Page 26 of To Tempt Lady (Victorian Outcasts #10)

twenty-four

Emma awoke agitated and disquieted after a turbulent sleep, or lack thereof.

During the night, she’d awakened several times when her body experienced again the wonderful, special, absolutely powerful kiss with Marcus.

She wasn’t an innocent debutante anymore.

She was aware of how tumbles worked and what they implied or how they ended.

Her friends with more experience had told her everything.

And she’d read books and novels about the subject.

She’d thought she was knowledgeable until last night.

Yet nothing could have ever prepared her for the real experience. He’d barely touched her while they’d been both fully clothed, and she’d reacted as if she were having a full tumble. Her friends hadn’t told her it could be that simple.

Aside from all that, she’d kissed Marcus, and that was no small feat. He worked for her at that moment and came from a troubled past—no, she wouldn’t think about that. She didn’t care about his past. To her, he was always the same man she’d met years ago.

Sitting on the stool in front of her vanity, she couldn’t find a comfortable position.

“Are you all right, my lady?” the maid said, combing Emma’s hair in a chignon.

“Just a bit tired.” She glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

She looked feverish with her cheeks constantly blushing, her eyes bright as if she’d used belladonna eye drops, and her breathing was a little quicker than usual.

When she walked towards the stairs to go to the sunroom, she slowed down in front of Marcus’s bedroom. Just knowing he was a few feet away from her made her want to knock on his door and ask him to kiss her again to feel those wonderful, intoxicating sensations.

“Emma, there you are.” Trevor’s voice surprised her.

She put a hand on her chest. “What are you doing here?”

He frowned. “Going downstairs to have breakfast.”

“Of course.” She brushed a curl of hair from her face.

“You look flustered. Are you running a fever?” He touched her forehead.

“I’m not.” She swatted his hand away.

“Your eyes are bright. Is it the boy? Was his disease contagious?”

She shot her gaze towards the ceiling. “Don’t start again.” She went down the stairs to the sunroom.

For a silly moment, her heart gave a kick as she expected to find Marcus at the table. But of course, he would have breakfast in the kitchen. Thanks to her brother.

Trevor talked about the latest news at Parliament, but she barely listened. Aside from the kiss, something else bothered her: Lady Beaumont.

The more she thought about the odd conversation, the less it made sense. Lady Beaumont hadn’t seemed intoxicated, as Trevor had said. No, she’d been angry and clear-headed. She’d meant every word.

You don’t own him.

Unless Lady Beaumont had truly meant to discuss the acquisition of Trevor’s latest stallion, the only ‘him’ she could have referred to was Marcus, but that didn’t make any sense.

Lady Beaumont might have met Marcus years ago when his father’s company had been thriving.

But would she refer to him in such terms?

And why would she care about defending him from her?

Besides, no one knew Marcus was in Hart House.

His presence wasn’t exactly a secret, but she hadn’t divulged the news either, and he hadn’t been out with her.

But that detail was of no matter. The problem was what Lady Beaumont meant.

If she’d referred to Marcus, why would she complain about Emma owning him?

She didn’t own anyone, and Marcus was free to leave whenever he wanted.

She put down her spoon. “I’m not hungry. If you’ll excuse me, I have letters to answer.”

The footman rushed to help her out of the chair.

Trevor regarded her from over the rim of The Times. “Shall I send for Sir Paul?”

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing that some sleep won’t cure.”

Or perhaps a new kiss from Marcus.

Marcus had changed his mind about the kiss a dozen times during the night.

The sleepless night.

Not because he regretted it, quite the opposite, but because he shouldn’t have kissed her without telling her everything about him. She wouldn’t have kissed him if she’d known about his past.

The moment her lips had touched his, all his thoughts had lost meaning, and he’d let his emotions take control.

If Trevor learnt about the kiss, he would throw Marcus and Jesse out without a penny. Marcus should prioritise his job and opportunity over everything else, but he’d wanted to kiss her ever since their conversation in Thistle Hall.

After leaving his bedroom, he walked past the sunroom while heading to the kitchen, but only Trevor was sitting at the table. Since he wasn’t hungry, he went back upstairs again. Jesse was still asleep, recovering from his stomach ache, so he went to Emma’s study and knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

She raised her gaze from a letter when he entered the room, and her cheeks flushed a deep red. That blush told an entire story of a secret kiss shared in a quiet room.

“Good morning.” He closed the door behind him but waited for her invitation to step farther into the room. “How are you?”

She shifted her gaze and folded the letter a couple of times. “I’m well.”

“You seemed upset when you left my room last night.”

“I was a little shocked, yes.”

No, he couldn’t stand the distance between them any longer.

He walked around the desk and gently took her hand. “I’m aware I crossed a line last night, and if that made you uncomfortable with me, I won’t do it again.”

Her eyes flared wide and glowed from within as it’d happened last night. She whispered something so low he didn’t understand it.

“What did you say?” He dipped his head, getting dangerously close to her plush lips.

She darted out the tip of her pink tongue over her bottom lip. “I said that it would be a pity if you didn’t kiss me again because I enjoyed the kiss very much.”

“But? Something bothered you.”

She reddened again, and her lips turned a dark pink that suited her. “I didn’t expect it to be so powerful. I reacted in a certain way when you kissed me and touched me, and I’m not sure it’s normal. It was very pleasurable but maybe I shouldn’t feel that way.”

He drew circles with his thumb over her hand. Even now, he should release her hand and walk away, but he couldn’t leave her when she had doubts and felt shame over something so simple and wonderful.

“It’s normal. You don’t have to feel ashamed.”

“But shouldn’t it take a bit longer? I thought it required more activity and fewer clothes, not a mere touch.”

“Yes, but everyone is different, and you’re special.”

“I have kissed other men before, but none of them made me feel like that.” She sounded genuinely worried.

Her words couldn’t be more pleasant to him. He failed to contain a smile. He understood her because a touch from her could never compare to one from his ladies.

“I’m glad to hear that because it’s the same for me.” He kissed her hand, lingering with his lips on her silky skin.

She released a slow breath that caused his body to tense in anticipation. He’d started to solicit himself over a year ago, but he’d never experienced such a sudden, intense pleasure as he had with her.

“Marcus,” she whispered, “Will you kiss me again?”

“Anytime you want.” He should tell her they needed to think about the consequences, that she was a lady and he was a ruined man with no prospect of improving his future. He shouldn’t touch her.

But his heart screamed louder.

She rose from the chair, deliberately moving closer to him, and all his good intentions were crushed by the desire in her gaze.

“Even now?” She tilted her head.

“Even now.”

She drew closer, her soft breath fanning on his skin. Her chest rose and fell, touching his. “We need a more private place. Trevor could come here any moment.”

She barely said that before the sound of a door shutting in the corridor jolted her.

She stepped back from him, and he released his breath as excitement rushed through him.

He felt as if he’d been very close to dropping from a height, only to be rescued at the last moment.

Hell, he hadn’t even thought about Trevor coming there. He’d only wanted to kiss her.

She cleared her throat and touched her cheeks as footsteps padded. Marcus stepped back as well, putting more distance between them.

Jesse’s voice came from the corridor. “Have you seen Marcus?”

“Not yet.” That was Stewart.

“He isn’t in his room.”

“I need to see what Jesse wants,” Marcus said.

She nodded, her face still tense.

He was used to the subterfuges and secrecy, but somehow they felt wrong with Emma. But everything else concerning her felt right.