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G ood Lord, this is truly happening!

“Then you understand my intent?”

“I’m not a doddering old fool whose faculties have left him, so yes, I do know.” There was a decided growl in his voice. He removed his jacket, waistcoat, and shirt with an alacrity that impressed her, them on the floor without a care. “In case you wondered, I want you as well.”

“So I discerned from listening to your conversation with your brother yesterday in the salon office.” Heat went into her cheeks. “When you spoke about getting beneath my skirts.”

“Ah.” He shrugged. “It wasn’t a lie.”

The sight of his bare chest with its light mat of brown hair called to her in a siren song.

Unable to stop herself, she ran her palms up his torso, and the rasp of that hair against her skin was heavenly.

Goodness, but I want to spill champagne on him and lick it off.

When she encountered a signet ring hanging on a thin leather chord around his neck that she hadn’t seen before, she frowned, touched it with a fingertip, but didn’t ask.

Now was not the time. “That is good to know. Things go much easier when lying is not part of that foundation.”

“Foundation for what?”

It was her turn to shrug. “We shall find out together if your performance tonight impresses me.”

“You are quite the minx.” His whisper skated over her nape, for he turned her about so that her back was to his chest, then he wrapped his arms around her.

Heated tingles were left in his wake as Alexander trailed his lips over her shoulder to the column of her neck. “I’ve never met a woman quite like you.” When his thumb glanced over the gold, oval-shaped locket she wore, she trembled.

But he didn’t mention it. Perhaps he was waiting until after they weren’t engaged in foreplay.

“I’m not for everyone, I can assure you, but I refuse to sit back and let life happen to me… or not.” A gasp left her throat when he took her breasts in his hands, holding them, squeezing them, teasing the nipples through the fabric of her gown until she whimpered with anticipation.

“Desperate, are you?” he asked, as she arched her back.

“So much,” she managed to gasp as he slipped his hands into the bodice of her dress to further stimulate those sensitive peaks.

“I crave your hands on me, need to feel your body against mine.” If that made her a wanton, then so be it.

It had been so long since she’d been involved with a man in a carnal way.

“Touch me, Alexander. Show me how much you want me.”

“So little patience, in this as you are in every other aspect of life,” he murmured and gave her nipples a quick pinch.

When she uttered a sound that was a mix of a gasp and a moan, he chuckled.

“I have a feeling this coupling will be like nothing I’ve experienced before.

” He withdrew his hand from her, and she immediately missed the warmth he’d brought.

“Let us hope so, for I could do with something remarkable in my life just now.” With him, she could say or do what she wished and let her true self shine.

He’d never shown judgment or censure. There was something safe about him, something that made her crave his protection, even his approval.

If she weren’t careful, she’d be drunk on the freedom that could be found in him.

Concentrate on the moment, Lydia, not the man. You don’t need one in your life, remember.

“Something more remarkable than the strides you are already making by practicing medicine?” Then he proceeded to work the laces at the back of her gown, kissing and nibbling various places on her neck and shoulders as he did so.

“Yes. I sometimes think I’m losing myself in the pursuit of trying to show society that I’ve found myself, if that makes sense.”

“Oddly, it does, and again, I’m sorry. Men who are the powers-that-be in our world are decidedly useless.”

Lydia pointed her gaze briefly to the ceiling that was crowded with dancing shadows from the candle’s flickering flame.

“While I agree, I refuse to stroke your ego with your flirting or the knowledge that you are better than them.” When her dress gaped on her person, he shoved it off her shoulders, down her arms and then finally off her body where it pooled at her feet.

She gave into a shiver. How much did she adore this part of carnal relations with a man, when passion had nearly taken over?

“Then you have my permission to stroke something else instead,” he whispered into her ear and followed the quip with a light nip to her lobe.

Once more he caressed and manipulated her breasts, and soon enough, he’d removed her petticoat, stays, and shift.

When she stood naked before him except for slippers and embroidered stockings, he groaned. “You are quite a temptation.”

“Good, now make good on that.”

“I intend to.” He maneuvered her away from their shed clothing and guided her over the floor until a wall at her back halted her movement.

A curio cabinet and a shelf flanked her on either side.

“You are quite fascinating, Miss Tetford, and that is beyond alluring for me.” Once he’d urged her arms above her head, he caught her wrists in one hand and cupped a breast with the other.

“Well, I do enjoy being different.” She expelled a soft moan when he teased her nipple with his tongue and teeth. “I need you inside me.”

“We will eventually arrive at that, but there’s nothing stopping you from taking what you want. You are quite a determined woman.” With a wink, he released her wrists and then spread his arms wide. “Convince me of your great need.”

Oh, he was too smug at times. “Don’t be an arse more than you can help.

” If he wanted to play, she would show him exactly why she adored guiding her own life.

Lydia dropped to her knees before him and reached for the buttons of his breeches.

“Since you did ask…” Before he could protest, she’d opened his front falls and then eased his impressively aroused shaft from the fabric.

“If you can last more than a few passes, you can choose the position we’ll enjoy for coupling. ”

The breath hissed from him the first moment she touched her tongue to the head of his member. “Have you always been so wicked and troublesome?”

“Yes, because I refuse to accept the status quo.” Lydia smiled and then applied herself to her task.

She teased the skin just beneath the tip of his gloriously hard, thick shaft, and when she was done, she licked the heated silky skin.

Then she took as much of his length into her mouth and throat as she could.

“Oh, God.” Alexander held her head in his hands, and the longer she bobbed on his rigid appendage, the more he matched her movements. He thrust into her mouth, his eyes closed, with his head thrown back, his breathing ragged. “You are quite… skilled,” he managed to choke out.

“Mmm.” Lydia hummed her approval. She fondled his stones as she worked. He’d lasted longer than she’d thought, damn his eyes. Even in this, she had so much freedom, she was giddy from it.

Did the man make the difference?

“Enough.” Desperation propelled the word from his throat. Alexander pulled away only to lift her upward to her feet. “Your teasing has brought me too close to the edge.”

“That is the point, but show me how much you want me,” she demanded, her voice low and throaty with desire. “Take me, Alexander. Make me forget Colin and his boorish behavior, the fear he imparted.”

“Gladly.” He pinned her between his hard chest and the wall at her back, and the kisses he treated her to were deep and drugging; he dueled with her tongue as they both fought for dominance, but eventually he won, and she gave herself over to his mastery.

There were times when she wanted nothing more than to lean on someone’s strength, and he’d offered that to her, seemingly since the first. It was rather surprising.

When he encouraged one of her legs up, she hooked it over his hip and wrapped her arms about his broad shoulders.

His hazel eyes were dark with need; his hands at her buttocks holding her against the wall imparted a thrill.

Lydia murmured words of encouragement to him as she wriggled into a better position while anticipation fluttered through her lower belly.

She shuddered as he fit his tip to her opening, for she knew he would fill her nicely.

“Why are you delaying?”

“To tease you, of course.”

“Rogue.” Her moan of satisfaction sounded overly loud to her ears when he flexed his hips and speared into her without stopping until he’d penetrated her to the hilt.

Oh, yes, that girth provided wonderfully exquisite sensation.

“Mmm, yes.” She dug her nails into his shoulders as her eyes shuttered closed.

The most delicious feelings bounced through her insides.

“So far, you haven’t been a disappointment. ”

“Ah, encouraging.” Then he moved, thrusting with short, forceful pushes that set her blood on fire and each nerve ending tingling.

As best as she could, Lydia matched his rhythm, but the position was awkward, and she wanted the release more than she wished to prolong the coupling.

Perhaps there would be other times to experience longer couplings.

Instead, she hung onto his shoulders and pulled him closer to her body with her leg at his waist.

Over and over Alexander stroked inside her and she clung to him, kissing whatever portion of his body she encountered.

The scrape of her sensitive nipples against his heaving chest added another layer to the pleasure she’d already found, as did the friction put on the button at the center of her pleasure, for her body was opened to him and left nothing uncovered.

His ragged breathing echoed in her ears.

Sweat slicked his back and shoulders. The pungent scent of him filled her nose.

And she couldn’t have enough of him.

What is happening to me?