Chapter Ten #2
What could he do, but kiss her back? The sweet touch of her lips and the lavender scent of her skin had him fully aroused now. He tried to restrain himself; he didn’t want to shock or scare her. But she was tasting him and teasing him with all the ardour of a woman wanting to make love.
Did she even realise what she was doing? Didn’t she know what this could lead to, very quickly? He tried to retreat from the kiss, but instantly her hands were at the nape of his neck, her fingers were tangling in his hair, and she was murmuring, ‘Dan. Please.’
There was no holding back now. Already he was letting his mouth travel down her exposed throat, pressing little kisses there and nipping gently, until his lips reached the creamy swell of her breasts.
He kissed her there too, at the same time using his hand to caress her nipples through the flimsy fabric.
She gasped aloud as they peaked beneath his touch. Seated as she was in his lap, every rut in the road, every slight move of hers, aroused him still further. Heaven help me, Dan thought, battling to control his rampant desire. I am a demon for this. I did not mean this to happen.
His own lust was pounding dangerously. He knew he could have taken her easily, here and now in his carriage, but he wasn’t going to because she was an innocent.
So he mentally repeated the ice-cold water trick, he took several deep breaths then he gently lifted her from him and settled her at his side.
She looked flushed, disarrayed and utterly gorgeous. He was thinking, what am I going to say? What is she going to say?’
But as ever, she took him completely by surprise because she smiled at him almost shyly then said, ‘Dan. I don’t think that was part of our bargain. Was it?’
He shook his head. ‘No. It was most definitely not.’
He didn’t mean it to, but perhaps something in his tone chilled her because she bit her lip. ‘Was it my fault? Did I lead you on?’
Swiftly he put his arm round her shoulders and pulled her close. ‘It was not your fault in the least. I am the one who should have restrained myself. I am the responsible one. I knew what I was doing. You didn’t.’
She nodded but she looked even more downcast, and damn, he couldn’t bear it. She said, very quietly, ‘Since no one else knows, it will be easy for us to pretend it never happened, won’t it?’
That was when he should have said, Yes He should have resolved, there and then, that he had interfered in her life more than enough. He could easily have spoken some kindly, reassuring words and agreed that this episode, though most pleasurable, was best forgotten.
Instead, he said, ‘I do not regret it, Kate. Not for one minute.’
She looked up at him wonderingly, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. ‘I would like to see you again,’ he said. ‘We need to talk together seriously, I think, about what lies ahead for both of us. We need—’
He broke off with a muttered curse because he’d realised they were pulling to a halt outside Clematis Villa, and already Kate’s companion was hurrying out to meet them.
Swiftly he said to Kate, ‘I will be in touch. Soon.’ Then he helped her down, bade her a polite goodnight, and told the coachman to take him home.
The moon rode high in the sky as his carriage arrived in the courtyard of his house. The grooms hastened to lead the horses to the stables, but Dan didn’t go inside, not yet. Instead, he walked towards the lake.
It was wonderfully quiet up here above the town, with only the occasional cry of an owl to disturb the silence. But Dan had to admit his thoughts were far from peaceful, because tonight he had danced with Kate Summerby and on the way home, he’d done far worse.
He had lived his life to the full, enjoying everything on offer to a man of his wealth and status.
Cecily had been a bad mistake, and he knew that love was only for romantic fools; he knew too that the wife he eventually chose would be a debutante of high rank, brought up to know exactly how to fulfil her role as the wife of an Earl.
He most certainly didn’t expect his plans to be thrown into chaos by a lady whose objections to his lifestyle and to his very presence in Brighton had antagonised him from the start.
Yet tonight, kissing Kate Summerby had shaken him to his core.
Damn it all. What had happened? What had he been thinking? She hadn’t been an unwilling participant, on the contrary—she had melted passionately into his arms. But he was the experienced one. He should have put a stop to it instantly, but he hadn’t and he was a rogue, there was no denying it.
He loosened the starched cravat that had been driving him wild all night and told himself that all he’d wanted was for Kate Summerby to enjoy herself, because he’d felt sorry for her.
Liar! Be honest, you idiot. You wanted her badly. You would have been happy during that coach ride to push up her emerald green skirts and make love to her there and then.
She might be lacking in experience, but she wasn’t lacking in ardour, oh, no, and the way she’d opened her luscious lips to his kisses had made him harden instantly.
Had she realised the physical effect she was having on him?
Did she have any idea of the urgency of a man’s needs once he was aroused?
And what happened next?
He’d told her they needed to talk, but God help him, he’d moved into dangerous territory. Kate had asserted often that she was happy to live her life alone, but he guessed she was secretly vulnerable, and he could cause real harm to her sensitive heart.
He stood there a moment longer letting his lungs fill with the night air then returned to the house, where two footmen promptly appeared to take his coat, hat and gloves then asked if there was anything else he required. ‘Some food, my lord? A drink? Perhaps a fire in your sitting room?’
Dan replied, ‘I’m sure my valet can see to everything.’ He just wanted to be alone, to ponder tonight and its consequences, but as he was about to set off up the stairs, his brother appeared from the library.
‘Oliver,’ Dan said. ‘You’ve been ill, remember? The doctor said that meant early nights.’
‘I’m actually feeling a good deal better. In fact, I’m starting to think I should do something rather more useful than lounging around doing nothing—and tonight I just had this notion that you might want someone to talk to about your outing with Miss Summerby.’
With an internal sigh, Dan followed him into the library and said as casually as he could, ‘It went well enough, I think. The usual, you know.’
‘The usual?’ Oliver pointed to a chair. ‘When you are clearly stone-cold sober and look as though you’ve wagered thousands on a racehorse that fell at the first hurdle?’
Giving up hope of quick exit, Dan sat down. ‘Miss Summerby appeared to enjoy herself,’ he said, ‘and from now on, I don’t think she will have any trouble being accepted in the neighbourhood.’
‘So, you’ve done your duty? You’ve cancelled out any guilt you might feel?’
‘Guilt?’ Dan spoke sharply.
Oliver waved a hand. ‘Well, knowing you, I just hope you haven’t opened her up to any further kind of trouble.’
Oliver was giving him a warning, Dan realised. Hell, it was almost as if he’d guessed what had happened. ‘I suppose you’re thinking,’ he said, ‘that by taking her there, I might be keeping the gossips busier than ever?’
‘She’s not exactly your usual type of female. And admit it, brother. You’re rather intrigued by her, aren’t you?’
‘It’s up to her if we see one another again,’ Dan said a little curtly. ‘And now, if you’ll excuse me, I really am quite tired.’
‘Of course,’ said his brother. ‘Just one more thing. How did she look?’
How did she look? Oh, God. He had a sudden vision of her in that amazing green ballgown, with her lovely face glowing in the light of the many candles.
He remembered how he had kissed her and more in his carriage, and how she had unwittingly made him wild for her, made him desperate to ravish her then and there.
For a few moments he’d been in danger of acting exactly like the kind of men he despised, who habitually visited the pleasure haunts of Covent Garden and chose a woman for their temporary gratification.
He said, ‘Actually, Miss Summerby caused quite a stir. Her gown suited her very well, and she took a lot of people by surprise. Now, I really must head upstairs. Goodnight, brother.’
‘Goodnight, Dan. Sleep well.’ If your conscience will let you, Oliver’s tone implied.
Upstairs, Hamley awaited him and he didn’t ask Dan how the evening went because he knew better, but he did have something for him. ‘This letter arrived tonight by special post, my lord,’ he said. ‘I thought I would hand it to you personally.’
Dan took it from his valet and was about to put it aside till morning, but then, he saw the handwriting. Swiftly he opened it and yes, it was from Cecily. In it she wrote, Dan, I have news from France. News about your mother.
Damn. Nothing—nothing at all—could have prepared him for this.
At Clematis Villa, Kate had faced an interrogation also. ‘You must tell me all about the party,’ declared Harriet before Kate had even got through the hallway. ‘Were there a lot of people? Did the Earl drink a lot of champagne and introduce you to his disreputable friends?’
‘Harriet, you are letting your imagination run away with you. Since you ask, the party was nothing like those he held at his house. He drank very little and you saw, I think, that he was dressed most respectably.’
Harriet had put her head on one side to inspect her. ‘Well, you aren’t,’ she said bluntly.
‘What on earth do you mean?’
Harriet pointed. ‘Your hair looks as if you’ve been on the beach in a gale, and if you’re not careful, that dress will be slipping off your shoulders. Where, by the way, is your shawl?’