“You look just fine,” Katelyn said, meaning it.
As the others walked ahead, Katelyn noticed Victor slowed his pace considerably.
“If I am not mistaken, you are trying to draw me away from the others, Lord Graston.”
Victor laughed under his breath. “My brother wishes to meet with you at one in the morning.”
“Meet me where?”
“In your chamber.”
“My chamber?”
He lifted a brow. “It is far easier for him to come to your room than the other way around.”
Katelyn’s heart skipped a beat. There was no way she could entertain Sinjin in her chamber. “I don’t know—”
“Your aunt is not sleeping in the same room with you, is she?”
“No, she is not—but Marilyn is.”
“I shall speak with Marilyn myself, if you would like.”
“I will not ask my sister to leave the comfort of our room in the middle of the night so that I may steal a few moments alone with your brother.”
“Nor does my brother intend to put her out,” he said, though Katelyn had an idea he said it only for her benefit. “He merely wishes to talk with you.”
She sincerely doubted Sinjin wanted merely to talk.
He stared at Lillith’s back, his gaze sliding slowly over her. Katelyn cleared her throat. “You are staring, my lord.”
“Am I? I do apologize. I had not realized I was being so rude. Your aunt is quite young, is she not?”
“I would tell you her true age, but I feel she would not appreciate me doing so.”
“Then let me guess. Nine and twenty.”
Katelyn lifted her brows. “I will not tell, so you may as well stop guessing.”
“Two and thirty.”
Katelyn shook her head. “You are impossible.”
“I must be getting warm. Five and thirty, and not a year older.”
“You will have to ask my aunt herself, for I would never tell her secrets. She is not just an aunt, but a dear friend.”
Victor patted her hand. “Then she is lucky, indeed.”
13
Katelyn twisted and turned in the bedsheets, then finally tossed them aside when she realized sleep would be a long time in coming this night.
The candle flickered in the slight draft of the room, and she looked at the clock. One thirty-five in the morning and still no sign of Sinjin.
Perhaps he could not get away, after all.
Beside her, Marilyn snored softly, and Katelyn eased onto her side, hoping against hope he would come. It had been such a long day—exceedingly tedious and depressing, especially watching Lady Rochester and Lady Celeste bond.
Damn Lady Celeste! She was the perfect bride for any groom. She had so much more to offer Sinjin than herself.
The doorknob turned slightly, the door opened and closed just as quickly, and a tall figure emerged.
Her pulse skittered.
She would recognize those broad shoulders anywhere. She sat up slowly and put her finger to her lips, signaling Sinjin to be quiet.
His long, dark hair fell past his shoulders in wild disarray, the tail of his shirt had been shoved into his pants, and he wore no shoes.
He had never looked so desirable. “You are barefoot, my lord.”
“I did not want to make any noise,” he said, leaning over her, kissing her to silence.
She rejoiced in the touch of his lips against her own, the musky smell of him. He pulled away, glancing toward Marilyn. “Well, good evening, Lady Marilyn.”
“Do you not mean good morning?” Marilyn said, glancing toward the clock.
“Very well, then, it is good morning.”
She yawned and slid her legs over the side of the bed.
“Where are you going?” Katelyn asked as her sister pulled on her wrap and tied it.
Marilyn picked up a book off her nightstand. “There is a small sitting room just off the landing, and that is where I shall be for the next hour.”
“You do not have…”
“The story I am reading is most engaging, so the time shall fly by. If anyone asks what I am doing, I will tell them I did not wish to wake my sister, who is a light sleeper.” She crossed their room and donned her slippers. “Do not forget to lock the door, lest our aunt comes calling in the middle of the night.”
“Thank you, Marilyn,” Sinjin said, following her to the door.
The door closed behind her, and Sinjin locked it. He walked back to the bed, reached behind his head, and removed his shirt. He tossed it over the back of a chair.
Excitement and anticipation rippled through Katelyn.
He had a knee on the bed, then his large body covered hers, and she welcomed the heat. Her thighs fell open and he groaned low in his throat as he settled between them.
Her hands moved down his strong back, savoring the feel of tight skin over muscle, the hard planes that contracted when she cupped his ass.
Pulling her chemise up and over her head, he tossed it aside and used his knees to spread her legs wider.
Sinjin had not intended to bed Katelyn tonight. He had merely wanted to see her, to talk to her, and let her know how important she had become to him in such a short period of time. Yet, when Marilyn had left and he saw Katelyn sitting up in the bed, the sleeve of her chemise falling off her shoulder, he could not help himself.
He loved her hair down as it was now, the thick curls framing her beautiful face. He threaded his fingers through the glorious locks, brought them to his face, and inhaled deeply. She smelled of vanilla and jasmine, an intoxicating combination.
Pulling the gown from her body, he went up on his knees to look down at her. The candlelight cast shadows on her amazing body. She was perfect in every way. He lowered his head and kissed her belly, his tongue circling around her navel.
The breath left her in a rush, and he smiled to himself as he kissed a trail to her mound and the hot flesh between her thighs.
He stroked her with his tongue and she nearly came off the bed, her fingers curling around the slats of the headboard.
He tasted her, delving inside her tight channel, licking her clit over and over until she was moaning and moving her hips against his mouth.
Long fingers slid into her weeping slit. She cried out with pleasure and her sex pulsed against him. He relented until the first tremors eased a little, then he started all over again.
Katelyn’s entire body tightened again and again. She wanted to feel his long cock inside her, and yet she could not say the words.
So she reached for him, her hand sliding into the band of his pants. He stopped, then looked at her, his blue eyes burning with desire. “What do you want, Katelyn?” he asked, his voice low, silky smooth.
He knew damn well what she wanted, but he would hear it from her lips.
“I want you.” She fumbled with the buttons of his pants and felt like she possessed nothing but thumbs, but soon she unleashed the solid length.
She took him into her hand and stroked his velvety cock.
His hand covered hers, squeezing her fingers. “I want you too badly.”
Understanding his need all too well, her hand fell away.
He shoved his pants down and she helped him out of them, tossing them aside. He urged her onto her knees. Excitement licked her spine as Sinjin edged up against her, his cock probing her slick entrance.
With a deep-throated moan, he slid inside her slowly, and she gasped at how his thick cock stretched her. Her fingers dug into the blankets beneath her as he began to move in slow, steady thrusts.
Exquisite heat rushed through her body with each fluid stroke. He played with her breasts, pinching her nipples lightly. One hand slid down her belly to the soft curls of her sex, and two fingers flicked over her clit, encircling the sensitive pearl, teasing it until her entire body felt as taut as a violin string.
He kissed her back, her neck, her ear, his tongue delving inside. The sensations were delicious.
&nb
sp; His pace quickened, and she sensed he was very close to climax, too. She lowered her upper body to the mattress, arching her back, and he moaned with pleasure.
He cupped her hips, holding her firmly in place as he pumped against her in fast, shallow strokes.
She moaned as she came hard, and seconds later she heard him find his own release.
He fell over her, taking her with him to her side. She was shocked to see he was still semi-erect, and already her insides clenched with the promise of him filling her again.
* * *
Katelyn woke to a hard body beside her.
Sinjin.
The sheet was draped across his lower body, just barely covering his groin. She stared at him in slumber, amazed at his beauty, that even in sleep, the intense man she knew him to be could look so boyish.
But there was nothing boyish about him, she thought with a smile, recalling the past hour in his arms. They had made love twice, and still she ached to be taken by him yet again.
How wanton she had become.
They had talked for a little while, and she discovered he had a weakness for dark chocolate, had an estate in Somerset, and he rather enjoyed hard labor. She had seen the excitement in his eyes when he talked about the mill he had just purchased in Rochester, but had sobered just as quickly when he spoke of his father, and then grew quiet altogether, save for asking her about her life, her favorite things. She was excited he wanted to know everything about her, seeming genuinely intrigued.
Glancing over at the clock, she sighed. She had to wake him, for Marilyn would be returning shortly. She sat up on her elbow and laid a hand against his bicep. “Sinjin.”
He opened his eyes slowly and breathed in deeply, his eyes squinting as he stared at her. Suddenly, his mouth curved upward.
Her pulse skittered.
“Come here, you,” he said, pulling her on top of him.
He flipped quickly, so she was beneath him.
His cock was so hard.
“Marilyn will be here shortly.”
Reaching between their bodies, he slid his cock inside her. “I won’t be long,” he promised.
Moving within her, he did not once look away. She loved the intense way he stared at her when he was inside her, the way his eyes turned dark, and the way his jaw clenched tighter with each thrust.
He pulled out of her slowly, the tip of his cock just teasing her opening. She lifted her hips, needing him to fill her. Her insides tightened as he kept it up, over and over again, teasing her mercilessly by almost withdrawing.
He would have her begging for it, and to her horror, she moaned in frustration when he did it again, her hips following him.
Pleased by her need, he smiled and gave her every inch of his cock, grinding his pelvis against her, giving her the friction she craved.
He gripped her waist, his fingers digging into her hips as he pumped against her, harder and harder with each long stroke.
Katelyn cried out her release, her honeyed walls clamping his cock tight, her hands squeezing his buttocks.
Sinjin froze, watching her reach orgasm, and with four more thrusts, he followed her over the edge.
* * *
Lillith craved a stiff drink, and she had not had liquor in ten years, after a binge that had dreadful repercussions. Thankfully, the only person who had witnessed that dreadful encounter was her husband…and his lover, a young French noble.
Lillith had walked in on the two making love in Winfred’s library, right on the rug in front of the fire. Her husband had looked directly at her and continued making love to Jean Pierre. Feeling sick, she ran to her chamber and locked the door.
Winfred had followed her there, pounding on the door, demanding to be let in. Only when he threatened to break down the door did she let him in.
Still perspiring from his sexual encounter, he had slapped her across the face with the back of his hand, not caring that his ring would leave an ugly welt for all to see. “How dare you embarrass me in front of my friends!” he screamed.
Jean Pierre had appeared at the door, a glass of wine hanging from his long fingers, a wide smile on his face. He was shorter than Lillith, slighter too, like a boy, although he had to be at least twenty.
Twenty, like dear, sweet Katelyn.
Lillith shook her head of the awful memories and pushed away from the desk, flexing her cramped hand. She had spent the past hour writing a letter to her sister, pleading with her to reconsider the betrothal between Katelyn and Lord Balliford. Lillith listed the reasons she felt the match was not a good one, her final point being that Katelyn had fallen in love with Sinjin Rayborne.
Somewhere in the manor, the clock struck two.
Pulling her shawl tight about her shoulders, Lillith stood and walked over to the fireplace. She held her hands to the heat, wondering what on earth she was going to do.
Katelyn loved Sinjin Rayborne, and if Lillith did not do something to stop her upcoming marriage to Lord Balliford, then she would feel responsible for her niece’s misery.
Memories of her own farce of a marriage flashed before her eyes, and Lillith hugged herself. She would not let Katelyn endure the same. It wouldn’t be fair. What if she took her away to Bath? No, Loraine would find her there. What about Venice? Lillith adored the floating city and would be more than happy to spend a year there with her nieces until things blew over in England.
“Couldn’t sleep?”
She gasped and turned to find Victor Rayborne standing in the doorway, his jacket tossed over his shoulder, looking like he had just stepped from a lover’s bedchamber.
She managed a smile. “No.”
His gaze shifted to the desk. “Late-night correspondence.”
“Yes.”
Having been married to a libertine of the first order, she knew men like Victor all too well, which made her exceedingly uncomfortable.
“No…yes. Not much for conversation, are you, Lady Nordland?” he said teasingly.
Embarrassed, she forced a smile. “Forgive me. I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Your nieces, perhaps?” he asked, stepping into the room. His shirt was completely rumpled and appeared to have been shoved into his wrinkled pants.
“For one.”
“Your husband?”
“Is dead.”
His brows lifted. “Yes, I know. I wondered if perhaps you were thinking about him…you seemed so lost in thought.” He tossed his jacket over a chair and approached her. He was absolutely gorgeous—his hair so silky looking, she craved to touch the curly locks, just to see if they were as soft as she hoped them to be. His shirt had opened at the neck, and she could see the wide expanse of chest. He had an athletic build, broad at the shoulders, narrow at the hip.
She had not realized she had been staring until a dark brow lifted, along with the corner of his lip.
How utterly humiliating. Being alone with him felt awkward, and she suddenly felt like a caged canary. “Well, I should be going.” She passed by him, ready to snatch up the letter, when he reached out and grabbed her hand.
“Please don’t go.”
How long had it been since a man had touched her? Certainly she had the occasional greeting, but always she had gloves on, and never skin-to-skin contact.
She looked back at him, her gaze searching his face. He was at least ten years younger than she was. Certainly he knew that. Why, when he had a house full of younger women, did he wish to be in her company?
“Lillith, stay.” His thumb brushed over hers, and it was then she snapped out of it and pulled away.
“I must go,” she said, reaching for the letter with trembling fingers.
He did not say a word as she rushed to the door. She had always prided herself for being in control, of always leaving the very best impression. At the door she turned to him, and her heart literally missed a beat.
Hip resting against the desk, he watched her, head slightly tilted, long-fingered hand resting on the back of the chair she had just
vacated. He was pure temptation, sin incarnate…and he had just left the arms of his lover, she reminded herself.
“Good night, Lily.”
Lily.
She swallowed past the lump in her throat and forced a smile. “Good night, Lord Graston.”
14
Katelyn sat with her sister and aunt in the nearly empty parlor. Though it was early afternoon, many of the ladies present had already retired to their rooms to nap and prepare for the ball taking place that evening.
She could not sleep if she wanted to. Her heart still raced as she remembered waking up to Sinjin in her bed, the feel of his hard body beside her—the feel of his hard body inside her as he brought her to climax again and again.
She could hardly wait until tonight.
Lillith poured herself a cup of tea, adding two heaping teaspoonfuls of sugar to it. “Katelyn, you should wear that lovely cream-colored gown this evening. It would look delightful.”
“She is so right. It is so beautiful,” Marilyn agreed.
Marilyn had been rather quiet throughout the day, and Katelyn wondered if perhaps she was angry with her for turning her out last night after she’d been sleeping so peacefully.
Sinjin had kissed Marilyn on the cheek on his way out the door, and she had climbed into bed, saying very little except to comment on how soft the newly changed sheets were.
“What will you be wearing tonight?” Katelyn asked her sister, who sat back on the settee with a sigh.
“I do not know. Perhaps the rose silk.”
“Or the royal blue.” Lillith tapped her spoon on the side of the cup.
Marilyn shrugged. “Either one will do.”
“What on earth is the matter with you, my dear? You have been quite somber all day,” Lillith asked, concern in her hazel eyes.
Marilyn sat up and stretched. “Have I? I am sorry, I did not realize. Perhaps it is from lack of sleep.”
Katelyn’s cheeks turned hot.
“Then perhaps you should retire for a nap?”
“Perhaps I shall, but only after I finish my hot chocolate. It is delicious.”
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