Alexius held his breath. If Lady Juliana walked back to the coach, the polite thing to do was to let her go. He was not one to be swayed by propriety. Impulsive, explosive, and prone to selfishness, he was taught from the cradle to take what he wanted. It was difficult for him to not give in to the unruly nature that was bred into the Sinclair line.
“Very well.”
With her head held high, she walked through the gate and waited for him to latch it. Alexius encircled her waist with his free hand and tugged her up against his chest.
“You are a maddening creature, my lady.” He stole a quick kiss from her lips before releasing her. “Unpredictable, too.”
Together they strolled off the gardens’ pebbled path toward the house. His diligent staff had prepared for their arrival. The soft glow of strategically placed lanterns lit their way to the terrace.
Alexius grinned at Lady Juliana’s soft gasp of surprise as she noticed his butler Hembry standing expectantly beside the small, round table that had been hauled out of the drawing room for this special occasion. The servant had covered the mahogany surface with a pressed tablecloth and the Sinclair plate and silver. Dozens of candles flickered cozily on the night’s light breeze.
“Sinclair, what have you done?”
“A compromise,” he murmured in her ear. “Share supper with me.”
Hembry bowed formally. “Good evening, milord. My lady. Everything has been prepared as you ordered, Lord Sinclair. Shall I see to the first course?”
“Lady Juliana?” Alexius cocked his head, his hazel green eyes coaxing her to accept his invitation. He extended his hand. “Share supper with me. The stars and Hembry will be our chaperones. What say you?”
She nodded.
Her expression revealed her private doubts about the wisdom of her decision. Alexius, on the other hand, was confident that the evening would conclude in a very rewarding manner.
Alexius Braverton, Marquess of Sinclair, was a high-handed, albeit charming and resourceful, gentleman. He also believed that he had deduced the convoluted workings of her feminine mind. The man had guessed that she would not enter his town house, even under the innocuous guise of a late supper after an evening of dancing. So he had their supper brought outdoors. The results were sweetly romantic, and she privately conceded that she was touched by his gesture.
He was courting her.
And, good grief, it was working.
“How is the quail?”
Juliana removed the tines of the fork from her mouth as she chewed the succulent meat. She paused, waiting for the marquess to drink from his glass. “Since it has been roasted and placed onto my plate, I would guess that it is doing rather poorly.”
Sinclair nearly choked on his wine. His laugh was low and full of genuine amusement as he used his finger to carelessly wipe a drop of Madeira from the corner of his mouth.
He raised his glass to honor her. “Well done, my lady. You delivered your quip with the skill of a stage performer.”
She acknowledged his praise with a nod. “I have two older sisters, my lord. Tricks and dramatics have always been part of our merry household.”
Or had been. She picked up her glass of wine and took a contemplative sip. Much had changed after their father had died.
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Yes. Very much,” she said, realizing that she spoke the truth.
For an informal affair, Lord Sinclair had not shirked on enticing her appetite. Over the past hour, Hembry had served them several courses that included: fried oysters, Mazarine of Salmon, roasted quail with bacon and watercress and buttered spinach.
When Hembry removed their plates and returned with fresh fruit and D’Artois of Apricot, Juliana groaned. “I beg of you to show mercy on your visitor, my lord. I could not eat another mouthful.”
“No?” Sinclair casually plucked a grape from the bowl, popped it into his mouth, and chewed. “We shall put aside the dessert course for now.”
Rising from his chair, Sinclair invited her to do the same by extending his hand. Juliana placed her hand within his. She shivered in anticipation as his fingers folded over hers. There was little doubt that she was over her head with a gentleman such as Lord Sinclair. Still, she could not resist flirting with impropriety when he was near.
Sinclair captured both her hands and circled her about. “To dance beneath the stars seems appropriate, do you not agree? Regrettably I did not think to hire musicians for the evening.” He pulled her closer and retreated.
Whether it was the glass of Madeira or the slow dance, Juliana’s head was spinning. Or mayhap it was Sinclair’s proximity. It was a pleasant sensation.
“I could play for you,” she said impulsively. “It is the least I could do to repay you for a delightful evening.”
He reversed their direction as he seriously contemplated her offer. “You are most generous, my lady. However, I feel I must point out that if I accept, then we would have to adjourn to the music room.”
Juliana brought her heels together, ending their dance. “You have proved yourself honorable, Sinclair, and worthy of the risk.”
“Now you insult me.”
Before she could take her next breath, the marquess overwhelmed her with a swift, forceful kiss. There was a smugness glimmering in his hazel green eyes at her bemused expression.
“Hembry,” he said, not lifting his gaze from Juliana’s. “We will retire to the music room. Lady Juliana wishes to play with me.”
She laughed at his outrageous statement as the butler disappeared to light the lamps in the music room. “Play for you, you rogue. Music. Nothing else.”
“Hmm . . . ,” he enigmatically replied.
Sinclair allowed her to put her own interpretation on his intentions as they entered the house.
Lady Juliana let her fingertips lightly dance across the keys of the pianoforte before she sat down. Alexius had taken quiet pleasure in her initial pleasure as they had entered the music room. Neither Alexius nor his sister had been blessed with the skill or patience to adequately appreciate the musical instruments on display. The room connected to the main drawing room and had been rarely used in recent years.
“There must be a collection of music books somewhere,” he muttered, frowning at the oversight. “Mayhap Hembry—”
Juliana brushed the suggestion aside with her hand. “There is no need to bother your servant. I have committed several musical compositions to memory.”
She began playing Haydn’s Deutscher Walzer. Alexius was instantly struck by Lady Juliana’s concise, almost aggressive execution. With a half smile on his lips, he sat down on the sofa to the right of the pianoforte so he could admire her profile.
Alexius enjoyed watching her play. Although she was wholly focused on her performance, the distraction gave him the opportunity to study the lady who had entranced him from the beginning. She looked resplendent in her pale green evening dress. The cut of the bodice was less daring than he would have preferred. The oval neck meticulously covered her firm, well-defined breasts while giving him a teasing hint of bare shoulders.
Lost in her music, Lady Juliana switched from Haydn to Beethoven.
“You clearly practiced your lessons more than my sister did,” Alexius said, and was rewarded with a smile.
“You have a sister?”
“When I choose to claim her,” Sin said nonchalantly. “Your elegance makes her playing seem ham-fisted.”
She flashed another radiant smile in his direction.
“You are too generous with your praise. Did you know that Beethoven dedicated this sonata to Haydn, who had once been his teacher?”
“No. My father did not deem musical instruction an important aspect to becoming Marquess of Sinclair.” Music was too civilized for the elder Sinclair. He respected a man who could use his fists, his wits, and his cock.
“A pity.” Lady Juliana frowned at the chord her fingers had just struck. “My father insisted that all of his daughters lea
rn to play the pianoforte.”
She stopped playing and gave Alexius a rueful look when he placed his hands on her bare shoulders. “At the risk of lowering your high opinion of me, I must confess that I cannot recall the rest of the piece.”
“No matter, my beautiful lybbestre,” Alexius said, placing a small, chaste kiss on the top of her head. “There is no need to impress me. Play whatever amuses you.”
The confidence Lady Juliana exuded when she played the pianoforte faded when she glanced demurely at him for reassurance. If it were a coquettish game, the lady was an expert, because he wanted to soothe her. Alexius squeezed her shoulder, encouraging her to continue.
“Very well.”
Her gaze returned to the keys.
The next chords that she played vibrated from her fingertips, up her arms, and tickled the palms of his hands. Darker than the other two pieces that she had played, this one was designed to stir the senses. As Alexius watched her fingers dance across the keys, he marveled at the passion she poured into her efforts.
“Haydn, again?”
“No, this one is mine,” she said proudly.
Alexius arched his brow at her declaration. She played with her eyes closed, a faint smile on her lips as the music flowed through her into him. Lady Juliana was an enigma to him. Hidden beneath her shy demeanor was a woman of deep passions. The music she coaxed and pounded from the ivory keys told its own tale of endless nights and unspoken desires.
His knuckle trailed down the center of her neck. Lady Juliana stiffened but continued to play, the notes and chords so much a part of her that her fingers moved effortlessly.
Alexius had sought the woman out on behalf of his sister. His orders were to seduce Juliana, distract her from her pursuit of Lord Kyd. Alexius hooked the string of pearls around her neck with his finger and pulled lightly until the length draped down her back. Bedding Lady Juliana would not be a hardship. He could make certain that they both enjoyed it. His body heated at the thought of her directing all that hidden passion at him.
“I like seeing my gift around your neck,” he murmured, kissing the tiny indentation at the nape of her neck.
Lady Juliana shivered.
“Your gift has piqued my mother’s curios-s-sity,” she said, drawing out the last word when he flicked his tongue over the sensitive spot.
“I can bear a little scrutiny.”
Alexius nibbled lightly on her neck. Lady Juliana tilted her head to the side to give him better access. “That is well and good; however, I should warn you. My mother brought me and my sisters to London in hopes of finding us suitable husbands.”
He lifted his lips from her neck. Perhaps his sister’s concerns were not jealous ravings, after all. “Are you hunting for a husband?”
Without missing a note, Lady Juliana shrugged him off. “Good heavens, no! That is my mother’s wish, not mine. Still, my sisters have attracted a few devoted suitors, so perhaps Maman will partially succeed in her endeavors.”
Something did not quite ring true in the lady’s renouncement of marriage, for he thought all females craved to ensnare their admirers. “I am relieved to hear that, my lady. For I would make a dreadful husband.”
Instead of being offended, Lady Juliana surprised him by lifting her hands from the keys and laughing at his confession. “I think Maman disagrees, my lord.” She looped her finger around the pearls. “When a certain gentleman bestows upon the lady’s youngest daughter an expensive gift, the mother can only assume the gentleman desires an intimate friendship.”
Alexius pivoted the narrow bench Lady Juliana was sitting upon around so that she was facing him. “Intimacy and pleasure go hand in hand.”
Her cheeks flushed as she recalled how he had brazenly presented his gift. “I have no intention of discussing this further.”
“If you would permit me, I would give you more.”
Lady Juliana became flustered by the intensity of his expression. “Jewelry? No, I could not accept. I should not have encouraged you by keeping the pearl necklace.”
He fell to his knees. His blood rushed through his veins and arteries as she stared at him with a fascinating contradiction of wariness and anticipation. “I was not speaking of jewelry, my lady.”
Alexius captured Lady Juliana’s hips and gently pulled her onto his lap. Yards of pale green silk pooled around them. He had to tread carefully. His lovely lybbestre might desire him, but seducing her into surrendering to her passions would take all his skills.
“Kiss me, Juliana.”
She giggled at his quiet request. “I feel ridiculous sitting like this. What if Hembry enters the room?”
Alexius cupped her face with his right hand and rubbed her lower lip with his thumb. “Hembry is paid very well for his discretion. No doubt he has retired to his quarters for the evening.”
She started to rise. “Then I should leave—”
Alexius pulled her back down. “I disagree. You have yet to give me my kiss.”
“Oh, very well,” she said, rolling her eyes heavenward even as she leaned in to carry out his demand.
She thought only to lay her lips against his. However, Alexius had something else in mind. His mouth swallowed her exclamation as he neatly rolled her onto her back.
“Sinclair!” she gasped.
“Call me Sin,” he countered, caging her with his arms. “For I am about to do something very wicked.”
Without asking for her permission, he flipped up her skirts, revealing layers of petticoats and an elegant pair of legs. She squeaked when he kissed each knee. “It is a pity to hide such lovely limbs under yards of muslin and silk.”
Lady Juliana—no, Juliana, for Alexius was beginning to think it was time to put aside formalities—attempted to sit up and straighten her skirts. He gently pressed her shoulder until it touched the floor.
“I vow this will not hurt,” he teased. The lady was panicking, so he would have to linger over her delightful legs later. Now was the time to stake his claim. “I asked you for a kiss. Allow me to return the favor.”
Without warning he parted her knees. His hands speared through the remaining yards of fabric to the hidden prize at the apex of her thighs.
“Sinclair—Sin!”
Alexius could smell the subtle spice of her arousal, even though Juliana was fighting him and herself. He used his thumbs to part the soft folds of her womanly cleft and kissed her.
Juliana reared up, her fingers grasping his hair. If she thought to distract him from his goal, she had sadly underestimated his determination. He had the lady exactly where he wanted her. She was on her back and her legs were parted. Alexius would not be appeased until he had buried his cock into her.
Indeed, he could satisfy both his needs and his sister’s with one decisive thrust.
Juliana sucked in her breath as Alexius licked the tender bud of flesh within the folds. “It appears I want dessert, after all.” He suckled her, feeling the small bud swell against his tongue. Within his trousers, his cock responded in kind, lengthening and straining to be free.
“So sweet,” he murmured, teasing her womanly core with his finger. The dew of her arousal coated his fingers, and he could not resist pushing deeper.
Juliana moaned and arched her back.
Thankfully, she had lost interest in tearing the hair from his head. Her fingers clenched, her hands had fallen at her sides as he continued to pleasure her with his mouth.
Alexius reveled in the heady taste of her arousal. She wanted him. Her desire coated his tongue, his lips, and his fingers. His cock craved to measure the hidden depths of her hot, slick core. Confident that Juliana would not deny him his pleasure, he used his thumb to stroke the diameter of her core as he applied his talented tongue across the swollen sensitive flesh.
Suddenly a high keening sound exploded from Juliana’s lips. She lifted her hips as if begging him to take more. Alexius happily complied. He dipped his thumb into her core, relishing the rhythmic pulse of her inner muscl
es as she collapsed in mindless pleasure.
He sat up on his knees and wiped the dampness from his chin by using his coat sleeve as he admired Juliana’s blissful repose.
Alexius slipped out of his frock coat and tossed the garment on the sofa. With a calmness he did not feel, he untied his cravat and unfastened the buttons at his throat. The scent of her filled his nostrils, making him restless and hungry to sate his own needs.
He unbuttoned his trousers and his cock sprang upward as he pushed the fabric lower, exposing his muscular buttocks. Their first joining would be swift and frenzied, because he had waited long enough for this moment. Later, he would take the time to undress her and discover all the enchanting curves that her dress concealed.
Alexius moved over her body and positioned himself between her legs.
Juliana smiled up at him, her eyes still glazed from the passion he had wrung from her body. “You are sinful.”
He grinned at the awe in her husky voice. “And you, my sultry lybbestre, are too tempting for me to resist. I must have you.”
Alexius used the head of his cock to part the swollen folds of her cleft. He groaned and closed his eyes as her moisture and sleek flesh enclosed over his rigid, demanding length.
“Christ!”
Juliana’s tight, welcoming core would be his undoing if he did not take charge. Desperate to fill her, he thrust deeply, his weight and lust driving his cock into the heart of her.
Juliana cried out. “What are you doing?”
Alexius pressed his face into her shoulder, quivering and accepting her weak blows from her fists to pull out. His mind was still spinning from his discovery: the physical confirmation his instincts had sensed from their first meeting. The passionate woman beneath him had been a virgin. Lord Kyd was not her lover.
Belle wanted me to take Juliana’s maidenhead, Alexius grimly reminded himself.
His sister had just interjected enough doubt about the lady’s maidenly state to smooth over his initial reluctance.
Belatedly Alexius understood the source of Belle’s fears.
Virginity was the one precious gift his sister could never bestow upon Lord Kyd, so she had looked upon Juliana’s innocence as a threat that needed to be removed.
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