Page 48 of The Hellion and the Hero

“No,” she rasped after a moment.

His gaze heated as he watched her, as if he too was lost in the same memory. Though she remained silent, her eyes darted to his cane and he read the question there.

“As long as you don’t object to a little creativity, that won’t be a problem,” he murmured. “I assure you.”

Georgiana’s chest tightened at the unmistakable confidence in his voice. God, she wasreallyconsidering this.

She cleared her throat, which had become very dry. She couldn’t possibly let him know what he was doing to her. That was the only way she could go through with this mad idea. But the thought of going back to her room, to that empty bed, was unbearable.

“Very well.” She lifted her chin. “You’ve scared off all other available options anyway.”

His eyes gleamed as he held out his arm. “Then shall we, my lady?”

Chapter Eleven

As Henry led Lady Arlington toward the private lift, the silence between them grew charged enough to power the entire hotel. He must have finally lost his senses completely, beginning when that damnable American had put his hand on Lady Arlington’s waist and ignored her obvious discomfort, which had been perfectly clear to Henry from his vantage point across the garden.

That was the only explanation for why Henry had actuallyvoicedsuch a salacious offer. It seemed like a far better alternative than simply standing by while she went off into the night with a strange man. But the truly mad part was that as soon as the request left his mouth, he knew he would absolutely do it if she said yes.

Very well. You’ve scared off all other available options anyway.

He bit back a smile. Lady Arlington could claim to be unaffected as much as she wanted, but she couldn’t hide her dilated pupils nor the fluttering pulse at the base of her neck. She wanted him. Physically, at least. And that was enough for him.

Still, it would be best to harbor no expectations. Perhaps the entire scene had been nothing more than an impulsive reaction to the end of her mourning period, and she would have second thoughts as soon as they were upstairs. Either way, he would not judge what someone did to cure their loneliness. Henry had only just pulled the door closed and pushed the button when she was in his arms, her mouth locked on his. He could not say with any certainty who had made the first move, or if they had both come together at exactly the same instant. Only that it was a kiss of such force, such fierceness that he found his back up against the wall of the lift. His hands gripped her nimble waist as tightly has he dared, pulling her lush figure closer. She was even more delectably proportioned than he remembered, and as her generous curves pressed along his body, the rightness of it shook him to his core. Whatever this was, it was not supposed to be likethis.

The lift came to a bobbing halt as it reached their floor and they broke apart. Lady Arlington stared up at him, breathless and wanting, just like that night in the carriage. And just like that all too brief encounter eight long years before in a darkened corner of the Harringtons’ back garden. As Henry dipped his head to kiss her again, a single thought flashed in his mind:

You fool.

After several intoxicating moments, they managed to stumble into the hallway, only for Henry to go back to retrieve his cane. The blood fizzed in his ears as his heart pounded. He felt awkward and bumbling, like a man at sea for the first time. He took her hand and pulled her down the hall, but when they reached their suite, he stopped short. Lady Arlington shot him a questioning look.

“What about Bea?”

“I told her not to wait up,” she murmured, her lips swollen from his kisses. Henry was much too pleased by the effect he had on her. Then he frowned as he grasped her meaning.

“You had this planned.”

“Does it matter?”

“No,” he answered truthfully. “I suppose I should be thankful for your foresight.”

The corner of her mouth lifted, and she moved to open the door. Henry followed her into the darkened suite. A lamp had been left on, providing just enough light for them to find the door to Henry’s room. They moved silently, even though there was little chance of them being seen together, as Bea resided on the other side of the suite in a room connected off of Lady Arlington’s quarters.

Henry entered first and turned on a small bedside lamp. He had left the door to his balcony open, and a comforting breeze kept the room pleasantly cool. One could hear the faint sound of the endless surf churning in the near distance. He sat on the bed and placed his cane against the night table, then loosened his necktie.

“I’ve wanted to do that all evening,” he groaned, then glanced up.

Lady Arlington hadn’t moved from the doorway. She was watching him with a veiled expression he couldn’t read.

“Having second thoughts already?” He forced the question out and braced himself.

She blinked at the sound of his voice and pushed away from the door. “No. Are you?”

Yes.

“Of course not,” he answered as she came toward him. “Why would I?” His gaze fell on her gently swaying hips. How was it that she always seemed to glide across the room? He had never seen another woman move the way she did, as if she were floating.

“I don’t know.” She came to a stop just in from of him, her skirts kissing his shins. “Some people take physical intimacy seriously.”

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