“Thank you, my lord,” Lily repeated sincerely.
“So, ladies,” he said, looking at the two courtesans who had settled on the settee. “I presume you mean to judge my first performance?”
Fleur took the lead. “We are all agreed, my lord—even Lily. You won a point for bringing her such a lovely horse to ride. But you lost one for letting Lily escape your escort in the park. And we are awarding you two points for helping her rescue the dog and sending those bullies fleeing.”
“And yet another point for being so generous as to give the animal a home,” Chantel chimed in.
“Yes,” Fleur said with a mock shudder. “I wanted to grant you an extra bonus point for keeping that mangy animal out of our house, but we decided that would be a little much this early in the game. In any case, you still have nearly a fortnight to earn the rest of your ten points.”
Chantel smiled. “So your total is now five, my lord, if you count the two you earned yesterday.”
“And you agreed to that tally?” Claybourne asked Lily.
“Yes,” she replied, knowing she couldn’t begrudge him what he honestly deserved, even if it was rather alarming that he’d already collected half the number of points he needed to win. “It is only fair.”
“Speaking of fairness…” Fleur interjected, “we have reminded Lily of her agreement to permit your courtship, my lord, and clarified the rules for her. She can resist, but she cannot deliberately sabotage your efforts to woo her. If we discover otherwise, we may grant you extra points to make up for her hindering you unfairly.”
Lily saw him smile at that agreeable announcement. “Then I would be within my rights to claim my reward?”
“What reward?” Chantel asked curiously.
“Yes,” Lily seconded. “What reward?”
He shifted his attention to her. “The one you promised me for taking your dog home with me.”
Her gaze turned wary. “What reward would you like, my lord?”
“A simple kiss, that is all.”
Color rushing into her cheeks, Lily shot a tentative glance at her friends, wondering if they would allow so brazen a ploy. But neither of them responded.
She dragged her gaze back to Claybourne. “You want to kiss me?”
“Very much,” he answered, his eyes glinting wickedly. “I have since our very first meeting.”
“But right here in front of an audience?”
“Would you permit such a liberty any other way?”
“Well, no.”
“Then I will take what I can get.”
Lily shot her friends another anxious glance. “You don’t intend to object?”
Fleur answered for them both. “We are merely judges, Lily darling. We are not supposed to interfere in your game unless it is necessary for your safety.”
“Did you promise to reward his lordship?” Chantel asked. “If so, you must honor your word. But if you wish, we will leave the room.”
“No!” Lily protested. I don’t want you to leave.”
She had not promised to kiss Claybourne, but she supposed it would be an innocuous enough payment for his earlier generosity. After all, what could he do to her when they had witnesses?
“Very well, my lord,” Lily murmured.
She regretted her capitulation the instant he moved toward her.
“Stand up, sweeting,” he urged, taking her hand.
Feeling a sizzle of heat arc up her arm, Lily rose unsteadily to her feet. Claybourne smiled slowly, devilishly, as if knowing exactly what impact he was having on her.
Then he raised her hand almost to his lips. His breath fanned the edge of her palm, yet his mouth never touched her skin. Instead he reached out and slipped his fingers beneath her jaw, cradling her chin.
Her respiration grew shallow as he stood gazing down at her, while her pulse pounded in a heavy, uncertain rhythm.
After a dozen heartbeats had passed, though, Lily had had enough. “Pray hurry and be done with it, my lord.”
He made a tsking sound. “Such impatience. A kiss should be savored, not rushed.”
“Yes, indeed,” Chantel agreed, her tone dreamy.
Lily gritted her teeth, willing herself to remain calm. Even so, her nerves were on fire by the time Claybourne’s mouth at last descended to hers.
It was the lightest of caresses. His lips barely moved against hers, yet the impact was searing. His kiss was warm, tender, magical…and oh so devastating, just as she’d expected.
Lily felt hot and breathless and dazed when he finally let up.
While she tried futilely to regain her wits, Chantel applauded his performance with delight. “That kiss was perfectly lovely, Lord Claybourne.”
“And quite romantic,” Fleur said with a sigh. “I think you should have another point added to your tally.”
“Fleur!” Lily protested. “It really was not so extraordinary.”
“I might be wounded, love,” Claybourne said, amused, “if I thought you believed that.”
She had only to look into those gold-flecked eyes, gleaming with wicked knowledge, to realize she hadn’t fooled him in the least. He knew very well that even a simple kiss from him was captivating.
“Well, it certainly was not worth a full point,” she complained.
The marquess eyed her thoughtfully. “What do you say we strike a compromise? I will relinquish any points for my kissing skills just now in exchange for a few moments of privacy with you.”
Lily narrowed her gaze on him. “Why do you want privacy?”
“Because as charming and lovely as your friends are”—he bowed gracefully to the courtesans—“their presence does put a damper on my courtship.”
“Having to be alone with you was not part of our game.”
“Very well, if you want me to accept another point—”
“No!” Lily exclaimed.
Rising, Fleur nodded as if coming to a decision. “I think you have earned the right to a little privacy with Lily, my lord. You may have five minutes with her, no more.”
“You cannot be serious,” Lily objected.
“Oh, but I can,” Fleur replied. “A measure of intimacy will go a long way toward loosening you up, my dear. And his lordship is just the man to do it. You will find very few gentlemen with his prowess. Moreover, if you become better acquainted with him now, you will be better informed to make a decision about wedding him.” Fleur’s mouth twisted as she contemplated Lily. “I happen to think you are a fool to resist his suit, my darling, but you are the one who must live with the consequences.”
“I agree, Lily,” Chantel announced as she also rose. “If I were twenty years younger, I might try to steal him from you.”
“You may have him with my blessing,” she muttered under her breath.
When the two women had left the sitting room and shut the door behind them, Lily regarded the marquess nervously. “Just what do you think you are doing?”
“I intend to kiss you again. That brief taste wasn’t nearly enough. For me or for you either, I suspect.”
“It was more than enough for me.”
He smiled. “Then look at it as gaining more knowledge upon which to base your decision.”
She didn’t want any more knowledge of him! Certainly not the sensual kind of education he had in mind. Lily edged away from Lord Claybourne, determined to put some distance between them, but he reached out to lightly grasp her wrist.
“You are hardly playing fair,” she said, futilely trying to free her hand.
“Perhaps so, but you know the saying…all’s fair in love.”
“This has nothing whatever to do with love! You only want to win this absurd game…and perhaps to gain a broodmare for your heirs.”
He shook his head. “I want a wife, Lily, and I am laying claim to you.”
Her exasperation turned to frustration. “You cannot just claim me as if I were the spoils of war.”
“You are the one who has made this a war. I am exerting m
y best effort to woo you.”
“Well, I wish you would cease plaguing me this vexing way.”
Claybourne released her hand but held her gaze. “One kiss, and then I will go.”
That made her pause. “Just one?”
“Yes. And you can end it whenever you choose.”
It was incredibly dangerous to kiss him again, Lily knew. His kisses set her senses aflame and made her head spin so that she couldn’t even think straight. And yet she knew there was no other way to be rid of him.
She dragged in a deep breath. “Very well,” she said mutinously. “Since you leave me no choice.”
Ignoring her reluctance, he gently caught hold of her shoulders, bringing her close to him.
He didn’t kiss her at once, however. Instead he reached up with one hand to caress her. His fingers lightly rubbed the erratic pulse in her throat, then explored the warm hollows of her ear.
Lily wanted to flee, to run, but his golden gaze held her prisoner. Something hot and molten unfurled inside her at that look in his eyes. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. She could only feel.
His other hand slipped behind her and skimmed up her spine, then stroked her nape before cupping the back of her head. A heartbeat later, he finally bent and sealed his mouth to hers.
He kissed her thoroughly this time, his hot, clever, tongue slowly penetrating and exploring the deepest recesses of her mouth. Her breath gone, Lily felt herself melting in his embrace. Urgency flared at the searing warmth he roused inside her, and that was before his hand cupped her breast with shocking possessiveness.
His brazen caress suffused her body with heat and a liquid heaviness, and she found it impossible to control the small moan of pleasure that rose to her lips.
Her moan deepened when he caught her more firmly about the waist, drawing her even closer. She should have been shocked by the hard length of his arousal pressed against her abdomen, yet somehow the knowledge only excited her.
Then his knee moved against her skirts, nudging her own knees apart. Lily was unprepared for the sharp, erotic rush of feeling from his thigh against her woman’s mound.
Her moan turned to a helpless whimper as the pulse quickened between her legs. Encouraging her further, he moved his palm downward to mold her derriere and went on kissing her.
Yet now she didn’t want him to stop, couldn’t bear the thought of his sublime mouth leaving hers. Clutching at his broad shoulders, she gave in willingly to the glorious madness.
The madness eventually ended, however. His hard thigh still was nestled between hers when his devastating kiss at last broke off and his lips moved to nuzzle her ear.
“I want you, Lily,” he murmured, his voice a husky rasp. “I want you in my bed. I want your lovely hair on my pillow, your soft breath on my skin, your luscious body writhing beneath mine.”
She should not be thrilled by his admission, but it made her tremble and ache with longing. When he drew back to gaze down at her, she stood there staring back, wide-eyed and dazed.
“Just think how hot and sweet it would be between us, bright-eyes.”
Her heartbeat hammering in her throat, Lily swallowed hard. She doubted she would be able to think of anything else.
His eyes tender, he reached up to caress her cheek. “That should give you something to ponder until we meet again. Shall we ride tomorrow morning?”
A shaky laugh escaped her; she couldn’t help herself. How could he remain so calm and unaffected when she was in such turmoil?
“I cannot ride tomorrow morning,” she said. “I am scheduled to teach an early class to our boarders. There is less than a week before the soiree, so they must make use of every moment to practice their social graces.”
“Perhaps tomorrow afternoon then?”
“You may come for tea.” That way she would have company to protect her from being alone with him.
“As you wish.”
With one more tender smile, Claybourne lifted her fingers to his lips for a farewell kiss, then bowed himself out, leaving Lily standing there dazed, her body still thrumming, her knees weak.
Sinking into a chair, she brought her fingers to her throbbing lips. She had wanted Claybourne’s enthralling embrace to go on and on. Yet the emotional aftershock was even more powerful than the physical. Not only could she finally envision what passion with a man could be like, for the first time she actually found herself craving it.
At the realization, Lily half laughed, half moaned, and lowered her forehead to her hands. She certainly wouldn’t tell Fleur and Chantel how his lordship’s kiss had affected her. They were likely to award him even more points for his prowess.
And while his easy success made her again question the wisdom of playing the game, she renewed her resolve to finish it. Her pupils needed Lord Claybourne’s help in attracting potential patrons to the soiree next Monday.
She would just have to be stronger, Lily decided, shaking her head at her own weakness. Already she was struggling against the urgent desire to throw herself into his arms and let him teach her the exquisite pleasures she was missing. But she was not about to let that irresistible man drive her to reckless behavior. He would not make her lose her head.
Even so, the sooner she convinced him she wasn’t the right bride for him, the sooner she could be free of his alluring temptation.
Chapter Seven
Today’s contretemps vividly reminded me why I never intend to marry.
—Lily to Fanny
Smiling, Lily watched as her three favorite pupils practiced the fine art of subtle flirtation with Fanny. Lily had come to know several of the boarders fairly well, and these three in particular—Ada Shaw, Peg Wallace, and Sally Nead—had applied themselves so diligently to their lessons that they deserved extra guidance.
Ada was an actress with a propensity for bawdiness, which Fanny was endeavoring to tone down. Peg, on the other hand, was a ballet dancer who was painfully shy and had to be coaxed into attempting even the mildest banter with a gentleman. And Sally, also an actress, was a delightful minx—a little plain in appearance but lively and clever enough to attract notice.
Sally, Fanny believed, stood the best chance of landing a wealthy patron at Monday’s soiree.
Lily ardently hoped they would all be able to improve their situations significantly. For their sakes, she wanted the upcoming evening to be a success. And knowing how hard their lives had been put her own troubles into prospective. Because of them, Lily reminded herself, she was willing to suffer the persistent Lord Claybourne and his unnerving courtship.
The small class broke up just then, with Ada and Sally excitedly chattering as they rose to leave the drawing room.
Peg, however, tarried long enough to say shyly to Lily, “Thank you again for buying our gowns, Miss Loring. I’ve never owned anything so beautiful.”
Lily felt her heart swell at the girl’s simple gratitude. She herself had little interest in what she wore, but the blue lace confection that Fanny’s modiste had created for Peg emphasized her blond delicacy to perfection.
“You look lovely any time, Miss Wallace, but you are perfectly stunning in your new costume.”
Peg blushed at the compliment and curtsied before following the other pupils from the room.
Watching her go, Lily repressed a sigh. They addressed each other by their surnames so as to increase the girls’ self-esteem, an attribute that was sorely needed. Peg had been a lady’s maid before embarking on a dance career with the Royal Opera, and she found it difficult to break her old habits of subservience. And while her beauty truly was remarkable, a stylish gown would go a long way toward presenting the image of an alluring Cyprian.
Lily had spent her own funds outfitting all of the twenty-two students in the academy with proper evening gowns. And Fanny’s modiste was working unflaggingly to have their costumes ready by Monday. Since the girls had attended a final fitting this morning, however, it had decreased their much-needed practice time on social conver
sation. Hence, the special private sessions with Fanny and Lily.
As if reading Lily’s thoughts, Fanny shook her head as soon as they were alone. “I’m certain Sally will be ready by Monday, but I wouldn’t vouch for any of the others.”
“I know,” Lily agreed. “But they are oceans beyond where they were a few short weeks ago.”
“True. You have done a remarkable job, Lily.”
“Much of the credit goes to you, and Tess as well. And Basil has been a tremendous factor in improving their diction.”
Fanny instantly grimaced at the mention of Basil Eddowes. “I suppose so, but he has contributed to our cause with extremely poor grace.”
Lily couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s complaint. “You only think so because you two are always at loggerheads.”
“That is hardly my fault,” Fanny said darkly. “Basil is critical of my every effort because of the ‘sinful’ life I lead. It is beyond irksome.” She made a scoffing sound. “I should give up my livelihood simply because he disapproves? What does he know? He is a lowly law clerk, for heaven’s sake. I have noblemen fighting for my favors. I don’t require his approval.”
Hearing the disgruntled resentment in Fanny’s tone, Lily tried to offer some consoling words. “Basil adores you, he always has.”
“Well, he has a fine way of showing it. Just this morning he accused me of putting too much emphasis on beauty. And him as tall and gangly as a scarecrow. If I looked a fraction as homely as he does, I would starve to death.”
“I think perhaps he is envious of your patrons,” Lily said thoughtfully.
Fanny stared at her. “I don’t believe it,” she stated flatly. Then less strongly: “I would never take Basil on as a client, even if he could afford to keep me, which he can’t. I enjoy men who make me laugh, and Basil certainly does not. Now, if he had an ounce of Lord Claybourne’s charm, I could better deal with him.”
Lily’s brows drew together at the leading comment. “What are you saying, Fanny?”
“Just that I think you should at least consider Claybourne’s proposal of marriage.”
It was Lily’s turn to grimace. “Did Fleur and Chantel press you to coerce me?”
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