Page 11 of Most Sought-After Scoundrel in London (Wicked Widows League #31)

L eft. Right. Left. Cameron had resorted to pacing the length of the pianoforte to maintain control.

Each time Violet eagerly looked at him, his heart pounded in his chest. He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets to prevent himself from acting out his wishes to cup her beautiful face and kiss her into silence.

They were making progress, and now was not the time to allow himself to become distracted.

“Well? Do you agree that it would be possible to encode the melody for the PORFs and simultaneously embed a message in the lyrics for the Network?” Violet’s excitement was infectious.

“I do.” His brief responses weren’t meant to discourage her but to prevent him from looking upon her for too long.

Her fingers continued to tap the ivory keys in a haphazard manner. Composing a tune was no easy task, considering neither of them had any experience in the area.

“Come sit.” Violet shifted to the end of the seat.

Cameron stared at the empty space next to her.

It would be a tight fit for the both of them on the bench.

Before he could think better of it, his body moved of its own volition, and he found himself seated, his shoulder touching hers.

Concentrating on his breathing, he had his eyes closed until he began to recognize the melody that Violet had begun to play.

Her fingers glided over the keys with a grace and proficiency that lulled you into the notes.

She leaned against him and asked, “Are you familiar with this piece by Mozart?”

“Sonata for Two… in D Major,” he replied as he placed his hands on the keys and joined in the duet.

A warmth spread through him as their hands continued to float over the keys in harmony, confirming the righteousness of Violet at his side.

The sooner they could complete their task, the sooner he could discuss the future.

While Violet had not shied away from his goodnight kisses, he was well aware of Violet’s desire to remain an independent widow.

He was fairly certain she enjoyed his company, their conversations were never forced, and the physical tension between them was palpable.

As Violet swayed next to him in time with the music, she confessed, “I have a newfound respect for Mozart… Hyden… Ries…Beethoven and their lot.”

“Do you have a favorite piece to play?”

“Mama always…” Violet began to reply, and when her fingers faltered, he inwardly cursed himself for ruining the moment.

She rarely spoke of her family, and when she did, much like now, a darkness seemed to take over her.

Cameron had made inquiries of Hadfield, and all the Head PORF had to say was that she had lost both her parents at an early age and had been raised by relatives.

Relatives who relished the earldom but not Violet, and had married her off to a baron as soon as she was of age.

His blood boiled as he recalled the rumors that had whirled about the ton, that her no-good deceased husband had taken his mistress, rather than Violet, across the Channel for an extended wedding trip.

Rumors that Hadfield had confirmed to be the truth.

What a bloody sod Baron Milcox had been not to have recognized the prize he had married.

His hands fisted, and he turned to face Violet.Desperate to ease the sadness in her eyes, Cameron blurted, “I have an idea.”

She stopped playing and let her hands fall to her lap.

Hating the fact that he had aroused bad memories for her, he turned Violet by her shoulders so that she faced him.

“My musical penmanship is not the best. I’d appreciate your assistance to…

” It was a lie, but when Violet’s clear and bright eyes met his, he believed it to be worth the consequences.

Using her desire to be needed was not honorable, but it was the only way he could figure to dispel her sadness.

Blinking the remaining moisture from her eyes, Violet said, “What if we were able to devise a code from an existing piece already composed? We could take advantage of the repetition of notes, could we not?”

“You amaze me, Violet.” Cameron was truly astounded by how the woman’s mind worked. He gave her shoulders a light squeeze. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not an expert in cryptography.”

“Does the Network have a master cryptographer?”

“Hmm… not that I’m aware of.” He let his hands skim down her arms until he could capture her hands in his. “I think, my dear, your training is complete and we have a solution, an excellent method that I believe will meet Hadfield’s requirements.”

“But we…”

He pressed a finger to her lips. A mistake. A big mistake.

The last threads of his self-control snapped, and Cameron replaced his finger with his mouth.

Thankfully, Violet responded with enthusiasm, threading her fingers through his hair at the nape of his neck.

He slid her closer until her bosom was pressed tightly up against him.

When she shimmed even closer, the groan he had kept at bay rumbled in his throat.

Why Violet elicited the rawest of responses from him was beyond reason.

By ton standards, Violet was no beauty, yet every day in her company, Cameron could not help but admire the sprinkle of freckles that graced the tops of her cheeks and her golden brown eyes that held him mesmerized.

While he was extremely drawn to her hourglass figure, it was her brilliant mind that had his body responding to her.

Violet broke their kiss to trail her lips along his jaw and to nibble on his ear, mimicking his own attentions from the night before.

Ahh… the danger of teaching the lady all he knew.

He needed to tread with care, for if he gave into temptation and gave Violet a glimpse into the intimate experiences that filled his dreams, he might scare her.

Solidifying his resolve to restrict himself to kisses, Cameron moved his hand that had roamed to cup her bottom back up to the top of the row of buttons on her dress.

His finger traced the round disc that he barely resisted from slipping through its loop.

He really needed to rein in his control.

When Violet’s hand grazed against his chest, the skin beneath her palm blazed with heat through the layers of clothing that Cameron was cursing under his breath.

He placed his hand over hers to prevent it from traveling lower. “Violet… I think…”

She nuzzled his neck before returning her lips to his, preventing him from finishing his thought.

Cameron placed his hands on her waist and lifted her, positioning Violet to straddle his lap, careful not to disturb the row of keys behind them.

Arms wrapped about his neck, she kissed him with a passion that mirrored his own.

After learning that Violet had remained untouched by her wayward dead husband, Cameron had painstakingly taken matters slow. When his cock hardened, he attempted to shift Violet to hide his desire.

Violet’s sharp intake and wide eyes told him that he had been too slow to react.

Rather than pushing him away, the brave inquisitive woman circled her hips until she had elicited yet another groan of pleasure from him.

Violet’s erratic breathing had his gaze lowering to the tops of her generous bosom.

He wanted to learn her body and discover her preferences in order to extract the zealous moans of arousal that brought him exultation.

If he were to escape this interlude with his sanity intact, he would need to place distance between them.

With his hands still at her waist, he stood and lifted her in one swift motion and deposited her on the top of the pianoforte before sinking back down on the bench as her feet hit the ivory keys.

The clamor of notes reverberated through the music room and when he glanced up at Violet, his heart was sliced in half at the disappointment that shone in her eyes.

Violet lowered her eyes to her lap. “I’m sorry. I was too…” Her voice broke, and her chin dipped to her chest.

He stood and cupped her face and brought it up so her gaze met his. “Don’t apologize. It should be me offering an apology. I lost control and…”

“Shh.” Slipping her hand up between them, it was Violet who placed a finger over his lips this time. “In the eyes of society, I’m a widow, and along with that, there are assumptions of experience. Experiences I’d like to share…with you.”

Gutted by her vulnerable and honest declaration, his hands dropped back down to his sides. “Except I know the truth. The honorable thing to do is to marry you first.”

“Cameron, you have taught me that there are always alternative solutions to a problem. Surely marriage is not the only answer.”

“I won’t claim to have lived the life of a saint, but I also have no intentions of entering a secret affair. I have enough secrets to maintain as it is.”

With a glimmer in her eyes, Violet asked, “Then you are not opposed to having an affair, merely one that is a secret, is that correct?”

A wave of irritation rolled through him as the word affair rolled off her tongue.

While his feelings for the woman had grown exponentially, he remained uncertain about how she felt about him and their future.

“Now is not the time to play word games, Violet. You are taking advantage of the situation.”

“Ahh. But it was you who advised me to wield my strengths at every opportunity.”

Damn her training. He was no match for her at wordplay.

Unthinking, he placed his hands on the tops of her thighs and leaned closer. “I’m at a loss as to what exactly it is that you want.”

“You were assigned to teach me all you know. I want to learn it all.”

Unable to resist Violet, he stared directly into her eyes and said, “There is a price to gain all my knowledge.”

“Ooh?”

His damn cock twitched as her lips pouted to form her response.

Violet rested her hands on the top of his shoulders. “And what would I owe?”

“A promise.” Marriage was his ultimate goal, but he’d not rush her.

“What type of promise?”

“One that lasts a lifetime.” As the blood returned to his head rather than below his waistband, his confidence in convincing Violet strengthened.

She removed her hands and leaned back. “I’ll not promise marriage.”

“Then I cannot agree to teaching you everything.” He sank back down on the bench and waited. Sending up a quick prayer that she would change her mind, Cameron sat in silence.

Violet would not relent that easily. “What if I promise to consider marriage, would you entertain the idea of continuing our training?”

A compromise. Marriage would be full of compromises. He should be a gentleman, amicable to her suggestion, should he not? Argh. He was trying to justify continuing their interlude. Why did he not have the willpower to say no to Violet?

Caving into his desires, he answered, “Very well, I shall agree to continue your training, and in return, you shall inform me of your decision as to whether you wish to have our banns read upon our arrival in London.”

Grinning from ear-to-ear, like a cat who had cornered a mouse, Violet nodded. She reached out for him but it wasn’t her mouth he wished to kiss. He wanted to taste her nether lips. His hands glided up her thigh, pushing up her skirts, and she quickly covered his hands with hers.

He gave his head a slight shake. “Place your hands behind you, atop the wood, and do not remove them, unless it is to cover your mouth.”

Brows knitted, Violet didn’t argue as he expected and did as he ordered.

With light pressure, he spread her legs to give him access to her.

He trailed his forefinger along her slit and was pleased to find Violet moist and ready.

Mayhap if he could tempt her with the knowledge of how elating his intimate touch could be, she would seriously consider his offer of marriage.

A tinge of guilt had his movements stilling for a moment.

Trickery was no way to start a life together.

Cameron glanced up to find Violet had let her head fall backward, and the slight moan of protest at his lack of attention had him leaning forward.

He slid his hand back and replaced his finger with the tip of his tongue, dipping between her nether lips.

Sweet lord, the dewy drops coated his tongue as he flicked it back and forth over her sensitive bud.

When her thighs fought against his palms to close about him, he deepened the pressure and flickered a look up to find Violet with her eyes closed and one hand covering her mouth tightly.

He continued to alternate between suckling her clit and teasing it with his tongue.

Only when Violet’s back arched and a muted cry escaped her did he ease back to continue to stroke her with his thumb.

He slowly drew her skirts down and slowly removed his hand from her inner thigh.

When Violet finally opened her eyes and sat up, Cameron dared not meet her gaze. Instead, he began to ask, “Is…Are… Did…”

Violet stretched out her arms for him once more. “Please assist me down. I don’t think my legs are quite ready to support me.”

Cameron stood and lifted her back down to the bench. Extremely uncomfortable, he too sat back down.

Cheeks awash with color, Violet arranged her skirts and then faced him.

With a seriousness that he’d only witnessed when she was deep in thought, she said, “After failing to draw the attention of any suitors upon my debut season, or the interest of a gentleman once I became a widow, I had resolved myself to a life of independence. You, Cameron, are the only man who has ever tempted me to waver from my decision. You have my word I shall ponder your proposal.”

He wanted to jump up and whoop for joy. Instead, he settled for a kiss to seal her promise and prevented him from uttering words that might change her mind.