Page 44 of The Duke Says I Do
“Yes, there are.”
She tried to see him, but darkness defeated her. “Ways that will still give you pleasure?”
“Yes.” He sounded sure.
“I’m glad. I want to give you pleasure.”
“You will. You do. Oh, hell.” He kissed her again with more intent. By the time they drew apart, Portia struggled to stand. She was grateful for Alaric’s hands on her waist.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
“Not when you kiss me.”
With a chuckle, he shifted behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “We’re both going to get pneumonia, if we keep meeting like this.”
Portia smiled, even as she was appalled at how little genuine horror her impending ruin stirred. She leaned back into hisbody. She was a tall woman, but Alaric was taller, so she fitted perfectly against his long, powerful body. “We can’t have that.”
“No, I have a country to run. And a dog to walk.”
Jupiter had disappeared into the bushes. Occasional rustles from the undergrowth said he hadn’t gone far. Of course he hadn’t. He was almost as besotted with the Duke of Granville as she was.
She stared into the night, as the effect of Alaric’s sizzling kisses receded to a lazy tide. “My old governess covers for me when I go out on rescue missions.”
“Will she countenance you taking a lover? Would she help us?”
Portia frowned as she considered Mary Hudson. She’d been a strict but affectionate teacher, and she was independent-minded enough to approve of Portia saving neglected animals. Would she conspire in her former pupil surrendering her maidenhead to a man to whom she wasn’t wed? Portia very much doubted it.
“Does she have to know? If I tell her I’m leaving town for a few days to collect a dog, she’ll believe me. It’s happened before.”
Mary would believe her because Portia had always been honest. She hoped to goodness that she turned into a convincing liar in the next few days.
She snuggled closer. “When I stay with Mary, I never take Aunt Mabel or my maid. There’s no room for them. Mary won’t question why I’m sneaking out. She’ll assume I’m meeting Rankin somewhere discreet.”
“That might work.”
“It can only be for a couple of days.” Regret edged her voice. “Even Papa would start asking questions if I disappear for too long.”
Alaric settled her more comfortably. There was something so pleasurable about having a man’s warm arms around her on acold night. “I promised I’d look after your reputation. If a few days are all you can manage, that’s what we’ll do.”
He didn’t sound as if he minded. That stung, when she already knew that their time away would rush by.
Or perhaps he planned on more than one tryst. The thought made her boggle. She’d been in such a commotion that she hadn’t thought beyond going to his bed the first time. Was she entering a life of continuing intrigue? “When?”
The word brought their negotiations into stark relief. Was she really going to do this outrageous thing?
Alaric, too, must realize that they reached a crossroads because his hold firmed. “I’m at your disposal.”
She licked her lips, as nerves pinged and ricocheted in her stomach. “I think…I think you need a few days to get Jupiter settled in Matty’s care.”
“We don’t want him howling down the house again.”
She gave a horrified gasp of laughter. “No, we do not.”
“Tuesday?”
That gave her almost a week. “I need to be back for Friday night. I promised I’d attend the Bilsons’ ball.”
“I’ve accepted an invitation to that, too.”
