He massaged her arms and kissed her eyelashes. He murmured into her hair, “This is merely the beginning, my dearest Darcy.”
She tensed and seemed to awaken from her daze. “Your condition was that I submit to you here and now. The ‘now’ has passed, my lord.”
“If you recall I had two conditions.”
“Two conditions?” she echoed apprehensively. “What is the second?”
“That you give your hand to me in matrimony.”
At first she only blinked, then she looked at him as if he were playing a cruel jest upon her.
“I want you for my own, Miss Sherwood,” Radcliff explained.
“But…what of being your mistress?”
“You refused me.”
Still confused, Darcy asked, “But you think I would accept an offer of marriage instead?”
“Well, I hadn’t planned on it being an offer,” Radcliff said. “My appointment, you see, was to secure the minister and leave notice with The Times. The banns will be read this Sunday.”
Her eyes widened. Radcliff could not tell if she was appalled or impressed.
“Do you mean to refuse me a second time?” he asked when she had not spoken.
“What of Nathan?”
“He, your sister, and your stepmother will be provided for. If they choose to live in London, I will find them a townhome. If they prefer the country, there is my primary seat or my secondary estate near Brighton.”
“You won’t take Nathan from Priscilla then?”
The relief and hope in her voice made him feel like a rotten cad. He responded brusquely, “Of course not, though I had to do something to command your attention—and force your hand.”
She shook her head. “You are the most arrogant and abominable man.”
“So you’ve said.”
“And if I were to decline?”
Radcliff clenched his jaw, and his features darkened. “It is not an option. Do you realize that you could be with child? I will not have another bastard to the Barrington name.”
Her eyes widened but she looked away quickly—too quickly.
“Good God,” Radcliff exhaled. He grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to him. “Are you with child?”
She looked at him in protest, but no words came.
“That settles the matter then,” he said grimly. “Thank God I set an early wedding date.”
Was that relief lighting her face? Happiness? Then horror filled her eyes as she uttered, “I would be Mrs. Barrington!”
Radcliff could not resist a half smile. “Yes, the fourth Baroness Broadmoor.”
“But why?”
“You disappoint me, Miss Sherwood. I took you for a clever woman, but it would seem obvious, even to the dumb, that I adore you. I adore you body and soul. I want to be the only man to command pleasure from you. I want to bring you joy in all its forms from the moment the sun rises to the moment the moon sets. And I wish it for the rest of my life.”
He could see tears welling in her eyes. It was nearly his undoing.
“And I believe,” he continued, “that you bear some affection for me as well.”
“A little,” she acknowledge with a wry smile.
He kissed the tear that slid down the side of her face before capturing her mouth was his. Unlike the fierce kisses of desire, this one was tender and bespoke the love he felt for her.
“Darling Darcy,” he murmured into her hair and pulled her close. The ton be damned for nothing could make him feel this contented, this complete, as she.
“I have a condition of my own, Baron,” said Darcy as she pulled away to look up at him.
“Indeed?”
Her eyes gleamed with mischief at him. “You must submit to me on our wedding night.”
Radcliff considered for a moment. “Very well, Baroness, and you will be mine through the honeymoon.”
Darcy shook her head. “I don’t think I shall ever become accustomed to being addressed as a Baroness. Priscilla would…Priscilla will wonder what has become of me! I should speak with her at once—oh! My clothing!”
Radcliff offered her his coat. “You shall pen a letter to your sister, and I will have my servant deliver it post-haste. As for the dress, one of my maids can sew it well enough for you to depart in it.”
Flushing, she accepted the coat. The blush in her cheeks made her look angelic. Radcliff stared at her. How was it possible that she could look so damned attractive even in his clothing?
“It will take some time to mend the dress. What are we to do till then?” she inquired.
“I would like to ravish you once or twice more,” Radcliff responded as he adjusted his cock, “though I will require a brief respite. What does my lady recommend to pass the time?”
She gave him a smile that thrilled him to no end.
“Have you a deck of cards, my lord?”
~ * ~
Read on for more by Georgette Brown.
ABOUT GEORGETTE BROWN
Georgette Brown is the “nice” alter-ego to Em Brown’s “naughtiness.” Her current works include:
Pride, Prejudice & Pleasure
That Wicked Harlot
An Indecent Wager
Surrendering to the Rake
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That Wicked Harlot (A Steamy Regency Romance Collection Book 2) Page 18
