A Dangerous Temptation

by L. R. Olson

  James glanced toward our visitor, annoyance flaring across his gaze. “When I was old enough and became earl, I tried to find her. But the nanny had died, and Evangeline had disappeared. Nowhere to be found.”

  The constable lifted his hand in a wave, and I waved back. How I wished that time would freeze, that this moment with just James, Millie and I could go on forever. “So, she’s out there somewhere?”

  He shrugged, but his hard gaze remained pinned to the constable. “Hopefully. Perhaps she doesn’t remember her identity, which is why she hasn’t come home. Perhaps she died. I don’t know.”

  I’d never met this girl, but the thought of her death sent tears to my eyes. She couldn’t be gone. He would find her. I knew that. James was determined. He never gave up. And he always, always got what he wanted. Thank God.

  The constable arrived. “Julianna.” He didn’t even glance at James. I didn’t miss the way Jamie’s hands curled. If I didn’t move quickly, there would be a fight. “How are you?”

  “Well, thank you.”

  “Rather bad timing to be out and about,” Jamie snapped. “With the weather and all.”

  The air crackled with tension, and I was suddenly finding it rather hot outside.

  “I was passing by and thought I might see Mrs. Willow home.”

  “How very helpful you are,” Jamie muttered.

  Oh dear, this wasn’t good.

  The man’s horse shifted, as the animal sensed the unease. “I do try. I believe we must always keep an eye on our neighbors.”

  “Is that why you visit Jules so often?” he said quite casually.

  I could feel the blood drain from my face. I had a bad feeling I knew where this argument would end.

  “I thought I made myself clear,” Jamie said, startling me. When had they talked? “That you were to leave Julianna alone.”

  “Jamie, please,” I whispered, horrified.

  The constable slid from his mount. “And why should I?”

  “Because she’s my damn wife.”

  The constable’s pale gaze jumped to me. I had to resist the urge to groan. “Is this true?”

  I took in a deep breath. For months I’d been acting as if in a play. Nothing was quite real. I was tired of it all. I might have kept the truth from the village, but I would not lie. “It is.”

  His jaw clenched, his gaze going hard. “I see.”

  I didn’t miss the smirk on Jamie’s face. The constable was an honorable man, but even he wouldn’t be able to keep this secret for long. I would no longer be the kind widow from down the lane, but the woman who had run away from her husband. The door opened and Mrs. Willow stood there, Millie bundled in a blanket in her arms.

  “There you are.” She glanced first at Jamie, then the constable, then with raised brows she looked toward me. “My, aren’t you overrun with visitors, and on such a miserable day.”

  I took Millie, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “The constable arrived to offer you a ride home.”

  “How kind.” She grabbed her cloak from the hook in the foyer and started down the stoop. “Coming all this way and just for me.”

  The constable actually blushed. I felt sorry for him. The poor man had wasted so much time trying to court me. And James, the bastard, wasn’t helping, standing there smirking as if he’d just won some blasted battle.

  “If the snow and ice keep up, I won’t be able to make it back tomorrow,” Mrs. Willow said as she moved down the path.

  I wasn’t sure if her comment was a warning or a promise. “Of course, I understand.”

  She paused near the mount and glanced back, a cheeky grin upon her face. “But surely Mr. Corbin will check on you.”

  James nodded, looking every bit the gentleman as he carried my packages. “Of course. I’d be happy to.”

  The constable helped the housekeeper up upon the mount. Finally, he turned to face me. “Well. Good evening then.”

  I parted my lips, intending to say something, anything…but what? Before I could think of a ready explanation, he jumped up behind Mrs. Willow. I watched him go, wishing I could explain, ease his embarrassment in some way. He was such a good man, he didn’t deserve to be dismissed so easily after all he had done for me. But I doubted Jamie would care.

  Millie shifted, whimpering. She was hungry.

  “Inside,” Jamie said, pushing open the door, forever commanding like the captain of a ship. He set the packages upon the floor. “Go inside. Get warm.”

  I stepped into the small foyer only to pause when I realized he hadn’t followed. I could let him go, or… “James?”

  “Yes?”

  Slowly, I turned to face him. My heart hammered madly in my chest. Everything was about to change. I prayed it was for the better. “Don’t go. Stay in the guest room. There are things we need to discuss.”

  He paused for a long moment, as if mulling over his response. How desperately I wished I knew what he was thinking. “Are you sure?”

  Absolutely not. “Yes.”

  Chapter 6

  James

  The soft murmured cry woke me.

  An unfamiliar noise that had me reaching for the pistol on the small table next to my bed. A pistol I’d taken to carrying since Claudine had made her presence known. I bolted up in bed and waited.

  There it was again. A soft mew like a kitten. Or a baby, I realized. It took a moment to remember where I was, but suddenly the warmth of realization flooded my body. Julianna was merely across the small hallway, in a bedchamber with our child. My shoulders relaxed, and I settled my feet upon the cold floorboards.

  Jules was right across the hall. So nearby.

  I’d been searching for her for months and had finally found her. It wasn’t all a dream. Her gentle voice whispered from her chamber, pulling at me, stirring my emotions. I found myself standing, drawn to her. The wind still rattled the panes. The room had grown chill. But none of that mattered.

  All that mattered was being near Julianna. I lit the lantern by my bedside, then tugged on my trousers. For a moment I stood there, savoring the lilt of her gentle voice as she sung to our child. How had I ever thought she was a conniving Claudine? She was nothing like the woman. I’d almost ruined everything, because I had allowed my past to control me.

  Slowly, I pulled open my chamber door. I could see her bedroom from where I stood. Desperate to touch her, I closed my eyes, my hands curling as I resisted. It had been so long. So damn long. Unable to help myself I moved into the hall wearing only trousers.

  Julianna rocked our baby in her arms. I leaned against the staircase railing, content to watch her. My wife hadn’t noticed me yet and I wondered what she would say when she did. She stood, her gown dipped low around her shoulder, her right breast on display. She’d been feeding Millie. My heart leapt into my throat, my pulse pounding.

  Stunning. Utterly stunning.

  Her hair fell in dark waves down her back. My throat grew tight. Her pale breast gleamed under the light of the weak moon that managed to pierce the clouds. Did I dream? I’d always thought her beautiful, but as a mother she was a veritable angel, too damn good for me.

  She lay Millie in the cradle then turned and spotted me. I heard her soft gasp from where I stood. Surprised, she froze. For a long, long while we stood there staring at each other. It was as if the very world paused. A variety of emotions swept back and forth across the room. Affection. Attraction. Need.

  She didn’t move to cover herself. She wasn’t ashamed, for she wanted me. I could see the desire in her eyes. I was on her in three strides. My hands cupped her face and I lowered my mouth to hers. It was like a wonderful, haunting dream finally coming to life.

  She tasted so damn sweet. I prayed she didn’t push me away as I didn’t think I could handle the rejection. Instead, she slid her hands up my arms, around my shoulders and pressed her lush body into me. Her hardened nipples brushed my chest and I almost came on the spot. It had been long. So damn long. I’d been obsessed with finding he
r, and hadn’t even thought about sleeping with another all these months. Nobody could compare.

  “God, I want you, Julianna.” I moved my hands down her back and gripped her round bottom, pulling her up against my hard cock. “I’ve never wanted anyone as badly as I want you.”

  She groaned and parted her lips under my persistent attack.

  I took the invitation and swept my tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. I’d never felt more alive. My entire body thrummed, burned, felt afire with the need to be closer to her. Inside of her.

  With a growl, I pulled away and scooped her up into my arms. “Can you?”

  She looked confused. “Can I what?”

  “Since giving birth…I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Considering Rafe was only ten months younger than me I knew my parents had wasted no time in being intimate after I’d been born. But I wasn’t my father and I wouldn’t hurt her.

  She blushed. “I…I think.”

  I didn’t want to cause her pain. “You tell me if there is any discomfort.”

  She nodded.

  I carried her into the guest room and lay her down gently upon the bed. Unable to hold back, I followed, pressing my body into hers. She had a new fuller lushness I greatly appreciated. My hand skimmed up her waist toward her bare breast. No longer did it fit into my palm, but spilled over temptingly. She’d changed and I hadn’t been here to see it all.

  I lowered my head to her collarbone, pressing kisses to the delicate area. Then lower to the valley between her breasts. She moaned, shifting restlessly underneath me. Surrounded by her heady scent I could barely control myself. I had to taste her. I lowered my head, covering her breast with my mouth. She gasped, arching up into me. The burst of sweet milk caught me by surprise.

  “James, no!” She shoved at my shoulders, but I would not relent. Fascinated, I brought my tongue around the hardened peak, only to taste the sweetness again.

  “Please, it’s not done! It’s improper!”

  I lifted my head, amused and intrigued. There were so many improper things I wanted to do with her, to her. All in good time. I moved away from her breast and trailed my mouth down her stomach. She quivered.

  “No, I’m not ready for that either.”

  “Shhh,” I soothed, parting her thighs. “Don’t deny me what I’ve been dreaming of for months.”

  Before she could protest, I lowered my head. Her feminine scent swirled around me. My cock grew steel hard. I slid my tongue between her damp folds. She was ready. So damn ready. Her core pulsed, trembling with the desire to know release.

  Jules groaned, her fingers gripping the cover she lay upon.

  She tasted of feminine honey. Of heat. Need. I could take it no longer. Standing, I pulled off my trousers. “Don’t be ashamed of your body in front of me, not ever.” I leaned over her and tore the nightgown down her lush form, the material whispering over her skin. “Don’t hide from me Jules. You’re stunning. You were beautiful before the baby, and you’re even more beautiful now.”

  She flushed, embarrassed by my compliments. Hell, she should have been used to such sweet words. If I’d been a better husband, she would have been. I wished I had lit more lanterns so that I might see every inch of her body. I wanted to build a damn temple and worship her for the rest of my life.

  “Have you missed me?” I lay beside her and trailed my hand down her belly, toward her very heat. I would not rush this moment. “Have you missed my touch? My kiss?”

  She murmured something indecipherable. I slid my fingers through the soft patch of hair, farther into her heat. “God, you’re wet.”

  I shifted, moving atop her and nudging her thighs apart. She opened eagerly, her arms wrapping around my shoulders and pulling me close. The utter trust in her gaze humbled me. Here, in this bed, there was no wall between us. Our emotions were honest and true.

  “You might have run from me, but you’ve spent these months wanting me as much as I’ve wanted you, haven’t you, Jules?”

  Her face flushed. She raked her fingers into the hair at the base of my neck, pulling almost painfully at the strands, punishing me. The question was too intimate. She wouldn’t answer, she wouldn’t admit the truth. Stubborn wench.

  “Damnation, Jules.” I slid my finger into her tight sheath. She cried out, arching her back. “Admit you’ve wanted me. Admit you’ve dreamt of this moment night after night.”

  She groaned, moving underneath me.

  I pulled my finger from her, but not before my thumb brushed that sensitive nub between her folds. “Admit it.”

  “Yes!” she gasped. “Yes, you bastard! Yes, I’ve wanted you. Yes, I’ve dreamt of you inside me. Are you happy?”

  The relief I felt was immediate. I lowered my head, my lips a mere breath from hers. “So very happy.”

  My mouth found hers. This time the kiss was branding, hard and passionate. I swept my tongue between her lips, thrusting into her warm mouth as my erection throbbed between her smooth thighs, pulsing and demanding release. I’d never kissed a woman like I kissed her. All-consuming. I felt naked, my soul exposed.

  She reached for my cock, touching me like she never had before with an eagerness that pleased me all too well. Her warm fingers wrapped around my shaft and I groaned. Boldly, she pumped me. Blood raced to my erection, my need almost unbearable.

  “Jules, I can’t…”

  She released her hold, then pushed at my shoulders, rolling me onto my back.

  Hell, she was going to kill me.

  She’d become a temptress. A woman I barely knew, yet had seen hints of while we’d been flirting near the creek those months and months ago. Before we’d known each other’s true identities and everything had become so very complicated. She straddled my thighs and gripped my cock in her beautiful hands.

  “Christ, Jules.”

  Emboldened, she started to move her hands up and down my steel shaft, exploring my body and my reaction. “You’ve studied my body, it’s time to allow me the same liberties.”

  “Please,” I ground out, “take your time.”

  Her delicate fingers explored my erection, trailing down the length, only to travel back up and cup the thick head. She was killing me. Killing me slowly, and so completely. “You’re rather large.”

  “So I’ve been told,” I somehow manage to get out. The heat that rushed through my body threatened to burn me alive. I had to have her, had to find my release and soon.

  She seemed in no hurry and trailed a hand down my chest, her fingers scraping through the crisp hair that made a thin trail to my erection. “How is it that you know exactly where to touch me? How to please?”

  Did she truly want me to respond? I wasn’t sure I was capable. “I’ve had practice.”

  “I suppose I should thank your mistresses,” she teased, finding fascination with the clear drop of liquid seeping from the head of my cock. With a heated gaze, she drew her fingertip through the liquid.

  Damnation, she was torturing me on purpose. “You can send them your thanks later.”

  She frowned, her hands on my body hesitating. And for a moment I thought she was angry with me, jealous. “I don’t know how to please you.”

  Frustrated and bemused, I gripped her hips. “Jules, you please me by just being here, don’t you understand? I wanted you the moment I sensed you by the creek. And having you, even marrying you, hasn’t been enough.”

  I lifted her so she was poised above my cock. She gasped, gripping my biceps for support as her hair fell down in dark waves around her shoulders, tickling my stomach. Her lips were swollen from my kisses, her breath coming out in harsh pants. But it was her eyes—her beautiful eyes—that showed me everything. The desire there matched my own.

  “I want you every night, in my bed. No running. No hiding. Understand?”

  She nodded, her face flushed with unfulfilled passion.

  I lowered her onto my cock. The head squeezed through her opening and into her tight sheath. With an eager
ness that almost killed me, her body pulled me in, gripping my shaft. I could take it no longer. I gritted my teeth and surged upward as she came down. It was like touching heaven, sinking into pure bliss. How I’d missed her. Her scent, her touch, her taste.

  “Good god,” she whispered.

  Clutching her hips and guiding her down, I rocked up at the same time. I went deep, so damn deep I thought I’d lose control. Her breasts bounced as she came forward and with each thrust she released a breathy gasp that sounded more sensual than anything I’d ever heard. It was all I could do not to give into my release and spill my seed into her hot wetness.

  We found our rhythm, rocking together as the wind rattled the glass panes. The entire world ceased. Nothing mattered but finding my release deep within her, making her come around me and experiencing her pure pleasure.

  I slid my hands up her smooth back. I couldn’t stop touching her, needed to feel every bit of her satiny skin. “You’re stunning.”

  As she rocked forward, her long, dark hair brushed erotically against my body. I’d never been with anyone who stirred my blood like she did. A mixture of innocence and stubbornness. Sensual, yet so damn pure.

  I gripped her rounded arse and pulled her closer with each thrust, plunging deeper into heaven. It had been long. Much, much too long. “Come for me, Jules.”

  ****

  Julianna

  “James,” I called, breathless. “Please!”

  With each stroke, each thrust of his hips, he came farther into me. The friction of his cock rubbing against my sheath was more than I could stand. My entire body tightened, the very room fading, and all I could do was focus on my coming release. I’d been waiting for this, wanting this for months and months. I couldn’t sleep at night without dreaming of James touching me, kissing me. My thighs tightened against his, my hips surging forward as he lifted. Another deep thrust and my core quivered.