Page 20 of A Lady's Dangerous Secret
Illuminated by moonlight, he could discern a haunted look cross her face while she remained lost in her thoughts. A new realization struck him in that moment. He wanted to wipe all of Lady Charlotte’s worries away.
No, he chided himself.
Although not a typical simpering miss, she was still a young lady of thetonwho was beyond privileged, a group who lived with excess and who never had to wonder where they would find their next meal or if they would have a roof over their heads that night.
James purposely made noise as he approached her. She startled and whirled around. For a brief moment, a look of surprise and then perhaps amusement appeared on her face. Before James could blink, it was gone.
“Captain Hughes, I didn’t expect to see you out on the balcony.”
“Oh?”
“You seem to have many admirers in the ballroom.”
James studied her further. He did not yet know every nuance of Lady Charlotte’s intonation, but he swore he detected a hint of jealousy in her voice. “I needed to escape. It’s why I typically avoid my uniform at these events, but Lady Carrington cajoled me into wearing it.”
“I suspected as much. You looked as if you were being marched to the gallows. I have to admit, though, you are quite dashing, Captain.” Her eyes widened as she realized what she said, then they darted downward in an embarrassed manner.
“You find me dashing, Lady Charlotte?”
“Given that you’re always so grumpy, I can’t tell if you’re teasing me. That’s quite impolite.”
He took a step closer to her so that he was almost touching the skirt of her dress. “When have you ever worried about politeness?”
Lady Charlotte lifted her head, and instead of her usual bravado, James was met with a frown and a blue stare.
“Since I realized I must marry the Duke of Westcliffe to save myself,” she whispered.
James stepped back in surprise. A duke? Save herself?
He assumed Lady Charlotte was on the hunt for a husband for the same reasons as every other lady of theton: titles, heirs, and spares. Yet, she truly seemed troubled.
“What do you meansave yourself?” He felt the protective urge to strangle with his bare hands anyone who threatened her.
Lady Charlotte just shook her head, and her shoulders slumped, which tugged at James’s heartstrings. She was the most strong-willed woman he had ever met, but to see her crestfallen made him want to fix whatever had her so upset.
“I can’t tell you why, but the Duke of Westcliffe, has asked to formally court me. We’ll be married soon.” Her voice was laced with resignation.
James could not help himself and grabbed both her arms. He looked into her eyes earnestly, “You can tell me anything.”
“Captain, I’m sorry. I can’t say.” She tried to square her shoulders, but failed. “He seems to be a kind man. It’s just…”
“What is it?” James asked.
Her voice came out softly, “I don’t love him.”
Without thinking and with his usual sense of honor nonexistent, James stepped closer and pulled her into his arms. His lips connected with hers, and he immediately began to devour her like a starved man. He felt Lady Charlotte’s initial shock as her body tensed, but swiftly she pressed her lips back. He wrapped his arms around her back, and he felt her breasts push against his chest. She twined her hands around his neck, and her fingers pulled at the collar of his jacket. He angled his face so that he could kiss her more deeply, all the while flicking his tongue into her mouth to test her response. After a few attempts, her tongue hesitantly engaged.
She must be an innocent.
James’s self-control could only last so long, innocent or not. His tongue pushed deeper into her mouth and danced with hers. She quickly picked up the rhythm, her tongue matchinghis, thrust for thrust. Despite her inexperience, James would not expect anything less from this vivacious woman. His mouth left hers, and he started to trail kisses down her neck to her collarbone. He felt her pulse beat rapidly. She was as aroused as he was. He lifted his head for a moment, his chest heaving.
He knew he should not have touched her, but he could not resist the invisible force pulling him toward her. He had always prided himself on his honorable actions, yet with her, he could not walk away.
James’s kiss ignited a flame inside her she never knew existed.
And what a kiss it was!
When she was younger, she would overhear her brothers and their friends talking about their exploits with the opposite sex. Charlotte had been curious, and convinced Thomas, who was just a stable boy at the time, to kiss her. It was a brief, perfunctory interaction, and Charlotte was underwhelmed.
