Falling for the Marquess (American Heiress Trilogy Book 2)

by Julianne MacLean

  Clara’s heart began to race as he leaned closer and his gaze settled on her lips. He was so close that his nose was almost touching hers. The proximity roused her desires.

  “Are you going to kiss me now?” she asked, breathlessly.

  “Only if you want me to.” He remained where he was, waiting for her to give him some direction. Anticipation sizzled in the air around them.

  “I’m not sure what I want,” she replied. “This feels dangerous.”

  “Sitting in a carriage alone with a notorious libertine at three o’clock in the morning, asking all sorts of intimate questions, seems dangerous as well. Yet here we are.”

  “Yes, here we are.” His nearness was overwhelming. The flow of blood through Clara’s veins throbbed in her ears.

  She moistened her lips and the marquess smiled.

  He was still smiling a few seconds later when he kissed her, his lips reaching hers almost experimentally. Clara closed her eyes and gave in to the mad rush of desire, welcoming his touch after so many days remembering what it had felt like that glorious first night under the stairs. Now, here it was again—the passion, the eroticism, the sweet, pounding ache of lust being fulfilled.

  He cupped her face in his hands and grinned roguishly. “Still delicious.”

  “That was nice,” she said, trembling all over, a blush warming her cheeks. She wished she could be more in control and know what she was doing, but she had no idea. This was unlike any experience of her life.

  “You even taste like strawberries,” he said. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to kiss you again. There’s simply no getting around it.”

  “Please do.” But before he had a chance to follow through, she lunged forward and pressed her open mouth to his.

  The kiss was deep and fierce and utterly intoxicating. A sweet shiver ran through Clara’s body as she clutched at his shoulders, realizing she had been starving for this, far more than she realized.

  The marquess eased her down upon the seat, never breaking the intimacy of the kiss. His hands roamed leisurely over her hips, then he rose to move her leg to one side and adjust her skirts so that he could settle himself between her thighs.

  This was risky, she knew—to let him lie on top of her like this—but she did not wish to stop. She wanted to feel the weight of him, tight upon her body. She had not known that lust could have such an overpowering effect on all her senses and reasoning.

  Laying hot, open-mouthed kisses on her neck, the marquess whispered, “You must tell me how far you wish to take things, so that there are no surprises or disappointments later on.”

  “I don’t know,” she said breathlessly. “I’ve never done this before.”

  He drew back slightly. “Not even when you ran away to elope?”

  She shook her head. “No. My father arrived before anything could happen.”

  “Then I say ‘Bravo’ to your father.” The marquess kissed her cheeks and nose. “You’re very charming.” He kissed her on the lips again, then eased her mind with a tender smile. “And you needn’t worry. I’ve given you my word. There will be no destruction tonight. But are you sure you want to continue? It might leave you hungry for more.”

  “I’m sure, because I can’t imagine saying no to anything right now.”

  He considered that for a moment, while gazing down at her face in the dim light. “Then we might as well get comfortable.” One by one, he unfastened the covered buttons on her bodice and kissed lower…down the length of her neck and across her collarbone.

  When her bodice finally fell open, he thrust his hips against hers and slid his hand up over her corset to her bare neckline. Clara’s pulse quickened at the softness of his caress. He smiled seductively as he kissed the swell of her cleavage, unhooking the corset clasps over her breasts.

  Sucking in a breath, Clara marveled at the quivering in her belly. This was all so deliciously wicked. If anyone caught them! Oddly enough, the danger only served to pour fuel on her already flaming desires.

  The corset came loose, and she reveled in the physical freedom. Seger tugged at the ribbons to loosen it and pull it down. He took one of her breasts into his mouth and every tingling fiber of Clara’s being cried out with shock and delight at the incomprehensible pleasure of such intimacies.

  Together, they moved on the seat, thrusting, kissing and laughing softly, touching each other intimately.

  “You are delightful,” he said with a rakish grin.

  He closed his hand around hers and proceeded to teach her how to touch him. As soon as she caught on, he closed his eyes and returned his mouth to her breast. Clara tilted her head back on the seat, surprised when a tiny moan escaped her throat.

  “Lord Rawdon,” she whispered, feeling strange.

  “Call me Seger.” Then he reached down and lifted her skirts until they were bunched around her waist. He slid a hand over her thigh, then into the heated confines of her drawers. “I’ll be gentle,” he said.

  Clara clutched at his shoulders. “Seger...” While he kissed her on the mouth, he stroked with his fingers, causing her insides to quiver with an unfamiliar need. Soon, her body began to tremble and quake, then an extraordinary sensation licked over her like hot, advancing flames, followed by an intense shudder of release. It was divine, perfect ecstasy.

  Afterward, she relaxed and Seger sat back, draping her legs over his lap.

  “Good heavens,” she sighed, utterly depleted of strength. “Am I dying?”

  “No, you just glimpsed heaven, that’s all.”

  She shook her head in disbelief. “I’ve never glimpsed heaven like that before.” She tossed a limp arm over her forehead. “Did you glimpse it as well?”

  He chuckled. “Not tonight.”

  “Have you ever?”

  He chuckled again. “Yes, and your innocence is delightful.”

  “But I’m not so innocent anymore, am I?” she asked, and then frowned. She leaned up on both elbows. “I’m not ruined, am I?”

  Seger caressed her cheek. “No. You’re still a virgin.”

  Sensing his affectionate amusement, she reclined on the seat again. It was obvious that he found her entertaining and intriguing, and she couldn’t deny the satisfaction that came from that knowledge.

  “But was it enjoyable for you?” she asked. “If you didn’t feel what I felt…. Is it better with other women?”

  “No, not better,” he replied, shaking his head.

  “But different.”

  “I suppose.”

  She thought about that. “Then this wasn’t quite as gratifying for you as it was for me.”

  He touched a thumb to her lips. “It was gratifying enough. I made you a promise.”

  “But you gave me pleasure. Can’t I do the same for you?”

  He raked a hand through his hair. “That’s a very tempting offer, but we mustn’t overdo it. My self-restraint does have its limits.”

  Still feeling tremendously amorous, Clara sat up. “What if I want to overdo it? I promise, I’ll be a very enthusiastic pupil.”

  “Trust me, I believe you.”

  “Besides, I’m not ready to go back inside yet,” she continued to argue. “The servants won’t be up for at least another hour.”

  She slid across the seat, took Seger’s face in her hands and kissed him fiercely. “Show me what to do. I don’t want to leave yet.”

  He responded instantly, lifting her onto his lap, kissing her with unleashed abandon. Feeling aroused all over again, Clara straddled him. Her drawers were still on the floor, so she could feel the rigid length of him easily through the barrier of his trousers.

  “What can I do to help you glimpse heaven, without losing what’s left of my virtue?” She blew gently in his ear.

  He kissed her neck. “I’m warning you, you should quit now, while I’m still in control o
f my impulses.”

  Heart racing, she untied his cravat and let her fingers slide into his shirt, across his smooth bare chest where she felt his heart beating.

  “What I wouldn’t give to be inside you right now,” he whispered huskily, thrusting his hips, lifting her up.

  She watched his face in the lamplight, and he watched hers. It all seemed so natural, intimate, and tender. How she loved being with him and feeling this way. How could she dream of doing this with any other man?

  Clara rested her forehead against his. Their pace quickened until his grip on her hips grew tighter and firmer. He pulled her close and kissed her and she threw her arms around his neck and held him close.

  After a while, he groaned in frustration. “You’ll be the death of me.”

  “I wouldn’t want that.”

  His eyes softened. “Promise me you won’t feel guilty about this in the morning.”

  “I’m not sure how I’ll feel. But I hate that I can hear the birds chirping and the sun will be up soon. I’ll have to leave, or I’ll be seen. Mrs. Gunther would tan my hide.”

  “Mine as well,” he replied.

  She chuckled and nuzzled his face. “This was all so new to me. I never imagined….”

  “It might surprise you to know, but it was new to me as well. We should do it again.”

  “Yes, definitely.”

  “How can we arrange it?”

  “I don’t know,” she replied. “I’ll have to think about that.”

  As she began to button her bodice, she suspected she would be thinking of nothing else until she was back in Seger’s arms again, by any means possible.

  Chapter 10

  Dear Clara,

  No, there are no new faces in New York, so you had best make a success of it in London. You haven’t given up on the handsome marquess, I hope? Have you become better acquainted with him yet? I am anxiously awaiting more news.

  Adele

  Clara woke to the sound of a knock at her door. She grumbled, rolled over in her large, soft bed and opened her eyes.

  The curtains were drawn and the sun was shining outside. What time was it? She squinted at the clock. Almost noon.

  The knock rapped again.

  “I’m still sleeping!” she called out, rolling to her side and curling up with a smile, gathering the covers into a ball and hugging them with her whole body.

  “Are you all right, Clara?” It was Sophia. “You’re not ill, are you?”

  No, I’m not ill. I’ve never felt so good in my life.

  Clara sat up. “I’m fine. Come in.”

  Her sister peered inside. “You missed breakfast and you’re about to miss lunch, too, if you don’t get your lazy bones out of bed.”

  Clara waved her in. “I need to talk to you.”

  Sophia shut the door behind her and moved fully into the room where Clara was sitting up in bed, smirking, feeling as if she might burst.

  “What’s going on? You look like you know a secret.” Sophia sat down.

  “I do, but if I tell you, you have to promise you won’t be angry, nor will you breathe a word to anyone. Not even James.”

  “You know I don’t like keeping secrets from James.”

  Clara hated asking her sister to lie, but she couldn’t let anyone else find out what she had done. More importantly, she didn’t want her brother-in-law—who had always been supportive of her despite her past mistakes—to think badly of her. She couldn’t imagine anything worse than disappointing someone she respected so much.

  “I don’t want James to know because I don’t want to fall short of his generous regard. Besides, there would be havoc if he knew.”

  “Havoc? What’s going on, Clara?”

  Clara stared at her sister for a few seconds, hoping she wouldn’t be too shocked by what she was about to hear. “I...I did something rather impulsive last night.”

  Sophia covered her face with a hand. “Oh, no.”

  “Don’t worry, no one knows. I was careful.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I snuck out to meet Lord Rawdon.”

  Sophia’s cheeks went pale. “You did what? How?”

  “I sent him a note saying that I wished to see him, and in his reply, he told me his carriage would be out front at two a.m. I knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity, since the duke is expecting an answer today, so I was very quiet and went out a servant’s door. The marquess was outside, just as he said he would be. We didn’t go anywhere. We just sat in his coach and talked.”

  “You talked,” Sophia said skeptically. “That’s all?”

  “Well, no, but I’ll explain the rest in a minute. The point is that I’ve made up my mind about the Duke of Guysborough. I can’t marry him.” Clara continued to explain. “And after I talked to the marquess, I realized that we were right about him, Sophia. There is hope. His unconventional behavior makes perfect sense.”

  “Why?”

  “First of all, he was an exemplary child and model student, very well-behaved with excellent academic performance. It was only later in life that he began to live recklessly, and there is an explanation for it. You see, he fell in love with someone but was forbidden to marry her because his father considered her to be beneath him socially.”

  “Interesting,” Sophia replied. “But I’m still waiting for the reason why you think there is hope.”

  “Yes, I’m getting to that. The young woman was sent away to America by Lord Rawdon’s father, but she died when her ship sank halfway across the Atlantic. It’s tragic, I know. It was after that that the marquess retreated from society because he blamed its severe, restrictive rules for his heartache. The point is, he loved once before, Sophia, deeply and faithfully. He wanted to marry the girl, and the loss of her cut him so deeply, he has not yet gotten over it.”

  “And you think this makes him more attainable?”

  “Yes,” Clara replied. “If a man is capable of loving a woman once with that much devotion, he is capable of it again. He needs to be rescued and I can help him. I am sure of it. It’s in his nature to love.”

  Sophia stood up and paced the room. “This is very dangerous, Clara. No woman should ever believe that she can change a man. When you marry, you must marry the man for who and what he is, not what you hope he will become.”

  “You rescued James.”

  “But I didn’t know that’s what I was doing when I agreed to marry him. I believed he was perfect as he was. It was only later that I realized there was more beneath the surface than I knew. You, on the other hand, know that the marquess is not the kind of man you ever intended to marry. You should not forget that.”

  Clara tossed the covers aside and stood up. She went to her dressing table to sit down and begin combing her hair. “There is an attraction between us. We could have talked all night long.”

  “He’s a very skilled lover,” Sophia argued. “That’s what he does. He seduces women, makes them feel desirable.”

  Clara bristled at the words. “No, there was something special between us.”

  “I’m sure all women feel that way after a night in his arms. He’s very handsome and charming. Tell me you did not do anything foolish. You didn’t give yourself to him, did you?”

  When Clara turned and faced Sophia, she recognized the anxiety in her eyes. “You needn’t be concerned. I am still a virgin.”

  Sophia let out a breath of relief and collapsed into a chair. She rested a hand on her chest.

  “Which is another reason why I believe he is honorable beneath the infamous notoriety,” Clara added. “He’s had three opportunities to take advantage of me, and all three times he has resisted and done everything in his power to protect my virtue. I trusted him completely last night. There was not a single fear in my mind that he would ravish me against my will or do anything t
o harm me. The fact that he could act with honor in that way leads me to believe that if he makes any kind of vow or promise, he will be faithful to that vow.”

  “You think he could be a reliable husband?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “We’re talking about a lifetime, Clara, not one night with a virgin. Maybe he didn’t ravish you because he knew that if he did, he’d have to marry you, and the idea of commitment and fidelity outweighed his temporary desires.”

  Clara pulled the brush roughly through her hair. “There was nothing temporary about what happened last night.”

  “But you are not experienced with this sort of thing! Some men can make love to a woman and forget her the very next instant. Their dalliances are merely conquests. What did happen, exactly?”

  Clara shook her head. “I wanted to tell you before, but now I don’t. You’ll only disapprove.”

  Sophia approached Clara and rested her hands on her shoulders. “I only worry that you’re going to get hurt. That you’re romanticizing what happened.”

  “You were supportive before. You were encouraging me to find out all I could about him. Why have you changed your mind?”

  “I haven’t changed my mind. I just feel that you must tread carefully where the marquess is concerned. Guard your heart as well as your virtue until you can be sure he is worthy of you. Be vigilant and act with caution. That’s all I’m saying.”

  Clara knew deep down that her sister was right. Clara’s head was in the clouds this morning.

  But how could it not be? She had glimpsed heaven the night before.

  “All right, fine” she said to her sister. “I promise to be careful. But I must refuse the duke.”

  Sophia nodded. “Mrs. Gunther won’t be happy. You probably shouldn’t tell her beforehand. She’ll spend the whole day trying to talk you out of it.”

  “Good point. I’ll tell her after the fact, then she’ll have no choice but to accept it.” Clara sighed heavily. “Well, now that we’ve got all that out of the way, do you want to hear what happened in the carriage after the marquess and I talked?”

  Sophia smiled and sat down next to Clara. “Of course. And spare nothing. I want every delicious detail.”