Page 66 of Seducing the Marquess (Lords and Ladies in Love 1)

Her eyebrows rose and she placed the cup back in the saucer. “Devon?”

He moved toward her, and now that he grew closer, she could see him clearly. He looked as though he hadn’t spent much time sleeping, either. His clothes were scruffy, and his face showed a need for a shave.

“What…what are you doing here?” She hated how her voice shook. She didn’t want to appear flustered. She wanted to appear calm and composed.

“Why did you leave?” He walked slowly toward her, a slight smile on his face.

Eugenia licked her dry lips. “I am returning to Devonshire.”

He pulled out a chair and sat. “So you said in your note.” He picked up a piece of the toast that sat in front of her and took a bite. “You seemed to be in quite a hurry.”

“Yes. Well, I felt the need to leave London.”

“Too smelly?” Another bite.

She nodded.

“Too crowded?” Still another bite.

She nodded.

“Too many parties?” He popped the last piece into his mouth.

She nodded and licked her lips.

Extending his hand, he stood and said, “Come with me.”

“Where?”

“To your room. There is much we need to discuss.”

She drew herself up. “I no longer have a room, my lord.”

“Eugenia,” he said in a voice one used to chastise a child with biscuit crumbs on his mouth, “I thought we decided no ‘my lord’. And yes, you do have a room. The same one you just vacated. Now stop dawdling, and come with me.”

Her heart pounding, Eugenia took his hand and they left the dining room and started up the stairs. What was the meaning of his appearance here? If he were angry with her, it certainly didn’t show in his demeanor. If anything, he seemed gleeful.

Thoroughly confused, he led her directly to the room she’d just left—how did he know?—and swung the door open, indicating with a sweep of his arm that she was to enter.

Once the door closed, he took her in his arms and kissed her as though he wanted to consume her. His lips were warm and moist. He smelled of brandy, bergamot, and Devon. She immediately lost all sense of time and place. Her entire awareness centered on his mouth as he took possession, nudged with his tongue to enter her, sliding over the roof of her mouth until she gripped his arms, fearful of falling to the floor.

His lips left hers, the absence causing her to moan slightly. He grinned as he kissed her eyes, her chin, and her neck, slowly moving their bodies backward until she felt the bed hit the back of her knees. With nowhere else to go, she sat, and he followed her down, sitting alongside her. With one quick movement he drew her onto his lap.

Devon leaned back, his mirthful eyes never leaving hers. He reached into his pocket and, to her absolute horror, pulled out her book and held it up. She sucked in a breath.

“Does this look familiar, love?” Despite the warmth in his eyes, she panicked at being discovered. Had he chased her down just to humiliate her about the book?

Raising her chin, she stared him down. “I am an adult, my lord, and I may read anything I wish to read.” Her statement would have held more weight if her voice hadn’t shook and the flush rising to her face wasn’t quite so hot.

Devon opened the book and began to flip through the pages. “Very interesting things in here.” He looked at her from under lowered eyebrows, his lips twitching. “Especially the pictures.”

Oh, Lord. Her embarrassment was now complete. Pulling her tattered pride around her like a worn cloak, she said, “I doubt very much, my lord, that you rode all this distance to chastise me on this book.”

“No, Eugenia.” He set the book next to him and took her two hands in his. “How long have you had this book?”

When she lowered her head, he lifted her chin with his finger. “How long?”

She shrugged. “A few weeks, a month, perhaps more.”