Page 16 of The Husband Hunt (Madison Sisters 3)

Much to her relief, he freed her wrists then, allowing her to slip her arms around his shoulders as he brought his other hand around to work at the difficult neckline of her gown until he got one breast free. Robert immediately latched onto it, squeezing the soft globe as he sucked the entire nipple and aureola into his mouth.

"Robert," Lisa gasped, shocked by the bursts of pleasure that sent shooting through her. This then was the warm tingly stuff Fanny and Sophia had spoken about in their books. They really hadn't described it very well at all, she decided, clawing at Robert's shoulders with excitement until she couldn't stand it anymore and had to grab him by a handful of hair to drag his mouth back to hers again.

Robert obliged, his kiss this time demanding rather than punishing. But his hands continued to caress and squeeze, one at her exposed breast and the other now on her behind and urging her hips against his as his tongue worked its magic.

Lisa was vaguely aware of his moving her backward, but didn't understand why until she felt something press into her bottom, and then his hands gave up their squeezing and caressing to catch her by the waist and lift her to sit on that something. A desk, she thought, or a table. Lisa was too busy to look around and see. And then his one hand was back at her breast, but the other was tugging her skirt up one leg until he could slip his hand beneath and run it up from her knee along her outer thigh.

Lisa moaned and squirmed under the caress, her bottom shifting on the hard surface she sat on, and her own kiss becoming wildly demanding now. Her fingers tugged eagerly at his hair even as her palms pressed him closer. When his hand then slid back down her thigh only to ride back up, gliding along the inside of her thigh this time, she began to squirm in earnest, little gasps of excitement puffing from her mouth to his. When his fingers brushed against the curls between her legs, Lisa positively jumped, bucking up and back at the same time and legs squeezing together trapping his hand there.

Distracted as she was by what Robert was doing, Lisa wasn't at first aware that her actions and their weight had set the small table she was sitting on tumbling backward. Robert was a little quicker on the uptake and did try to save them both, but he was off balance and merely managed to stumble and fall with her. His weight crashed down on her chest even as her back hit the hard floor. Lisa groaned in pain from both that and the pain suddenly radiating from the backs of her knees which were caught on the edge of the table. "Damn," Robert muttered, scrambling to get off of her. "Are you all right?"

Lisa winced, but opened her eyes and managed a crooked smile. "I think so. A little bruised maybe, but otherwise all right. " "I'm sorry," he apologized, shifting to help her up.

Lisa stood carefully, grimacing at the pain in her back and legs. Once he had her on her feet and was sure nothing was broken, Robert immediately turned to quickly right the table and replace the few things that had been on it besides her and him. Realizing that she was standing there with one breast still out, Lisa quickly tucked it back in her dress. She then checked her hair with her hands, and blindly tried to repair any damage that may have been done, but it was difficult when she couldn't see what damage the incident may have caused.

Frowning, she glanced around the room and spied a mirror hanging on one wall. Moving to it, Lisa was relieved to find that not too much damage had been done. She quickly straightened her hair and then brushed down her skirts before turning nervously back to Robert to find he had finished with his task and was now eyeing her silently. The look was one she recognized. She had known him a long time after all. That look was the one he wore when contemplating a troubling puzzle or problem he couldn't quite sort out.

It was rather lowering to be considered a troubling problem after what they'd just done and Lisa instinctively raised her shoulders in self-defense against whatever he was about to say. But all he said was, "We should probably return to the ball.

Suzette said you have a full dance card. Your absence will not go without notice. "

Lisa stared at him silently for a moment, as disappointed as if he had insulted or slapped her, and then she simply turned away toward the door.

"Of course, you're right," she murmured, and then as she reached the door, she added, "After all, I am not going to find a husband in here, am I. "

She dragged the door open and strode quickly up the hall toward the music and chatter coming from the ballroom.

"There you are. I have been looking everywhere for you. Our dance is about to begin. "

Lisa paused abruptly and forced a smile when Lord Findlay suddenly appeared in front of her as she entered the ballroom. "I - " She paused and glanced over her shoulder when his gaze suddenly moved past her and narrowed. He'd spotted Robert, of course. Following her. Only Lord Langley hadn't thought to stop and check his appearance and his hair was disheveled as were his clothes. He looked like . . . well, like he'd been ravishing a young woman, she supposed, and wondered with dismay if her lips were as swollen and bruised as his.

"The music is beginning, my lord," she said desperately.

Lord Findlay shifted his gaze back to her face and then gave a small nod and smile. "Then we should dance. "

Lisa let her breath out on a small puff of relief, hoping that meant she didn't look like she'd just been kissed silly, and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor. But her hopes were dashed when Lord Findlay took her into his arms murmuring, "Do I need to call Langley out to defend your honor?"

Sighing, she sagged briefly in his arms and then forced herself upright again and blurted, "We were arguing. "

Not surprisingly, that brought a dubious rising of one eyebrow. "And then I slapped him," she continued reluctantly, before babbling, "and then I slapped him again, and he kissed me for punishment and then the table fell over and he picked it up and we came back out. " She grimaced as she finished, aware that she was probably blushing furiously.

Lord Findlay was silent for several seconds and then cleared his throat and asked, "And does he often punish you with kisses?"

"No, of course not, never," Lisa assured him, and then babbled nervously, "Well, except tonight, but you see he wanted me to stay away from Lord Pembroke, but I had to dance with him because of Suzette. Only Pembroke could tell I was uncomfortable and thought it was because I'd been sick and insisted on taking me out for air. Then he grabbed me, and I got away and Lord Tibald took care of Pembroke for me while I tried to come inside. But then Robert saw everything and dragged me off to rant at me about being with Pembroke, which is when I slapped him and . . . well, all the other followed and we returned to the ball," she ended weakly. "I see," Findlay murmured.

Lisa was doing her damnedest to avoid looking at him, afraid of what she would see in his eyes. But when his shoulder began to shake under her hand, she glanced at him nervously, amazed to see him struggling to stifle what appeared to be mirth.

"Are you laughing, my lord?" Lisa asked with amazement.

"I am sorry," he assured her sincerely, but the sincerity cracked under amusement as he added, "Truly you are the most delightful female. Sometimes I simply cannot make heads or tails of what you're saying. "

"Oh," she muttered and supposed her explanation had been a little less than coherent.

"Why are you supposed to stay away from Pembroke?"

Langley asked.

"Because - " Lisa paused abruptly, and avoided telling the truth by repeating what Tibald had said. "Because he is notoriously difficult when in his cups. "

"Ah, yes, he is," Findlay agreed solemnly. "I take it he is in his cups tonight?"

"Lord Tibald seemed to think so," Lisa muttered.

"Right. " He nodded. "And how is it that you had to dance with Pembroke because of Suzette?"

"Oh," she sighed unhappily. "He came up asking about a dance and Suzette announced that the first waltz was still free, so of course I had to dance it with him. "

"Of course," Findlay agreed wryly. "And did you enjoy Langley's punishing kiss?"

Lisa was so startled by the unexpected question that she actually stumbled in the dance. Lord Findlay immediately tightened his hold on her, drawing her closer against his chest to prevent her falling and she took refuge there briefly to avoid answering the question. "Are you all right?" he asked, easing her back a moment later. It was the smart thing to do. It really wasn't proper to be hanging on a man like that.

Lisa nodded, still avoiding his eyes. "I - yes, thank you. "

He allowed a moment of silence to pass, and then pointed out gently, "You have not answered the question . . . but then perhaps that is answer enough," he added quietly, sounding disappointed. "I - it's not - I liked your kiss," she said finally if a little weakly. "Did you?" Charles asked, cheering somewhat, and then tilted his head and said, "Better or less than his?"

He would have to ask that, Lisa thought with vexation and then said, "They were two entirely different kisses. Yours was gentle and . . . er . . . sweet. His was . . . " She briefly sought her mind for an acceptable description. Certainly, hot, passionate and overwhelming wouldn't do. Finally, she said, "Hard. "

Lord Findlay blinked at the word. "Hard? What was?"

"His kiss," she said with a frown. "That is what we are talking about, my lord. If you will insist on discussing this, please at least try to follow the conversation. "

"Yes, of course, my apologies," Charles murmured quickly, his lips twitching again.

"So you see, they were two entirely different kisses. Impossible to compare. "

"I would imagine," he said agreeably.

"However, perhaps if you were to kiss me hard, well, then I could compare the two," she suggested as the idea came to her. Robert's kisses had been heart stopping. He'd wrung passion from her as easily as the maids at home wrung water from a soaking rag. Really, it had been the most exciting, most enjoyable experience of her life. She was not willing to live with a lesser passion in her marriage bed. But she wasn't likely to get Robert to marry her with him being such a dense and stubborn idiot of a male. But surely he wasn't the only one who could wring such passion from her?

Perhaps if Lord Findlay used a bit more fervor in his kisses and didn't treat her as if she were so fragile she might crumble under his passion . . . well, perhaps he too could stir those depths of passion from her.

It seemed perfectly reasonable to her. Findlay had already kissed her once. It was just that his had lacked the passion and fervor of Robert's, but then it was possible that he had just been considerate of her being a lady.

She raised her head to peer at Lord Findlay to see what he thought of the suggestion and found him staring down at her with quite the most startled expression.

"Are you . . . ?" He paused to clear his throat and then said carefully, "Are you suggesting you would like me to give you a punishing-type kiss?"

"Well I would rather that than ask Robert to give me a gentle kiss," she admitted wryly, and Lord Findlay released a burst of startled laughter that made the arms holding her shake and vibrate. Lisa smiled wryly, glad she'd amused him this time, and then, in the next moment, Charles began to whirl them to the side and right out of the ballroom.

Lisa glanced around with surprise as he walked her across the terrace. She hadn't realized they'd been so close to the doors while speaking and hadn't expected the moment to come quite this soon.

Actually, she hadn't really been thinking at all when she'd made the suggestion: she'd mostly been desperate to have Lord Findlay wipe the memory of Robert's kisses from her memory, and hopefully stir the same passion he had. If Charles could . . . well, perhaps all would be well after all.

Lord Findlay stopped walking and she glanced around to see that he'd led her to the darkest corner of the terrace where no one was likely to notice or see. When he then turned her to face him, she shifted nervously, her eyes shooting everywhere but to his face. "Punishing, huh?" he murmured thoughtfully, seeming reluctant.

Lisa was about to call it off, and let him off the hook when he suddenly caught her arms, dragged her up against his chest and planted his mouth on hers. This was definitely punishing, Lisa decided as his mouth crushed hers bruisingly against her teeth. Had Robert really been trying to punish her? Not bloody likely if this was punishing, because this was nothing like what Robert had done, she thought with dismay as Charles bit at her lip and forced her mouth open with his tongue. When it then swept inside, it wasn't with the questing grace of Robert's, but with a conquering fervor, filling her until she thought she would choke on it or suffocate.

Robert may have called it punishment, but his kiss hadn't been punishment at all compared to this. Good Lord, and she'd asked for it, she thought with dismay as Lord Findlay continued to mash his mouth over hers. What on earth had she been thinking?

The kiss, if that's what it was, seemed to be interminable, and Lisa was more than relieved when it finally ended and he lifted his head.

"Well?" he asked, breathing a bit heavily.

Lisa stared at him blankly for a moment and then cleared her throat and offered, "It was much more masterful than . . . er . . . you know. "

Really, it was the best she could do under the circumstances.

She could hardly criticize it when it was exactly what she'd asked for.

"Lisa!"

Sighing as she recognized the owner of that sharp voice, she turned and grimaced at Robert as he paused a few feet away. He was angry, of course, his hands clenched and back stiff as a board, but then he always seemed to be angry with her lately, she thought unhappily.

"I am right here, my lord," she said grimly. "There is no need to bark at me like a dog. "

"Inside," he growled, which really wasn't much better than barking, in her opinion.

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