A Daring Liaison(39)
He was impossible! “We must end this. I was foolish to agree to such a plan. You have a talent for finding me in unguarded moments.”
“Still not good enough for you, Georgiana? Objectionable? Still lacking in assets? Well, I can think of one thing, at least, in which you do not find me lacking.”
“What—”
He covered her mouth with his, catching her unprepared. She brought her hands up between them, ready to pummel him if necessary. But from the moment his tongue touched hers, she was lost. Her mind became hazy and her knees grew weak. Instead of pummeling, she clung. She knew in some distant part of her brain that he was not going to stop with a kiss, but she didn’t care. The mere memory of what he’d done in the coach was enough to keep her standing there, uncaring of the world around them—for as long as it took him to do it again. To her shame, she wanted to feel that thrilling pleasure. Wanted to feel cherished, to feel as if she belonged to someone or something greater than only herself.
Could she? Could she allow him such liberties and still be whole when he left again? And he would leave. That was what Charles did when he’d gotten what he wanted. But...if he only wanted the conquest, and if she let him have it, he would go away and leave her alone. He would lose interest in his game.
He would be safe from her curse.
Yes, to end the ruse, then. And more importantly, to prevent him from sharing the fate of her husbands, she’d let him have what he wanted. And pray the loss of him would not be so painful to bear this time.
Selfless of her, really. Even noble.
She surrendered to his kiss, entering into the strange seduction with an abandon she hadn’t realized she possessed. She had given access to her body to her husbands, just as Aunt Caroline instructed, but she had never felt this pull, this compulsion. Nay, desire.
She felt the change in him when he realized that she was no longer resisting. One arm tightened around her and the other wandered down to cup her bottom as he bent slightly to lift her against him.
Where? Oh, dear Lord, where? The settee? The deep carpeting before the fireplace? Her breasts tingled in anticipation of his touch. Of his mouth. She was desperate to feel that again. Desperate to experience that final transporting thrill just before he had stopped. Oh, but tonight, he would not stop. She would not let him.
He headed for the door and she realized his intent. For the first time, she had misgivings. The servants...
But he kissed her again, then nibbled her ear. His breath, hot and moist, caused her to shiver. All thought of denial fled as he started up the stairs, his steps muffled by the carpet.
His voice was low and hoarse when he echoed her unspoken question. “Where?”
“Last door on the right,” she said with a breathless gasp.
Clara opened the door just as they arrived before it. Her eyes grew as round as saucers and she covered her mouth to stifle either a giggle or a cry of shock.
“Good night, Clara” was all that Charles said, but his voice was dark enough to send her scurrying away.
He kicked the door closed behind him and placed Georgiana gently on the bed, kissing her cheeks, her throat and her lips. She reached up and circled his neck, but he disengaged her arms as he sat back. “Let me enjoy this, Georgiana. I think you owe this much to me for all the sleepless nights you’ve caused.”
The thought perplexed her. “I?”
He nodded as he pulled the satin slippers from her feet and tossed them over his shoulder, then ran his hand up her leg until he found her garter and the bare flesh beyond. He rolled the white stockings down her legs, then slid the garters downward, too, grinning when she gulped.
He was so practiced and skillful—she did not want to think how—that he found the fasteners to her gown quickly and divested her of it. Reaching behind her, he undid the laces of her corset and cast if off to leave her in nothing but her chemise.
He tugged the ribbons securing that last vestige of modesty, and the chemise slipped down to her waist. A moment later, it lay atop the heap of her discarded clothing. She shivered in the cool night air and looked for something to cover her. Charles looked down at her tightened nipples and groaned. “You won’t be cold much longer, Georgiana. Bear with me.”
She was embarrassed. The other times—with her husbands—the lamps were off and she was under the blankets in her nightgown. Never naked. To be exposed to his view seemed so...naughty. So erotic.
As if he sensed her fears, he leaned over and blew the candle out leaving the soft glow of the firelight—revealing, but somehow kinder. She sighed in relief. She did not want him to find her lacking in any way.