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snug Bodiam stable. When she got to her own chamber, Mr. Burke sent the servants with hot bathwater. By the time she had wrapped herself in a velvet bed robe, Falcon arrived and beckoned her upstairs.
He poured them each a tot of French brandy and while she took a tentative sniff and then a sip, he stripped off his wet clothes. “You’re doing it the right way. First you inhale the fragrant fumes, then you hold it on your tongue to savor its fine flavor. When you swallow, it will warm the cockles of your heart.”
He padded naked across the room and stretched out before the fire. “Come and be warm, love.”
She sat down beside him and took another swallow. “It feels like a bloodred rose is blooming in my breast.”
“The potent warmth will soon spread through your veins like a river of fire.” He cocked an inquisitive brow. “So, what did you think of your first run, my beauty?”
“I expected it to be great fun, but after the anticipation wore off, I realized it was tedious work. Only the danger made it exciting. My curiosity’s sated and I’m not eager to go again.”
“That’s the reaction I was hoping for. If I’d told you, you wouldn’t have believed me—
you had to experience it for yourself.”
“It’s a larger operation than I thought and covers a wider area. When the goods are dropped at the far side of Ashdown Forest, they must be picked up by others and delivered to wealthy noble customers, perhaps as far away as Penshurst.”
Falcon sipped his brandy. “And from Penshurst to London.”
“I don’t understand why you do it. The excitement must have palled long ago.” She thought of the noble names listed in the back of the journal. “Why put yourself in danger to save your wealthy friends from paying import taxes?”
Falcon laughed. “I don’t do it for them. The villagers of Hawkhurst would starve eking out a living by fishing alone.”
“Ah, the names listed in the front of your journal.” Tory rubbed a taut muscle in her back. “What was the name of the ‘phantom ship’ that dropped the contraband in Romney Marsh?”
“TheSeacock, ” he said quietly.
Tory’s eyes widened.You took the Seacockout to raid the cargo of a French merchant vessel. “Falcon Hawkhurst, you are not just a smuggler, you are a pirate!”
He smiled into her eyes, slipped the robe from her shoulders, and bade her lie prone before the fire. Then, with long, slow, sensuous strokes, he began to massage her back and buttocks. The thrilling thought of a pirate’s hands caressing her naked flesh made her want to scream with excitement. Before he was done, Tory thought her very bones would melt with pleasure.
He turned her onto her back and proceeded to work his magic on the rest of her body.
Her lush breasts spilled into his possessive hands and he brought his lips down to hers in a demanding kiss that was primal and savage.
His mouth tasted of brandy and it sent her senses reeling. She wrapped her legs tightly around his back and heat leaped between them as he impaled her with a hot, driving thrust. She was wildly intoxicated by the brandy and the potent maleness of the reckless devil who was making love to her.
It was too intense to last long and all too soon they were both crying out their pleasure.
He gathered her close and held her against his heart until her body softened. Falcon watched her eyes close and felt her body grow limp in his arms as she drifted into sleep.
A need to protect her now mingled with his desire to possess her. “Don’t leave me, Victoria.”
When Tory awoke, she was in Falcon’s bed, but she was alone. The last thing she remembered was being held in his arms before the fire.When I fell asleep he carried me to bed.
She knew she was losing her heart to this man, yet in the cool light of day, what she had learned about him last night brought her conscience into conflict. Hawkhurst was noble and altruistic regarding the welfare of the less privileged families of
He poured them each a tot of French brandy and while she took a tentative sniff and then a sip, he stripped off his wet clothes. “You’re doing it the right way. First you inhale the fragrant fumes, then you hold it on your tongue to savor its fine flavor. When you swallow, it will warm the cockles of your heart.”
He padded naked across the room and stretched out before the fire. “Come and be warm, love.”
She sat down beside him and took another swallow. “It feels like a bloodred rose is blooming in my breast.”
“The potent warmth will soon spread through your veins like a river of fire.” He cocked an inquisitive brow. “So, what did you think of your first run, my beauty?”
“I expected it to be great fun, but after the anticipation wore off, I realized it was tedious work. Only the danger made it exciting. My curiosity’s sated and I’m not eager to go again.”
“That’s the reaction I was hoping for. If I’d told you, you wouldn’t have believed me—
you had to experience it for yourself.”
“It’s a larger operation than I thought and covers a wider area. When the goods are dropped at the far side of Ashdown Forest, they must be picked up by others and delivered to wealthy noble customers, perhaps as far away as Penshurst.”
Falcon sipped his brandy. “And from Penshurst to London.”
“I don’t understand why you do it. The excitement must have palled long ago.” She thought of the noble names listed in the back of the journal. “Why put yourself in danger to save your wealthy friends from paying import taxes?”
Falcon laughed. “I don’t do it for them. The villagers of Hawkhurst would starve eking out a living by fishing alone.”
“Ah, the names listed in the front of your journal.” Tory rubbed a taut muscle in her back. “What was the name of the ‘phantom ship’ that dropped the contraband in Romney Marsh?”
“TheSeacock, ” he said quietly.
Tory’s eyes widened.You took the Seacockout to raid the cargo of a French merchant vessel. “Falcon Hawkhurst, you are not just a smuggler, you are a pirate!”
He smiled into her eyes, slipped the robe from her shoulders, and bade her lie prone before the fire. Then, with long, slow, sensuous strokes, he began to massage her back and buttocks. The thrilling thought of a pirate’s hands caressing her naked flesh made her want to scream with excitement. Before he was done, Tory thought her very bones would melt with pleasure.
He turned her onto her back and proceeded to work his magic on the rest of her body.
Her lush breasts spilled into his possessive hands and he brought his lips down to hers in a demanding kiss that was primal and savage.
His mouth tasted of brandy and it sent her senses reeling. She wrapped her legs tightly around his back and heat leaped between them as he impaled her with a hot, driving thrust. She was wildly intoxicated by the brandy and the potent maleness of the reckless devil who was making love to her.
It was too intense to last long and all too soon they were both crying out their pleasure.
He gathered her close and held her against his heart until her body softened. Falcon watched her eyes close and felt her body grow limp in his arms as she drifted into sleep.
A need to protect her now mingled with his desire to possess her. “Don’t leave me, Victoria.”
When Tory awoke, she was in Falcon’s bed, but she was alone. The last thing she remembered was being held in his arms before the fire.When I fell asleep he carried me to bed.
She knew she was losing her heart to this man, yet in the cool light of day, what she had learned about him last night brought her conscience into conflict. Hawkhurst was noble and altruistic regarding the welfare of the less privileged families of
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