Hungry.
And Julia loved every moment of it!
His arms about her waist were like steel bands as he crushed her against him, allowing her to feel every one of the hard contours of his body.The most rigid of those being the throb of hard flesh between Wolfingham’s thighs.
Julia’s knees weakened when she realized it was the hardness of the length of Wolfingham’s member pressing into the softness of her abdomen.It felt long and thick, as relentless in its demand as he was.
Julia felt a burst of heat between her own thighs, the lips there feeling moist and swollen inside her drawers.Several inches above this was a throb that caused her to move restlessly against Wolfingham’s body in an effort to find satisfaction for this unfamiliar ache.
He finally wrenched his lips from hers, breathing deeply, his eyes glittering like ebony as he stared down at her in the darkness.His hands on the tops of her arms held her steady but a foot or so away from him.
Julia’s sanity returned with the force of a blow now that those firm lips were no longer devouring hers.Along with that return of sanity came feelings of humiliation.
She had allowed Nicholas Harding, the despised Earl of Wolfingham, to kiss her.Worse, to arouse her in a way Julia had never experienced before.
She had allowedNicholas Harding,theEarl of Wolfingham, the man she despised,to do that.
Her hand moved seemingly without her volition, sweeping up in an arc until it made contact with Wolfingham’s cheek.
The sound of that smack echoed loudly in the silence of the night.
Julia’s gasp of dismay, when she realized what she had done, was almost as loud before she covered her mouth to stifle that reaction.
Why should she feel dismayed when Wolfingham deserved her ire and more?
He stood very still, his face as cold as the statues’.“I will allow you the freedom to do that only once,” he bit out softly.“If it ever happens again, I will put you over my knee and spank your arse raw!”
Julia was unable to suppress her second gasp, of outrage this time.“How dare you talk to me in so crude a fashion?”
His mouth twisted into a humorless smile.“Oh, I think once you know me better, you will realize that I willdareto do many things to you so much more daring than that.”
“Then it is as well I have no intention of ever knowing you better,” she scoffed.
He snorted.“I think you will find you have no more choice in the matter than I do.”
Julia eyed him guardedly.“What do you mean?”
“I am sure all will become clear very soon.For now, I will wish you good night,Julia.”He bowed abruptly before departing.
Had he meant to annoy her further by deliberately using the name family and friends called her?
Julia had no doubt that was the case.But there had also been something else in his manner.Something that almost felt like sympathy.
Well, she did not need that man’s pity.On any subject, in any form, for any reason.
* * *
The Earl and Countess of Ipswich had insisted Nicholas sit in the front row of the church with the rest of Lady Roxburgh’s family during that lady’s funeral.Julia and Amanda were sitting next to each other on the other end of the same pew.
On the long seat behind them were all the local dignitaries, the squire and his wife, the doctor and his wife, the vicar’s wife and daughter, along with Lady Roxburgh’s lawyer, whom Nicholas was told had arrived from London the evening before and was now staying as a guest at Roxburgh Manor.
Despite the austereness of his dark clothing and abrupt manner, the man appeared young to represent such a prestigious London law firm as Masterson, Masterson and Masterson.He was possibly aged in his mid to late twenties and must surely be the most recent of the Mastersons mentioned in the auspicious company, the previous members being his father and grandfather.
Julia and Amanda, both wearing cream gowns today, as their grandmother had requested, were showing a girlish interest in the austere young lawyer.The two of them had sent Masterson several covert glances and whispered together before the funeral began in earnest and they’d be forced to face the front of the church as the vicar began the service.
Nicholas had not seen Julia during the two days since the evening they parted so badly beside the fountain.Deliberately so, on his part.The slap Julia had given him showed she was angry enough with him already.Far better to allow the day before her grandmother’s funeral to pass smoothly, before Julia had reason to focus her ire on him once again.Which Nicholas had every reason to believe would be the case.
He had not intended to kiss her two evenings ago when he found her in the maze.But she had been so defiant, so scathing when she admitted that escaping his company had been the only reason she had lied about having a headache.
