Page 16 of His Regency Goddess (Curves & Cravats)

Chapter Sixteen

Sin could not explain what had come over Sophie, but he was not about to question it. As soon as they entered the carriage, she had pulled the curtains shut and—for lack of a better word—pounced on him. Her kisses were feverish as she ran her hands all over his body. She panted heavily as she broke off the kiss, but he was not done. Sliding his lips down her neck, he kissed and swirled his tongue over silky skin as he used his hands to try to lift her dress. She took her cue from him and moved her hands to his trousers, rubbing his erection. All of a sudden, the carriage came to a halt and Sin pulled the curtain back to see where they were.

Damn! They had arrived at Daniel and Margot's already!

"We are here, Sophie, but by God I am ready to take you here and now," he told her gruffly as he looked at her dreamy, soft eyes.

"Perhaps I should apologise for taking such liberties."

"Never. This will just leave me counting the seconds until I see you. What is your schedule before we attend the opera? I don't know if I can wait that long to see you." He realised what a fool he sounded. It was only three days away, but Sophie had taken control of all his senses.

"I am afraid my schedule is full; I have a luncheon, a dinner party, and errands." She had almost righted herself except for a loose curl he tucked behind her ear.

"I understand. But promise me one thing?" He grasped her jaw so they were gazing directly into each other’s eyes. He saw a kaleidoscope of emotions as he searched the jade depths. There was hope, a sprinkle of hesitation, and a dash of fear. He gently brushed his thumb across her soft skin and wished he could convey so much more in that small gesture to persuade her.

"Consider my proposal. I want every free moment with you, not just secret kisses in short carriage rides. I want you to be my wife." He sealed this request with one final searing kiss.

"Where to now, sir?” asked his driver.

Sin was frustrated—sexually and emotionally. A strange combination. He was in no mood to see his father, in no mood to brood back at his rooms at The Albany. He could grab a drink at White's, but that still required a level of socialising.

"Take me to Welles's."

He had recently met with Mr Welles, going through a list of art and objects he wanted to collect. Besides the Grecian pottery, he had not had any other updates. Sin especially wanted to find out how the search went for the Ming bowl. The porcelain beauty with the jade glaze, similar to his jade pin. The same shade of jade that reminded him of Sophie's eyes. While abroad, he had attended a soiree hosted by an Italian or German aristocrat, the exact details were fuzzy due to his inebriated state. What he did recall was being shown a collection of Ming porcelain. When he had looked into Sophie's eyes he remembered the bowl, and now wanted to buy one as a gift for her. Mr Welles was the best in the business and his eyes had lit up when Sin said that there were no limits on what he was willing to pay. The bowl itself, as he recalled it, was delicate and beautifully rounded—just like Sophie.

By the time he arrived at Welles & Welles, his mood had improved with the hope of good news. The door opened after his first bang of the lion’s head knocker and the small man ushered him in.

"How fortuitous you decided to call upon me. I was just writing you a note!" The bespectacled man's excitement meant he had good news.

"Tell me you found the Ming bowl!" Sin matched the man's excitement.

"Yes, My Lord, it will arrive soon. My contact in Italy confirmed that the Count who owned it was looking to part with some of his collection. He was in need of funds, just between you and I, and I negotiated a most reasonable price. There is only one problem." He spoke the last few words nervously.

"And what would that be, Mr Welles?" Sin said as he folded his arms. Surely this problem could be solved.

"After you made your requests, I had another interested person request a Ming bowl with a jade glaze. Usually when this happens, I would arrange a silent auction."

"Who is it?" Sin demanded.

"I am afraid I cannot share that information."

"Well, set up the silent auction," he growled. No wonder the man had been so excited. He had secured the bowl for a reasonable price and would profit from a bidding war.

"That was my very intention with the letters I was drafting—" the sound of the door knocker interrupted Mr Welles.

"I am very sorry, My Lord, but may I please answer that? It is my next appointment."

Sin sighed but agreed. He was not a brute, and in fairness he had turned up without an appointment. Mr Welles shuffled off and Sin looked around the cluttered office. He spied his name on a note. It appeared Mr Welles had indeed been writing to him. He saw the piece of paper next to it and gasped. The mysterious interested party was Sophie! His annoyance faded as he considered the situation. It was part humour and part fate, as if this was a sign that Sophie would marry him. Did he pull out of the auction so she could acquire it without fuss? Did he let her know he was the other interested party? He had much to ponder and for this he needed a glass of brandy. He turned to leave and bumped into Mr Welles.

"For propriety’s sake, please have the note delivered. I will let you know my intentions for the Ming bowl."