by Amelia Grey
Her hips moved from side to side, and her stomach undulated in a way that instantly aroused him. She swayed gently, smoothly, as if she were intently listening to music only she could hear. Her outstretched arms moved sensuously, and her shoulders rolled suggestively, simultaneously with the rest of her body. She brought her hands together high over her head and clasped them as she continued her slow, sumptuous dance.
Since Morgan’s body was reacting to her intense movements, he knew Blake’s and Race’s were, too.
“Morgan?” Race and Blake somehow managed to say at the same time.
“Cousins,” Morgan said in a gravelly voice, “you picked a most inopportune time to visit.”
Ten
My Dearest Grandson Lucas,
While reading through his letters, I came across these wise words from Lord Chesterfield. “Should you be unfortunate enough to have vices, you may, to a certain degree even dignify them by a strict observance of decorum; at least they will lose something of their natural turpitude.”
Your loving Grandmother,
Lady Elder
Gray skies had darkness falling quickly, so Arianna lit the lamp in her bedroom after she had changed into her Indian dance costume. She knew Beabe would be below stairs for quite a while, helping Mrs. Post in the kitchen, so it was the perfect time for Arianna to see if she was now strong enough to move her stomach and hips the way she could before she had the fever. She had tried a couple of times before, but she had been too sore and too weak to do very much. But every day now, she felt stronger. And, as much as she hated to leave the earl and the contentment she had found in his home, she intended to tell Morgan tomorrow that she was well enough to travel on to London so that she could meet with Mr. Warburton and begin her work for her father. She didn’t want to wait any longer for Mrs. Pepperfield to arrive.
Arianna had discovered early on that it was always best to dance when Beabe wasn’t around. Her British maid had never approved of her learning any of the Indian nritya, but through the years, Beabe had remained loyal and never told her father that her naukrani was teaching her the beautiful dances of India.
The Indian maid had told her dancers always wore bells on their wrists and ankles when they danced, and sometimes bells were stitched to their costumes. Beabe hadn’t unpacked Arianna’s bracelets or anklets at the earl’s house, but when she had her dancing costume made, the seamstress had attached three rows of tiny bells to the hem of the skirt, and they jingled lightly every time she moved.
Arianna closed her eyes, and in her mind she played the music she’d often heard at the market in Bombay. As she swayed, she stepped and twirled in time with the music she heard in her head. At first, her movements felt awkward and stiff, but the more she moved, the easier it became to follow the steps and maneuvers of the dance she’d learned from the naukrani.
Lord Morgandale came to her mind. She imagined him watching her with his intense blue eyes. She moved as if she were dancing for him. As she moved her stomach muscles and arms the way she’d been taught, she remembered the taste of his kisses, the caress of his hands on her body, the sounds of his whispered sighs. She remembered the feel of the light rain falling on her passion-heated skin.
A loud knock sounded on the door, interrupting her dance and her wonderful thoughts.
“Bapre,” she exclaimed to herself. She had thought it would take Beabe longer in the kitchen to get her evening tray.
Reluctantly, Arianna padded barefoot over to answer the door and opened it without inquiring as to who might be on the other side. She gasped when she saw a scowling earl standing before her, devouring her with his hot, angry gaze.
In that first horrifying second, she thought of slamming the door in his face or making a mad dash for a wrap to cover herself, but in the end, all she did was quickly fold her arms across her chest, trying unsuccessfully to hide as much of her bare skin as possible.
Looking at the very upset man, she said as calmly as if she were talking about the weather, “My lord, I didn’t expect you. I’m afraid you caught me at a very unfortunate time. I’m not properly dressed.”
“I’m quite aware of that,” he said tightly. “That is exactly why I am here.”
Arianna took in a deep breath and quickly assessed the situation. She was caught, and there was no use in trying to hide what she was wearing now that he had already seen her. There was nothing to do but explain and inquire as to why he was standing at her bedchamber door.
She lifted her shoulders, dropped her arms to her sides, swallowed the lump in her throat, and began, “Contrary to what you might be thinking, I heeded your words of yesterday, and I have not worn this costume outside of my bedchamber.”
“That is good to know,” he said too quietly.
His admission of that surprised her, but she continued. “And besides that, my lord, I have been here several days now, and you have never once come to my door. I had no reason to suspect you would be standing there this evening.”
“That is true.”
It struck her that he was being a bit too amiable, considering what she was wearing.
“And I had no cause to think that you might come to my door today and see me dressed like this.”
“I agree,” he said, pushing the door open wider and stepping inside. He closed the door, reached behind him, and turned the key in the lock.
Arianna’s breaths shortened, and she took a wary step back. “What are you doing?”
“Making sure that neither your maid nor anyone else comes in while I’m in here. So you are certain no one has seen you, dressed like this?”
“Absolutely. Like I said, I have not left this room today. No one could have possibly seen me dressed like this.”
“Really? Then how do you suppose I knew what you had on?”
Confusion clouded her mind. “I didn’t know that you did.”
Morgan walked over to her window on the right side of her dresser and then motioned for her to come to him.
She hesitated only a moment and then did as he beckoned and walked over to him, the bells on her skirt gently jingling as she went.
“What do you see when you look out of this window, Arianna?”
She stepped closer. Darkness lay on the air, but in the distance she saw lights at the stables, indicating workers were still there.
“I see the stables and the paddock, my lord, but they are so far away, I swear to you that no one there could see me here in my room.”
His intense blue eyes searched her face. “Do you know where I was late this afternoon?”
Her throat tightened, but not from fear, from his being so close that she wanted to reach out and touch him.
“No,” she said, her voice sounding softer than she would have liked.
“I was at the stables, trying to ride Master Brute.”
Surprise lit her face. “Did you?”
He shrugged. “Not yet.” He turned and looked out the window again. “What do you think I saw a few minutes ago when I was walking down the slope that leads from the stables to the house?”
Arianna’s gaze followed his, and she cringed. Why hadn’t it dawned on her to close the draperies? On impulse, she had quickly donned the costume and started dancing without much thought. Certainly she had not considered that anyone might be able to see her through the window.
“There’s a point on the slope where you can look directly into this room. And the lamplight from your dresser makes everything in here very easy to see.”
She glanced down at her short buttercup-colored tunic, decorated with faux jewels sewn around the low neckline and the banded, low waist of the skirt. The sheer material was more revealing than the fabric of the sari she had on the day before.
She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and then opened them and stared directly at him and whispered, “You saw me dancing.”
He nodded, reached over, freed the drapery panels from the brass holders, and let them come together.
“I don
’t think I’ll ever get that image of you out of my mind, and neither will my cousins.”
Arianna gasped. “Your cousins? Lady Elder’s other two grandsons were with you?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, Race and Blake decided to pay me a surprise visit and were walking with me.”
Heat flamed in her cheeks. “I don’t know what to say, my lord. If there is any way I can apologize, I’m willing to try. They must have been horrified.”
“Take my word for it, Arianna, they were not horrified. Quite the contrary, they were mesmerized, as was I, to see so much of you doing that very provocative dance.”
“I am seldom at a loss for words, but I have no answer for this.”
“I can only assume you learned to do this when you were in India. Did your father approve of this?”
She wrinkled her brow. “Of course my father had no idea I learned the nritya of India or had a costume such as this made. He would never have permitted either. I caught one of our Indian nauker dancing one day and asked her about it.”
“Your what?”
“Nauker. Servant. I insisted she teach me and had her arrange to have the costume made for me. I have always danced only for my own pleasure. I swear to you, Morgan, my father never knew, and you and Beabe are the only people ever to see me dressed like this.”
“Make that four people, since my cousins saw you, too, but who is counting?”
“Well, as the old saying goes: there is nothing I can do now but face the music.”
“Arianna, if you knew how badly I hated the man, you would know this is not the time to start quoting Lord Chesterfield to me.”
She lifted her shoulders. “Did he say that? I believe I mentioned that I don’t know of Lord Chesterfield, but I feel sure if he said it, he had good reason, and that he bravely faced the consequences of whatever his actions were at the time. I intend to do the same.”
“From the moment you arrived, your bravery has never been in question, Arianna.”
It pained her to say it, but she swallowed and added, “I’m quite prepared to leave your home at once if that is what you desire.”
His blue eyes stared down into hers. “You know that is not what I desire. I think you know that you are what I desire right now.” He stepped in closer to her. “I love seeing your hair down like this, spilling over your shoulders and down your back. The lamplight makes it shimmer like the gold thread embroidered on your costume.”
Arianna’s heartbeat raced, but she remained still. He picked up a length of her hair and gently rubbed it between his fingers. He lifted it to his nose and inhaled deeply.
“I love the spicy scent of the perfumed water you wear,” he said, his gaze tracing down her face and lingering on her lips. “I find myself waking in the night and believing I smell you lying next to me.”
Arianna stared at him, not wanting to move as his hands caressed her hair and his words filled her senses with longing.
He bent his head until his lips brushed lightly, invitingly, across hers. It wasn’t nearly enough to fill her deep craving for his kiss. His touch was much too brief to savor as much of the sweet taste of him as she wanted. He smelled of leather, wet earth, and shaving soap. She yearned to be caught up in his arms and crushed against his broad chest.
Keeping his lips very close to hers, he whispered huskily, “You know, some say that Bathsheba knew King David went to his rooftop each evening, and that is why she chose that time of night to wash herself. She knew he would see her. Desire her. Defy heaven and move the earth to possess her.”
Arianna had imagined Morgan watched her. Had she somehow known he was where he could see her dancing in front of the window? She lifted her lashes and looked directly into his very blue eyes. They were filled with humor. He wasn’t judging. He was teasing.
She smiled. “You think I dressed like this and danced because I knew you and your cousins would be walking down the slope?”
“Not my cousins. Just me.”
“If so, it was planned for me by destiny, and destiny is very hard to change.”
“I’m beginning to believe that.”
Morgan chuckled softly as his tongue swept the outline of her lips before his mouth settled confidently over hers. Instinctively, she parted her lips, and his tongue darted inside and played, plundered, and teased hers. Tightness squeezed her chest, and warmth settled low in her abdomen.
His arms slipped around her, and he pulled her against his chest. This was what she had been waiting for since he entered her room. She melted into his embrace; her arms went over his strong shoulders, and her hands met at the back of his neck.
Short, choppy breaths merged with long, whispered sighs as his lips roamed hungrily over hers. He kissed across her cheek to softly nuzzle the area behind her ear. Arianna kissed his cheek and felt the light stubble of beard. He pulled the lobe of her ear into his mouth and gently nibbled at it. Her skin pebbled deliciously at the touch of his moist breath and warm lips.
Shivers of desire and excitement shuddered through her. She wore little clothing, but she had never felt hotter. It amazed her that just his touch could make her feel as if she were on fire. His lower body strained to get closer to hers. She felt his hardness beneath his riding breeches. She longed to lift his shirt and feel his firm skin beneath her hands.
As they kissed passionately, his hands ran up her back, over her shoulders, and down the front of her tunic. His palms lay against her breasts. He lifted their weight into his hands and gently, firmly, caressed them. Arianna moaned softly and allowed herself to enjoy the heady sensations he stirred inside her.
“I know poets have written about hearing bells, but I swear this is the first time I’ve ever kissed anyone and heard bells.”
Arianna laughed and then kissed him deep, long, and hard. “You are really hearing bells, my lord.”
“I am?” he asked with a grin, his hands slowly caressing their way to her bare waist. His thumb found her navel and played with the tiny indentation.
“It’s the custom for bells to be sewn onto the hem of the skirt.”
“What?”
“See? Look.” She turned him loose and lifted the hem of her skirt and shook it.
He looked at her and grinned. “Arianna, I fear you are a wicked angel sent to torment me.”
She placed her lips on his and kissed him passionately with all the love she was feeling.
Love?
Is that what she was feeling for the earl?
No, it couldn’t be.
It must be.
But he was a handsome, arrogant rogue. Nothing like her father.
But what else could be as glorious as her feelings for Morgan but love?
Morgan’s lips left hers, and he kissed his way over her chin, down the slender column of her neck, past the hollow of her throat, to the swell of her breasts. He kissed down the center of her tunic to her midriff and suddenly dropped to his knees in front of her.
His hands circled her bare waist, his fingers splayed down her hips, and he thrust his tongue in the center of her stomach and teased her navel. Arianna gasped from pleasure, and her knees went weak with desire. She wound her arms around his head and pressed him closer. His hands slipped around to her back and lower to cup her buttocks and press her body into his face.
Arianna held her breath for fear if she breathed, the magic of the moment would break and disappear. His every touch thrilled her to new heights, and her fear was that he would stop.
She knew what she was allowing him to do was beyond the pale in Polite Society, but with Morgan, she simply had no inclination to stop him and no inhibitions where he was concerned. She had already flagrantly disobeyed so many rules, and simply disregarded others, that there seemed to be little reason to worry now.
Slowly, his hands, his tongue, and his mouth stilled. He raised his head and looked up at her. She saw in his eyes that his desire for her was great, and she would not deny him.
“Tell me you have been with a man lik
e this before, Arianna. Please tell me so that I can take you to that bed and give us both what we want.”
Arianna was conflicted. “Should I lie to you?” she asked.
He scowled. “No. Never.”
“Then I can’t tell you that, Morgan. It’s not true. I’ve never known a man in that way. I have never wanted to before you.”
Morgan shook his head, took a deep breath, and laid his forehead on her stomach. “That is not what I wanted to hear, Arianna, but I knew it to be true before I even asked. As much as it pains me, I must stop.”
He rose quickly and groaned as if he was hurt.
Worried, she grabbed his shoulders. “Morgan, what’s wrong? You are in agony.”
“No, I’m all right,” he said, adjusting his stance and wincing again.
“I did not lie to you just now, so please don’t lie to me.”
“All right.” He winced. “If you must know, I have a pain in my hip from a fall, but I’m sure I will be fine in the morning.”
She reached out and laid an open palm on his hip to offer comfort. “When did you fall?”
“When Master Brute decided he didn’t want me on his back,” he said and gently took hold of her wrist and removed her hand from his side.
“You should have told me sooner. I can help you. I have an herbal mixture that will make you feel better by morning.”
“I have taken many falls in my time, Arianna. I do not require anything but rest.”
“Nonsense.”
Arianna went over to the bed and reached down and pulled out a small satchel from underneath it. She lifted it onto the coverlet, opened it, and began pulling out little bottles and reading the labels.
“What is all that?” Morgan asked.
“These bottles contain rare and useful plants, herbs, and spices that are used by apothecaries, herbalists, and physicians all over the world to help people with aches and illnesses.”
“And you just happened to have these with you?”
When she found the one she wanted, she looked up at him and smiled. “They were my father’s, and they have been very useful in helping me heal from the fever.”