Chapter Twelve #3
“And I must presume,” continued her mother with a knowing look in her eyes, “you only requested his presence tonight because you believe he will soon make an offer of—”
“Mr. Madgwick,” Julia said, rising hastily and stepping away from her mother, hoping the topic of conversation could not be read on her cheeks. “Let me see you to the door.”
“Really, Julia,” came her mother’s cry of astonishment. “It is for the servants to—”
“It’s no trouble,” Julia interrupted. “Come on, Mr. Madgwick, let’s see if we can find where the housekeeper has hidden your hat.”
Only when the two of them had stepped out of the drawing room—Lawrence having bowed very elegantly to her mother and nodded again to Donald—did Julia’s shoulders slump, and she punched Lawrence as hard as she could in the arm.
“Ouch!”
“You deserve it,” she hissed as they walked down the corridor toward the hallway. “After all that talk—”
“Did you like it?” Lawrence grinned, his cheeks slightly flushed from the excitement, Julia presumed, of success. “I thought it would impress your mother the most when I—”
“And here I was, worried you would stick out like a sore thumb!” Julia said with a laugh, though she stifled it when they reached the hallway and saw their housekeeper waiting with greatcoat and hat. “Thank you, that will be all.”
If the servant was astonished that the daughter of the house was going to permit herself to be alone, albeit briefly, with a gentleman, she said nothing.
The door closed. Julia took a deep breath. They were alone.
“You were magnificent,” she said.
Lawrence, but not Lawrence. A Lawrence in formal attire, in the getup of a gentleman. Even as he pulled on the greatcoat and placed the hat above his head, they did not detract but merely added to the overall image.
An image that was having a mighty effect on her.
“You are pleased?”
“This whole evening, you, you went far beyond what I expected. Why, you could have almost been a duke, the way you spoke to my mother!”
She laughed and expected him to join her, but for some reason, Lawrence’s smile was perfunctory.
“Yes. Yes, I suppose so.”
“But where did you learn it all?” Julia asked eagerly. There was still so much about Lawrence she did not know, so much she wanted to learn.
Only then did she notice her eagerness had taken her forward, only a foot away from him.
“I was…taught,” Lawrence said slowly. “Is that not how everyone learns anything?”
“Yes, but…well, surely you could not have learned all that in just a few hours?” pointed out Julia. “I mean, all those spoons!”
“I was taught not today, but years ago. By…by a duke, as a matter of fact.”
Julia stared. The life this man must have led…to be fighting for his very livelihood in London, but to have spent time in the company of a duke!
“A duke? No—a duke? What duke?” she demanded.
A teasing smile crept across Lawrence’s face. “Never you mind.”
“But I do mind.” Julia stepped forward, unable to help herself. This man, this mystery, this enticement. Would she ever be free of him now that she knew so much and yet so little? “Lawrence, I—”
She was unable to continue. Not that she minded. Lawrence had leaned down, bestowing at first a reverent and then a most irreverent kiss on her lips.
Julia moaned, immediately throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him close.
This was what she had wanted, what she had dreamed of.
Herself in his arms, Lawrence’s mouth on hers, his fingers around her waist. The strength of his grip told her in no uncertain terms that he had wanted this just as long, perhaps longer, than she had.
Tingles of explosive pleasure shot down her body, every sensation heightened, and Julia whimpered with delight as Lawrence tilted her head, his teasing tongue exploring her mouth and giving her such bliss—
The kiss ended as soon as it had begun.
“I really shouldn’t,” Lawrence breathed in a jagged voice.
Julia looked up with lust-hazed eyes. “Shouldn’t what?”
His eyes flashed. “Do what I want to you.”
Oh, God, if only he… “Yes, you should.”
Lawrence groaned, dipping his head to her shoulder, then tilting to kiss her neck, making Julia gasp with uncontrolled pleasure. “No, I shouldn’t…”
Her eyelashes fluttered, and Julia gave herself to the pleasure, adored the way his hands lowered from her waist until they were cupping her buttocks. She knew now the ache between her legs, this growing heady warmth in her stomach needed him to—
“Julia? Julia, is all well?”
With a moan, Julia stepped from Lawrence’s embrace. “Damn,” she whispered.
Lawrence’s grin was as regretful as she felt. “I rather like hearing you speak so coarsely.”
It was all Julia could do to remain upright, and if Lawrence remained in the hallway much longer, she would be only a puddle. “You’ll have to go.”
He sighed heavily. “And not a moment too soon, I dare say,” he said ruefully.
A few steps, the open and close of a door, and Lawrence was gone.
Julia leaned against the wall, heart beating frantically, legs shaking as she tried not to think about what could have come next.