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He swirled her away from the dancing couples and out among the trees.

Bringing their dance to a graceful close, he tucked her hand in his arm and conducted her down a meandering walk among the trees, lit by lanterns of different colors.

The stars twinkled above in an almost black, velvet sky and the night air kissed her cheek with a breath of freshness.

A three-quarter moon gave some additional silvery light, and Sarah thought she had never experienced anything so romantic in her life.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered. “Like a fairy land.”

“Yes, it is,” he murmured in agreement, and they strolled in silence, neither it seemed, willing to break their silent harmony.

Their path brought them to a small temple nestled among the trees; the scent of blossoms heavy in the air.

He led her up the shallow steps into the dim interior of the little round temple.

Within, they found an altar with a dozen candles lit, the flames dancing in the night air.

More candles stood waiting to be lit, and he took up a taper and said, “We should light a candle and make a wish together, hm?”

“What a lovely notion,” she said with a smile up at him.

He smiled back and said quietly “Put your hand over mine.” She obeyed, and he lit the taper from one of the other candles and moved it toward one of the unlit ones. “Ready to make your wish?”

She nodded and closed her eyes as his hand guided them to light the candle.

Please, God, let me love the man I marry, and let him love me! she prayed silently.

*

Robert blew out the taper and set it aside, turning her in his arms. Was it the masks?

When he had held her on the dance floor, he had felt such a strong desire to kiss her it had almost overwhelmed his reason.

His desire for her was more powerful than he had anticipated.

She looked up at him, her eyes glinting in the candlelight, her lips plump and tempting.

He bent his head and said softly, “Let us seal that wish with a kiss.”

He thought she might pull away, but she remained still, and he closed the distance to press his mouth lightly against hers.

A feather-light kiss. It was hardly necessary, dancing with her had given him his answer in regard to physical compatibility.

He wasn’t certain she felt it, too, but knew unequivocally that he did.

Her scent, her shape, the feel of her in his arms pressed against his body, had hardened him so much he feared she would detect it through the layers of their clothing.

He meant it to be a light caress and nothing more, something symbolic that would not alarm her.

But one touch, one taste, was not enough, and he dove back for another and another, losing his sense in the delight of her soft, luscious lips.

The tingling glory of it was a new and seductive drug that he quite suddenly couldn’t get enough of.

Could he persuade her to open for him? Sarah, you’re delicious. ..

Shifting his hold to draw her closer, he discovered her slipping from his grasp and fleeing before his senses had fully comprehended what was going on.

“Sarah! Miss Watson!” His heart thudded, dismay displacing desire, and he gave chase, concerned that she might lose herself amongst the trees. And worried he had frightened her.

*

Sarah, overwhelmed by the sensation of his mouth on hers, fled on instinct alone.

Shocked by her own response, she ran blindly from the temple and into the tangle of trees coming out in a different path altogether and running slap into the broad chest of another man.

Mortified, she bounced back and would have fled if he hadn’t grabbed her hand.

She looked up, blinking to bring her gaze into focus, and recognized him for he wore no mask, just as the duke crashed through the trees and said, “Lannister! Let her go!”

The Earl of Lannister smiled down at her engagingly, seemingly ignoring the duke. “That depends on whether the lady wishes me to or not. Do you, sweetheart?”

“I said let her go!” growled the duke.

“Take a damper, Troubridge,” he said, his eyes still on Sarah.

“Please let me go, sir,” she said softly.

He loosened his grip. “Of course, my dear.” Then he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Your secret is safe with me.”

“I’m warning you, Lannister, move away from her, or I’ll hurt you!” said the duke.

The earl stepped back lifting his hands. “No need for violence, Your Grace.” He bowed to them both. “Good evening to you,” he said and strolled off down another path.

The duke swore under his breath, watching the earl walk away. Turning to her, he said roughly, “What made you run? If he recognized you, it could be all over London by morning.”

She swallowed, her heart thudding hard. “I’m sorry, I panicked.”

“It was my fault. I frightened you, I’m sorry. Come, we should return to the others.”

All his playfulness was gone, the mood broken.

Her pleasure in the evening destroyed by a moment of panic.

She had never felt such sensations take a hold of her before.

It was absurd to have panicked so, he would think she had never been kissed, and that wasn’t true.

But no other kiss had stirred such a reaction in her, and all from the merest brush of his lips.

And then to run into the Earl of Lannister like that. Had he recognized her? His words implied that he had. He certainly knew she was with the duke. Would he spread the tale as the duke feared?

Am I ruined, all for an innocent kiss?

*

Robert’s sleep that night was disturbed by a dream.

He was dancing with a woman in a mask in the moonlight, among the trees.

He was kissing her, and the tingling desire was intoxicating.

Suddenly, she was beneath him on an altar in the middle of a clearing, and he labored to bring them both to crisis.

The desire curled through his body, persistent and strong, yet the peak was out of reach.

The trees moved closer and closer the more urgent his growing desire became until it was a race to reach the finish before the trees devoured them. ..

He woke with a jerk and gasp, his cock hard and throbbing on his belly. Sarah...

God, my physical needs are becoming demanding.

He touched his rigid cock with a tentative hand.

This wasn’t going away on its own. He tried to think of Madeleine, his former mistress, but his mind kept slipping away to Sarah.

It was undoubtedly her he’d been making love to in that clearing.

Actually, he’d been rubbing himself on her in the most lewd fashion imaginable, he was shocked by his own dark need.

Yet it wouldn’t let go. As he stroked himself, he tried to block out images of Sarah and failed miserably.

With a groan he stroked harder, the wild action of his dream taking over his imagination and he came hard, hot seed spurting across his belly and the tingling pleasure of release pervading his whole body with an intensity that made him groan repeatedly.

Catching his breath as his heart rate dropped to a slow heavy beat and his body relaxed into a blissful lethargy, he blinked in shock.

That was so intense! Even now his body was still tingling with the aftermath. Three months without a woman were starting to take their toll.

One thing he was sure of, after tonight he couldn’t deny that he wanted Miss Sarah Watson, and in a base, physical way that shocked him.

She was an innocent, virtuous woman. She had run from him tonight because he’d frightened her with a simple kiss.

What am I going to do with this passionate desire?

If I let that loose on her, I’ll terrify her .

He moved his feet restlessly and a disgruntled mrrp told him he had disturbed Emerald.

The cat had quickly decided his bed was her favorite place to sleep, and no attempts to remove or keep her out had succeeded.

Not that he tried all that hard. Her presence was a comfort, and he now allowed her free run of his bedroom, day or night, as she saw fit.

In fact, she had full run of the house from basement to attics and had become a fast favorite with many of the staff.

Including Le Bow, their very superior French Chef, who saved the best tidbits for her from his cooking and spoiled her rotten.

He rolled over and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him, insensibly comforted by the purring of a stray cat with a torn ear and the greenest of green eyes.