had become exhilarating.
His hand clutched her breast harder and his thumb swept back and forth across her hardened nipple, while his fingers stroked forward and back in the cleft between her legs caressing her aching flesh.
Her hands clawed on his shoulder and his neck, clinging, as a whimpering sound left her lips.
He silenced her with a kiss.
She could not kiss him back, she could not think as whatever peak she raced towards approached as if she flew on a firecracker.
Goodness. Oh heavens.
She exploded, and fell from the sky, then the sensation inside her was carried on a flood of water swirling beneath her skin, reaching out to her toes and fingertips as she gripped hard at his neck and shoulder, afraid she would truly fall.
A sound of amusement, half laugh, came from his lungs, slipping into her mouth as he drew away.
He looked down at her, but she could not see his face, or his eyes. His fingers touched her face and his thumb ran back and forth across her cheekbone.
“I could make a sound and have someone find us like this.” he whispered.
“Is that what you want?” His thumb touched her lips as she breathed heavily, still a little disorientated. He was breathing heavily too and through her grip on the back of his neck, even through his neckcloth, she could feel his heart racing hard.
She was not afraid, nothing about him spoke of danger, but I do not know him at all .
“I want you,” he answered, in a hushed voice. “I want you as my wife.”
“You want my dowry.”
“I want you, and your dowry. I know your brother hates the idea of a man in need of a fortune, but he has one. It’s hardly a crime to need to marry wealth, just circumstance. But any of three dozen heiresses could bring me money. I want you, Mary.”
She smiled, knowing the darkness hid it. “You could choose a military career and work for your living.”
His thumb swept across her cheek. “I have not even enough to buy a commission. Besides would you wish to follow the drum?”
“The clergy then…”
“Me, a vicar? Are you mad? That would never work.” A scoffing rumble of amusement growled in his throat.
“I must be, I am here with you.”
His thumb and forefinger gripped her chin, then tilted it up. “Do I have your interest?”
“To be your wife?” Mary fought a desire to kiss the lips lingering over hers. “I barely know you. All I know is you are a rogue.”
This time his amusement erupted as a proper laugh which someone might hear. “Guilty as charged, I’ll not deny it, but now I’m looking for more than amusement. I did not do this with you for that. I wish to marry you. I am trying to persuade you.”
“For money….”
He shook his head. “Money, yes. I need it. I’ll not lie to you. But I want you, too, not only your fortune.” His lips brushed hers, weaving enchantment, fogging her mind.
She forced herself to cling to common-sense. “And if I had no fortune…”
He did not answer. He’d said he would not lie.
He would not choose her if she was penniless. But that was the way of life. There were three dozen men in her uncle’s ballroom without expectation of inheritance, or the desire to be shot at on a battlefield, or the inclination to preach… All of those men were in need of a fortune.
She pushed him away.
As he moved back, his hands slipped to her waist.
“I have to go. I will be missed.”
“When can I meet you again? Where? Do you ride in the morning, in Hyde Park? What if I were there at nine, would you come?”
Male voices drifted on the night air, rising in volume, they came from the terrace.
“I don’t know. I have to go.” She slipped from his hold, both physically and mentally, and hurried back across the grass to the courtyard entrance she’d come from, then returned to the ballroom via the servants’ entrance.
He was not in there. He’d gone.
Mary found her father, who commented on the length of time the maid had taken to fix her hair. It was only
His hand clutched her breast harder and his thumb swept back and forth across her hardened nipple, while his fingers stroked forward and back in the cleft between her legs caressing her aching flesh.
Her hands clawed on his shoulder and his neck, clinging, as a whimpering sound left her lips.
He silenced her with a kiss.
She could not kiss him back, she could not think as whatever peak she raced towards approached as if she flew on a firecracker.
Goodness. Oh heavens.
She exploded, and fell from the sky, then the sensation inside her was carried on a flood of water swirling beneath her skin, reaching out to her toes and fingertips as she gripped hard at his neck and shoulder, afraid she would truly fall.
A sound of amusement, half laugh, came from his lungs, slipping into her mouth as he drew away.
He looked down at her, but she could not see his face, or his eyes. His fingers touched her face and his thumb ran back and forth across her cheekbone.
“I could make a sound and have someone find us like this.” he whispered.
“Is that what you want?” His thumb touched her lips as she breathed heavily, still a little disorientated. He was breathing heavily too and through her grip on the back of his neck, even through his neckcloth, she could feel his heart racing hard.
She was not afraid, nothing about him spoke of danger, but I do not know him at all .
“I want you,” he answered, in a hushed voice. “I want you as my wife.”
“You want my dowry.”
“I want you, and your dowry. I know your brother hates the idea of a man in need of a fortune, but he has one. It’s hardly a crime to need to marry wealth, just circumstance. But any of three dozen heiresses could bring me money. I want you, Mary.”
She smiled, knowing the darkness hid it. “You could choose a military career and work for your living.”
His thumb swept across her cheek. “I have not even enough to buy a commission. Besides would you wish to follow the drum?”
“The clergy then…”
“Me, a vicar? Are you mad? That would never work.” A scoffing rumble of amusement growled in his throat.
“I must be, I am here with you.”
His thumb and forefinger gripped her chin, then tilted it up. “Do I have your interest?”
“To be your wife?” Mary fought a desire to kiss the lips lingering over hers. “I barely know you. All I know is you are a rogue.”
This time his amusement erupted as a proper laugh which someone might hear. “Guilty as charged, I’ll not deny it, but now I’m looking for more than amusement. I did not do this with you for that. I wish to marry you. I am trying to persuade you.”
“For money….”
He shook his head. “Money, yes. I need it. I’ll not lie to you. But I want you, too, not only your fortune.” His lips brushed hers, weaving enchantment, fogging her mind.
She forced herself to cling to common-sense. “And if I had no fortune…”
He did not answer. He’d said he would not lie.
He would not choose her if she was penniless. But that was the way of life. There were three dozen men in her uncle’s ballroom without expectation of inheritance, or the desire to be shot at on a battlefield, or the inclination to preach… All of those men were in need of a fortune.
She pushed him away.
As he moved back, his hands slipped to her waist.
“I have to go. I will be missed.”
“When can I meet you again? Where? Do you ride in the morning, in Hyde Park? What if I were there at nine, would you come?”
Male voices drifted on the night air, rising in volume, they came from the terrace.
“I don’t know. I have to go.” She slipped from his hold, both physically and mentally, and hurried back across the grass to the courtyard entrance she’d come from, then returned to the ballroom via the servants’ entrance.
He was not in there. He’d gone.
Mary found her father, who commented on the length of time the maid had taken to fix her hair. It was only
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