Page 29 of The Marquess's Scandalous Game
“Yes, but if it does not happen immediately, I know we will enjoy trying to make them without question.”
Emma felt Leo’s gaze watching her, and the meaning in his gaze was obvious when she looked into his eyes. Emma did not look away, and she gave him a knowing smile.
“I believe I will enjoy that practice even more than you.”
Leo threw back his head and roared with laughter. It was such a rich sound, and she wanted to hear more of it. Emma glanced towards the sky and noticed the dark clouds moving.
“We should hurry to the cottage so that we are not drenched,” Leo said as he urged his horse on, and Emma followed. They rode at a steady pace. She was surprised at how the weather had suddenly changed. Who could have thought that something as colorless as the rain could make the clouds so dark? The clouds looked menacing in their glory, threatening to empty themselves at the slightest invitation.
The air had gotten much cooler, and the birds rushed wildly by in their flocks. A light breeze blew and ruffled Emma’s dress and tickled the tendrils of hair on her neck. Emma took a sharpbreath when she heard a loud crash of thunder.Good heavens!She felt a large raindrop hit her cheek, and it flowed down her face to her neck. A much larger raindrop followed it, and then yet another. A gasp passed through her lips as they curved into a tremulous smile. The drops of rain hung on her lashes and then ran down her cheeks, kissing her lips.
Shortly thereafter, the cottage came into view, and Emma sighed with relief. The serene cottage, with its thatched roof and quaint garden, exuded an idyllic charm perfectly harmonized with the surrounding landscape. They quickly dismounted, and Emma dashed for the front door as Leo secured the horses. Emma went inside, and the warmth from the fireplace immediately enveloped her. True to his word, the servants had attended the cottage, lit a fire, and left their food on the table.
Leo rushed inside and laughed, “That was a bit more than I bargained for.”
“An unexpected storm, but I do love the rain.” Emma gazed as the rain loomed at the window, rapped on the glass, and rattled the pane. There was a rushing sound of the wind and another roar of thunder.
Leo stood behind her, peering through the window. “I am grateful that we got here when we did. I will fetch a towel for you to dry yourself.”
“Dry myself?” She arched a brow.
“Well, yes,” he replied.
“I much prefer for you to dry me. Are you certain that we need a towel?” she asked with mock innocence.
Leo chuckled. “Minx.” He paused and pinned her with a gaze. “Remove your clothes,” he demanded softly.
“After you remove yours,” she quipped.
Leo removed his garments, one piece at a time, and Emma mirrored him. His eyes had not left her, and she could feelher breath catch in her throat. When they were both naked, he retrieved the towels and some blankets.
Emma held out her hand. “I will dry you first.” She took the towel from Leo and started to pat his back, placing a kiss here and there. She slowly moved to face him and felt triumphant when she saw that he was hard for her. She ignored it as she patted his chest and thighs.
“Did I miss anywhere?” she asked as she kissed each of his nipples.
He gave her a wicked smile and wrapped a blanket around his waist. “It is my turn,” he whispered as he started patting and kissing her back. Heat caroused through Emma’s body, and she was sure it was soaking up the droplets.
He walked around to face her, but rather than patting her breasts, he gently grazed the towel across them. She was breathless as he studied her. Her nipples ached before he lowered the towel to her thighs. Leo dropped the towel on the floor, pulled her to him, and slipped his finger inside of her heat.
“That is against the rules.” Emma stepped back and playfully slapped his hand.
Leo chuckled as he reached for the blanket and wrapped it around her. “Rules are made to be broken.” He whispered in her ear; his hot breath caused her to shiver. Emma swallowed.
Leo stepped back before dipping his head and quickly kissing her. Emma moved to the table and took the food from the basket. There was roast beef, ribs of lamb, roast fowl, ham, cheese, bread, fruit, and plum pudding. Of course, they had not forgotten the wine, of which there were several bottles.
“We used to play outdoors and enjoyed being in the rain. In fact, I remember playing cricket in the rain, getting home drenched and then being scolded by my mother. Yet it was so much fun.” Leo smiled at the memory as he hung their clothes to dry.
“I struggled to keep the children out of the rain when they were younger. They would go to the steps outside and pretend it was a waterfall when the rain ran off.” Emma smiled at the memory.
“Hmm,” he murmured. A sound reminiscent of pleasure, and she felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach. “When I was a child, I was afraid of the loud noises of a thunderstorm and the lightning, but gradually, I enjoyed it.”
“And are you enjoying me?” Emma asked, staring at his lips.
“I will show you how much I have been enjoying you.” He leaned over and lightly brushed his lips against hers. Their breaths mingled, and she parted her lips to receive him. He was warm and soft. A kiss that held a promise. She wanted more. She reached up, pulled his head towards her, and used her tongue to explore his mouth.
Leo groaned when Emma pulled away. “I rather liked that.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I know you did.” Her eyes clashed with his hungry gaze. She took another sip of her wine. Being close to Leo did strange things to her. It certainly made her bold. She wanted to kiss him again, and why should she fight against the instinct? She raised her head to gaze into his eyes, lifted her hand, and gently touched his jaw. She slowly moved her head closer to his, and he licked his lips in anticipation. She stopped short of touching his lips to hers as they breathed in each other.
