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"Pel, wait" Hargreaves caught her about the waist, and buried his face in the curve of her neck "Forgive ulf between us that was not there before, and I cannot bear it"

He turned her to face him "Tell me truthfully Does Grayson want you?"

"I don’t know"

John released a frustrated breath "How in hell can you not know, Isabel? You, of all women, should know if a man desires to be in your bed or not"

"You have not seen hiarments are odd--coarse and overly simple Wherever he has been, it has not been anywhere he would socialize Yes, he lusts, John I recognize that eneral? That is what I do not know"

"Then we riave a weary laugh "What an odd conversation to have"

"I know" Hargreaves grinned, and cupped her cheek in his hand "Shall we sit, and plan a dinner, then? We can make a list of all the women we think Grayson would enjoy, and invite theenuine smile since Gray had returned "That is such an inspired enterprise Why could I not have thought of it?"

"Because that’s what you have ’s newspaper over coffee, and attenore his anxiousness He would be seen today, Society would know that he had returned Over the next few days, old acquaintances would come to call, and he would have to decide which friendships to renew, and which would re, my lord"

He looked up at the sound of Isabel’s voice, and took a sharp, quick inhale as he stood She was dressed in pale blue, her bodice low and displaying the generous curves of her breasts, while the waist was high and banded with darker blue ribbon Her gaze would notThen she looked at hied a smile

Pel was obviously nervous, and it was the first time that he had ever seen her less than utterly confident She stared at him a moment Then her chin lifted, and she approached him She pulled out the chair next to him before he could unlock his muscles and do it for her He cursed inwardly He had not been a ood while since his last liaison Too long

"Gray," she began

"Yes?" he prodded when she hesitated

"You need a mistress," she blurted

He blinked, and then dropped back into his chair, holding his breath to avoid s her One whiff of her perfume, and he would be hard, no doubt "A mistress?"

She nodded, and bit her luscious botto one"

"No," he said slowly Good God "With the proper attire, and a reintroduction to Society, I could ain He could not talk about this with her "Shall we go, then?"

"Eager, are we?" She laughed, and he grit his teeth at the lusty sound The wariness that had stiffened her fra behind the Pel of old A Pel who expected him to contract a mistress, and leave her alone

"You ate upstairs, did you not?" He backed up a step, and breathed through his h the afternoon? Or the next week, or month? Or--bloody hell--years, as she often invested in her affairs

"Yes" She stood "Let’s be off then, Lothario Far be it for me to delay the discovery of your next a so was not effective in quelling his lust due to the laently swaying hips and lush derriere

The landau ride was a bit better, as the open top helped to dissipate the scent of exotic flowers And the walk on Bond Street was better than that, since he could no longer think about his errant cock while being gaped and pointed at Pel walked beside hi merrily, her lovely face shaded by a wide-brimmed straw hat

"This is ridiculous," he muttered "You would think I had risen from the dead"

"In a way, you have You left without a word, and kept in touch with no one But I think they are just as interested in the changes to your appearance"

"My skin is sun-darkened"

"Yes, it is I quite like it Other wolanced down at her in the course of his reply, and realized that froe he had a prirowled, frustrated beyondher head "Here we are This is the establishment you listed in your old schedule, is it not?"

The door opened inith a soft ring of bells, and withinroo, which Pel ordered aith a toss of her hand and a wrinkling of her nose Gerard stood there in his shed Until she turned to face hihtened his throat and choked off hishies of his abdoroan The entire roo hiaped a moment in surprise "I believe I will have to take new measurements, my lord"

Isabel stepped back quickly at the intrusion, her cheeks flushed The tailor began to work, and she recovered quickly, directing her attention to talking the tradesarments ordered by another customer

"Surely, you would not wish His Lordship to leave your establishment in any manner other than suitably attired?" she asked

"Of course not, Lady Grayson," came the ready reply "But these are the closest to finished that I have, and they will not fit His Lordship But perhaps I could add some extra material here"

"Yes, and let it out a little more there," she said, when the tailor pinned the material at his shoulder "Look how broad he is You can re First and foremost, he must be comfortable"

Her hand drifted down his back, and Gerard clenched his fists to fight off a shudder He was anything but comfortable

"Do you have smalls that will fit him?" she asked, her voice lower and huskier than usual "This er to sell as much as possible

The jacket hisked away, and Gerard pulled on thetrousers They stood behind hi off a cockstand by dint of will alone He could not help being aroused Pel’s gaze was so hot, he felt it, and she continued to touch his about his body A man could only take so ainst his bare back Her hand cupped the curve of his ass "Is it too tight back here,him "I hope not It looks wonderful"

"No The back is fine" Then he lowered his voice so only she could hear "But you have made the front damned uncomfortable"