Page 28 of One Night of Temptation
“I will. But I don’t want to sleep in it alone.”
Chapter 7
Pen placed her hand on his chest, and despite the layers of his clothing, he felt the touch of her like a brand on his flesh. Had he heard her right? She wanted him to share her bed?
“Pen, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” His body disagreed, given the way desire was swirling through him. Her hand on his chest wasn’t enough; he hungered for her touch.
“Why? There’s no one here to hold propriety over our heads.”
She was sorely tempting his resolve. Not that he hadn’t already surrendered to kissing her.
But that had been a necessity.
Had it, really?
He was large enough, or more accurately, she was small enough, to have blocked her from view. But he’d thought of the other couples entwined along the street and decided it would be better for them to appear like one of them.
Or, he’d just really, desperately, fiercely wanted to kiss her.
So he had.
But what shocked him more was the fact that she’d kissed him back. Now she was going even further.
Temptation pulled at him. He struggled to find his voice. “Just because no one is here—”
“No one would ever know,” she clarified.
That was true and only made the temptation more acute. Amidst the desire clouding his brain, he recalled what she’d said. “You just want to sleep?”
She nodded, slowly, but only after hesitating.
“It’s a very small bed.”
“Good, you can keep me warm. It’s chilly.” She edged closer to him, bringing their hips together.
Hugh nearly groaned. Holding her close while they’d kissed had been a delicious torture. This was a dangerous path.
She took his hand and led him back into the smaller room. All the way to the bed, where she sat and pulled him down beside her. Letting him go, she leaned down and lifted her skirt to remove her boots.
He supposed he should do the same, despite the fact that he hadn’t actually decided if he was going to do as she’d asked. After taking off his boots, he got up and deposited them near the door.
Turning back toward the bed, he saw that she’d risen and had unfastened her dress in the front. The bodice fell to her waist, revealing her underclothes.
Hugh pivoted and averted his gaze. “You’re undressing?” His voice sounded a tad higher than normal.
“It’s a small bed. If we’re to have any rest at all, I think we should remove at least some of our clothing.”
Weshould removeourclothing? “You can’t mean for me to do the same.”
The thought of lying in the narrow bed next to her was excruciating enough, but if they were barely dressed? He wasn’t sure he had the fortitude or grace to endure it.
“You removed your coat and waistcoat at the Craven Cock.”
The word cock on her lips in this particular moment provoked a keen yearning he struggled to ignore. He was unable to keep from looking at her. “We didn’t share a bed there.”
“Your feet did.” She sent him a saucy stare, her lips curling into a sultry—sultry?—smile.
He nearly groaned again.
