Page 53 of The Duelist for the Ton
“But she must learn to be more guarded.”
“She will,” Portia said. “There comes a time when our eyes are opened more fully to the world about us, when the unbridled enthusiasm we have as children is tempered by the need tosurvive in a world of those who would judge us, or seek to take advantage of us for their own purposes.”
“Such as those who would deceive us,” Stephen said. “Men such as Sir Heath, for example—fair in face, gallant in demeanor, yet his gallantry does not come from his character, but from a desire to persuade others that he is to be trusted. He behaves very differently when in the company of men compared to when among your sex.”
“As do all men, colonel.”
“Then I apologize on behalf of all of my sex.”
“I fear the majority of your sex is past redemption—though there may exist one or two notable exceptions.”
A smile played on her lips, and his heart gave a little jolt.
“You are blessed to have a sister,” she said. “I should have liked to have a sister.”
Perhaps, one day, you will.
He closed his eyes, letting the dream take shape in his mind—Lady Portia in his home, and his life, gently steering his beloved little angel, teaching her the meaning of true beauty…
When he opened them, she was staring at him, her lips parted in surprise.
Sweet Lord, he’d spoken aloud!
He drew her close, and the spark of desire in her eyes swelled. Her lips parted further. Sweet and plump—would they taste as sweet as he’d imagined in his dreams? Would she sigh with pleasure as he claimed them for his own?
“Stephen…”
Her soft, whispered words shattered his resolve, and he pulled her close then placed his hand on her cheek. A whimper escaped her lips as he caressed her cheek with his thumb, relishing the softness of her skin. He traced the outline of her mouth and she sighed, her warm breath fluttering over his skin, sending a bolt of heat through his veins. He shifted his thighsas his breeches tightened, and her eyes widened as his manhood stiffened against her body.
“Lady Portia…”
“Stephen…”
He dipped his head and claimed her mouth.
Heavens!She tasted sweeter than he could ever have imagined—rich honey with a deeper, warmer taste of cinnamon and spice. And yet, unlike the camp followers who had given him and his fellow soldiers a little comfort in the field for a coin or two, she carried a taste of innocence.
It was the taste of a woman who had yet to be awakened to the pleasures of her body.
His own body surged with the anticipation of claiming her, to be the first to awaken her to the unimaginable pleasure of the intimacy of…
Bedsport, his fellow soldiers called it, as they’d cheered each other on, celebrating their prowess. But what might such an act be when there was love involved, a meeting of minds and souls as well as bodies?
No—she was an innocent, and a lady, not some cheap doxy wanting to earn a crust for gratifying a camp full of soldiers. She did not deserve to be treated as such.
But before he could withdraw, she parted her lips further and pressed her body against his, and he almost spent in his breeches at the feel of two stiff little peaks pushing against his chest.
He slipped his tongue between her lips. She gave a low mewl of satisfaction, curling her tongue around his in a slow dance of seduction. She reached up and buried her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer as he deepened the kiss. A low growl swelled in his throat as she shifted her thighs against his manhood, and he fought to maintain his resolve against the urge to bury himself inside her.
But she was not some wench to be rutted in the bushes, no matter how pleasurable it would be to take her swiftly. No, the first time he took her, he wanted to relish every moment, every heartbeat, as he awakened her to the pleasures of her body and slide inside her…
What the devil am I doing?
He jerked back, shame warring with his desire. For a moment she stood before him, eyes closed, lips parted, bruised and swollen from his kiss, her hair in disarray. The flush on her cheeks spoke of raw pleasure, but when she opened her eyes, the pleasure faded.
“Forgive me, Lady Portia. I-I shouldn’t have done that.”
Disappointment flickered across her face. “Colonel, you did nothing that I did not desire.”
