Page 68 of A Lady Most Wayward
But after listening to her brother threaten both her daughter and the woman she loved, it became clear Olivia only had one path forward. She would not sacrifice Hyacinth, Philippa, or her friends in the hopes of evading her brother. She had tried that course before and failed dismally. It was time to accept her fate. But before she did, she would have one more night with Philippa. One last evening to take with her and hold close as her future closed around her like a steel trap. So perhaps the seduction served two purposes. Convincing Philippa to see things Olivia’s way and giving Olivia memories to cherish for the rest of her days.
She sighed heavily.
‘It’s all rather depressing.’ She spoke to the empty space.
‘What is depressing? And why is there a dinner table set up in my sitting room?’
Ah. Well. Not quite as empty as I thought.
‘You are entirely too quiet on your feet.’
Yes. Start with fighting words and an arch tone. That will surely have Philippa throwing her skirts up and begging for my mouth between her legs.
Philippa’s pupils darkened.
Olivia reconsidered. Fighting and fucking did have so many similarities. Mayhap it wasn’t such a terrible strategy.
But she wanted to fuck Philippa about as much as she wanted to seduce her.
So what do I want?
To love her. And be loved. To give herself to Philippa. To receive whatever Philippa was willing to offer in return. To melt bodies, souls, and minds together into one perfect union.
How the bloody hell do I accomplish that?
‘You look lovely in lavender.’ Philippa walked slowly toward Olivia, her eyes missing nothing. Olivia’s skin sparked everywhere Philippa’s gaze touched her.
‘I wore it for you.’ Olivia lifted her chin as Philippa stood next to her. She had left her hair loose, and it fell softly over her shoulder, pooling in her lap. She fiddled with the ends.
‘Will you take it off for me as well?’
‘Are you hungry? We could eat first.’ And Olivia could talk. Convince Philippa to give her up to her brother. Submit to his demands and ensure the safety of all those they loved.
But not the innocent children he will continue to exploit.
Olivia pushed the thought away. She could only handle one devastating compromise at a time.
‘I’m only hungry for one thing.’ Philippa reached down, caught Olivia’s hand, and pulled her to her feet.
Fine. Seduction first. Then I shall convince her my plan is best.
Olivia chose the lavender dress because the cut was flattering, the colour suited her skin, and most importantly, it had buttons down the front, making it easy for her to unclasp the little seed pearls until the bodice gaped. Her corset was ivory, her shift white lace. She revelled in the gasp as Philippa watched her like a hungry cat, ready to lap up every drop of cream.
‘I need to speak with you.’ Words she hadn’t planned on saying yet spilled forth.
Blast.
She was going to wait. But she couldn’t make love to Philippa without total honesty. And she desperately wanted to have no deception between them for their last night together.
Philippa tucked her fingers in each sleeve of Olivia’s dress and tugged down until the entire thing slipped to floor. She stood in nothing but her corset and lace shift. With the fire behind her, she knew Philippa could see the outline of her body. ‘Later.’ She traced her finger over the swell of Olivia’s breast. Warm, wet heat coated Olivia’s core as her belly clenched.
‘Now.’ If she didn’t get the words out immediately, they would be lost forever.
Philippa raised a brow and caught one of Olivia’s curls in her hand, twining it around her finger before she tugged gently. ‘You are very serious.’
Olivia held onto her focus with an iron grip when her body clamoured to forget conversation and give over to sensation. ‘This is a serious subject.’
‘In that case…’ Tangling her hand in Olivia’s hair, she wrapped her strong fingers around the base of Olivia’s head and pulled her close, her lips a whisper away, frankincense and jasmine overwhelming Olivia’s senses. ‘Please, do go on.’ She pressed a soft kiss to her mouth, Philippa’s tongue whispering over Olivia’s full bottom lip.
