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"What are you doing?" he asked with amazement.
"Nothing," she said, straightening quickly. Suzette then continued with her argument, pointing out, "You need a rich wife to gain the money to repair your estate and lands, and I have that money. And I need a husband willing to allow me access to some of my dower to pay off my father's debts and . . ." She hesitated and bit her lip, worried this next part might be an issue, but really she would have to bring it up eventually if she stuck to her plan so plunged on, "And I should like an agreement stating that I may live my own life."
Daniel raised his eyebrows at that. "What exactly does that mean?"
"Well," Suzette said slowly, drawing out the word as she tried to find the words to explain exactly what she did want. The truth was she wasn't sure what she meant by it, except that she didn't want to be stuck having to put up with a nasty, critical husband who would pick at her and make her miserable for the next forty years or so. Sighing, she said, "I suppose it means that I will be free to travel with my maid, or to live in the country while you are in town, or I may live in town while you are in the country if I wish. I mean if I find your company . . . er . . . unpleasant."
"I see," Daniel said dryly. "And if we are always apart, how exactly are we to gain heirs?"
"Oh." Suzette flushed. "Well, I suppose we could arrange for occasional visits for . . . er . . . procreative purposes."
"Occasional visits for procreative purposes?" he echoed with disbelief, and then muttered dryly, "My, how scintillating that sounds."
Suzette frowned, for really it did sound rather cold, nothing like the passionate delirium she had read about in one of Lisa's novels. But then, truthfully, she simply couldn't fathom the ecstasies described in that book. She'd never even been kissed and what if she didn't enjoy his kisses? Just because he didn't have bad breath didn't mean she would enjoy these visits she spoke of so boldly. Coming to a decision, she straightened abruptly, and said, "We must kiss."
That caught his attention and he asked with amazement, "What?"
"Well, we should see if we would deal well together in . . . er . . . that regard," she muttered, blushing hotly. Swallowing, she forced herself to add firmly, "You should kiss me. Then we will know."
"My dear young lady," Daniel began seeming half amused and half horrified, "I really do not think--"
"Oh, for pity's sake," Suzette interrupted impatiently, and then leaned forward again, this time pressing her lips to his. In her rush to get it over with, she lost her balance a bit and had to catch a hold of his jacket to steady herself as she smooshed her mouth against his. She then waited for the warm and wonderful commotion she'd read about to assault her. Unfortunately, there wasn't any commotion. Really this was no more exciting than pressing her mouth to a cup, Suzette thought with dismay, and released him to sit back again with a most disappointed sigh. "Oh dear, I fear you're no good at this."
"Excuse me? I am no good at this?" Daniel asked with amazed disbelief. "My dear girl, if you think that was a kiss--"
"Do stop calling me a girl," Suzette snapped a bit impatiently and got to her feet, too agitated now to sit. "You sound like you're old enough to be my father and you aren't quite that old."
"Not quite that old? For pity's sake! What a charmer you are," he said with irritation, and then stood up as well and informed her with some dignity, "That was not a proper kiss."
"Well if you are such an expert, why do you not show me how to do it right?" she suggested, glowering with frustration at this turn of events. She had started to like the man once she'd realized that he wasn't Dicky's friend and had intervened simply to prevent the encounter from becoming fodder for gossips. And then her hopes had risen as she'd realized he was in need of a rich bride. However, that kiss had been so disappointing, she--
Her thoughts died on a gasp of surprise as Daniel suddenly answered her challenge, pulled her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. He certainly did do it differently to how she had. His lips did cover hers, but not quite so firmly. Instead, they moved over hers in a caress as light as a butterfly's wings, just brushing the surface in a sideways motion that stirred her interest. That interest only grew when he then nipped at her lower lip, drawing it between his own and suckling lightly in a way that sent little tingles through the soft flesh. His tongue came into play next, sliding out to run along her lips, and then before she quite knew what was happening, it had slipped past them, pushing its way gently yet firmly into her mouth so that her taste buds were suddenly assaulted by a wholly unfamiliar, yet not unpleasant flavor as he lashed her tongue with his own.
Daniel's hands had been still to this point, but now they suddenly began to move as well, molding her body to his as he invaded her, adding other sensations to the riot of strange feelings he was coaxing from her with his tongue.
Suzette released a little sigh of mingled relief and pleasure into his mouth, her hands creeping up around his neck of their own accord now as the most amazing feelings washed through her. She had the strangest urge to pull him closer and yet she was sure their bodies were already as close as they could possibly get. Suzette also had the strange yet irresistible urge to stretch her body, as if just awaking from a long slumber. Giving in to the temptation, she did so, moaning softly as she found that perhaps they hadn't been as close as she'd thought. The arching and stretching bore her upper body back, forcing him to curve over her to continue the kiss, but it also pressed her hips firmly against him, bringing on a new assault of sensation to join the others.
Now Suzette thought she understood about that warm and wonderful commotion she'd read about. Certainly, she was experiencing a warmth that seemed to be pooling between her legs like liquid heat and spreading outward, and it did feel wonderful as his mouth continued to slant over hers, his tongue lashing her and exploring with a delightful thoroughness.
It was the sound of voices that forced them to end the kiss. Though, truthfully, Suzette was deaf to the voices and even had she heard them would have happily ignored the sound and risked her reputation to continue kissing. However, Daniel appeared to retain more sense than her and broke the kiss to set her firmly away.
"We should return to the ball," he said gruffly, taking her arm to urge her back along the path.
Suzette went docilely at first, still too overset by their kiss to think clearly. She walked silently along, unable to resist running her tongue over her still tingling lips and thinking that those visits for procreation purposes shouldn't be a problem at all. The next thought to strike her, however, was that he hadn't actually agreed to marrying her . . . or anything else.
Frowning, she slowed, and asked, "Are you going to marry me?"
The question brought an immediate frown to his own lips and he muttered, "This is highly irregular, my lady."
"Yes it is," she agreed solemnly. "And if it is too irregular for
you, please say so now so that I can move on to finding someone else tonight."
That made him halt abruptly. "Finding someone else? Tonight?"
"I did tell you I only had the two nights to find an acceptable and amenable husband," she pointed out quietly. "However, now that Dicky isn't dead, that might change things. He could very well prevent our attending the Hammonds' ball tomorrow night so I really need to sort it all out tonight if I can. So if you are not willing to accept my proposal, I need to approach someone else." Suzette glanced toward the lighted windows ahead and murmured, "I wonder if Danvers would forgive my eschewing our dance and--"
"I shall convince Rich--Dicky to allow you to attend the ball at the Hammonds' tomorrow night," Daniel interrupted grimly.
She glanced to him with surprise. "Do you think you could? I mean, he doesn't appear to listen to anyone, and--"
"He will listen to me," Daniel assured her firmly. "That gives you another night."
"Yes. Thank you." Suzette smiled, her shoulders relaxing a little, and then she said, "Well, that gives me a little more time I suppose. Still, if you are not interested, then I really should go in and start looking for other prospective--"
"No."
Suzette blinked at him in surprise when he blurted the word. "No?"
"I--" Daniel frowned and glanced away and then shook his head. "Just don't-- Give me a night to-- This is all so sudden. I-- Just wait one night before you make the offer to someone else."
Suzette hesitated, but then shook her head. "My lord, this is--"
Her words died abruptly, smothered by his mouth as he kissed her again. This time it was neither slow nor gentle. There was no butterfly caress, no sweet nipping at her lip. His mouth was firm on hers, and his tongue thrust past her lips, forcing them open with a swiftness that quite left her breathless. That breathlessness merely deepened as he pulled her into his arms.
