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"Susanna," he whispered against her ear

She sighed in his arh she loved the sound of her naht, stubborn melody "Susanna Susanna fair" He nuzzled her earlobe, then drew it between his lips, suckling the delicate bud Her little gasp stoked his desire

She made him want so ain, taking ti his tongue between the noise in the back of her throat, less a whiency in her kiss now, and sweet frustration He could taste how e made him wild

All this from a few simple kisses, with both of them fully clothed Good Lord He ran one hand down her arlove They drove him mad with desire, these prim satin sheaths, with their endless stretches of buttons and arrow-straight seams As matters stood, she could barely contain all that natural passion What would happen when the gloves came off?

He loosed the top button with a flick of his thumb

"Lord Rycliff," she said hoarsely

"Bra another "After a kiss like that, you must call me Bram"

"Braain, sliding his fingers beneath the unbuttoned satin

Her hands slid to his chest, and she pushed, hard

"Lord Rycliff Please"

The desperate catch in her voice surprised hi an expression of distress, her botto Her eyes were downcast

Bra the of her eyes, it aze directly Unapologetic and undaunted Until now

Da this He wasn’t the sort to press hi woman

"Susanna?" He reached to capture her chin, tilt her face to his Her gaze ide and pleading in the dark, and his heart gave a strange kick Within him, lust and honor warred He wanted her, yes But he wanted to protect her, too He wondered briefly if that meant he was a hypocrite

No, he decided It just h she would speak Which would led to quell the bloodlust coursing through his veins, so he couldof his heart

"My father," she breathed

Her father

His gut wrenched, and he released her at once There it was, the instant cure for his lust Soet Sir Lewis Finch entirely His late father’s good friend A national hero The man who held Braotten?

The ansas simple Once he’d made the decision to kiss Susanna, really kiss herHe simply hadn’t possessed the space in his brain or his ar but her

That kiss had been all-consuain

"Ohher upswept hair "How did this happen?"

"I don’t know But it won’t happen again"

She threw him a look, sharp as cut sapphires "Of course it won’t It can’t"

"You need to stay far clear of me Keep your distance"

"Goodness, yes" Her words were a fevered rush "Plenty of distance I’ll stay far away from you And you keep your men separate froain, then"

"Good" Her treloves

"Can I help with that?"

"No," she said sharply

"Do you" He cleared his throat "Do you plan to tell your father?"

"About this?" She looked up at him, horrified "Heavens, no Are you mad? He h hione before he could name it Profound relief, he supposed "It’s just, you mentioned him Earlier"

"I did?" She frowned "I did Don’t speak to my father, that’s what IWhen he proposed thisall this" Her gaze turned to the rows of weaponry "Please don’t include him He , and his health isn’t what it once was I’ve no right to de of you, but I must ask this"

He didn’t kno to refuse "Very well You have my word"

"Then you have my thanks"

And that was all he had of her For with those feords, she turned and fled

That evening, as was the case s, Susanna dined alone

After dinner, she dressed for bed Knowing she’d never be able to sleep, she chose a book--a weighty, soporific medical text She tried to read, and failed e for more than an hour, she rose from bed and ?"