Engagement of Convenience
Page 25
More congratulation accompanied them to the Howard family carriage. Stepping up into it, she noticed, over the heads of the revellers, Uncle George escorting Mrs Covington to his carriage. It seemed she wasn’t the only one destined to find love this November.
The carriage set off and with a sigh of relief, Julia settled against the captain’s chest, enjoying the feel of his arms around her.
‘I have a present for you.’ He reached into his coat pocket.
She ran her hand up his thigh, eager for all the wedding events to be over so they could be alone. ‘I think you shall have much more before the night is out.’
‘Saucy wench.’ He pinched her cheek, then held out a slim leather wallet. ‘This is for you.’
She took the worn leather and untied the straps. Her heart leapt when she unfolded it and read the old paper. ‘The deed for Cable Grange!’
‘It is.’
‘But how did you manage it? Mrs Wilkins said it was sold to a London gentleman.’
‘I told you not to believe her. I had my London solicitor arrange the purchase anonymously. It seems Mr Wilkins owed more to creditors than even his wife knew. He was very eager to part with the estate for the sum I offered. I’ve since learned their debts were so crushing they fled to France right after the ball. Not even the amount I paid for Cable Grange was enough to save them from ruin.’
‘Thank you. Thank you.’ She gave him an enthusiastic kiss, teasing his tongue with hers before sitting back. ‘But what about Venice and India? You promised to show me the world.’
‘So I shall, but we need somewhere to live between travels,’ the captain whispered, nibbling at her neck, his breath heavy. ‘Do you still have that book of your brother’s, my sweet Artemis?’
‘I think I can remember enough of it,’ she breathed, pushing his jacket off his shoulders.
He kissed the exposed skin above the bodice of her dress, his tongue making sweet circles on her sensitive breasts. ‘Don’t you wish to wait?’
‘No.’ He was hers now without shame or censure and she wanted to feel him deep inside her again.
His jacket fell to the carriage floor and she pulled his shirt from his breeches, then slipped her hands beneath the linen to trace the taut muscles of his stomach. Answering her invitation, he settled her on his lap, his hands firm on her waist, anchoring her body to his. In his strong grip, she felt the security of their future while his tender lips filled her with the excitement of today.
She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, revelling in the feel of him so close to her. With her tongue, she imitated the wet circles on his neck, breathing on the moist skin and smiling when he groaned.
She had little time to delight in her newfound wickedness before his other hand slid beneath her dress, teasing the skin along the line of her calf and thigh. She gasped when he found her centre, unable to think of anything except the pleasure building inside her.
‘No,’ she protested when he withdrew his hand.
‘Yes,’ he answered, heavy desire igniting his eyes and making her shiver.
He helped her shift astride him, holding her hips to keep her steady as she worked open the buttons of his breeches. She pulled the material down about his thighs and, taking his desire in her hands, stroked the firm shaft.
‘You do remember the book,’ he rasped.
‘I can’t wait to try the positions.’
‘First let’s begin with just one.’
Pushing up her skirts, he settled her on to the heat of his manhood. She gripped the squabs behind him as he filled her, biting back a cry of delight.
She drew in deep breaths as he moved within her, his fingers digging into the flesh of her thighs. She closed her eyes, bringing her cheek next to his as the rocking carriage made each thrust more fierce. His breath in her ear matched by her own quickened as she tightened around him until they cried out together, clasping each other in quivering excitement.
She laid her head on his shoulder as everything around them came back to her.
‘I think we shall have quite an adventure, my beautiful Venus,’ he breathed and she looked up, her face close to his.
With one finger, she traced the curve of his smile, feeling his joy deep in her own heart. ‘Yes, I think we shall.’
* * * * *
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Historical.
You dream of wicked rakes, gorgeous Highlanders, muscled Viking warriors and rugged Wild West cowboys from another era. Harlequin Historical has them all! Emotionally intense stories set across many time periods.
Visit Harlequin.com to find your next great read.
We like you—why not like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
Read our blog for all the latest news on our authors and books: HarlequinBlog.com
Subscribe to our newsletter for special offers, new releases, and more!
Harlequin.com/newsletters
ISBN: 9781460320129
ENGAGEMENT OF CONVENIENCE
Copyright © 2013 by Georgie Reinstein
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
www.Harlequin.com