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“You need to get married. And fast.”
Bridget closed her eyes and shook her head. “I told you. I will not marry Davenport.”
“Not Davenport. I would never allow that. You will marry me.”
…
Bridget’s jaw dropped at Cam’s casual announcement that she would marry him. “I believe all of this excitement has wreaked havoc with my hearing. I thought you said I would marry you.”
“That is precisely what I said.”
She continued to stare at him, looking for a smile that would tell her this was a joke. When he said nothing further, she stated, “Thank you for the offer, my lord, but I fear I must refuse. Now if you will excuse me, I will return to sleep and hopefully, we can make our way back to London tomorrow.”
“Oh, no, Lady Bridget. You can’t dismiss my offer so blithely. The minute Lady Ambrose’s feet hit the ground in London you are ruined. Not just a little ‘mistake’ such as allowing a kiss in the moonlight, but flat-out major ruin that will affect the rest of your life.”
“Nonsense. No one cares about a Scottish lass who has only just arrived in London and is a nobody.” She tossed her falling-down hair over her shoulder as an attempt to appear unmoved by the situation. Of course she knew she was in trouble, but she would not marry for that reason. Even if her attraction to Cam was strong. Incredibly strong.
“Wrong again.” He took her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. “Not only will your reputation be in shreds, which will prevent you from making any sort of suitable match, or even being accepted in ladies’ parlors, but my reputation as your guardian will be besmirched in a way that will call my honor into question.”
“And prevent you from making a suitable match, also?”
He hesitated. “Yes.”
She huffed. “You told me more than once that you had no intention of marrying…ever.”
“Suppose I change my mind. In fact, I did change my mind. I just proposed to you.”
Bridget leaned back, the air between them too heavy for her to take a deep breath. Why was he sitting on her bed, anyway? Wasn’t that more of a scandal than Davenport’s scheme? She was suddenly aware of the darkness of the room, the closed door, the bed they sat on, and how close their bodies were on said bed.
Her heart sped up, and her breathing increased. “That was no proposal.” Lord, even her voice had turned deep and raspy. “You simply stated that I would marry you.”
“Very well. Then a proper proposal. Will you make me the happiest of men and consent to be my wife?”
“Do you realize you look as though you just tasted something nasty?”
Instead of taking the bait for an argument, he cupped the back of her neck and pulled her forward. His head descended, and he touched his soft, warm lips to hers.
Big mistake.
She melted against him, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her entire body flush against his. Warm, hard, his heart beating as fast as hers. Her hands slid up his chest to encircle his neck. She moved her fingers forward and with a slight tug, untied his cravat.
Cam’s lips pulled away from her mouth, and he scattered kisses on her jawline. “Say yes.”
She shook her head, unable to form a coherent response. His hand moved down from her neck and brushed across her neckline. He dipped his finger into the edge of her gown, sliding it along, going deeper until the tip of his finger touched her very sensitive nipple. She drew in a breath at the sensations that ran through her body. With a quick tug, he pulled the gown from her shoulders, exposing her chemise and stays. Another quick move and the chemise was pulled from her breasts. His hands molded the flesh, his thumb flicking over her beaded nipples.
“Umm, that feels so good.” She threw her head back and pushed her body closer to his.
She whimpered when his hands left her breasts and moved behind her. Within seconds her stays loosened and fell to her lap. The man was an artist in seducing and undressing women.
“Let’s get these things out of the way.” He pushed all her garments to her waist. “Lift up.”
As if completely in his power, she shifted, and he pulled her stays, chemise, petticoat, and gown down her legs and off, dropping them on the floor. The innkeeper’s wife had already removed her half boots, so Bridget was left with only her stockings and the pink ribbons holding them up.
Cam smoothed his hand down her body, over her curves, resting on the top of her thigh. “So beautiful.”
His hand wrapped around her waist, and he drew her to him. Unclothed and pressing up against his fully clothed, strong body brought a new sensation to her already over-sensitized skin. His lips covered hers again, and he nudged with his tongue to make her open to him.
The only sounds in the room were their slight moans and shallow breaths as he caressed her body. He pulled back and stood, leaving her cold and confused.
