him removing his hand. I held my breath, waiting to see what he would do next. After what seemed an eternity, I looked up at him. He was staring down at me, his blue eyes searching mine in the dimly lit alcove.

“I’m not going to defile you here, Claire.” He lowered his head to whisper in my ear. “But the next time you tempt me, I might not be able to stop.”

He stepped away from me then, and I could only stare up at him, incapable of speech. His hands were on my upper arms now, holding me steady. I took a deep breath, straightened, and was relieved that my legs could bear my weight.

We stayed like that for a few more seconds before he released me.

“We’re going to go speak to the others, and then I’m taking you home.” He blew out a harsh breath, his eyes softening with concern. “Do I need to apologize for what just happened?”

I shook my head and gathered every ounce of courage I possessed. “I think I might want you to defile me.”

He threaded his hands through my hair, and I thought he was going to kiss me again. Instead, he dropped a chaste kiss on my forehead.

That one tender action had my foolish heart racing again.

“That is a conversation for another day.” He stepped back again, his gaze sweeping over me.

When his eyes caught on my skirts, I looked down to see that the fabric had twisted so that the seam was now between my legs. Blushing, I adjusted my dress. He watched me silently, something I couldn’t name in his expression.

How I longed for a mirror. “Am I presentable?”

He shook his head and offered me his arm. “Not in the least.”

I slid my hand through his elbow. “Do you think people will guess who I am?”

He considered the question. “I don’t think so. You’re essentially unknown to most of society, your stepmother saw to that. And I doubt they’ll believe the vixen on my arm is the same person I took for a sedate drive in Hyde Park.” He shrugged. “But some might guess. But don’t worry, they won’t say anything. They wouldn’t want to risk the wrath of a Legend.”

He pushed aside the curtain. When we stepped out into the ballroom, I was immediately surrounded by Caroline, Diana, and Victoria. Thwarting his attempts to spirit me away, they pointed Greyson toward where their husbands were standing.

“We’ll keep her safe,” Victoria said.

Greyson hesitated, but finally he turned to me. “Behave yourself,” he said before striding away.

“Oh my goodness,” Diana said, fanning herself with exaggeration. “I saw the way he swept you away from those men.”

Victoria leaned close, her voice low. “He wasn’t pleased to see you with them.”

Caroline was grinning. “And the way he swept you into that alcove…”

Victoria sighed. “It brought back happy memories of when Moreland was trying to ruin my reputation. He brought me here, but he was trying to resist temptation since I’m Rexford’s sister.”

I glanced over at the men who were alternating between keeping an eye on us and Greyson. Unless I was mistaken, he was on the receiving end of the same speculation I was currently experiencing.

“What’s happening between Lord Greyson and I is not the same. I am firmly on the shelf.”