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"Get back over here," he said in a laugh-tinged growl He sat down on the sofa and tugged her along with him

"Oooh, as you wish, my lord" Belle did her best imitation of a leer

"What a lusty wench you are"

"Lusty wench ? That's certainly not very poetic"

"Oh, hush" True to his words, John silenced her with another kiss, leaning back against the cushions and pulling Belle on top of him "Have I told you," he said between kisses, "that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met?"

"No"

"Well, you are And the sth of her body, cupped her buttocks, and squeezed- "you have the cutest derriere I've ever seen"

Belle lurched back in shocked les atop hi was so much fun"

"Of course not Your parents didn't want you running around just kissing anybody, after all"

Belle touched the side of his jaith her hand, rubbing against the sandy stubble of his whiskers "No, only you"

John didn't think that her parents particularly wanted her kissing hiht out of his ive up the perfection of the " He grinned boyishly and tweaked her nose

Belle tweaked his back "They don't? How unfortunate for the eth alone Maybe so his soul, and… He shut his eyes He was growing fanciful "You can't possibly kno perfect I feel right at this led closer "I know exactly how perfect"

"Unfortunately, your pot of tea is going to arrive any second now, and I don't think that the servants need to know just how perfect we feel"

"Ohacross the rooht? Can you tell that I-that we-?"

" I can tell," John said wryly, trying to ignore the ache of unfulfilled need that pulsed through his body "But if you smooth down your hair, I don't think that anyone else will be able to"

"It's raining," she said shakily "Norill assume that that's why I'm a bit of a mess" For all her forward behavior that afternoon, Belle was not prepared to get caught in an amorous situation by her cousins' butler

"Sit back down," John ordered "We'll converse like two reasonable adults, and then Noron't suspect a thing"

"Do you think not? I'd be so embarr-"