It is beautiful, Leo thought, but not as beautiful as you.
He secured his reins, then sprang lightly from his horse. “Shall we stretch our legs for a few minutes?”
She hesitated briefly, then nodded. “A stroll might be pleasant.”
“Ah, so now you’ll take a stroll with me,” he said in a teasing voice.
“If you aren’t careful, I might change my mind.”
He came forward to help her down. “Then I shall make certain to do nothing to provoke you.”
“I might as well make my way back to Holland House now, then, since I’m certain you’ll have difficulty keeping that promise.”
He gave a slow smile. “Allow me to try at least. After all, anyone who rides with the nerve you do can surely take on a small risk.”
“I don’t believe you and ‘small risk’ have any business being mentioned in the same sentence.”
He laughed, then reached up to assist her. “Enough. Let us enjoy the beauty of our surroundings.”
“I am fully capable of dismounting on my own,” she told him in a light tone.
“I am sure you are, Lady Thalia, but I will aid you nonetheless.” Gently, he laid his hands at her waist. “Besides, I have no intention of wasting an opportunity to get my hands on you.”
Before she could protest, he tightened his grip and lifted her from the horse. He held her against him for long, long moments, savoring the sensation of her soft, warm body pressed to his. “You’re light as a feather. I could hold you like this all day.”
“Could you?” she asked, her eyes a rich, melting brown. “Are you really that strong?”
“Indeed. I have impressive stamina as well.”
She lifted a single dark brow. “How interesting, Lord Leopold.” Her voice was as silky as the chocolate mousse she’d taunted him with the evening before. “You may put me down now.”
What he wanted to do was kiss her. Take her fully into his arms and capture her mouth for a long, heated joining that would leave her aching and moaning with need.
Of course, she’d probably slap him if he tried. Still, it might be worth risking her ire. But he had promised not to provoke her—for now at least.
Reluctantly, he set her down.
She stepped back, then reached down to secure the long end of her riding habit so that she would be able to walk unimpeded. Without giving him time to offer an escort, she started across the meadow.
With a shake of his head, he followed.
* * *
Thalia willed her heartbeat to slow, grateful for an excuse to put some distance between herself and Lord Leopold. Not that he was allowing her much distance, his long-legged stride giving him more than an unfair advantage when it came to catching up. Still, she kept her gaze fixed ahead, her interest seemingly all for the bountiful wealth of autumnal flora bursting with life around her.
For a moment when he’d had her in his arms, she’d thought he was going to kiss her. Her heart picked up speed again at the memory, wondering what it would have been like if she’d let him.
Disappointing, most likely.
In her experience, the reality of kissing never lived up to the fantasy. Poets wrote all variety of odes and sonnets about the transcendent ecstasy of a lover’s kiss, but she’d never found the act to be anything above moderately pleasant.
Her former husband used to tell her she lacked a woman’s proper passion. Then again Gordon had never had much use for kissing, saying that it mostly amounted to a lot of useless bother. Still, she’d tried to please him, especially in that first tenuous year of their marriage. By the second and third years, she’d been relieved when he’d stopped making any effort in that regard. As for sex, well, that was another golden tale turned to dross. More than her innocence had been stolen on her long-ago wedding night; her rosy dreams for the future had crumpled to dust as well.
Once again she thought of her ironic reputation as a carnally voracious seductress who devoured men like candy. Lord Leopold probably believed that her refusals were part of some elaborate ploy she was using in order to make their eventual bed play more exciting. Only there wasn’t going to be any eventual bed play.
Won’t he be blue-deviled with disappointment when he finds out? she thought. But that’s what he’d get for pursuing a woman who didn’t wish to be pursued.
“Look, a crab apple tree,” she said, breaking the silence between them. “And it’s full of fruit. My mother used to have jars of jelly made up every autumn. It was one of my favorite treats at the breakfast table. I haven’t eaten it in years.”
“Then perhaps we should apply to Lady Holland and ask if we could harvest a basket or two. It would be easy enough to have the fruit sent on to London. I presume your cook would have no problem finding a recipe.”
“I’m sure not. But I would rather you didn’t ask any more favors of Lord and Lady Holland on my behalf.” She gave him a pointed look. “I believe they have been importuned enough for one visit.”
“I see someone has been telling tales,” he said, not pretending to misunderstand. “Who?”
“What does it matter who?” She walked a few steps away, then turned to face him again. “Suffice it to say I know and that I was not pleased to learn how you arranged matters so I would be here for this party. The breadth of your arrogance never fails to amaze me, Lord Leopold. By now half of the company believe I am your mistress, while the other half has only to hear the rumors to believe the same.”
A frown settled on his smooth forehead. “I only wanted the chance to see you again. You don’t make it easy, you know.”
“You’re right, I do not. But I have been considering the matter and despite my better judgment, I find your persistence . . . intriguing. It makes me wonder just how far you might be willing to go.”
“Go?” He arched a golden brow.
“Hmm,” she said in a low murmur, “in your quest to make me your lover in truth. Perhaps a small test is in order.”
He cocked his head. “What sort of test?”
“I was going to wait until after we returned to London, but perhaps here in the country is better.”
His eyes darkened. “What exactly did you have in mind?”
“A rendezvous. Somewhere we can be private, away from prying eyes, while I decide if I want to take matters between us any further.”
He spread his arms and smiled. “I am yours to command. We are alone now. Shall we begin here?”
“No, this won’t do.” She shook her head. “We’ll be missed if we stay away much longer. I’ll send word to let you know when and where we will meet. By the way, you don’t shock easily, do you, Lord Leopold?”
His smile widened to a wolf’s grin. “I don’t shock at all.”
“Good.” She reached out and ran the tip of one finger along his warm, close-shaven cheek. “Be prepared for some sport. That is what house parties are for, is it not? Entertainment and sport.”
His green-gold eyes flashed. “How right you are.”
Thalia turned away, her heart thundering at her bold words and her even bolder plan.
She’d taken three steps toward the horses when he wrapped his hand gently but firmly around her upper arm. He drew her to a halt and turned her to face him. “Before we return to Holland House, I believe a token is in order, something to seal the start of our new relationship.”
Her heart gave a swift, hard beat. Outwardly, she sent him a cool look. “We have no relationship. Not yet.”
“Oh, but we do. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be standing here alone in this meadow making plans for a secret rendezvous. I want a little taste of what’s to come. I deserve that much for my patience, particularly after the performance you put on at dinner last night.”
Ah, yes. The chocolate mousse.
She wanted to tell him he deserved nothing and was going to get exactly that. But if she showed her hand now, her whole scheme would collapse and she would find herself back at the beginning.
She forced
a smile. “What exactly did you have in mind?”
“Nothing elaborate.” He moved closer. “Just a kiss to tide us over.”
She bit back a curse, wishing she could put him off. But from what she’d learned about Lord Leopold, he wasn’t the sort to be gainsaid, particularly now that she’d given him reason to believe she returned his interest.
“But waiting will only heighten the anticipation,” she said, laying a restraining palm on his chest. “We should resist for now.”
He slid an arm around her waist. “I don’t want to resist. I’ve been resisting since the night we first met. I say we indulge ourselves instead.”
He tugged her another inch forward so that her body was pressed flush against his.
“Yes, but the first kiss is always so memorable,” she improvised. “Better to save it for our rendezvous, where we will have time to explore our desires at will.”
“I would rather explore our desires now.” He skimmed a knuckle over her bottom lip, then caught her chin between two fingers. “You are exquisite, you know.”
He didn’t give her the chance to voice another excuse as his mouth lowered swiftly to meet her own.
She fought her natural instinct to stiffen, aware that any reticence on her part might give the game away. It’s a kiss, she told herself, forcing her body to relax. How bad can it be?
Silently, she prepared to endure.
To her wonderment, the sensation of his mouth wasn’t unpleasant. In truth it was quite the opposite, as tendrils of pleasure radiated through her like a warming sun. His technique was assured and bold with a relaxed confidence that demonstrated his skill in the sensual arts. For a man of his age—for any man, come to that—he certainly seemed to know a great deal about kissing.
He angled his head and deepened their embrace, teasing and coaxing and nibbling at her lips as he encouraged her to open to him.
She hesitated, knowing what came next. Kissing in the French style had never been one of her favorite activities, yet suddenly she found herself curious to see how it would feel with him. Lord Leopold had surprised her so far. Maybe he would surprise her again.
She parted her lips and braced herself for the invasion. But rather than a rude, rapacious shoving of tongue, he eased forward slowly, doing nothing more than gliding the tip of his tongue along her bottom lip before touching it to the tip of hers.
She shivered, hot and cold tremors running gently under her skin. He flicked his tongue lightly and slid in a fraction deeper, pausing to give her time to respond as he sought her willing participation.
Without thinking, she gave it, the sensations as delicious as sliding between a set of warm silk sheets on a cold winter night. Her eyelids drifted closed as their tongues tangled further in a warm, wet pas de deux. Suddenly she was kissing him back, her fingers clutching the material of his jacket as she pressed her body closer.
His palms slid over the length of her back to her waist, stroking there for a time before going even lower. All the while, his mouth moved against hers, each subsequent kiss deeper and darker than the one before, his touches both tender and demanding in ways she’d never known. He took the giving flesh of her buttocks into his hands and gave a gentle squeeze, then rocked their hips together. She gasped softly, feeling the hard length of his erection, even through the heavy cloth of her riding habit.
His kisses turned frenzied, his breathing quickening as he imitated with his tongue what he obviously wished to do to her body. And she responded, taking what he gave and craving more.
He moved up to cup one of her breasts, testing its feminine weight and fullness as his thumb sought out her nipple. Despite its covering, the traitorous bit of flesh peaked immediately, her body clearly enjoying what he was doing to it.
His lips worked in a hot slide along her throat, scattering kisses down, down until he came to the collar of her riding jacket. He reached to unfasten the buttons, pressing their hips even more tightly together as he sought to free her from her clothes.
And she nearly let him, imagining how it would be to have the wet heat of his mouth on her naked flesh, her breasts bared to the sight of his beautiful eyes and wicked tongue, her skirts tumbled high as he lowered them both to the ground and fit himself between her willing thighs.
But then she remembered other times, other hands, and broke their kiss, her thinking mind jolting back to life. She pushed against his chest, struggling suddenly to free herself from his hold.
Immediately, he let her go.
His eyes had turned a virid green; he was so consumed with desire that the pupils had all but crowded out the gold. “A good beginning,” he said with husky satisfaction. “Next time will be even better.”
Her fingers curled trembling at her sides, leaving her grateful for the concealing nature of her voluminous skirts. Her heart pounded improbably fast, her body not feeling at all like her own. For the first time, she wondered if she had made a dreadful mistake, letting him take the liberties she had allowed.
Because, she realized with sudden worry, he might be right about the next time being better.
And if it was . . .
No, she must rid herself of him once and for all. It was imperative that she find the means to stop him from continuing his pursuit. For if he did not, the risk just might prove too great to bear.
Chapter 9
It was half past midnight when Leo dismissed his valet from his guest bedchamber. He was comfortably attired in a long robe of soft brown cashmere, a pair of supple leather slippers on his feet. After picking up the small glass of brandy he’d poured for himself, he crossed to settle into an armchair positioned near the cozily burning fire. A log popped in the grate, red sparks flashing upward before the flames calmed again.
He opened a book and settled the volume on his lap. But it wasn’t the words inside that held his interest. His thoughts were all for Lady Thalia, just as they had been for the whole of the day.
And what a long day it had been.
With activities scheduled one after another, beginning with the hunt breakfast to which he and Thalia had returned after their ride, there had been virtually no opportunity to speak with her. Something or someone always seemed to keep them apart. Even when the gentlemen joined the ladies after dinner, he had found Thalia otherwise engaged. If he hadn’t known better, he might have thought she was avoiding him. But maybe she was simply being cautious, not wanting to add to the speculation already swirling around them.
His thoughts went once more to the kisses they had shared in the meadow, his blood heating with pleasure and anticipation for their next encounter. He couldn’t wait to be alone with her again. Could barely contain his need to have her in his arms. She was everything he had dreamed of and more. Yet her kisses had surprised him.
For an experienced woman there was a curious reticence to her touch, an emotional reserve he had not expected. Still, she had warmed to him after those first few moments, her natural passions turning her pliant and inviting. Those fleeting moments with her had further whetted his appetite. He’d wanted her before. Now he craved her with a hunger that bordered on obsession. Only imagine how much better it was going to be once they were together fully and without restriction.
Ignoring the desire that hummed through him like a live charge, he forced his gaze back to his book, searching for the paragraph where he’d left off. But even after he’d started reading again, he couldn’t concentrate, his mind still on Thalia.
He glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece, wondering how soon everyone in the house would be abed. What if he went to her now rather than waiting for their upcoming assignation? She might not thank him for it, though, especially if he got caught outside her bedchamber door.
She’d made it plain that she did not approve of the efforts he’d used to get her invited to Holland House. Yet if not for his scheming, she might never have agreed to see him again, let alone change her mind about the two of them forming a liaison. From his perspective, any temporary di
sapproval on her part was well worth it.
He yawned and laid his book aside. If he wasn’t sneaking off to her room, he supposed he ought to go to sleep. He quaffed the last of his brandy and had just stood when a quiet rap came at the door. He tensed, sudden anticipation racing through him.
Was it possible? Could Thalia have come to him?
Instead, he found a maidservant waiting on the other side. She held out a note. “Pardon me, my lord, I was asked to deliver this to you prompt-like.”
He accepted the folded piece of cream-colored vellum. “Thank you.”
The girl curtsied and walked away.
Leo stepped back and closed his door. He lifted the letter to his nose, catching a trace of lilac on the paper. Thalia hadn’t come to him in person, but at least she had sent a note. Exactly as promised.
He broke the seal with eagerness.
Meet me by the pond near the great oak
tomorrow at four.
It had no signature. Then again, it didn’t need one.
Smiling, he crossed the room and tucked the note inside his book, knowing that tomorrow could not come soon enough.
* * *
Thalia set off from the Holland House stables the following afternoon, mounted on the same spirited mare she’d ridden to hunt the day before.
She was already a few minutes late for her tryst with Lord Leopold. The ladies had taken longer than planned to return from a “wilderness” sketching expedition in the nearby woods, putting her behind schedule by the time they all strolled back to the house.
Once there, ladies and gentlemen alike had separated for a few hours of rest in their rooms before dinner. With the house quiet and the servants occupied with their duties and their own meal belowstairs, it was an easy thing to slip away unnoticed.
Even so, she’d nearly changed her mind.
Yesterday’s kiss had shaken her. She hadn’t expected to like it so much. Nor had she thought to find herself dwelling on the embrace again and again, wondering what it might be like to share another with him.
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