“I know it.”
It wasn’t enough, of course. He’d be lying to himself if he pretended it was. But it was better than nothing. True friendships were rare. Look at Peter. The man competed for friends, the way he competed at hunting and horse racing. And, God damn him, at love.
He became aware of her fingers stroking the front of his domino. As if offering comfort, rather than seeking it. Was he so transparent in his disappointment?
He had the urge to wrap that small hand in his, to bring it to his mouth to suck each small white finger and… His body responded to the salacious image with a vengeance. He ground his teeth in an effort to control the surge of blood tightening his groin.
“James? About tonight.”
Dear God, had she sensed his arousal. He stilled, his whole body suddenly strangely alert, yet silent, waiting. “What about it?”
She lifted her head and there was a smile on her lovely mouth and her eyes were dancing with something akin to mischief. “I kept thinking I knew the stranger who swept me off my feet these last two nights. My heart was pounding, not with fear, but with hope. I think somehow I really did know it was you. I could not have felt so completely comfortable with anyone else. I am thrilled you cared enough to go to all this trouble for me, to make my fantasy come true.”
A flash of hope seared his chest. When did hope carry such pain? Or was it simply his heart filled to bursting with love. “Thrilled?”
“Delighted. Overwhelmed.” She peeped at him shyly from beneath her lashes. “Is what I felt, the way it always is between a man and a woman?”
He grinned. “If they are fortunate, it is.”
“If there is true affection, you mean?” she said, her voice slightly smug.
He opened his mouth to speak. She pressed a finger to his lips and, God help him, he licked it. The hiss of her indrawn breath made his shaft pulse.
“So such things can happen between a man and his wife on a regular basis,” she said softly, bringing her mouth up for him to kiss.
A blinding light went off in his head, like lightning on the darkest of nights when everything becomes instantly clear and stark.
“Dee, are you asking me to marry you?”
“I believe I am.”
His heart grew so large, it felt painful behind his ribs, while his soul seemed to soar to the heavens. He pulled her onto his lap, and settled her against his shoulder. She ducked her face against his chest. “It won’t do, you know,” he murmured.
“It won’t? I thought with our friendship and what happened tonight it was clear we would suit very well.”
“There is a bit more to it than that. You see, I haven’t told you how much I love you.”
“Oh, James. I think I loved you from the moment you called me Dee when you teased me when I first came out. I just didn’t know what the warmth in my chest was all about.”
He nuzzled against her neck. “Dear sweet, beautiful, sensual Dee. Will you indeed marry me?”
Her breath left her body in a rush. “I feel as if I have just awakened from a long lonely sleep and now I am ready to rejoin the world. It would be wonderful to be part of it with you.”
He felt himself grinning like a fool and didn’t care. “We can be married as soon as I obtain a special licence. Three days at most, I would say.”
She drew in a quick breath.
“If you prefer a large affair, I can wait,” he added swiftly, to stem any objection. “After all, I have been waiting for years.”
“Me, too,” she whispered, then smiled, her heart in her eyes. “I just didn’t know it was you all the time. No more waiting, James. Just think. Everyone will sigh over our romance.” She flattened her hand against his chest and peeked up at him from beneath her golden lashes. “And I certainly don’t want to wait a moment longer than necessary.”
He took her mouth in a long kiss. “Dearest, did I tell you how much I love you,” he said, when they finally needed a breath.
“You can’t love me as much as I love you,” she whispered.
Joy sang through his body. “Oh, yes, I can.”
He took her mouth again to settle the argument and she sighed and stroked his tongue with hers. He knew as well as any rake, the many ways to bring the satisfaction she sought. It would be such a pleasure to teach them to his girl, his dearest Dee.
Starting with the crook of her elbow. He kissed the tender spot and smiled at her sigh.
Next there was a tiny spot on her hip where…
Joy filled his heart as he set out to give her all the pleasure she deserved.
If you enjoyed this story, look for Kate and Lord Godridge’s tale in The Laird and the Wanton Widow, and Julia and the Duke of Dunstan’s story in One Night as a Courtesan—both now available wherever ebooks are sold!
Enjoy more passion through the ages with the sensual Harlequin Historical UNDONE titles on sale now:
Temptation is the Night by Marguerite Kaye
Summoned for Seduction by Joanne Rock
To Court, Capture and Conquer by Amanda McCabe
Her Midnight Cowboy by Lauri Robinson
The Samurai's Forbidden Touch by Ashley Radcliff
One Night as a Courtesan by Ann Lethbridge
The Taming of Mei Lin by Jeannie Lin
Delight and Desire by Joanna Maitland
A Scandalous Liaison by Elizabeth Rolls
Pleasured by the Viking by Michelle Willingham
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Interested in writing for Harlequin Historical UNDONE? Send your submission to [email protected].
Ann Lethbridge has been reading Regency novels for as long as she can remember. She always imagined herself as Lizzie Bennet or one of Georgette Heyer’s heroines, and would often recreate the stories in her head with different outcomes or scenes. When she sat down to write her own novel, it was no wonder that she returned to her first love: the Regency.
Ann grew up roaming England with her military father. Her family lived in many towns and villages across the country, from the Outer Hebrides to Hampshire. She spent many memorable family holidays in the West Country and in Dover, where her father was born. She now lives in Canada, with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and a Maltese terrier named Teaser, who spends his days on a chair beside the computer, making sure she doesn’t slack off.
Ann visits Britain every year, to undertake research and also to visit family members who are very understanding about her need to poke around old buildings and visit every antiquity within a hundred miles. If you would like to know more about Ann and her research, or to contact her, visit her website at www.annlethbridge.com She loves to hear from readers.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-5298-5
Unmasking Lady Innocent
Copyright © 2010 by Michèle Ann Young
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