"Yes." She wanted him again.

He kissed her like a starving man. She tangled her tongue with his and threaded her fingers in his hair. When he lowered his head, he suckled her through her shift, and she cried out. He pressed the straps of her shift down her arms until it pooled on the carpet. She loosened the ribbon on his drawers and shoved them off. He held her, and he was hard against her stomach. She reached between them and caressed him.

He drew in a ragged breath and touched her intimately. She was lost in the sensations, lost in the heat of his body, and G.o.d help her, lost in love with him. She kissed his chest where his heart beat rapidly, because she dared not speak the words that were in her heart. It would hurt too much to listen to his silence.

He took her hand, walked to the chaise, and sat in the middle. Then he pulled her onto his lap and entered her. He suckled her b.r.e.a.s.t.s as she found the rhythm and the pleasurable sensations crested quickly until she cried out.

He stood, carried her to the bed, and entered her again. As he pressed inside, she whimpered a little because he felt so good. She loved the feeling of sharing her body with him. He moved slowly and never let his gaze slip away from hers, and she loved him all the more for it. But eventually he seemed to lose himself in the pleasure and he thrust inside her faster and faster. She wrapped her legs around him and felt him throbbing inside of her. Afterward, he rolled to his side and smiled at her. "I hope this was not too much for you."

Her face grew warm. "I think you know I liked it."

He slid on his trousers. "You have enslaved me."

She grinned. "Will you do my bidding?"

"I am yours, mistress, but you must let me recover."

"I have high hopes you will rise to the occasion."

He burst out laughing and hugged her. "You are wonderful."

She loved being so close to him. "I will miss this when we return to Deerfield."

"We will have to leave soon," he said.

"I wish we could stay."

"You will think me greedy," he said, "but I want to make love to you once more."

"I want you again," she said.

A sly expression entered his eyes. "Will you be my mistress?"

"What are you about?" she said.

He led her back to the chaise. "On your knees."

"What game do you play?" she whispered.

"You can say no, but will you do my bidding?"

She wet her lips. "Why should I?"

"Because I will reward you," he said in a rough tone.

She knelt on the carpet between his spread legs. The bulge in his trousers gave evidence to his excitement.

"What do you bid me to do?" she whispered.

"Release the b.u.t.tons on my falls."

She let her fingers brush over him as she slowly released the b.u.t.tons one by one. The game made her breathless. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s felt heavy, and she wanted him inside her.

When he sprang out, she looked up into his eyes. "May I touch you?"

"Yes." His voice sounded harsh.

She ran her finger in circles around him. There was a drop of moisture on top.

"Have I pleased you?" She liked pretending she was a libidinous courtesan.

He pulled her forward and lifted the skirts to her waist. "Touch yourself."

She looked at the carpet. "I am too shy."

"Straddle my leg."

When she did, he took her hand and guided it to her s.e.x. "Do you like it?"

"I like your touch better."

He caressed her intimately until her legs felt like jelly. Then he inserted first one and then another finger. "You are slick and wet. I like the sound of moisture as I pleasure you."

She was breathing fast, and so was he. His words encouraged her to be brazen. "You please me," she said, "but I am wanton and greedy."

"What are you greedy for?" he said.

She wrapped her hand around his aroused c.o.c.k.

"You want to ride astride me?"

"Yes."

"You are new at this," he said, "but you are eager."

"I am eager for you."

"You may straddle me now," he said.

She did his bidding. "Will you pleasure me?"

"Yes." Her breathing grew labored with the caress of his fingers.

"Do you want me?" he said, his voice low.

"Yes, I am lascivious and live for pleasure."

"I want to watch you."

She rose up on her knees and guided him. He went slowly, but G.o.d almighty he'd never been this l.u.s.t-crazed in his life.

When she rocked into him, he almost spent his seed immediately, but he was as hungry as she to continue their role-play. He splayed his hands over her bottom as he lifted up to meet her. Then as he sensed she was as close to the edge as he was, he locked his mouth to hers and mimicked his tongue play with his thrusts inside her. She was panting and cried out. He could feel the contractions of her release all around him, and he spilled his seed again.

She clutched his shoulders. Their bodies were still joined.

"You have to marry me," he said.

"No, I'm a famous courtesan. I refuse to keep only one man."

He laughed a little. "Darling girl, you may pretend to be anyone you wish, but you will never escape me now. I've had more than a taste of you, and it will never be enough."

He dressed in yesterday's clothes and helped her into the stays, petticoats, and gown afterward.

"Angeline, I've been thinking. Let's announce the engagement."

"No, we need to use the time to talk."

"There is nothing to be proved by letting this drag on. You know we will have no privacy at Deerfield."

"I need time, Colin."

"For what? We will figure things out as we go, like any other couple."

"I know what you stand to lose at Sommerall," she said, "but you know what I've been through, and I cannot be rushed."

"Do you trust me or not?"

"Of course I do," she said.

"Then let me make our engagement public."

"If we announce it now, they will suspect what we've been doing."

The clatter of hooves sounded. He looked out the window. "There's John."

"I wish we could stay," she said.

"So do I." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. Her head was spinning, and her heart was full of love for him.

"One week, Angeline, and I will announce our engagement."

When she hesitated, he said, "I know you're afraid, but you need to trust me, starting today. One week."

"Very well," she said.

He hugged her hard. "We must go before your father decides to send out a search party."

They arrived at Deerfield to discover Wycoff and the marquess about to board a carriage.

"I began to think you might have drowned last night," the marquess said to Colin.

"Angeline was frightened and wanted to leave, but of course we could not. It wasn't safe to travel."

"Daughter, are you well?" the duke demanded.

"Yes, I'm fine, Papa. Just a little rumpled in yesterday's clothing."

"I'm sorry for the miserable night," Colin said, meeting her eyes. "I'm sure you will wish to rest once you are in your room."

"I am fatigued. It was a long night, but I'm glad the storm pa.s.sed."

It was one of the best nights he'd had in years, but he kept that between his teeth.

"Well, we might as well go indoors," the marquess said. "Colin, after you make yourself presentable, please attend me in my study."

He nodded.

An hour later, he knocked on his father's door and sat before the desk.

"That was quite a storm last night," Colin said. "Is everything fine here at Deerfield?"

"Lightning struck a tree limb. I've got men chopping it now. Your sisters scared Penelope by telling ghost stories last night."

He laughed. "I'm not surprised."

"That ugly dog howled most of the night. I threatened to turn it out in the storm, but Margaret accused me of cruelty. Then your sisters started crying, and I thought we'd never get everybody in bed and asleep. What a night." He paused and said, "What happened with Mr. and Mrs. Faraday? Did they show?"

"Oh, yes," Colin said. When he finished the story, he said, "You probably would regret having them as neighbors. You would likely find them calling a little too often."

"Something needs to be done," the marquess said. "I can't let the place go to rack and ruin, and it most certainly will if I do nothing. It's a miracle the place has withstood the years as well as it has."

"Last night, I feared the heavy rain would expose leaks, but everything appeared to be in good order."

The marquess sighed. "I expect you know that Wycoff is concerned about you staying in the same house alone with his daughter."

"We had no choice," Colin said. "Would he have preferred I risk her life, that of the driver, and the horses?"

"Of course not," the marquess said, "but it wouldn't hurt if you rea.s.sured Wycoff that his daughter suffered no harm."

Colin looked out the window and then he turned to his father. "I have no intention of rea.s.suring Wycoff. I know she is his daughter, but it is disrespectful on his part to question either of us. Moreover, we are not sniveling adolescents."

Of course their nocturnal and morning activities had not been innocent, but they were thirty-one years old and more than mature enough to deal with any consequences. Mind, he hoped there weren't any, but if so, they would marry in a hurry.

But that only brought to mind this ridiculous secret engagement. Thank goodness he'd persuaded her to make the announcement in one week. He'd grown weary of it and did not see how they would prove anything by allowing the situation to drag on for another two and one-half weeks.

"Colin, you know what their family has been through," the marquess said.

"Yes, a roue treated her badly, but Wycoff should take a portion of the blame. He has plenty of connections, and he let a known libertine hoodwink him."