Page 32 of A Virgin for the Rakish Marquess

“I want…” She licked her lips.

“Say it, Diana.”

Her name on his lips undid her.

“I want you.”

His mouth was on hers the moment that last, fateful word left her lips. She broke, and now he was broken too. She could tell from the way he consumed her. It was hard and relentless, a kiss meant to shatter and ruin.

His whole body was vibrating with need. One hand found her waist, and the other cradled her face both reverently and firmly. He pressed her body to his, forcing her to feel exactly what she was doing to him. She was his now. She gave him permission to own her, and he was claiming her.

She gasped, but he wasn’t going to give her time to breathe. He deepened the kiss, tasting her, exploring her. It was a kiss meant to kill her softly, slowly, irrevocably. She was sure she would never recover from the softness of his lips, the tenderness of his tongue, the warmth of his arms, the firmness of his body.

If she was going to die, she was going to do so gloriously. She was going to enjoy this—deeply, truly. She let go. She got lost in the moment and leaned in to give him more access, her hands curling in the fabric of his coat. Heat coiled in the pit of her stomach and rushed through her veins as she kissed him back.

Dear Lord, she kissed him back.

A sound feral and savage rumbled in his chest as he pulled back and broke the kiss. His chest was heaving, his jaw was tense, and his hands were unsteady. His eyes met hers, and she knew that she had made a delicious, forbidden, dangerous mistake.

Oh God. What did I do?

CHAPTER 9

Spilled Tea

Throughout the years, James had found himself waking up in various states. Tangled between the sheets with a woman. In his carriage just outside his home. In the middle of a gambling hall still holding cards. And of course, with a punishing headache and upset stomach from drinking too much. But this? This was new.

Never had he woken up restless. Every day was a new day no matter what had happened the night before. He never dwelled on a moment or lingered on a person. Only this time, he was still hung up on exactly that. What had happened the night before.

He could still taste her. He could feel the heat of her. He was still fixated on how small she felt in his arms and yet so perfect. How small but strong, fragile yet firm. A contradiction that intrigued him. How bravely and yet timidly she had agreed to his game. How her lips felt on his. Howshekissed him back.

Oh, when she kissed him back…

He felt the moment, the exact second any doubts she had flickered and died. Only to be replaced with something more dangerous.

Sure, James expected uncertainty, but he had confidence in his skills. He could easily replace any reservation with at least curiosity. What he hadn’t expected was the yearning.

He groaned in the stillness of his room at the thought. He had barely held himself back when she surrendered to the sheer sensation of the kiss. If he hadn’t, he would have shown her the whole worth of the lessons in a matter of minutes. Which would have made the game so much… less.

And James? James was determined to savor this. Every little thing, every little moment of it.

“Oh, little wallflower. You learn fast.” He smiled to himself. “You’ll make such a good student.”

He chuckled. He had four promenades to teach her the true meaning of pleasure. A true challenge. But when had he ever backed away from a challenge, especially one so delectable?

He straightened his waistcoat and continued getting ready for breakfast. He was to meet with her that day, and he was nothing if not a dutiful tutor. Yet, his mind demanded that he rememberone more thing from last night. The one thing he avoided to think about.

He could still hear her say,“I want you.”It wasn’t the first time that a woman breathlessly told him that. It wasn’t the ‘want’ part. Women always wanted him the moment they saw him. They would show him their desire with flushed cheeks and shameless looks.

Yes, he knew want well.

It was the ‘you’ part. The way she said it, the fact that he knew it was not a hollow word. Like there was no other option. Only him. And why did that make his stomach tighten? Why did that not make his pride flare? And why was fear crawling up his spine?

You,she had said. Therealhim.

“James?”

His grandmother’s voice brought him back to her little sanctuary, away from a certain balcony on which he still lingered even during breakfast. He could tell that his grandmother knew that his mind was wandering, and she was wondering where he was off to.

---