Stranger in My Arms(39)

She turned to face him, seeking his reaction. His eyes were so dark and fathomless that she almost lost her train of thought. “As for the plasterwork…”

A long silence passed. “Yes?” Hawksworth prompted softly.

Lara shook her head, unable to remember a word she had been about to say. She kept staring at him, fascinated by his face, as thoroughly English and aristocratic as always… and yet… there was something different about him. It was more than the exotic copper hue of his skin and the startling whiteness of his teeth. It was a trace of foreignness, a sense that he didn’t belong here in this civilized home discussing its interiors.

With an effort, Lara turned away and forced herself to continue.

“They’re going to strip away all the gilded plasterwork and replace it with a very subtle basso-rilietto.” Her breath caught as she felt his hand settle at her waist Moistening her dry lips, she managed to finish.

“Two artists-stuccatori, Mr. Smith called them-will be sent from Venice to do the work.”

“Very nice,” he murmured.

He was so tall-he was standing close behind her, with the top of her head just reaching his shoulder.

Suddenly she was tempted to lean back against him and press her head to his chest until she could hear his heartbeat She had never liked very large men, feeling dominated in their company. But his strength now seemed inviting, and she realized in silent surprise that she no longer found his touch distasteful.

Lara stepped away from him with a nervous laugh.

“I hope that Arthur and Janet will never take possession of the house again,” she said lightly. “One wonders what new schemes they might come up with.”

Hawksworth didn’t share her smile. “They won’t,” he said seriously, following her, catching her easily.

His warm hand slid to the small of her back. “There’s nothing to fear from the Crosslands.”

As he stared into her upturned face, he lifted his hand to the side of her throat and stroked her skin with the backs of his knuckles. Lara swallowed and stared at him, while his light touch made her shiver.

“You know they must be planning some sort of legal action against you… us,” she said. “I’ll deal with them when the time comes.”

His dark gaze captured hers. “I’ll take care of you, Lara.

Don’t doubt it for a second.”

“No, of course I…” She stopped and gasped as she felt him stroke her waist, sliding up until the heels of his hands brushed the sides of her br**sts.

To her bewildered dismay, she felt a responsive ache inside. “I wish you wouldn’t touch me like that,” she whispered. His head lowered, and she felt his mouth brush against her throat.

“Why not?” he asked, searching for the tiny hollow beneath her ear.

“Because it makes me feel so…” She groped for words, but as he pulled her closer, every rational thought flew from her head.

He cupped her breast with tantalizing gentleness, the soft weight fitting exactly in his hand. At the same time, he caught her earlobe with his teeth and touched it with his tongue. “How does it make you feel?” he murmured, but she only gasped and pressed herself against him in an unconscious plea for more.

He obliged her at once, capturing her lips in a long, slow kiss, his tongue gently probing and stroking inside her mouth.

Skillfully he teased and caressed her, the kiss so compelling that she couldn’t help responding. Her mind reeled with the improbability of the situation, finding such dizzying pleasure in her husband’s embrace.

They strained to be closer, her small hands clinging to his broad back, her body caught between his hard thighs. The sweeping excitement intensified, and she moaned and sagged against him until they were molded together from breast to thigh.

Only then did Hawksworth release her with an unsteady laugh, his lungs working hard for air. He stared at her swollen lips and flushed face, and a soft curse escaped his lipS. “You make it hard to concentrate on panels and cornices,” he muttered, his eyes bright with amusement Lara took a deep breath and tried to collect herself.

She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, afraid that if she did, she would be tempted to walk straight back into his arms. “Shall we continue with the tour?” she asked in a low voice.

==Hunter approached her and slid his fingers beneath her chin, tilting her face upward. “Yes,” he said with a rueful smile. “Just don’t show me any of the bedrooms-unless you’re prepared to deal with the consequences.”

Chapter 10

The EVENING MEAL was a long, drawn-out affair, attended by fourteen guests. Excited by the prospect of meeting the celebrated Possibility Smith, some gentry from Market Hill had angled for invitations, as well as the mayor, rector, Dr. Slade, and the Misses Withers, a pair of elderly sisters with a shared passion for gardening. As an afterthought, Lara had also invited Captain and Mrs. Tyler, a couple who had recently leased a manor house not far from town.

The guests began to arrive at seven o’clock and were shown into the drawing room, where Lara discreetly gathered them into appropriate pairs in preparation for the procession to dinner. The last to arrive were Captain and Mrs. Tyler. It appeared the Tylers were a well-matched couple, both of them smallframed and pleasant-faced.

Having never met the Tylers before, Lara went to them immediately.