Page 15

“Lucky for me I can walk in a straight line.” Beatrice’s words were breathy as she became lost in the movements of the couple in front of her. Her hand started massaging her own breast.

At the sight of her hand cupping one perfectly rounded breast Ezra growled in her ear. Beatrice’s eyes fluttered shut as her own moan escaped her lips.

A movement off to Ezra’s left caught his eye. The man who was sitting back enjoying the show was now leaning forward with his eyes squarely on Beatrice.

Ezra’s eyes narrowed on the man before nudging Beatrice. He knew the man, he posed no threat so Ezra was curious just how adventurous his little mouse was.

“I’d be careful who you allow to hear you. It seems you have attracted your own audience.”

Beatrice’s ministrations stopped and her eyes opened quickly as she looked around the room. When they landed on the man who was watching her she yelped.

“Unless you want an audience? Or perhaps a third?” He nipped her ear relishing in the gasp that fell from her lips.

“I only want you.” She breathed.

It was the last thing he heard before his mind shut off and his body took over. Without thought he leapt off of the couch, pulling Beatrice up and over his shoulder. Some in polite society would definitely see this as caveman behavior, but lucky for him they were not currently in polite society.

Beatrice was still processing the fact that a strange man was watching her touch herself when her world was flipped upside down. Literally.

Air rushed out of her as her stomach landed on Graham’s shoulder. She picked her head up just in time to see the woman lose herself to her orgasm and the lone man in the chair, who was watching her retreat, look on in confusion.

“Where are we going?” Beatrice yelled, trying to get Graham’s attention. It was hard to talk to someone when you were flung over their shoulder, your body bouncing up and down over a shoulder.

She saw nothing but passing feet and clumps of discarded clothing. She heard a door open and, next thing she experienced, was being flipped down onto another couch.

Beatrice brought her hand up to stop her spinning head. She opened her eyes to see they were alone in a darkly lit room. Her eyes snapped up to the man looming over her.

Graham’s hair was disheveled, his cravat askew and his eyes were heavy with lust. At least, she assumed it to be.

She could honestly say she’d never seen a man in lust, only read about them.

But if this was what it meant when a man’s eyes darkened with lust, she could understand how the heroine would always lose herself within them.

Graham’s eyes fixated on her, making her afraid to move. He looked formidable standing over top of her. It was then she realized how small she was in comparison to him. He could do anything he wanted to her and she wouldn’t be able to stop him.

Her thighs clenched. A small voice in the back of her mind told her she probably shouldn’t be excited over that thought.

Without a word he fell to his knees in front of her. He nudged himself in-between her thighs and took her head in his hands. Without much else warning his lips crashed down on hers. His tongue didn’t wait for permission but pushed through her lips.

She leaned in, running her hands through his hair. Her nails scraped his scalp eliciting a growl from Graham. Excitement tickled her skin as his arms pulled her closer to him. He crawled up onto the couch, forcing her to shift her body to lay back.

He hovered on to top of her, with only their lips engaged in the kiss. He let his hips fall and connect with hers. Her eyes widened at the pressure of his hardened length against her belly.

Shock, curiosity, and nerves fought for dominance of her thoughts. Luckily for her, desire won out. She ran her hands down his back, wanting to pull him closer. The man was a steal beam, no matter how hard she pulled the rest of his body would not come down.

Connected through their kiss and their hips, she wanted desperately for the whole of him to be on her, to consume her.

He stopped the kiss and pulled away from her, nestling his knees between her legs so he could rest on his haunches.

“You want more, my little mouse?” Graham’s lips were swollen from their kiss, his hair was even more of a mess and she couldn’t remember a time she wanted something in such disarray.

She chewed on her bottom lip. “Yes, please. More. I need more.”

Beatrice raised her arms and much to her pleasure he allowed her to guide him back down to her mouth. Unfortunately, he still did not give her all of his weight.

His lips trailed down her neck. Her hips bucked with every suck and nibble. “You can lay on me, I don’t mind.” She whispered. “In fact, I want you do.”

Graham placed one more open-mouthed kiss on her neck before retreating back to his knees. Beatrice’s hands dropped from his body.

“I’m glad you want me to. It means your punishment will be that more effective.”

Beatrice propped herself up on her elbows. “Punishment? What punishment? For what?”

Graham stood and walked over to a mirror that was hanging on a wall. He smoothed over his hair and straightened his cravat.

“It’s a shame, really. I had big plans for you tonight.” He turned and winked at her.

Beatrice sat up on the sofa. She would stand up but she feared her legs would give out on her. Graham’s kiss seemed to have an effect on the stability of her legs.

She took a breath to calm her racing heart. This was not where she thought the evening was going to go.

Realization was settling in. “What are you talking about, Graham?”

After Graham deemed himself put back together he walked back to Beatrice and extended his hand to help her stand. She almost refused but she heard a moan from the outside, reminding her she was in his world and she did not know her way out.

She slid her hand into his, trying ignore the rush of heat that skated up her arm and straight to her core.

“You disobeyed me.” He said simply.

Beatrice blinked in confusion. “What? When?”

Graham tilted his head. “I said no touching. You touched yourself.”

Anger and frustration bubbled in her blood. “You weren’t specific! It’s not my fault I outsmarted you.”

Graham’s laugh startled her. “You’re right. I need to remember you’re more intelligent than most women I encounter. However, it does not matter, I said no touching, you touched yourself. Your punishment is no reward.”

Beatrice scrunched her forehead. “My punishment is no reward? What does that mean? What’s the reward?”

Graham shrugged. “Me.”

Now it was Beatrice’s laugh that echoed throughout the room. “Think highly of ourselves, don’t we?”

Graham offered another shrug. “I know my worth, mouse. Do you?”

His words stopped her retort. “What does… of course, I… what do you-”

“Come now. It is late. And while we didn’t get to cross two items off your list we did get to cross the one about attending the “wild side of London.” Of course, if you’d like to return we can. Now that you’ve been here, you no longer need an actual invitation, just me on your arm.”

Once again a cocky wink crinkled his green eyes. She was still trying to decipher what he meant about knowing her worth. The whole reason why she didn’t want to marry was because she knew her worth. She wanted more than a married life could give her. She was worth more than that.

She eyed him as he took her hand and guided her back down the hallway toward the front door.

She decided to let his comment rest for now. She pictured her list in her head and smiled when she mentally checked off Number 3: See the Wild Side of London.