Page 19 of One Jewel-tide Scandal (Singular Sensation #10.5)
Alex couldn’t believe his good fortune. When his traveling coach broke down on a country road in the middle of a snowstorm, he thought it had been the biggest disaster of his life, but then he’d met this charming woman who looked at him with a mix of innocence and sin, and his life had gone tip over tail.
Now, he was kissing this same woman who’d just told him that she had feelings for him, the same things he felt for her, and all in the course of four days. It was insanity yet it made perfect sense, and left him with peace, as if everything had suddenly fallen into place.
With every meeting of their mouths, each glide of their lips, every time his tongue touched hers, the connection between them grew more profound and strong. She set his blood on fire, turned his brain to the consistency of cooked porridge, but he couldn’t imagine life without her.
“If every Christmastide could be like this, perhaps I would look forward to celebrating the holiday,” he murmured against her pillow soft lips as he worked the laces at the back of her gown.
“I completely agree.” Her fingers were at his cravat, and with a few tugs, that length of fine lawn came away and landed on the floor.
“You have changed everything.” He couldn’t help his grin. “I never thought I would find anything good out of this trip, yet here you are.”
“It’s been stunning in its development.” She giggled, and once more he was lost. Would that he could keep her in a good humor for the rest of his life, and he would attempt to secure his future a bit later.
“These feelings sneaked up on me, took me by surprise, and now I…” The delicate tendons in her throat worked with a hard swallow.
“Well, perhaps I should wait until I can sort my feelings.”
“Perhaps we should stop trying to talk, then? There are other ways to communicate just now.”
Her grin was this side of wicked. “That is a lovely idea.”
“Minx.” A shiver of need went up his spine, and his heart constricted. He took her in his arms and claimed her lips with his. “I want you, right here. Unless you’d rather go upstairs?”
“I am feeling quite naughty, Tattingham, and would absolutely adore finding scandal here in the library.”
Was there any wonder why he adored her? “Then we shouldn’t delay any longer.
” Alex grinned as need tightened his shaft.
Then, because he wished for more contact than a mere string of kisses afforded, he took her hand, sat on the sofa and tugged her onto his lap as the gown sagged about her chest. Then he encouraged her to straddle his hips.
“We will have such fun together, I think, but before we go forward, I want to discuss the future.” He blew out a breath.
“When I thought to do this afterward, perhaps selfishly, I want to do it up now.”
“Do what?” Already, Charlotte removed his collar and tossed it to the floor.
Was he a nodcock after this short a time? “Ask you to marry me.”
She gasped. “What?”
“I’m surprised too, but there it is.” He pressed a line of feather-weighted kisses beneath her jaw.
Damn but her silky skin called to him like a siren’s song, and because he was weak where she was concerned, he pulled and tugged at her gown until it came up and off her body.
The garment fell to the floor with a whisper of fabric, and she was left sitting on his lap clad in her underthings.
He stifled a groan, for another wave of pure desire plowed into him.
“ Will you make me the happiest of men?”
“How do you know you will be happy if you marry me?” One of her eyebrows went up in challenge. “Or perhaps I might not enjoy being wed to you. We hardly know each other.”
“True, but I believe we know enough, have shared enough to build a solid foundation upon.” He drew his hands up her sides to cup her breasts through her stays and grinned when she shivered.
“That is more than many couples have, and I don’t mind putting in the work and time to know who you are, to show you who I am.
” The mounds of flesh were the perfect size to fit in his palms. Soon, he would have her naked, and if he wasn’t careful, he would expire before he could reach that moment.
“I merely wish to be happy and find peace; and I believe I can have that with you.”
“With Charlie and Cleo?”
“Of course.”
“Peace might be hard to come by if they continue to fight.”
“It matters not, for I will have you.” That was all he needed. Then another thought occurred. “I realize I am far below rank than you, and I would understand if you decline based on that alone—”
“Do hush. I care nothing about that.” For the space of a few heartbeats, she held his gaze. Then she nodded. “Yes, I will marry you.” Her kiss-swollen lips curved into a smile. “And I would be lying if I said I didn’t hope this union will be different in many ways than my first.”
Relief raced down his spine. Indeed, it was a new path, yet it was almost as if he were always supposed to walk it.
“I shall do my best to make that true.” For long moments, he nipped and nibbled the skin of her throat, beneath her jaw, under her ear, followed the edges of her stays before she stirred restlessly on his lap.
“Now that you have accomplished your conversation, why do you and I still have on so many clothes?” she whispered and finally removed his cuffs and then worked to push his tailcoat from his shoulders.
He hastened to rid himself of that garment. “Have you always been so impatient?”
“It is a learned behavior and one I should have employed earlier in my life, but I know exactly what I want from my existence now.”
“Clever girl.” Not able to resist her charms, Alex quickly removed her stays. After tossing the garment away, he cupped her breasts through the fine lawn of her shift, kneaded them, fondled them but it wasn’t enough.
“Ooh, I adore when you touch me.” A shiver racked her shoulders. “But I fear it makes me far too desperate.”
“Not desperate, Charlotte. Deserving.” He encouraged her onto her knees so he could better suck a pebbled nipple into his mouth through the fabric.
A squeal came from her as she snaked a hand to his nape.
“And you are mine.” Damn, he’d never thought to feel so possessive, but he was with her, and he would protect her with his life.
In every way she would need.
“I like this side of you,” she said in a voice that sounded much like a purr.
“Show me I have chosen a second husband wisely,” she whispered as her back arched and she dug the fingertips of one hand into his shoulder while encouraging him closer with the fingers at his nape.
“Oh!” A moan followed when he rolled the other tempting rosy bud. “More, please.”
It was so erotic when she begged. “I cannot wait to marry you.” It still amazed him how his mindset had changed in that regard. “Cannot wait to enjoy this holiday season with you.” She had completely shifted his mindset, and it left him gasping.
“Suddenly, everything has changed, and it almost doesn’t seem real.” When she wriggled on his lap, his shaft tightened to the point of pain. “When should we wed?”
“As soon as I can secure a license, and once the roads clear, obviously.” But there was one component he needed to have.
“I would like to have our nuptial ceremony in London, so all the rogues can attend.” Unaccountably, moisture welled in his eyes.
“They are closer to me than any brother might have been. I’d like for them to witness the ceremony. ”
“How adorable you are, and I adore you want them to be a part of it,” she whispered to him, and her breath steamed his ear.
“I suppose I’ll need to write to my sister and ask to use the townhouse.”
“Or, we can sell a few of these.” Charlotte drew her fingertips over the diamonds at her neck. “You can purchase a townhouse, for we will need a home.”
“You are amazing, but are you certain you wish to part with them?”
“To build a future, a marriage, that I have always dreamed of? Absolutely.”
To say he was stunned would be an understatement. “I love you.” It slipped out, and he wasn’t certain those three words even encompassed what he felt, but it seemed as right as everything else about this week.
So saying, it took very little time to divest her of the remaining clothing.
Then he spent the next several minutes taunting and teasing Charlotte’s breasts, acquainting himself with the feel of those pebbled tips against his tongue.
There was so much he didn’t know about her but had a lifetime ahead to discover; he couldn’t wait for that adventure.
When her breathing hitched and she pressed kisses to the side of his neck, he took back control, found her lips with his, and set out to kiss her senseless.
The warmth of her in his hands, on his lap, the faint sounds of pleasure she made, the way her fingers curled in the hair at his nape, the elusive scent of lilies-of-the-valley all worked to hurtle him close to the edge and they’d yet to share each other’s bodies.
This woman had managed to capture his heart with her vulnerability and shy courage. It was no wonder he’d fallen for her.
“Mmm, yes.” She pressed a line of tiny kisses to the underside of his jaw, and every time she moved, his engorged shaft grew and pulsed.
“I want all of you.” She parted the placket of his shirt and pressed her lips to the hollow of his throat.
“Show me everything I missed out on while married to Stuart.”
The urgency in her whisper stoked the fires already burning through his blood.
“There is so much I want to show you, teach you, share with you.” Then he spent the next several seconds kissing and licking her neck, the slope of her shoulder, exploring the curves of her breasts until she quivered with need.