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His lips seared a leisurely path to her breasts, catching at the soft peaks until they tightened against histhe constricted sounds she htly around her nipple He played with her until she clenched her hand over her own

Finally Daisy twisted away and buried a torroan in the bedclothes "I can’t," she whispered, shivering "I can’t keep quiet"

Matthew laughed softly and kissed the center of her spine "But I’ her back over "And think of the trouble it will cause if we’re caught"

"Matthew, please--"

"Hush" He let histenderly, until she twisted in restless confusion At ti into the mattress like cat’s claws He coaxed her onto her back each ti her his ers to fill and soothe her swollen flesh When she was taut in every lileamed with perspiration, Matthew finally settled between her shaking thighs

Her body tensed as she felt the hardness of hi intimately inside her…and then she ht rhythm He knew he had found it when her knees hitched upward, instinctively cla her over and over again, while her inner an to throb violently He had never known such ecstasy, thrusting in her exquisite tightness, rooting hiht of his body He followed her everyher what she needed, both of them intent on her pleasure

Daisy covered herher wrist, Matthew pulled her hand away and opened her ue Her violent shudders pulled hiroan fro quivers

When the last ripples had eased, Mattheas overco than any he had ever known Only the thought of crushing Daisy was enough to prod hiruntled sound and reached for hi the war her head in the crook of his ar the disheveled bedclothes over the, but Matthew didn’t dare allow himself He didn’t trust hirate in theHe was far too replete, and the feel of Daisy’s s to resist

"I have to leave," he whispered against her hair

"No, stay" Her face turned, her lips nuzzling the bare skin of his chest "Stay all night Stay forever"

He smiled and kissed her temple "I would But somehow I think your fa you before ere properly betrothed"

"I don’t feel debauched"

"I do," Matthew said

Daisy smiled "I’d better marry you, then" Her small hand moved over his body in tentative exploration "Ironically," she co to please athered Daisy close against hi become well acquainted with the man’s tempers, his self-absorption, his impossible standards And yet he understood what it had required for Bowreat fortune from scratch, the sacrifices he’d had to otten in the way of achieving his goals Including closeness with his wife and children

For the first time it occurred to Matthew that Bow as a mediator, to ease their co were in his power, he would find a way to do it

"You," he whispered in Daisy’s hair, "are the best thing he’s ever done Soainst his skin "I doubt it But it’s nice of you to say so You don’t have to be concerned on that account, you know I reconciled ain Mattheas taken unaware by the extent of the feelings she inspired in him, his own limitless desire to fill her with happiness

"Whatever you need," he whispered, "Whatever you want, I’ll get it for you Just tellthrough her li the smoothness "I want to knohat your five-dollar as for"

"Is that all?" He sertips "I wished you would find someone anted you as much as I did But I kneouldn’t coht slid over Daisy’s delicate features as she raised her head to look at him "Why not?"

"Because I knew no one could ever want you as much as I do"

Daisy levered herself farther over him until her hair tumbled in a dark curtain around the his fingers through the fall of shiht man to marry" Her tender smile stopped his heart "And then you appeared"

CHAPTER 15

After an unusually long sleep Matthew ventured downstairs Servants were busy cleaning ed, carpeted, or parqueted floors, while others trimmed lamps, replaced candlesticks, and polished the brasses

As soon as Matthew approached thehim a breakfast tray out to the back terrace if he so desired Since it promised to be a beautiful day, Matthew accepted the offer readily

Sitting at one of the outside tables, he watched the progress of a srounds

His quiet contemplation was interrupted by the sound of the french doors opening Glancing up expectantly, Matthe that instead of the maid with the breakfast tray, it was the considerably less welco at once that Westcliff had told her about his betrothal to Daisy

However, it see influence on his wife Not that Lillian looked happy, of course…but Matthew took it as a good sign that she wasn’t approaching him with an ax in handYet

Lillian made a motion for him to remain in his chair as she approached He stood anyway

Lillian’s face was set and her voice was controlled as she said, "There’s no need to look at ypt I am capable of rational discourse on occasion May I have a ith you?"

She sat before he could help her with the chair

Regarding her warily, Matthew reoccupied his own chair and waited for her to speak Despite the tension-fraught atmosphere, he almost smiled as he reflected he had often seen the same expression on Thomas Bowman’s face Lillian was bullishly determined to have her way, yet she was