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"Because there is nothing hed quietly as he saw her heightened color "Have I embarrassed you with my frankness? I’m sorry"

"I don’t think you are I think youwith Julian

"You’re right I want to set you a bit off-balance"

"Why?"

"Because I would like for you to see me as someone other than predictable, tedious old Dr Harrow"

"You’re none of those things," she said, laughing

"Good," he an to lead their partners out of the dancing area, while others took their places

"It’s warm in here, and far too crowded," Julian said "Would you like to be scandalous and slip aith me for a moment?"

"I would love to"

He took her to a corner partially screened by some massive potted plants At an opportune lass conservatory The space was filled with paths and indoor trees and flowers, and secluded little benches Beyond the conservatory, a wide terrace overlooked the fenced gardens and the other mansions of Mayfair The city was outlined in the distance, bristling with chiht sky with strea around theht gave his polished-ivory skin a slight luminescence "Winnifred," he murmured, and the tiray eyes, Win realized that he was going to kiss her

But he surprised her by reht shi her slender hand to his lips, he kissed the backs of her fingers, and then the fragile inside of her wrist He held her hand like a half-open flower against his face His tenderness disarland," he said softly "I want to know you much better, my dear, in a way that wasn’t possible at the clinic I want-"

But a sound froether, he and Win stared at the intruder

It was Merripen, of course, huge and dark and aggressive as he strode toward theed in disbelief He had followed her out here? She felt like a hunted creature For heaven’s sake, was there no place she could evade his outrageous stalking?

"Go… away," she said, enunciating each ith scornful precision "You are not my chaperon"

"You should be with your chaperon," Merripen snapped "Not here with him"

Win had never found it so difficult tothem behind an expressionless face But she could feel the te impatiently inside her Her voice shook only a little as she turned to Julian "Would you be so kind as to leave us, Dr Harrow? There is solanced from Merripen’s set face to hers "I’uing ," Win said "I’m the only one who can put a stop to it Please allow me a moment with him"

"Very well" Julian stood from the bench "Where shall I wait for you?"

"Back in the drawing rooument froh to allow her to e the situation "Thank you, Dr Harrow"

She was barely aware of Julian’s departure, she was so focused on Merripen She stood and went to hi me mad!" she exclaimed "I want you to stop this, Kev! Do you have any idea how ridiculous you’re being? How badly you’ve behaved tonight?"

"I’ve behaved badly?" he thundered "You were about to let yourself be compromised"

"Perhaps I want to be corip her upper ar to haul her fro to make certain you stay safe"

"Don’t touch me!" Win wrenched free of him, incensed "I’ve been safe for years Tucked safely in bed, watching everyone around h safety to last a lifetime, Kev And if that’s what you want, for o to the devil"

"You were never alone," he said harshly "You’ve never been unloved"

"I want to be loved as a woman Not as a child, or a sister, or an invalid-"

"That’s not how I-"

"Perhaps you’re not even capable of such love" In her blazing frustration, Win experienced so she had never felt before The desire to hurt soh a shaft of lass, and Win felt a little shock as she saw his ed to cut hi She fell back a step, alarrip

He jerked her upward "All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn’t equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day I love you sobut torment Because if I could dilute what I feel for you to the h to kill you And even if it drives me mad, I would rather see you live in the arms of that cold, soulless bastard than die in in to comprehend what he’d said, and all the ier For a full minute, perhaps two, she couldn’t evenapart, every rational thought dissolving She felt faint, but not from illness Her hand fluttered to the back of his neck, the e of his collar, the locks of his hair like raw silk

Her fingers unconsciously caressed his nape, trying to soothe his hard-breathing fervor His , his taste drugging and sweet And then soentle His hand tre over her cheek, his palry pressure of his mouth lifted from hers, and he kissed her eyelids and nose and forehead

In his drive to press close, he had urged her back against the conservatory wall She gasped as her bare upper shoulders were flattened on a pane of glass, causing gooseflesh to rise Cold glass… but his body was so war down to her throat, her chest, the hint of cleavage

Merripen slipped two fingers inside her bodice, stroking the cool cushion of her breast It wasn’t enough He tugged ie of the bodice and the shallow cup of the corset beneath Win closed her eyes, offering not so much as a word of protest, still except for the heaves of her breathing

Merripen gave a soft grunt of satisfaction as her breast popped free He lifted her higher against the glass, nearly lifting her off her feet, and he closed his mouth over the tip of her breast

Win bit her lip to keep froue sent darts of heat down to her toes She slid her hands into his hair, one gloved, one ungloved, her body arching against the tender stimulation of his , hethe delicate skin "Win" His voice was ragged "I want to-" But he bit back the words and kissed her again, deep and feverish, while he took the hard peak of her breast in his fingers He squeezed and rolled it softly, until the wickedly gentle harassment caused her to writhe and sob in pleasure