His Reluctant Lady (19 page)

“
All right. I’ll tell you.
Then you can give me your hint.” He paused for a moment, something
she suspected he did to be dramatic, then said, “I haven’t bothered
with my studies since I was seventeen.”

She considered his words but they were
too vague for her to figure out. “What else?”

“
That’s all I’m telling you.
Now, what’s your hint?”

She thought of what she might say that
would be just as cryptic as what he said. When she came up with a
suitable hint, she said, “I entertain things that don’t
happen.”

“
You entertain things that
don’t happen?”

She nodded, pleased she’d found a way
to confound him.

“
You write
fiction?”

Her smile faltered.

“
Writing a story isn’t
something that should embarrass you. Many fine books have been
written by wealthy people.” He paused then his eyes grew wide.
“Unless you’re writing something that the Ton wouldn’t approve of.”
His lips curled into a smile. “Why, Agatha, you are such a
scandalous lady. My respect for you increases day by
day.”

“
I suppose next you’re going
to tell me that you know exactly what it is I write?” She wouldn’t
put it past him since he was unbelievably clever. She’d like to
accuse him of snooping in her desk drawer, but she didn’t think he
did it. He probably found the challenge of figuring it out on his
own much more enticing. “I don’t know how it is I ended up married
to someone who is too smart for my own good.”

He chuckled and kissed her, a kiss that
struck her as more playful than seductive. “I have to be smart if
I’m going to be worthy of you. But in case you’re worried, I don’t
know what it is you’re writing.”

“
Well, at least I get to
hold onto that secret.”

He gave her another kiss, this time
letting his lips linger on hers. “To be fair, I did catch you with
the quill on your desk, so I already knew you were writing
something. I had an advantage over you. All you know about me is
that I happen to like scandalous behavior. I wouldn’t have known
you were such a scandalous lady the first time we met, but I was
drawn to you. There’s no one more beautiful than you.”

Recalling the day they met and knowing
she’d been disguised as a gentleman, a sly grin crossed her face.
As much as he thought he knew so much about her, at least she still
had one secret he hadn’t figured out, and she saw no reason to give
him even a single hint about it.

He studied her face. “What are you
thinking?”

“
Nothing.”

“
I don’t believe you. You
have something else you’re hiding, aren’t you?”

There was no way she was going to let
him know all of her secrets. Guessing it would distract him, she
wiggled closer to him, intentionally letting her breasts brush his
chest. As she hoped, he lowered his head and kissed her again, this
time letting his hands cup her breasts and lightly squeeze them, an
action which shot a spark of pleasure straight to her
core.

He ended the kiss and she opened her
eyes. “I’m going to lock the door and close the drapes. There’s no
sense in anyone being privy to what we’re about to do.”

Her eyes widened. “Here?” To make sure
he understood her, she explained, “You intend to be intimate in
this room?”

“
I’d be disappointed if we
only kept it to the bedchamber.” He brushed her nipples with his
thumbs. “A lady hiding secrets will find the variety exciting as
well, I wager.”

“
Hiding secrets
and…and…taking care of a husband’s needs outside the bedchamber are
two different things.”

“
Not if you take care of my
needs in this room and keep it a secret.”

Before she could even think of a way to
stop him from pursuing this alarming idea, he hurried to the door
and locked it then went to the windows and pulled the drapes
together, allowing them complete privacy from the outside
world.

She rose to stop him, to say that
they’d be much better off going to the bedchamber if he was so
insistent that it was going to happen, but he wrapped his arms
around her and began kissing her again, an action which rendered
her helpless, something she thought absurd even as it was
happening. How could he have such an affect on her?

“
This really isn’t
appropriate,” Agatha whispered, breathless as he kissed her
neck.

“
You want this,” he insisted
as he pressed her up against a nearby wall.

“
Surely, I don’t,” she lied.
Despite her silent urging for her body to stop giving into him—and
in the drawing room of all places!—the area between her legs ached
for his touch. “No lady could enjoy,” she groaned again as his
thumbs teased her nipples, “doing it like this.”

He brought his mouth to hers and kissed
her, his tongue brushing hers. Nothing about this was suitable. A
lady didn’t make love outside her bed. Christopher had to have
known this. But even as she struggled to protest where this was
going, his hands slid down her backside and gripped the dress. For
a moment, she worried he was going to rip it in his urgency to take
her, but he pulled it up, gentle not to harm the fabric.

He ended the kiss as his hands made
contact with her bare flesh, cupping her behind and pulling her
against his arousal. She didn’t know why but the fact that he still
wore trousers while he separated her legs and wrapped them around
his waist seemed like such a deliciously wicked thing. She bit her
lower lip as he rocked his hips, his male hardness stroking her
sensitive nub. Her nails dug into his shoulders and she helped him
along, her hips rocking in rhythm with him.

Even as good as the contact felt, she
longed to feel him against her without any barriers between them.
“You wouldn’t enter me right here.” Then, because she thought it
might urge him to do it, she added, “It’d be very
inappropriate.”

He chuckled and brought his hand
between them where he found the folds of her flesh and lightly
traced them. She drew in her breath. Oh, this had to be the most
wonderfully wicked thing a gentleman could do to a lady. She
shifted so that his fingers could slide into her, her back resting
against the wall, hardly aware of where she was as she gave in
completely to what they were doing.

“
You’re so wet,” he
murmured, his breathing raspy. “You want me to enter you here, to
bring you to completion?”

She let out a soft cry as he stroked
her core. Her legs tightened around him and she held onto his
shoulders while he unbuttoned his trousers. Her blood raced with
excitement. He was going to do it. He was going to take her in this
place while they still wore clothes. She’d never been more eager to
do anything in her entire life.

He pressed his penis against her
sensitive nub and cupped her behind in his hands, the action
allowing her to rock her hips against him once more. “You love it
when we make love, don’t you?” he whispered, staring at her, his
erection sliding ever so deliciously against her.

She knew he wanted her to come out and
say it, but even as she moved faster, she couldn’t bring herself to
admit it. She didn’t know why and at the moment she was far too
aroused to care.

“
It’s all right. You don’t
have to admit it right now.” He angled himself so that his shaft
was pressed more firmly against her, something that made her moan
in pleasure. “But soon you will.”

Before she could respond, he was
kissing her again. His tongue sparred with hers, effectively ending
any more conversation but making her that much more eager to enjoy
him. He guided her hips and she let every wonderful sensation
engulf her in the base need for release. It seemed to be such a
primitive thing, to be acting this way, but at the moment, she had
absolutely no desire to behave like a lady.

When she found her release, she softly
cried out and stilled. He entered her as the waves of pleasure were
crashing into her. With a groan, he moved inside her, his actions
determined and focused as his thrusting grew faster. And it wasn’t
long before he stilled, his body shuddering as his seed spilled
into her. She gasped and tightened her hold on him as another
orgasm overtook her, this one less intense than the one before but
still very pleasurable. He collapsed against her, still holding her
protectively in his arms, still buried inside her where she wished
he could always be. He brought his mouth back to hers and gave her
a lingering kiss, his tongue brushing hers, soft and gentle in the
aftermath of their passionate encounter.

A long moment passed before he pulled
away from her, and she let out a sigh of regret. With a cocky grin,
he lowered her dress and asked, “Can’t wait until we do it again,
hmm?”

Despite her heavy breathing and the
touch of his hands on her breasts as he kissed her neck, she said,
“As your wife, I have to make sure you get your pleasure.
Apparently, that means wherever you want to receive it.”

He caressed her bottom. “Be honest, my
love. Weren’t you a bit anxious to be with me as well?”

“
Ladies aren’t like
gentlemen. They can do very well without it.”

“
Oh?”

“
It’s true. You don’t see me
groping you, do you?”

He chuckled. “You might be hiding your
desire for me, but I recall the way you responded to me just now.
You were very willing to do this.” Grinning, he added, “And in the
drawing room during the day. Even though we made love four times
last night and then again this morning. I don’t think you can get
enough of me.”

“
Before you get smug, may I
remind you that the more we do it, the better your chances are of
getting a child?”

“
That’s not why you were
moaning in pleasure.”

Sensing the challenge in his statement,
she countered, “Well, I thought I’d be polite. A male’s sensibility
is a delicate thing.”

He threw back his head and laughed. “My
dear Agatha, I’m afraid you are the one who has delicate
sensibilities if you can’t admit how much you enjoy making love to
me.”

“
You wish it was so but it’s
not. A lady could do very well without it. All she really requires
is for her husband to talk to her as he would a friend and grace
her with hugs and kisses. If he did that and nothing else, she’d be
content.”

“
If it’s a challenge you
want, then it’s a challenge you shall get.” He kissed her, his
tongue briefly touching hers, and shot her a triumphant grin,
something she thought rather foolish since he hadn’t won the
challenge yet. “I’m going to prove you wrong. You will end up
coming to my bed to satisfy your carnal cravings.”

Appalled he’d even suggest such a
thing, she gasped. “Never.”

He gave her a chaste kiss. “It’ll be my
pleasure to prove you wrong.”

She didn’t hide her amusement.
“Considering how you can’t control yourself whether we’re in this
room or the bedchamber, I wouldn’t boast too much if I were
you.”

He winked. “You’ll see.”

She made sure he saw her shake her head
before she headed out of the room so she could wash up and change
her clothes.

Chapter Seventeen

Two days later, a rapping on the
drawing room door stirred Agatha from her nap. She sat up in her
chair, surprised she’d fallen asleep at her desk while writing. She
quickly shoved her papers in the drawer and went to the door.
Opening it, her eyes grew wide.

“
Lord Clement?” she asked
before the butler could speak.

“
I hope you don’t mind that
I came for a visit,” Perry said.

“
Not at all.” She waved him
into the room. “Please enter.” Turning to the butler, she added,
“Some tea and biscuits.”

The butler bowed and headed down the
hall.

She gestured to the chair. “Have a
seat. If you wanted to see Christopher, he’s at
White’s.”

“
Actually, I had hoped to
speak with you alone. I have a matter to discuss with you, and I
don’t think he’d offer advice I can use.”

Curious, she settled in the settee
across from him and waited for him to set the cane against the arm
of the chair before speaking. “What do you wish to
discuss?”

He shot her a sheepish smile. “You’re
apt to think it’s silly, but I have no experience when it comes to
romancing a lady.” Clearing his throat, he continued, “I would like
to propose marriage to your sister.”

A smile spread across her face.
“Wonderful!”

“
But I’m not sure how to
best do it. I was wondering if you could offer some words of
wisdom? I thought of all the people I could ask, you’d be the best
one.”

Flattered he’d thought so well of her
that he’d come to her with this matter, she nodded. “I’ll help in
any way I can. Her aunt and I would be delighted to see her marry
you.”

The butler brought the tray of tea and
biscuits in and set it on the table. After he left, she poured tea
for Perry and handed the cup to him.

As she poured her cup, she asked, “When
are you thinking of proposing?”