The Seduction of Sebastian St. James (House of Renwick #2)(55)

Innocent? Hardly. The coy smile on her lips was telling enough, the minx. Approaching her, he pulled at her shoulders to turn her around, all the while telling himself to breath in and out.

As his fingers brushed the buttons lining the back of her dress, he had to pause in order to keep himself from taking out a knife and cutting it off of her. One button and then two, he had to keep repeating how many she had, lest he continue to be tempted beyond what he could bear. After all, his wife needed his assistance, and this was now something he could help her with.

Once the last button was reached, he cleared his throat and watched in utter horror as she let it drop to the floor.

“And the corset as well,” his wife purred.

“Of course,” he croaked.

If she was going to continue to taunt him, one bottle of wine would not be enough while he waited for her to bathe.

His hands reached again to the corset. Loosening the stays, he found himself utterly fascinated that he was so aroused. Never had undressing a lady once appealed to him. It was all about what happened underneath the clothes. But watching as his wife undressed, as he helped her, had to be the most sensual experience of his life.

When the last part of the corset was loosened, he waited. If the room wasn’t still so chilly, he’d be sweating. He would lose his mind if this woman continued to torture him.

Words failed to come. Open-mouthed, he watched Emma strip down to her chemise and turn to him. Part of his mind told him he should twist away, the other yelled at him to attack his wife. After all, she was his, wasn’t she? And why in tarnation did she feel the need to put him through such utter torture?

“I think I shall take a bath now, Sebastian.” Emma smiled.

Sebastian cursed and then nodded his head in approval.

“Will you help me with my stockings?”

Sebastian fought to keep his rising irritation and arousal under control. “Is there anything else you shall need my help with, or would you rather I summon one of the ladies from downstairs?”

“Oh no, I think you shall sufficiently be able to strip me of my remaining clothes and help me bathe.”

Putting his hands on his hips, he looked away. Then ran his fingers through his hair, leaving one hand curiously behind his neck. “You want me to help you bathe? Are you mad?”

Emma lifted her eyebrow in teasing before putting her leg on the chair next to him and pulling up her chemise. The woman was trying to kill him. Up the chemise went until her entire thigh was exposed, slowly, she rolled down her stockings then flashed him a glance. “This is what you get for making me think you didn’t care.” Dropping her leg, she shifted and lifted the other to the chair, repeating with her other stocking. “And this is what you get for not telling me you love me.”

And then she was in front of him. In a whisper she said, “And this is what you get for rejecting me last night. Though I know why you did it, I had no idea what you were planning today. So, punish you I will, until you’re begging me to stop. Now, Sebastian, would you check the temperature of the bath?”

He wasn’t sure how he found himself within the next minute doing exactly that, except he hadn’t discovered the words to fight her, not when she had so many elegant points and not when she was touching parts of her body he ached to kiss.

“It’s a little hot, Emma, would you—“

He couldn’t finish his sentence as his eyes fell on Emma. The water nymph was standing directly in front of him, sans clothes, only a smile on her beautiful face. “Thank you, husband.” She stood up on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. He kept his arms firmly planted next to his body. Not because he didn’t want to grab her and have his way with her, but because he was so utterly paralyzed by her brazenness, her beauty, and frankly by the fact that she had so magnificently stumped him.

Using his body as an anchor, she lifted her delicate foot into the tub, then the other. Like a man in a trance, he watched until her entire body was covered in the hot water. Her hand was extended toward him. Thinking she was asking to be touched, he reached out, but she cleared her throat and pointed to the soap.

“Right.” He sighed

“Thank you, my sly little fox.”

Shaking his head, he was about to take his leave. Meaning he was just about ready to go drink the entire contents of the wine bottle when she cleared her throat again and then in a light beautiful voice asked, “Aren’t you going to help me?”

Of course, and then I’ll drop dead because, if she touches me one more time without doing anything, my body will cease all normal functioning.

“Yes, let me just…I’ll just take off my jacket, shall I?”

“And your shoes, don’t forget your shoes, Sebastian.”

Perplexed, he took off his shoes.

“And your cravat, you can take that off as well.”

Sebastian put his hands on his hips and sighed. “Emma, what else would you like me to take off?”

Wrong question.

With a wink, she motioned with her little finger for him to approach. Things were taking a turn for the worse, and he was quite sure his body had met its limit.

And then when his face neared hers, she reached for his shirt with one hand and pulled him in for an earth shattering kiss.

“You’re forgiven,” she whispered across his lips.

Sebastian growled. “And you, my dear, have not yet been sufficiently punished.” He picked her dripping body up out of the bath and grabbed a towel, wrapping her in it. He carried her to the fireplace and, without giving her any time to protest, alternated between kissing her and drying her off.