Page 86 of In the Prince's Bed

With a chuckle, he brushed a kiss to her tangled hair. “I like it here, too, sweetheart. I’ll have to build an orangery at Edenmore.”

She nuzzled his nipple, and it tightened instantly to a hard nub. “It’s a pity we have to go back inside.”

“Must we?” His blood—and something else—was already rising again.

“You know we must. Mama will come looking for me soon.”

“Good, we’ll stay here until she finds us. Then you’ll be thoroughly compromised.” He tipped her face up to his. “You know you have to marry me now, sweetheart.”

When delight sparked in her eyes, he realized a tiny part of her had still feared he wanted only seduction. Trying not to let it bother him, he added, “In fact, we’ll be marrying as soon as possible.”

“Will we?” she teased.

“Yes, we will,” he said firmly.

With a minxish smile, she slid off his lap and stood, stretching like a cat. When she caught him staring at her pert breasts, she blushed and jerked up the chemise to cover her. But not before he’d glimpsed her smooth white belly and the patch of fiery red hair between her thighs…the thighs she’d wrapped around him with an instinctive knowledge of lovemaking as old as Eve.

His cock stirred once more, especially when she swept her own glance down his body to fix on the growing erection he couldn’t hide.

Still clutching the chemise to her chest, she approached and bent to touch her finger to the swollen tip of his cock. He tugged the chemise out of her grip so he could seize her breast in his mouth to tongue the rapidly tightening tip.

Just as he wondered if he could toss her back down on the bench and make love to her again, she stepped back, forcing him to relinquish his hold on her breast. His breath coming heavily, he watched her shimmy into her chemise.

Then she smiled. “You know,The Rake’s Rhetorickhas pictures, too.”

He went painfully hard. “What kind of pictures?”

“Naughty ones. Of rakes with women.” She gestured to his rock-hard cock. “A couple of the pictures even show a man’s…er…staff.”

He could only imagine what a book like that would show as an “average” male member. “I really will have to burn that thing,” he grumbled as he rose and reached for her.

Laughing, she brushed his hands away. “I thought the pictures were exaggerations, but apparently men really do look like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you, all long and hard and…” Her gaze grew sultry as she closed her hand around his erection. “Firm.”

He dragged in a breath. He’d known she had a reckless streak, but who would have guessed that loosing it would turn her into such a delightful wanton?

A wanton he couldn’t wait to bed again.

With a growl, he caught her to him. “That does it—now I’ll have to remind you what my ‘staff’ is for.” He bent his head to suck her neck, and she arched her back, pressing her soft, thinly clad breasts against him.

Before thrusting him away and marching off to look for her gown.

He scowled after her. “Not so fast, senhora.” He walked up and tried to snatch it from her hand. “Now that you’ve got my staff firm—”

“—you aren’t apt to forget whom you’re marrying.” Eyes twinkling, she danced away, taking her gown with her.

Blast the woman for using his own words against him. He didn’t know whether to laugh or to throw her over his shoulder and carry her back to the bench. “As if I can forget that when all I think about is you naked,” he grumbled.

Her musical laugh only annoyed him further. “Good. Keep that thought in your mind until we’re married.”

“To hell with waiting until we’re married. I want to make love to you now.”

When he headed for her once more, she smiled and tossed his drawers at him. “You can’t, and you know it. So get dressed, before we’re discovered.”

Which would put a quick end to this torture. With a sly smile, he sidled toward her, his drawers in his hand. “One kiss, that’s all I want. To hold me until our wedding night.”