Page 6 of Surrender to Sin

“The governess tone from the lady who spoke of Mayfair nudity and saddle fucking yesterday? I’m disappointed. And in answer to the question, not all the time. When I am in meetings with bankers, lawyers, and Fallen’s co-owners, or any time I speak to the Prince Regent, nakedness is about the last thing on my mind.”

Grace bit her lip. Hard. “Well. Um…”

Hell, but her lower lip was plump and pink. Her nipples and clit would probably be the same color. Had she ever orgasmed? He got the feeling she wasn’t a lady who indulged in self-pleasure, so possibly not. God. Would her first climax be with a sigh? A prolonged moan? A scream of delight?

Shaking his head to clear his mind before his erection became too blatant, Sin gave her a thoughtful look. “Why did you maul that beautiful lower lip rather than laugh? You wanted to.”

“Oh, did I?”

He nudged her with his shoulder. “You know you did. And it’s all right, I am amusing. People tell me all the time. Often in the guise of ‘one more word and I’ll cut out your tongue and feed it to the chickens,’ but I know what they mean.”

Grace quivered, a sound escaping before she pressed her knuckles to her mouth. “N-not funny.”

“You’re right. And we really do need a new topic of conversation before I start imagining a naked Prinny rooster flapping around Mayfair and squawking at the shortage of truly high class tongues.”

She laughed. Not a delicate snort or ladylike titter, but a full-blooded laugh that made her eyes glow like night stars, and her ample breasts bob. He wanted her spread across a bed, a desk, a chaise, anything really, just so he could feast on her swollen nipples and wet cunt, bury his cock inside her, and hear that delight as ecstasy instead. For she would be a screamer, once that criminally repressed passion was unleashed, that couldn’t be more goddamned obvious.

Fuck.

Not for you. Mild scandal. Baxter.

With those sobering thoughts in mind, he got up from the pianoforte so fast he nearly tipped the bench over.

“Sin? Is something wrong?”

“Not at all, pet,” he replied, wanting to kick himself for the less than smooth maneuver. Even now he could see uncertainty replacing the laughter on her exquisite face as she withdrew back into herself. “Damned bench was starting to give me splinters, that’s all. Why don’t we retreat to the chaise over there and talk further about this mild scandal? Much more comfortable. I should know, since I’ve fallen asleep on the thing a few times.”

“Very well,” Grace said slowly, rising from the bench. She didn’t touch him as she strolled by, not even with an inch of gown fabric, but the scent of rose soap, light and clean rather than a heavy, cloying cloud of perfume most ladies wore, teased his nose. All at once he wanted to unfasten her chignon and run his fingers through her blond curls to release more of the fragrance, lick every inch of her creamy skin to see how it tasted in different places.

What the fuck was wrong with him?

Sure, she was beautiful, but he knew hundreds of beautiful women, all infinitely more experienced and available.

He needed to pull himself together.

Fast.

…

She’d never felt so off-balance.

Forcing herself to move as though she was cool and calm, Grace made her way over to the chaise and sat down.

The more they had spoken on the pianoforte bench, the more comfortable she’d felt with Sin. When he started teasing her, her long-suppressed sense of the absurd positively twirled with glee. That the truly delicious man of countless daydreams was also able to make her laugh, well, she’d been about ready to climb onto his lap and beg him to let her stay. And for a moment he’d looked at her with such hunger, too, like he wanted to tear off her gown and do unspeakably good things to her body.

Then he’d backed away. No, not backed away, the third most infamous rake in London had practically flung himself across the room.

“So,” said Sin, dropping onto the other end of the chaise and resting his arm along the back, ensuring several feet remained between them. “Let us speak of mild scandals.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Am I truly that odious?”

“Excuse me?” he replied, shooting her an arrested glance.

“Any farther away and you’d be perched on the armrest. Although I imagine Lord Baxter would approve.”

Sin tilted his head, eyes glinting. “A mild scandal, you told me. I am merely practicing.”

“Ha!”