Page 70 of An Extraordinary Lord

She pulled the lace free. The corset loosened and dropped to the floor, followed by her petticoat. With every discarded piece of clothing came another confession.

“During the wars, we had no choice but to work for the Spanish and the French. For the enemy. I became a mercenary, too, just like Jabir and Filipe, working alongside the soldiers in all kinds of reconnaissance missions.” A small hesitation before she admitted, “I killed men when I had to in order to survive.”

Her arms dropped to her sides as she let him look at her, her soul bared nearly as much now as her body. She stood in front of him in nothing but shift and stockings. In the slant of moonlight, he could just discern the curves of her full breasts and hips, the patch of curls nestled between her thighs.

“When the Allies finally arrived, we switched sides and worked for them until the Peninsula was freed. Then the war moved north into France and went on without us.” She bent over to reach beneath her chemise for her stockings, her hair falling forward in a fiery curtain that hid her face. But she couldn’t conceal the pain in her voice. “By then, we’d been separated. Jabir was dead, Filipe had already left for England, Redondo was God only knows where…and I had no reason to stay. So I followed Filipe to London to start a new life here.” Her shoulders trembled as she untied the stocking and rolled it down her leg, over her foot, and off. “I was wrong.” The stocking slipped through her fingers to the floor. “I’m just as trapped here as I was in Portugal.”

She fell silent as she removed the second stocking, rolling it off her leg and dropping it away with its mate. She wore only a thin, sleeveless shift now, yet she possessed all the dignity of a queen as her intense gaze held his through the shadows.

“When the Winslow warehouse was broken into last year, one of Filipe’s men was captured and gave testimony against him. I had to save him…for all his father had done for me, for all he does for the people of Saffron Hill.” Her hand trembled as she ran it through her hair, to sift the silky curls away from her forehead, just as she was sifting through the dark memories. “So I persuaded Fernsby to claim he’d caught me outside the warehouse that night, to testify that it was me who led the raid and that Filipe wasn’t even there.” Her hand fell to her side. “I went to prison to protect Filipe and the Court of Miracles. I sacrificed myself so he could remain free.”

She was innocent. Exactly what Clayton had believed from the beginning and what Merritt had been unwilling to accept. Until now.

“I never did what I claimed in court. I was never at that warehouse—nor at any warehouse. I’ve never been part of their activities. Please believe me.” Her voice was haunting as she whispered so softly that he could barely hear her, “I need you to believe…”

He held out his hand and rasped out hoarsely, “I do.”

Veronica’s heart pounded as she crawled onto the bed and slowly made her way toward Merritt on her hands and knees. Her eyes never broke contact with his. Dear God, how much she wanted this night with him, more than she’d wanted anything else in her life—

No. That was a lie.

What she wanted more than anything else was the chance at a future with him. But that would never happen. She could never be his in the daylight world.

But here in the dark,hecould be hers. If only for the night.

“I think you should know,” she warned as she moved up the length of his body, “I might not be a criminal, but I’m also not an innocent.”

“And I thinkyoushould know,” he warned in return, “neither am I.”

She stopped and blinked. Only Merritt could tease like that at a time like this. With all the emotions the events of tonight had set churning inside her, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

But she knew she loved him.

“Good,” she purred and continued up his body.

When she reached his waist, she pulled away the blanket that covered him. She held her breath, then dared to look down.

He was completely naked, and the sight of him thrilled her.Magnificent, that was the thought that popped into her head as she raked her gaze over his lean and muscular body. His manhood lay against his thigh, already half erect even though she had yet to touch him. What would happen when she did? How hard and large could she make him? How much pleasure could she give?

Teasingly, she trailed her fingertip down his length, from the nest of dark hair at his abdomen to the round tip—

With a soft curse, he jumped beneath her touch and sucked in a mouthful of air.

His reaction only emboldened her to do it again, this time closing her hand around his thick girth and stroking up and down until she drew a groan from the back of his throat. Every slide of her hand made her revel in how the softness of his skin contrasted against the steely hardness beneath.

Not pausing in her slow strokes over him, she used her free hand to lift her shift out of the way so she could straddle him. Tonight, every bit of this wonderful, amazing man would be hers to take pleasure from and give pleasure to in return.Neverhad she found any man who was as much her equal in every way as Merritt—physically, emotionally, mentally. And tonight, she planned on showing him exactly how much.

When he tenderly touched her cheek, she took his hand and guided it down between her legs to the feminine folds that ached to possess him. His long fingers caressed her in smooth, slow glides that stirred the heat inside her until she trembled just as much as he did. Until she was slick and hot with evidence of her desire for him, until she quivered with shameless need.

His intimate touch was more than she could bear, yet still not enough. When he grazed that sensitive little nib buried in her folds, a throaty moan tore from her. She wanted him inside her,neededhim there, both body and soul.

“Merritt,” she whispered and gently pushed his hand away so she could rise onto her knees, pointed the tip of his erection against her throbbing core like an arrow, and lowered herself over him.

She shuddered with pleasure as his hard length slid deep inside her. He filled her so completely that for a moment, she could do nothing more than sit still and let her body adjust to his. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the feeling of holding him inside her, to brand the delicious sensation on her mind so she could carry it in her memory long after he’d disappeared from her life.

Wonderful… It was so wonderful to be with him like this that her eyes stung with emotion. But when she opened them and gazed down into his, his desire for her nearly undid her.

Tonight, he would be her rock to keep from falling away. Making love to him would be a benediction, and he would give her absolution. He would give her the strength and resolve she needed to go on. Without him.