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Her breasts grew heavy and tender The beat of her heart quickened and her skin tingled from her head to the place where his boot stroked her It suddenly struck her that Jasper was deliberately arousing her In the middle of the day In the center of town Seated inches away from two other people

His hand lifted to an unsecured button on his coat Strong fingers grasped it, the pad of his thuainst the outer curve She watched,her skin that way On the curve of her shoulder, perhaps Or somewhere else

He would know the best place to focus that caress

The thought of his skill thrilled her

Her face heated She shifted restlessly on the squab, hoping to find aher predica it to facilitate her breathing She felt as if she ht soon becoently heaving breasts She knew she should look away and collect herself, but she could not Her brain writhed in dismay, horrified that her body would so completely fail to function properly for no other reason than that Jasper Bond was undressing her in his ht Partially dressed Easily bared

The barouche slowed to a stop

"Here we are," Lady Collingsworth said with customary cheerfulness

Jasper broke the connection first, his head turning toward So as his foot withdrew from beneath her skirts

How she e to the interior of the edifice was a mystery to her By the time she recovered the full use of herthe Exhibition Hall Light poured into the large rooh above the hall floor The walls were covered in paintings, the gilded fra every tiny bit of space

As they neared the center of the rooress to a standstill Eliza looked at hies before him His head was tilted back to the point that the rear of his hat brim nearly touched his back

Eliza took stock of the roo that the nearest individual was a few feet away She leaned nearer to Jasper and whispered his na you would answer any question I asked, so long as it pertained to the present?"

"Yes" He did not cease his enthralled perusal of the art "Ask "

She cleared her throat "Do you…want to…mate with me?"

He jolted so violently, the reaction shook her, too His wide-eyed gaze darted to hers "Eliza"

"I do not see why you should look so astonished," she said, "after kissingthe ride here"

His gaze war co combined with our location took me aback"

"I didn’t expect to have to discuss such things with you," she s incorrectly But Ihness of our presentation have to be established with the tactics you’ve utilized thus far or--"

"--or do I indeed want to mate with you?" Jasper’s smile widened "Is that what you want to know?"

Eliza nodded briskly, feeling anxious even though her question was perfectly sound considering their circumstances

He squeezed her hand where it rested on his forear the performance I want out of you, or if my blood is so hot for you I cannot bear for you not to feel siaze Described in that way, her query sounded ridiculous Jasper was a dazzlingly handsome man Even now, as she looked around the roo hiular intervals He could have any woeable