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The concession was small, but freely given. He smiled against her hand. “What night should we plan for?”

“Tomorrow,” she said. “Come to my house at ten.”

He nodded. “I shall be there.”

Charlotte shifted nearer, her gaze dropping to his mouth. “One more condition.”

“Tell me.” He wanted to tell her that he would agree to anything as long as he could have her.

“You leave at sunrise,” she told him.

He searched her face, seeing the resolve beneath her warmth. “Very well.”

She rested her hand against his chest. “Until then,” she said, “we need not concern ourselves with what comes next.”

Alexander drew her closer. For tonight, he could grant her that. But he had to kiss her one more time before she departed. She had made her arrangements and seemed quite pleased. That didn't mean he wouldn't do his best to convince her they belonged together. That would start with this kiss. The one he initiated and controlled.

He lowered his mouth to hers, and she went readily into his arms. The kiss consumed him, and he thought that he would never have enough of this woman. He deepened the kiss and tangled his tongue with hers. Their breaths mingled, and he tasted her over and over again.

When he pulled back, she was a little dazed, and that pleased him. “Tomorrow, Charlotte,” he said. “Be ready.” She stood and nodded at him as she left the room. She did not say one word as she exited, and he took that as a good sign.

Five

Charlotte had invited Alexander to visit her. At half past nine, she began to suspect she should have invited him much sooner. The house was ready. Wine waited in her sitting room, the fire was built up, and her maid had helped her into a gown that required little assistance to remove. Charlotte had dismissed her afterward, refusing to consider what the woman might have made of that particular choice.

Now she stood beside the window, listening for a carriage. She had offered him one night because it seemed like something she could give him. There would be pleasure, perhaps some conversation, and a sunrise departure. She would keep her house, her habits, and her good sense. The last of those had become increasingly difficult to locate while he kissed her.

Alexander’s final kiss had followed her home. She remembered it for hours afterward, and again this morning when she awakened. She wanted him. Pretending the invitation was a whim did little good. She had wanted him before he left England. Perhaps this was stealing a bit of her past to ensure she had no regrets. Because she had learned the hard way how readily a man’s affection changes at their convenience. Wanting him now felt familiar enough to be dangerous.

The clock began to strike the hour. A carriage stopped outside. Charlotte stepped away from the window before he could catch her looking down at him. By the time her butler announced Lord Merewood, she had taken a seat beside the fire. Her book lay open upon her lap, though she doubted the performance would deceive anyone.

Alexander certainly looked unconvinced. “Have I interrupted something absorbing?”

She met his gaze. She was not ready to admit she had been anticipating his arrival. “You may have.”

He glanced at the page. “Shall I come back when you have finished?”

“You may remain.” She closed the book. “I believe I know how it ends.”

His smile warmed as he approached. He wore a dark coat over a pale waistcoat. His cravat was neatly tied. She looked at the knot. She could not wait to help persuade him to loosen it. Alexander stopped before her chair. For a moment, neither spoke. It was different here, in her private sitting room. She had received him downstairs in daylight, poured his tea, and discussed her garden. Tonight, her bedchamber lay through the adjoining door, and they both knew why he had come.

He offered his hand. Charlotte took it and rose. He said, “You look lovely.”

She had intended something clever. Instead, she looked up at him and said, “I hoped you would think so.”

The admission pleased him. She saw it before he bent to kiss her. His mouth touched hers gently, allowing her to settle her hand against his chest before he drew her nearer. Charlotte felt the steady beat beneath his waistcoat and found an unexpected comfort in knowing he was less composed than he appeared.

When Alexander lifted his head, Charlotte kept her fingers curled into his coat. She had meant to let go before he noticed how reluctant she was to release him. His kiss had left her pleasantly unsteady, and the warmth beneath her hands offered little encouragement to recover. “Would you like wine?” she asked, glancing toward the little table beside the sofa.

“In a moment,” Alexander murmured, his gaze lingering upon her mouth.

Charlotte raised her eyes to his. “You are very certain I shall offer it twice.”

“I am hoping you will forgive the delay.” His smile softened as he lifted a hand to her face and brushed his thumb along her cheek.

She leaned into his touch before she could consider whether it revealed too much. When his expression grew tender, she felt an unexpected urge to look away. Desire was familiar enough to welcome. She knew how to answer a kiss and meet flirtation with a smile. It was the gentleness that unsettled her, making her want things she had taken considerable care to stop wanting.

Nevertheless, she held his gaze. “I should like to say something first,” she told him.