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“That’s it, Diana. Feel this.”

His touch was slow, deliberate, yet hungry. Then, he rolled his thumb over her erect nipple. Her head fell backward, and a whimper escaped her lips. It barely left her mouth before he captured it with his own.

James kissed her in a slow, languid, lazy way in sync with his fingers, which were massaging her breasts. Over the fabric, which did nothing to cool the heat of his touch, he ran a persistent thumb over her aching nipple coaxingly.

“Oh, I…” she whispered against his lips, her breath mingling with his.

He chuckled, his other hand splayed on the small of her back as he pulled her against him. Diana felt his ardor and was ready to lose her mind. Only to have it emptied by a simple flick of his thumb.

“You learn so beautifully, My Lady,” he murmured between kisses, not stopping until she was trembling in his arms.

“Lady Diana! Lord Crawford! I found it!” Mrs. Bremford’s voice called.

Diana panicked, but James held her firmly against him and placed a long, languorous kiss on her lips.

“Pity,” he said with a dark smirk as he straightened her dress. “I was ready to begin my favorite lesson.”

Diana had never felt so eager to further her education.

CHAPTER 11

Business Plan

Two days. Two days since they made the cold marble of the gazebo almost catch fire. Two days since he had kissed her until she trembled, two days since he had touched her until her knees gave out.

Of all the things he wanted to do those two days, being Lord Crawford was not one of them. He wanted to be James, to hear her gasp his name like a plea. He wanted to teach her how to sway with his touch, how to enjoy the pleasure he can bring her.

Instead, he had to take care of things that held no appeal and perform duties that were not at all pleasant. Luckily, his next meeting was not that much of a burden.

James had a very low tolerance for fools and was glad to admit that Herbert Wilkins was not one. That was the main reason he decided to take the man up on his offer to start a new business. Itwas refreshing to see a man who didn’t waste his pocket money but wished to make something of his own.

So, when he agreed to meet him at his bachelor lodgings, James expected whiskey and cigars and some manly talk over economy, politics, and women.

The last thing he was expecting washer.

The moment he stepped into the townhouse, his attention was immediately drawn to her. The rest of the house was as he expected it to be—the lodgings of an eternal bachelor, all masculine lines and empty spaces. Yet, her presence filled the room in a soft, light way.

She was sitting in a comfortable armchair near the window, and the afternoon light softened her features, her black hair capturing the light with the shades of the rainbow.

Wait. Why am I noticing her hair?

“Lord Crawford.” Herbert got up to greet him. “How great to have you here.”

James struggled to keep his focus on the man, but it was proving to be a losing game. Luckily, He did notice in time that Herbert had extended his hand toward him. He took it, firm and sure, but his gaze betrayed him, flicking back to Diana.

She was looking at him, genuinely pleased to see him. And that… that threw him off more than it should have.

Sure, women were mostly happy to see him. Well, desired him, to be more accurate. And if he were being brutally honest, they desired the version of him he wanted them to see.

But Diana… Diana was truly happy to see him. A smile played on her lips—a smile that reached her green eyes. She got up with the grace of a queen, and he suddenly got tunnel vision.

“You know my sister, Diana,” Herbert offered.

Intimately.

James’s eyes darkened as they roved over her body. Diana coughed and bowed politely. The look in her eyes had turned into a reprimand laced with a warning.

“Ah, of course. Lady Diana, what a surprise to see you here.”