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Not until she returned to her bedchaht did she allow herself to conte his suit Garbed in the thin silk of her night rail, she let herself i free to let hi free to kiss hiers and skilled lips roam from her mouth and shoulders down her torso, to stroke the breasts that noelled and hardened at the thought of his touch Visualized hiers delve beneath the fabric of her chemise to stroke the naked flesh
Her breath grew short, her skin sheened with moisture as she considered the feel of his hands as they slid down her naked hips and belly Then thought of his fingers, his lips trailing lower still, where her flesh now throbbed with anticipation
Ah, yes, she too understood how ht deal with one another
But asto his sensual enuinely liked hied her mind and titillated her senses, she knew she needed ue
She needed, wanted, the kind of love and devotion Mama had felt for Papa and he for her She refused to settle for less than an all-consu passion of the sort that had led Mama to brave social disapproval and ostracization froh Lord Tavener had certainly inveigled his way into her affection and senses, Allegra didn’t now feel that way about him And if one did not love like that immediately, one never would—would one?
The possibility was even less likely on Will’s part Yes, he needed to ued” him and certainly there was sensual fire between them Nor did she doubt that he would always treat her with courtesy and kindness But he’d made no promises beyond that
A rogue who enjoyed pursuing women—as enjoyed and pursued by theive up that satisfying pastime simply because he’d taken to wife a lady he “admired and respected” Nor would anyone in the ton expect him to
Slipping a ring on his finger would not be enough to persuade Will to change his ways Only if he fell totally, hopelessly, irredeera see any possibility that his coh to dissuade hi
He’d vouchsafed no such e for her hand
She knew herself well enough to know that she would not be able to look the other way, as well-bred ton wives were supposed to do when their husbands dallied elsewhere Nor could she bear to watch Will working his char woman into his bed
No, if Rob could not offer her the love she craved, better to live alone the rest of her life than accept Will’s kind offer and subject herself to what she could already foresee would be the acutest of misery
But even that rational conclusion did not succeed in banishing froination the torrid visions she’d conjured of his hands and ht she tossed and turned, sleeping fitfully and unable to clai those decisions about her future should have afforded her
The necessity of taking breakfast, nuncheon, dinner and tea with the ladies the next day did little to settle her Restless, on edge and hard-put to respond with polite civility to the conversation of the gossiping friends, she was equally unable to engage herself in reading or needlework Much of that interarden paths at a pace that left the ned to her breathless
She arose the followingthe journey To her annoyance, when Will arrived to escort them home, she felt her face flush and her pulse race as he walked into the roorin that broadened his face when, ever perceptive, he noticed her response made her want to both kiss him and slap him
Their secret agree the connection between the ie So ’twas probably for the best that he announced he intended to ride beside the carriage rather than sit within it At the saruntled that he’d not chosen to re journey to distract her fro over the events to come
And it was downright silly, while she was on pins and needles with anticipation about eliciting an offer ofpresence
Fatigued after the constant chatting of her visit, Mrs Randall dozed h for theover and over in her mind the possible scenarios once Rob learned of their trip and Will’s offer, and she did make one other decision about the confrontation to come
To preserve the secrecy of their bargain, but especially to prevent the possibility that Rob ly with Will, she intended to speak with Lynton before Lord Tavener came to present his suit
Upon their arrival at Upper Brook Street, Tavener declined Mrs Randall’s invitation to co by impatiently while that lady tendered hira contrived to detain hie while Hobbs escorted Mrs Randall in
“Such a worried expression,” he e, my sweet!