his hands away from her hold and stepped back.
"How can I know we will have passion in our marriage bed if you do not kiss me with passion before we marry? What if we do not suit in that way?"
"What do you know of passion? You are an innocent. This is not a proper conversation, and certainly not what I intended to discuss with you now."
Feeling admonished, Cassie walked over to a straight backed chair and matched her spine to it when she sat. "Then let us discuss whatever you intended."
Mr. Parker followed her and went down on bended knee. "You are angry now. Let us not start off this way. If you wish for a kiss, then I shall give it to you."
He reached up and took her face between his palms once more. This time he exerted more pressure on her mouth. She opened her lips, but he did not press his tongue into her. Instead he gave her a dozen soft, sweet kisses. She liked his kisses. They did not overwhelm her or frighten her the way Lord William's kisses did.
Cassie placed her hands on his shoulders for balance. His touch was gentle and slow, as if he wanted to adore her with his mouth, caress her with his touch. His lips left hers and found the path along her jaw, down her long throat, and across her clothed bosom. She did not burn, yet she yearned for him to continue. His hands reached up and grasped her breasts, kneading them gently until he had her panting for breath.
He suddenly pulled back. "I am sorry. I should not have taken such liberties. We are not married yet. I do not know what overcame me."
"Please, do not apologize. I wanted you to show me passion. I wanted to know what it would feel like between us."
Mr. Parker watched her a moment, his features changing a bit as he appeared to consider her words. "We will suit each other well." He rose, took her hand and guided her over to the settee where they could sit next to each other.
"I have come for a purpose Miss Chambers," he hesitated and looked away a moment before turning his eyes back to her and continuing, "My uncle refuses to approve our match."
She took in a small breath and held it. He just said they would suit, surely he did not intend to cry off. She bit her lip and drew her brows together. He must have seen the anxiety in her face.
"It does not matter. He is a stubborn old goat. I will not allow him to rule my... our lives." He took her hands and said with determination in his voice, "I am convinced once we are married he will come around, but I do not believe we should wait."
"Do you want to move up the date of our wedding?" Excitement and fear rumbled through Cassie's stomach at once. The sooner she married Mr. Parker, the sooner she could get on with her life and put Lord William behind her.
"Well, yes, in a way. I think we should elope tonight to Gretna Green."
She choked on a startled breath. Elope? To Gretna Green? How scandalous! Women were ruined and couples looked down upon for such sensational behavior. She thought about her parents, her father who would preside over the nuptials, her mother who already started planning her wedding, and Jocelyn who would stand up for her. She could see the disappointment and censure on their faces, and hear it in their broken voices. They would be hurt to be cut out of the most important day of her life. How could she do it?
"It is now or never Miss Chambers."
"What? Why?" She could not understand the rush. "We do not need to elope. My father could call the banns this Sunday. We could marry next month."
"No. My uncle has threatened to call on his solicitor and arrange to cut me off, but if we marry now, I know he would back down. He would not like the scandal he would induce if he turned his back on us, especially after the sensation of our visit to Scotland. We need to go now."
"Now? You cannot be serious." His tone told her he was dead serious. She never saw this side of him. She did not know what to do. Would he cry
"How can I know we will have passion in our marriage bed if you do not kiss me with passion before we marry? What if we do not suit in that way?"
"What do you know of passion? You are an innocent. This is not a proper conversation, and certainly not what I intended to discuss with you now."
Feeling admonished, Cassie walked over to a straight backed chair and matched her spine to it when she sat. "Then let us discuss whatever you intended."
Mr. Parker followed her and went down on bended knee. "You are angry now. Let us not start off this way. If you wish for a kiss, then I shall give it to you."
He reached up and took her face between his palms once more. This time he exerted more pressure on her mouth. She opened her lips, but he did not press his tongue into her. Instead he gave her a dozen soft, sweet kisses. She liked his kisses. They did not overwhelm her or frighten her the way Lord William's kisses did.
Cassie placed her hands on his shoulders for balance. His touch was gentle and slow, as if he wanted to adore her with his mouth, caress her with his touch. His lips left hers and found the path along her jaw, down her long throat, and across her clothed bosom. She did not burn, yet she yearned for him to continue. His hands reached up and grasped her breasts, kneading them gently until he had her panting for breath.
He suddenly pulled back. "I am sorry. I should not have taken such liberties. We are not married yet. I do not know what overcame me."
"Please, do not apologize. I wanted you to show me passion. I wanted to know what it would feel like between us."
Mr. Parker watched her a moment, his features changing a bit as he appeared to consider her words. "We will suit each other well." He rose, took her hand and guided her over to the settee where they could sit next to each other.
"I have come for a purpose Miss Chambers," he hesitated and looked away a moment before turning his eyes back to her and continuing, "My uncle refuses to approve our match."
She took in a small breath and held it. He just said they would suit, surely he did not intend to cry off. She bit her lip and drew her brows together. He must have seen the anxiety in her face.
"It does not matter. He is a stubborn old goat. I will not allow him to rule my... our lives." He took her hands and said with determination in his voice, "I am convinced once we are married he will come around, but I do not believe we should wait."
"Do you want to move up the date of our wedding?" Excitement and fear rumbled through Cassie's stomach at once. The sooner she married Mr. Parker, the sooner she could get on with her life and put Lord William behind her.
"Well, yes, in a way. I think we should elope tonight to Gretna Green."
She choked on a startled breath. Elope? To Gretna Green? How scandalous! Women were ruined and couples looked down upon for such sensational behavior. She thought about her parents, her father who would preside over the nuptials, her mother who already started planning her wedding, and Jocelyn who would stand up for her. She could see the disappointment and censure on their faces, and hear it in their broken voices. They would be hurt to be cut out of the most important day of her life. How could she do it?
"It is now or never Miss Chambers."
"What? Why?" She could not understand the rush. "We do not need to elope. My father could call the banns this Sunday. We could marry next month."
"No. My uncle has threatened to call on his solicitor and arrange to cut me off, but if we marry now, I know he would back down. He would not like the scandal he would induce if he turned his back on us, especially after the sensation of our visit to Scotland. We need to go now."
"Now? You cannot be serious." His tone told her he was dead serious. She never saw this side of him. She did not know what to do. Would he cry
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