Page 48

T he music reached a soaring crescendo causing Diana to wince. The Duchess of Peyton’s ball was brimming with a crush of the Who’s Who of London society. Diana shouldn’t have attended. Socializing was the furthest thing from her mind. In truth, she wanted to be anywhere else.

Arthur was not with her tonight, but Aunt Winifred and Spoor were. Since returning from their trip, her aunt had only grown closer to him. Finally, Diana spotted her aunt. She crossed the room and joined her.

Aunt Winifred smiled. “Spoor has gone to fetch me some punch.”

“You two have become quite close.”

Her aunt blushed but nodded. “There is something I wanted to tell you, and I haven’t been able to because you have been so busy with your club.”

Diana lifted a brow, curious by her serious tone.

“I was wrong to tell you to keep your heart locked up concerning Devons.”

Diana was shocked by her words. Aunt Winifred continued. “I don’t regret telling Roger I loved him. I tried to convince myself for so long that I did, but what I regret is not running off with him. Even if we had only a few years, it would have been worth it.”

Diana moved further along the wall of the ballroom, and her aunt followed. She frowned. “Why are you telling me this?”

Aunt Winifred reached over and squeezed her hand. “Because when I saw you and Devons give your talk at Seely House yesterday, it became apparent how much you belong together.”

Diana shook her head. “You are wrong.”

Her aunt smiled at her in disbelief. “I don’t think so. Have you told him how you feel?”

“Of course not. He left us in Tuscany. It was evident he was moving on.”

“Tell him tonight. You will regret it if you don’t. He just arrived,” Aunt Winifred said, nodding to the entryway.

Diana followed her gaze and spotted Sebastian. He laughed at something the Duke of Peyton said before smiling warmly at the duchess. Her heart pounded wildly. “I can’t.”

Her aunt sighed. “One part of my advice remains the same. You and Devons come from vastly different backgrounds. To have a love like that, you will have to fight for it and want it desperately. If you can’t even tell him how you feel, maybe you don’t care for him as much as I thought.”

Diana, needing to confess her true feelings to someone, said, “What if he doesn’t feel the same way?”

Her aunt snorted. “Impossible and if I’m wrong, you still have Tremont. Though, if I were you, I would choose to remain alone.”

“Aunt—”

“I’m simply saying you don’t have to choose anyone. Someone like Tremont is not an asset for you. You, my dear, are the prize. Don’t let him make you think otherwise. You have nothing to gain from him, but he has everything to gain from you.”

Diana smiled. “Thank you for the bit of wisdom.”

Her aunt winked at her. “Devons is headed your way. Tell him how you feel. I’m off to hunt down Spoor. I do enjoy that man, but he moves slower than anyone I know.”

Diana shook her head and turned to find Sebastian standing in front of her.

She sucked in a breath at the attractive sight he made.

Memories of them flashed in her mind. He bowed.

“Lady Hensley, I was hoping you would allow me to escort you to the Duke of Peyton’s gallery room. They have new artwork to view.”

She smiled but was nervous. “Yes.”

Sebastian held out his arm, and she took it.

They strolled from the room, out into the foyer, and into the massive gallery.

The Duke of Peyton was known for his love of art.

He and the duchess often hosted artists at their townhouse.

The room wasn’t as busy as the ballroom, but people still mingled about.

Sebastian stopped in front of a landscape painting.

Both studied it. Diana smiled. “Did you bring me here to study the art?”

“Definitely not. This landscape is dreadful, but at least we have a measure of privacy because no one wants to look at it.”

A giggle escaped her. His brow furrowed as he looked at the art, and Diana wondered what he was pondering.

“Perhaps, a peculiar question, but did you receive my missive before I left Livorno?”

She gulped, trying to push away the hurt she felt anytime she thought of his brief words. Her gaze turned back to the painting as well, not wanting him to see the pain he’d caused her. “I did receive your short letter.”

He frowned. “Short?”

She turned towards him. “Yes, that you lost your head when you proposed a courtship between us.”

He stepped closer. “What? My letter said nothing of the sort.”

Diana glanced around. They were the only ones left in the gallery. “Sebastian, it’s fine. You are allowed to change your mind.”

He shook his head. His jaw tightened. Sebastian stared into her eyes intensely.

“In my letter, I said I would love you for the rest of my life. That I had been a fool to think I could simply have a tryst with you. That I knew from the moment you fell into my garden that you belonged to me, and I belonged to you.”

Diana stared back at him, confused. “I don’t understand.”

Sebastian reached forward and rubbed away a tear on Diana’s cheek that she didn’t even know had fallen.

He continued, “I wrote that I knew my asking about a courtship was sudden, and it was wrong of me to demand an answer right away. But most importantly, I loved you enough to give you time. Time for you to decide if you could marry a man like me, raise your son with me, have more children with me, and wake up in my arms every morning.”

She stepped away, overcome with emotion and unsure how she received such a drastically different letter. Frantically wiping at the tears, she said, “None of that was in the letter I was given.”

They stood facing each other, still in front of the awful landscape.

Diana wasn’t sure what happened, but she believed him.

She could see the sincerity on his face.

Someone read and switched out the missive.

It was the only logical answer. Diana wanted to be angry, but all she felt right now was happiness. She smiled. “You love me.”

He stepped closer. “How could you ever think I don’t? Put me out of my misery, love, and tell me how you feel.”

“I love you too,” she said.

A rightness flowed between them. He reached to pull her into his arms but stopped, remembering they weren’t alone. Hunger and frustration flickered across his face. Diana was sure she wore the same expression. Sebastian leaned in. “Meet me by the gates that connect our gardens in an hour.”

She nodded. “I need to tell Aunt Winifred I’m leaving early.”

*

Only in his shirt and trousers, Sebastian walked through the gate, separating his townhouse from Diana’s.

He smiled, remembering her falling into his garden.

At that moment, even though he didn’t know it, his life changed.

He saw a flash of white. Then there she was, in her nightgown and a wrap, walking towards him.

He would love this woman and only this woman for the rest of his life.

She stopped in front of him and grinned mischievously. “So, the King of the Den, the most notorious scoundrel in all of London, loves me?”

He swooped her up in his arms. “A question like that shouldn’t escape your lips.”

She tilted her head, laughing, looking up at him. “Why is that?”

“Because you should never doubt that I am completely besotted with you and devoted to you.”

“Those are quite the romantic words from someone so wicked,” she whispered.

He needed her now. He kissed her and practically ran, still carrying her, into his house and up the stairs to his bedroom. By the time he shut the door with his foot, she was laughing hysterically. He placed her on the ground, not releasing her.

“We probably woke your servants.”

He kissed her neck. “They know I appreciate discretion.”

“Hmmm…I bet.”

He pulled back and looked at her intently. “You are the first woman to be in this room.”

She rolled her eyes. “I remember you fishing Lady St. James and Lady Clarrow out of your fountain.”

“And I sent them home. This has always been my space. No lovers have ever spent time here with me. I always knew the only woman I wanted here with me was my wife.”

There was still much to talk about, but that would come later. Right now, he wanted to make love to this woman and claim her as his. A hungry possessiveness coursed through him. He helped her remove her robe and nightgown before discarding his clothes.

His eyes lingered on all his favorite parts of her.

Her soft hips that he dreamed about every night.

The curve of her breasts and the way they felt in his hands.

The thatch of curls that hid the part of her that he wanted to drive himself into.

Sebastian sighed. “I think I must be the luckiest man that has ever lived.”

His hand slid down her waist and to the curve of her hip.

She shivered, and he smiled wickedly at her.

Sebastian dipped his head down and ran gentle kisses across her collarbone and shoulder.

She gasped, and he leaned further down, kissing and teasing the tip of one of her breasts before kneeling.

He could feel the desire emanating from her.

His lips pressed a smattering of kisses on her stomach before he grabbed her thighs in his large hands.

He pressed a kiss at her core, nudging her legs further apart with his head.

She grabbed onto one of the posts of the bed. He smiled before going back to what he was doing. He licked and tasted her while she moaned. “Sebastian, I don’t think I can stay standing.”

He didn’t let up, applying pressure and licking her as her hips bucked.

When he knew she was on the verge, he teased the nub of her quim, knowing it would send her over the edge.

She grabbed his hair tightly, causing him to wince, but he’d gladly take any pain to make her feel this way.

She let out a lusty gasp, and he felt her body shudder and come undone.

Sebastian stood back up and surveyed her sated state.

He smirked, satisfied with what he saw, delighted that he would be the man to make her look so completely satisfied for the rest of her life.

He pulled her onto the bed and underneath him.

His cock was begging for her sweet wetness.

He entered her in one deep thrust and paused, groaning at the exquisite pleasure coursing through his body.

Diana ran her fingers along his back as she rocked into him.

He grinned, realizing his temptress wasn’t quite as sated as he thought.

Sebastian started moving slowly at first, wanting to enjoy the feel of her warmth against his cock.

She arched into him with every plunge. Her little breathy whimpers grew into moans.

She met him stroke for stroke. His thrust became deeper, harder, and faster.

His eyes met hers. They were filled with the sweet torture of being so close to coming undone.

He didn’t stop but kept driving into her.

“That’s it, my sweet. Let me feel you shatter. ”

Diana let out a guttural whimper, and he grabbed her hips, grinding into her.

A strangled sob left her, and he pumped into her faster.

This was a perfection Sebastian never knew he could have.

He was ravenous for it. He continued his frantic pace until he was on the verge.

Sebastian wanted to bury himself deeply in her, but there would be time for that later.

For now, he withdrew and spent. Breathing heavily, he placed his forehead on hers.

She laughed. “You are going to make me insatiable.”

He kissed her. “I hope so.”

Sebastian moved to his side, pulling her against him, enjoying the feel of her body.

“I love you,” he said.

“You are my heart,” she said.

He kissed the back of her head. “I will do everything to make sure marrying me is something you will never regret.”

She pulled his hand to her mouth, kissing his knuckles. “I could never regret us. All I care about is getting Robert used to the idea. That will take time, and as much as it pains me, I think it would be best if we had an engagement for at least six months.”

“Six months!”

He felt her laugh, and Diana said, “Yes, six months. Robert adores you, and I want to keep it that way. I don’t want to overwhelm him.”

“For Robert, I’m willing to wait,” he said, kissing her shoulder.

“We can still see each other.”

He kissed her neck. “I hope by that you mean like this in my bed.”

“Of course I do.”

He faced her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “You are giving up a good deal to marry me.”

She frowned at him. “Nonsense.”

He claimed her mouth.