A Little Bit Sinful(49)

“Justin, I don’t need you to protect me,” she said. Even now she wanted to lean up and kiss him. But of course she didn’t dare, not here in front of everyone. Still the urge was overwhelmingly strong. But damnation he had gone and talked to George on her behalf.

“Whether or not you can see it, you need protection,” Justin said. “I merely explained to George that it would be in his best interest for him to have a conversation with you about the future of your relationship. He is not the man you think he is.”

Which meant that George could come up to her at any time and tell her that he had no intentions of marrying her. That he’d, once upon a time, been courting her, but over time he’d seen that she simply wasn’t what he wanted in a woman.

“If you continue to talk to me alone like this, you will cause a scene. Dance with me,” he said.

She chewed at her lip.

“Clarissa, trust me, I will not do anything to hurt you.”

She looked up at his face, saw nothing but earnestness and honesty. She wanted to trust him. She nodded.

He swept her into his arms and for a moment she forgot everything she’d fretted about that evening—the failed kiss, Justin’s confrontation with George. For a moment she was merely in Justin’s arms.

She tried to ignore the feel of his large hand resting at the small of her back. She could feel the warmth from his palm and she remembered what that very hand had felt like on her bare skin. On her breast. Heat pooled between her legs. She swallowed.

“Tell me about your family,” she said abruptly. “What was it like when you came to live at Chanceworth Hall?”

“Things were tense for a long time. I was angry with our father. He didn’t treat me well, he clearly didn’t want me there. But Roe’s mother was always kind to me, treated me no differently than she did her son. I should say she treats me no differently.”

“She is still living?”

“Yes, though she lives full-time in the country now with Roe’s ward.”

“Oh, that is right. I seem to recall Roe’s ward and I came out the same year, but she did not stay for the full season. What is her name?” Clarissa asked. She was glad for the diversion, but couldn’t help but notice how easy it was to converse with him. She was so intent on him being so very different from her. But he wasn’t. They’d been raised the same.

“Caroline Jellico.”

“She prefers the quiet life in the country, I suppose. I can see how that would be nice,” Clarissa said. “Sometimes London is,” she paused grappling for the right words, “too much.” She sighed. How could she feel like that and ever be the right wife for George when he so clearly wanted, needed excitement and thrills at every turn?

“I enjoy the countryside myself. My estate is in Derbyshire,” Justin said.

“Oh, I did not realize you owned an estate in the country.”

“There was no way for you to know that,” he said. “I bought it from a family who no longer could care for it, and I’ve been restoring it.”

“I should like to see it sometime.” She looked up at him, his dark brown eyes warmed.

“Of course.”

She nodded and smiled, and they finished the dance. Once they were done, he leaned forward and kissed her hand.

“Can I come see you again tonight?” she asked in a whisper.

“Chrissy, I cannot say no to you.”

…

Again there was a late night knock at Justin’s door. And again Clarissa stood there covered with her cloak. She stepped inside even before he invited her. His body reacted to her presence immediately, his abdomen tightened, a heaviness settled in his groin. He said nothing, but took her hand and led her forward.

Unlike her previous visit, he did not lead her into his study, but rather into the back parlor that led out to the garden. She lifted the hood off her head and took a deep breath.

“This room is lovely.” Her eyes immediately fell on the piano that sat near the French doors.

“I was hoping you’d play for me,” he said.

Her brow furrowed slightly. “Truly?”

He nodded. He helped her out of her cloak. “I’ve wanted to hear you play on an actual piano ever since you played that night on the pianoforte.” If she left here tonight with her virtue intact, it would indeed be a miracle.

She smiled and sat at the bench. “What do you want to hear?”