Sarah gasped as long-suppressed quivers danced up her legs while the sensual stroke of her nipples against the silk beneath her teased her into a cluster of sensitized nerves. “Please . . . I need . . . more.”
Increasing his speed, Spencer’s thrusts turned hard and deep, reawakening the tremors he’d allowed to fade earlier. “Touch yourself,” he demanded, and she readily complied, her fingertips stroking the fully aroused flesh that would send her soaring.
“If only I could see you better.” His voice was gruff as he slammed into her from behind, driving her toward the peak where her climax awaited. “Soon . . . I want to watch you, your legs parted while you take your own pleasure . . . Would you like that, Sarah? Would it thrill you to have me watch as you stroke yourself into a frenzy?”
His suggestion and the wicked image it evoked sent a tremor straight through her. “Yes,” she said, her breathing quickening and turning to labored pants. So did his, until on one final plunge, a shuddering climax tore its way through both of them, uniting them in physical bliss as they soared together before finally collapsing in a tangled heap on the bed.
“I must say,” Spencer told her a short while later, when they’d fully recovered and were lying in each other’s embrace, “I’m really thrilled with the prospect of being able to do that over and over and over again—as many times a day as we choose.”
With a chuckle, Sarah rose up onto her elbows and stared down at her husband. “And just so you know, I have some very wicked ideas of my own that I’ll want to explore.”
“Well,” Spencer said, eyes darkening with lust, “there’s no better time than the present.”
“I couldn’t agree more, my lord,” she said as she lowered her lips to his, the kiss indicative of a love more grand than she’d ever thought possible, the best part being that she knew he loved her equally.
Author’s Note
Research is always a fascinating part of the writing process, so for those of you who are interested, I’ve included a bit of extra information on some of the historically accurate references in the story. For instance, the first balloon flight in England was performed by the Italian Vincent Lunardi, on September 15, 1784. James Sadler, whom I mention in the book, was a balloonist during the Regency period. He made his first attempt shortly after Lunardi’s, on October 4, 1784, and while he did enjoy several successful flights, he was sadly devastated by the death of his son, Windham Sadler, in a ballooning accident in 1824.
Doctor Hill, on the other hand, whom Lord Spencer mentions during his card game with Denison, Lady Duncaster and Sarah, was a physician during the 1700s, and the first to note the dangers of inhaling snuff. In 1761, he published a study (Cautions Against the Immoderate Use of Snuff) in which he wrote, “The Acrimony of Snuff is able to produce in those Parts, with which it immediately or accidentally comes in contact, Swellings and Excretions, which, in some Kinds, require the severest Operations of the Surgeon to extirpate them; and in others become fatal, because they lie beyond his Reach . . .” But since the dangers of smoking tobacco weren’t known as early as 1820, Lady Duncaster happily enjoys her cheroot until Sarah’s mother makes a fuss for social reasons.
And for an added bit of fun, since I do mention Spencer’s ability to skip a stone twenty-five times and some of you may think this unlikely, the current world record is actually an astonishing fifty-one skips, set by Russell Byars on July 19, 2007. His impressive attempt can be found on YouTube.
About the Author
Born in Denmark, SOPHIE BARNES spent her youth traveling with her parents to wonderful places all around the world. She’s lived in five different countries, on three different continents, and speaks Danish, English, French, Spanish, and Romanian. But, most impressive of all, she’s been married to the same man three times—in three different countries and in three different dresses.
When she’s not busy dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, cooking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and, of course, reading.
Visit Sophie Barnes at www.sophiebarnes.com.
You can also find her on Facebook and on Twitter @BarnesSophie.
www.avonromance.com
www.facebook.com/avonromance
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
By Sophie Barnes
Novels
LADY SARAH’S SINFUL DESIRES
THE DANGER IN TEMPTING AN EARL
THE SCANDAL IN KISSING AN HEIR
THE TROUBLE WITH BEING A DUKE
THE SECRET LIFE OF LADY LUCINDA
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT LADY MARY
LADY ALEXANDRA’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
HOW MISS RUTHERFORD GOT HER GROOVE BACK
Novellas
MISTLETOE MAGIC
(from FIVE GOLDEN RINGS:
A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION)
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Map courtesy of Sophie Barnes
LADY SARAH’S SINFUL DESIRES. Copyright © 2015 by Sophie Barnes. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition MAY 2015 ISBN: 9780062358882
Print Edition ISBN: 9780062358851
FIRST EDITION
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W, 1A8, Canada
www.harpercollins.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Unit D, 63 Apollo Drive
Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
www.harpercollins.com
Lady Sarah's Sinful Desires Page 32