Page 91 of Almost A Scoundrel

He pushed into her. “Leave,” he whispered against her collarbone. “I won’t stop you.”

“Liar.”

“Who is lying? I just need to be inside you.Now.”

She arched against him, and he cursed. “You’re so tight. Tell me if I’m hurting you.”

In answer, she gripped into the flesh of his buttocks and jerked him to her until he filled her completely. She made what she wanted clear.

He grunted and started to slowly thrust. Her body acted on instinct, bucking against his movement. Every nerve in her body came alight with his shallow rhythm. She entangled her fingers through his hair, unable to resist the silky strands. She loved his hair messy. She loved that she made it messy.

She sighed as his tongue marked the skin of her ear before trailing down her the side of her neck, her throat, tracing the bone along her collar, and finally closing over her nipple. Sucking. Her body thrummed with touches of pleasure. Desire clawed and gripped at the manhood entering her, each thrust an equal measure of magic and agony.

“Do you know what you do to me?” He said, his pace quickening as his fingers reached to play with the place that produced tons of magical things in her body.

“Yes,” she said, barely a whisper, for he was doing the same to her.

Soft sounds of the sun and moon and exploding stars filled the chamber as they made love until they were both crying out each other names and the universe erupted all around them in fireworks.

A new dream was born.

*

Deerhurst lay withPhaedra tucked into the crook of her arm, listening to the soft breathing patterns of her sleep. He wasn’t sure how he was going to let her leave. He liked the feel of her in his bed. He liked it a bloody lot.

He glanced over to the window where light began to pierce the darkness. Some of the servants were already up, but he wasn’t worried too much about that. They had an understanding. He would still have to let her go soon. This must have been the best night—morning—of his life, and he’d found something precious in Phaedra, undeniable.

Yet...

He still had a crushing secret. Two, in fact.

The identity of Abigail’s mother, who he could not hide if he married Phaedra because that woman was mad as hell, and he never knew when she might reappear. He kept tabs on her for Abigail’s sake, and he couldn’t foresee how she could leave Wales without the duke’s permission, which he had on very good authority she would never get. However, a chance always existed, as did the danger of the duke discovering the truth. Deerhurst would never let his wife be caught unprepared. What she would think about him after his past was laid bare... Deerhurst couldn’t contemplate that now.

And then another, most recent secret. His involvement with the list that had caused a wildfire of wagers.

Confound it.

He hated that he kept secrets from her.

Just a little bit longer.

At least, that was what he told himself every day he did not tell her about the list and the betting book. Plus, another problem that he had to face had occurred recently.

The betting book had been stolen.

Deerhurst might just as well have been living under a rock because he’d only learned about it yesterday. None of his friends had thought to inform him. Though, in all fairness, Deerhurst had been occupied of late.

But the missing book...

This was a big bloody problem. The list had left White’s. It wasn’t as if their names had been signed on it, but Deerhurst couldn’t help the unease building inside of him.

Itwaspossible the book might have been stolen by a concerned father, a suitor, or even an enraged brother. Who else would benefit from taking the book? In that case, they shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Much.

Of course, Saville had come to mind. Lady Selena was his sister, and he’d been a grump ever since Cromby had found the list and made it public to the members of White’s. He’d almost pummeled the man into the ground. Avondale had stopped him, but then, the damage had already been done. Deerhurst inwardly rolled his eyes at his friend. If he wanted to be annoyed and throw a fit, he should have done so when he discovered his sister had made Avondale’s list.

He dismissed the notion of Saville being the culprit. The man could not keep a secret. Not from his friends, at any rate.

Deerhurst brushed a gentle kiss on Phaedra’s temple. It was only a matter of time before she learned of the list’s existence. And when she did...