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Suddenly, he looked up, staring her straight in the eye. He didn’t release his hold on her ankle. In fact, she felt it tighten, encircling it. Almost as if he was claiming possession of it.
She felt dizzy. Lightheaded. Her mouth went dry.
“Tell me,” he said in a low, husky voice. “Tell me about the gentleman you have been dancing with the entire night.”
Jane’s eyes widened. She hadn’t been expecting that.
“You mean Charles?” Her voice came out as a squeak. “He is an old friend of mine. We grew up next door to one another. I have not seen him in a while, which is why we have been talking and dancing so much.”
“I see,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “There is nothing more to it? You did not lie to me yesterday when you told me that you had never been in love?”
Jane laughed outright. The question was so unexpected and ridiculous that she was shocked. But underneath that, she felt a small kernel of anger. Why was he speaking to her in this brusque tone, and why was he accusing her of lying?
“I am not a liar,” she said, her face burning. “I resent that you have said such a thing to me. And besides, my friendships are none of your business, my lord.” She drew a deep, ragged breath. “I thank you for fixing my slipper. But will you please let go of my foot now?”
He kept staring at her. To her shock, he didn’t let go of her ankle. Instead, she watched in alarm as his hand slipped up her leg, just as she had been imagining.
His touch was like fire, sending shivers throughout her body. Her lips parted, and her pupils dilated. A warm wetness seeped out of the very core of her, and she felt her nipples harden. It was so disturbing that she didn’t know what to do. It was as if she were in the grip of a spell, unable to break free.
“Do you like me doing that to you?” he whispered, his voice husky. “I can see that you do.”
“No,” she whispered, her heart pounding so hard she could barely hear herself talk. “You are being highly inappropriate, my lord. You are compromising me. I must insist you release me, before anyone sees this....”
Desperately, she tried to pull her leg away. He held her firmly for a moment before he suddenly shook himself, as if he was coming to his senses. Quickly, he released her leg, standing up.
Jane was shaking, but she stood up as well. They stared at each other. His dark eyes were inscrutable. Without another word between them, she fled down the path, not looking back. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.
Once safely in the house again, she found a secluded spot and sagged against the wall. She still could barely breathe. What had just happened?
She knew that something had. Something significant. Something that she could never undo between them. It was as if he were claiming her in some strange way.
She had seen the hunger in his eyes as he held her leg, his desire to slide his hand higher still. She had heard his ragged, uneven breath. Instinctively, she knew he wanted her in the way that a man wanted a woman. She had never experienced such need before—had never seen such naked desire in a man’s eyes, nor felt it in his touch—and yet, she knew it for what it was, because she felt exactly the same way towards him.
The trembling started anew. She simply didn’t know what to do with this deepening connection between them. He had asked her bluntly if she liked what he was doing to her, and she could not answer him. How could she admit it? How could she indulge it when she was so committed to keeping her vow to her mother?
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her thudding heart. Just because he desired her, nothing had changed. She still could never marry. And she knew that while he might desire her, love and desire were sometimes two separate things entirely. He had told her he wanted to marry for convenience, not love. And she could never live her life with a man who did not hold such deep feelings for her…when she had such deep feelings for him.
Tears sprang into her eyes. Yes, she could finally admit it to herself. It had been slowly building ever since they had met, despite how hard she had fought it. And it would kill her to marry a man who could never love her. It would be like her parents’ marriage all over again.
Another doomed partnership where one person could never reciprocate the feelings of the other, causing nothing but pain and torment. It was just as well she had made that vow to her mother. It wasn’t just academic any longer. It was protection.
***
Percy walked back into the house, searching for her. He couldn’t see her anywhere. His hands were shaking, and he felt so unsettled that it was like he was jumping out of his skin.
He cursed underneath his breath. He hadn’t been intending what had just happened. He had seen her leave the house and instinctively followed her. He had told himself that he just wanted to speak to her, to ask her directly if there was anything between her and her friend Crawford, but the whole situation had just gotten away from him.
He shuddered. He could still feel her ankle and leg beneath his touch. The silkiness of her stockings. The way that her cheeks had flushed, and her eyes darkened. He recognised the signs of desire in her even if she didn’t.
And then, his gaze had instinctively drifted to the bodice of her gown, seeking out the creamy swell of her breasts spilling over the top of it. He knew her nipples were hard beneath the silk, and he had ached to touch them, to roll them beneath his fingers, to watch her reaction as he dipped his head and took one deep into his mouth….
He was so engrossed in his fantasy that he didn’t see the man approaching until it was too late. Percy walked straight into him. He cursed softly again, straightening.
“I do apologise,” he said hastily.
It took a moment before he realised who he had bumped into. It was Lady Jane’s friend, Mr Charles Crawford. The man who had been driving him slightly crazy, thinking that she loved him.
The man smiled. “It happens! No damage done.” He looked distracted. “I am sorry, I must dash. I am searching for a friend. I am getting a bit worried about her. She said she would only be gone a moment, and yet twenty have passed.”
