Page 79 of If the Duke Dares
She turned to face him. “I don’t know that I will be able to persuade Pandora to come to a party.”
It took Acton a moment to recall they’d been discussing the party before the rain had started. “Tell her she will be a guest of honor. And that the families of those young ladies who were rude to her at the gardens will not be invited.” When Acton had reviewed the guest list, he’d struck off their names, explaining why. His mother had agreed wholeheartedly. She wasn’t particularly friendly with the girls’ mothers anyway.
“That is awfully kind of you—and presumably of your mother too,” Persey said. She seemed to hesitate. “Will my parents be invited?”
Acton had also tried to remove them from the list while also expecting his mother to argue. She had insisted they be invited, citing her loyalty to the baroness. “I’m afraid so. My mother feels beholden to your mother. Apparently, she was particularly warm to my mother when she first moved to Bath.”
“Warm? Are you certain that wasmymother?” Persey quipped.
“So my mother says. She also acknowledges that your mother seems different now, but didn’t elaborate.” He moved to stand in front of Persey and removed his hat, tossing it on the chair. “I will do everything in my power to keep them away from you.”
“It’s all right. I needn’t speak with them even if I do see them. I don’t need them anymore. Aunt Lucinda is giving me a permanent home and I may even have a London Season next year. If I want it.”
Acton kept himself from frowning. He didn’t want that. The thought of her parading around London on the Marriage Mart made his stomach clench. He put one arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against him. “What if I don’t want to share you with London?”
Her brows arched and her eyes rounded briefly. “‘Share’ me? That implies some kind of ownership or claim.”
“Oh, I claim you.” Acton had enough self-awareness to realize he sounded like an overbearing rogue, but he didn’t possess the self-control to stop himself, apparently.
He traced his finger from her hairline to her jaw. Tempering himself, he lowered his voice to a near whisper. “Iwouldclaim you.”
“Tonight?” she breathed, sliding her palm up the front of his damp coat and clasping the side of his neck.
“Right this moment.” He swept his lips over hers, greedily devouring her with a sudden desperate need to possess her.
She clutched him, pressing her fingers into the flesh of his neck. Her skin against his made him want to feel all of her. Would she let that happen? Could he?
This was absolutely blackguard behavior, and yet he couldn’t seem to stop. Every stroke of her tongue and slant of her lips drove him deeper into an abyss of desire that he was powerless to escape.
She pushed his coat from his shoulders. Before it could drop to the floor, he caught it and tossed it toward the chair. And missed.
“You’re most adept,” she murmured between kisses as she tangled her fingers in his cravat. “One might think you’ve done this before.”
“You know I have.” Just as he knew she had. At least once. Did that matter? Not to him. Except he hated thinking of her with another man. Which was also beastly and exceedingly hypocritical of him. What had happened to turn him from a carefree rogue to a jealous lover?
“I’ve done this many times,” he said darkly, suddenly overcome with lust. “And, if I may say so, I’m quite good at it.” He fisted his hand in the fabric of her skirt over her backside as he cupped her neck, deepening their kisses in response to his raging need. She was wearing the same gown as last night, meaning it would be easy to divest her of it. Had she forgone the stays again? He wished he’d come in nothing but his shirtsleeves.
His cravat came loose in her hand. How she’d managed to untie it while they kissed was an erotic mystery he would solve another time—could she also tie something during the throes of passion? That would be a useful skill.
The cravat disappeared, and her hands went to the buttons of his waistcoat. Which meant they were no longer pressed together. He kissed along her jaw as she worked, using his thumb to stroke her neck. Her pulse beat strong and fast, echoing his own.
Then his waistcoat was open, and he shrugged it away intending to untie her bodice next. However, she beat him to it while he was casting his garment off. She loosened the gown and unfastened the front, letting it drop. As with last night, she was not wearing undergarments.
“One might think you dressed for this occasion.”
“I was perhaps hoping for a repeat of last night. I honestly didn’t anticipatethis.” Her gaze was dark, seductive, utterly captivating. Was this the same woman whose glare had nearly eviscerated him the night they’d met?
Indeed, she was the same woman, and he wanted all of her—feisty termagant, teasing charmer, and sultry siren.
“And what isthis?” he asked softly, taking a step back. He sat on the chair, dislodging his hat without concern. Meaning to remove his boots, he hesitated.
“An assignation, wouldn’t you agree?”
“I would. But I want to be clear on what you want.” His gaze flicked to the cot behind her. “There is a bed.”
The corner of her mouth ticked up. “And that signifies what? Are you going to ask about sleeping again?”
“Hell, no. That cot is ideal for taking our assignation to its natural conclusion.”
