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She stirred and delicately yawned. The memories of their loving swirled in her gaze, and her mouth curved in a small smile. “Who knew,” she murmured, her gray eyes glittering with soft humor and satiation.
And he understood. He’d had lovers before, but none had ever awakened this desire inside him. At one point in the night, he’d seen the stunned lust in her eyes and marveled at how she cried out and broke apart beneath him. “I didn’t.”
Her eyes widened. “You didn’t?
“No.”
“Are we talking about the same thing, my lord?”
Yes. “You are beautiful.”
She laughed, the sound light and airy. Alexander wished he’d seen her the first time he’d taken her last night—her face suffused with desire, her head tilted back in glorious ecstasy, her golden hair spread about on the pillows. She sat up in the bed, wincing and concern curled through him. “Did I hurt you?”
A rosy flush bloomed in her cheeks, and her lashes lowered briefly, hiding her lovely, expressive eyes. “No.”
Reaching out, he placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face up. “Are you certain?”
“It is not anything a warm restorative bath won’t cure.”
Unexpectedly she leaned forward and pressed a light kiss against his mouth. Every muscle in his body knotted with need, and he almost barked at his limp cock to stay down as desire stirred.
“I must go,” she whispered, drawing away from him. “Thank you for a wonderful night, Alexander.”
The viscountess scooted from the bed, peering at her tattered nightgown on the carpet. She hurried to the armoire, selected one of his shirts, and drew it on, quickly buttoning it. The garment dwarfed her frame, but to him, she looked mouth-wateringly lovely.
Alexander climbed from the bed and tugged on his trousers. “I shall escort you to your chambers.”
Her expression softened with a sweet smile, and she nodded. She opened the door and checked the hallways before slipping from the room. He followed, padding behind her, as she gracefully hastened toward her chambers. She opened the door and entered her room, turning around to peer up at him.
“The men have planned fishing on the lake,” he said abruptly. “Perhaps afterward we might…take a stroll on the lawns.”
He could not explain where that suggestion came from, but he wanted to see her again. Her eyes widened, and a look of uncertainty touched in her gaze. “I thought you only took a lover once.”
Bloody hell.“I wasn’t planning on tupping you during our stroll. I simply thought…” What the hell was he thinking? What did he want from her, truly? Unable to provide an answer even to himself, he stared at her for several moments with a frown. “It was only for conversation.”
Surprise and then caution flared in her eyes, and unexpectedly Alexander felt like a damn fool. He took a deep breath and shoved his hand through his hair. “Sleep well, viscountess.” Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to the bridge of her nose, startling himself by his uncharacteristic action.
Alexander walked away, wondering why he felt as if this one encounter had upended his entire world.
CHAPTERSIX
Lucinda fled several hours later, her carriage driving all the way back to town. She was irritated with herself, but it felt imperative to be away from Lord Chisholm. Somehow it felt like once he was around, it was impossible to breathe or think coherently. He was not a man who seemed to believe in any sort of lasting dalliance, so what use was it to allow her senses to be drowned by him? She did not like that feeling and had felt an immediate need to erect a barrier between them. Lucinda had suffered enough disappointment in her lifetime, and one encounter with the earl was enough.Surelyit was enough. Loathing that she even wondered that, she had simply packed her belongings and apologized to Lady Cashmere for leaving early.
Several gentlemen had gone fishing on the large lake teeming with fish, and she had left a note for Lord Raymore, telling him she had to return to town while thanking him for his charming company. She had left no note for Lord Chisholm, not that she hadn’t tried. She had given up on that endeavor after wadding up her fifth attempt at a letter and tossing it into the wastebasket. They owed each other nothing, and she had simply tried to dismiss him from her awareness afterward.
The journey from Kent to town had not been long, and she had arrived at 48 Berkeley Square more than an hour ago. Theodosia was introducing two new members to the club's amenities, and Lucinda had taken the time to read over a few investment reports that had come in while she had been at the house party. Dear heavens, she had tried, but it was futile. With a groan, she lowered her head to the desk.Why am I still thinking about the earl? The wrong damn earl.
“You are back early.”
She lifted her head to stare at Theo, who sauntered into the room, an unusual glow about her. “I could not stay,” she whispered. “And I ran. I am not ashamed to admit it. Also, the dare was completed.”And it destroyed something in me and reshaped in equal measure.
“Oh, dear,” Theo said, her eyes widening. “I have never seen you appear so out of sorts in all the years we have been friends. Was the earlthatwonderful?”
“I climbed into the wrong bed.”
Theo stopped as if she had slammed into a wall. “Thewrongbed?”
Her voice came up as a shocked, unflattering squeak that pulled a smile from Lucinda. “Yes.”
