An Earl to Enchant (11 page)

Arianna pressed her body tightly against his, and her abdomen caressed the hardness of his lower body. It filled her with an anticipation she didn’t quite understand but wanted to. She only knew that no matter how close she got to him, it wasn’t close enough.

His lips left hers and kissed their way down her chin, over her jawline, and then he brought his tongue down the long sweep of her neck to where the ribbon of her bonnet lay at the base of her throat. With his teeth, he grabbed the ribbon and, with two or three quick pulls, the bonnet fluttered to the ground, and his lips found hers once more in a deep, satisfying kiss.

His hands slid beneath her cape. Arianna tingled deliciously when his hands touched her bare skin, and she trembled. He hesitated at first, but then his hands moved to the bare part of her back and then quickly around to her front again, where his thumb nestled in her navel and gently stroked back and forth, sending little shivers of desire spiraling through her.

“If you continue to do that, I think I might stop breathing, my lord.”

He chuckled quietly and continued his caresses. With his other hand, he brushed her cape away from her body.

He looked at her and smiled. “My name is Morgan, Arianna. Call me Morgan.”

She easily returned his smile. “Should we add my calling you Morgan to that long list of improprieties we talked about earlier?”

A half grin lifted one corner of his mouth. “Sometimes I think you know how much you tempt me, and then other times I feel you are a complete innocent and have no idea what you are doing.”

Arianna smiled and eased her head back. He kissed and tasted the hollow of her throat before letting his moist lips slip farther down to the swell of her breasts. Arianna gasped from surprise and pleasure. Her heartbeat jumped erratically, and her knees went weak. He brushed the fabric of the sari off her shoulder and let his hands skim across her chest.

The continued pleasure caused a clenching tightness low in her abdomen. She didn’t understand why she felt this way about this man. She only knew that being in his arms felt right, natural, and she didn’t want the feelings he was creating inside her to disappear.

His other hand slowly moved up her rib cage until his palm completely covered her breast. A small, involuntary moan slipped past her lips. With little effort, he found her nipple beneath the fine fabric of her tunic and rubbed it between his thumb and finger. She closed her eyes and gave herself up to the mind-numbing feeling of enjoying and being enjoyed by a man.

A tremor shook the earl’s body, and she realized he was as affected by these wonderful sensations as she was. That thrilled her as much as his touch.

“You should be wearing stays, Arianna, not this tempting sari.”

“They are very uncomfortable,” she whispered.

Arianna’s breaths became tiny gasps, and her arms tightened around him. As he continued the easy, unhurried stroking of her breast with one hand and her navel with the other, her fingers kneaded his back. He kissed his way from her chest up to her lips and back down her neck to her chest again.

She was dizzy with wanting more when, suddenly, she felt something wet and cold on her face. It was the first sprinkling of gentle rain. It cooled her heated skin and invaded her senses. She wanted the rain to go away. She wanted the heat of Morgan’s body, not the cooling drops to dampen what she was feeling.

The earl kissed the droplets of rain from her lips, from her cheeks, and from the hollow of her throat. She wanted to go on feeling forever what he was making her feel, but slowly, he withdrew from her.

He looked at her with regret shining in his startling blue eyes. He took hold of her arms and gently pulled them from around his back and stepped away from her.

Rejection stung, and her heartbeat slowed.

“The storm is coming in fast, Arianna,” he said. “We have to go now.”

“Why?” she asked, too dizzy from desire to comprehend. “Do you not like the way I kiss?”

“I assure you, kisses have nothing to do with our leaving. Getting drenched in a rainstorm is the last thing you need. I don’t want to do anything that could make your fever come back.”

She moistened her lips and swallowed hard. “Yes, of course you are right,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking clearly for a moment. I can’t get sick again and further delay my journey to London.”

“Arianna, you seem at times eager to get to London. Are you sure there isn’t something you aren’t telling me?” he asked while he took his gloves out of his pocket and put them on.

“Yes. No.” She blinked rapidly and quickly pulled her cape around her body. “I mean, about what?”

“About you. About London. Sometimes I get the feeling you aren’t telling me everything about yourself.”

“I’m sure it’s just that you have a curious nature about yourself,” she said, wiping raindrops from her cheek.

“Maybe.” He reached down and picked up her bonnet, placed it back on her head, and tied the ribbon under her chin for her. “And maybe not.”

Arianna remained silent. Did she owe him the whole truth? Perhaps. After all, he had taken her in and given her time to regain her strength. Maybe she owed him some of the truth. If he asked specific questions, she knew she wouldn’t lie to him.

Morgan untied Redmond and then swung into the saddle. She turned, and he picked her up and lifted her onto the front of the saddle in front of him the same as they rode before, but he said nothing else as he kicked Redmond in the sides and the horse took off at a canter.

Eight

My Dearest Grandson Lucas,

If you don’t remember anything else that I have sent you from Lord Chesterfield, remember this: “It is only the strength of our passions and the weakness of our reason that makes us so fond of life.”

Your loving Grandmother,

Lady Elder

It was a gloomy late afternoon, but Morgan hadn’t let the soggy air and gray skies dampen his spirits. Ever since he had kissed Arianna yesterday afternoon, he had been feeling like a young boy who couldn’t wait for a new day to begin so he could experience it. Before Arianna arrived, he was feeling unsettled, restless, but now he felt contented to be at Valleydale.

Had she caused this sudden change in him? And if so, how?

Morgan climbed onto the fence at the paddock and waited for his groom to saddle Master Brute and lead the animal over to him. If Arianna could get the high-strung stallion to let her rub him, then he could damn sure ride the rogue without being thrown off. Besides, the animal had seemed to be a bit calmer today as he had worked with the other horses, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Arianna’s soothing voice and gentle touch had anything to do with the change in the thoroughbred.

Perhaps she had precipitated the changes in the horse as well as Morgan’s better attitude.

He hadn’t seen Arianna since their fast ride back to the house in the rain. He had sent her immediately up to her room to get out of her wet clothing, and she never came back down. He had remained in the drawing room the rest of the evening, hoping she might venture below stairs again, but that hadn’t happened. Before he headed to the stables earlier in the day, he had inquired of her to Mrs. Post. His housekeeper said she was well, and the fever had not returned.

She had looked healthier than she had the last time he saw her, which must have been at least three days before. The circles under her eyes weren’t nearly so large or so dark. He couldn’t tell that she had put on any weight yet, but Mrs. Post had assured him she was eating a little.

But just because he hadn’t seen her again last night, it didn’t mean he hadn’t thought about her. Sleep had been almost impossible. He kept seeing her long, beautiful legs as they rode the horse, the pressing of her firm hip against his hardness on the wild ride to the house. He loved the feel of her arms around his waist and the caress of her hair as the wind blew a strand across his face. He didn’t know why he hadn’t considered, sitting as they were, that her hip would be jammed tight against him.

And when he had held her so close, caressed her bare skin, kissed her soft lips, it had been sweet torture not to continue and take his pleasure.

But what he couldn’t figure out was what she was doing wearing such clothing, especially outside her bedchamber, where anyone in the house or on the grounds of the estate could see her. Didn’t she know the appeal she had without adding the revealing sari or whatever the hell it was she called the fabric she had draped about her body? And what was he doing trying to be so circumspect around a young lady who obviously didn’t mind flaunting convention?

What confounded him more than anything was the fact that since she had been at Valleydale, he had not had that restless feeling of needing to go back to the busy streets of London. He had been quite satisfied here. And it wasn’t even that he’d seen that much of her. She spent most of the time in her room, but he knew she was in his house, and that made all the difference.

No doubt the reason Arianna was so tempting to him was because it had been weeks since he’d been with a woman, and his body was so eager. More than once he had chided himself for sending Miss Goodbody away. He should have set her up in the guest cottage on the hill that overlooked the sea and visited her there for what he had so dearly paid for.

Why had he felt the need to send her away? Yes, it was the proper thing to do, but why had he felt compelled to protect Arianna’s sensibilities? Obviously, she felt no compunction at scandal. She had accepted his kisses and caresses with eagerness and melted into his arms like she belonged there. She was a mystery to him, and the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to spend time with her.

But he was wise enough to know that Miss Sweet was an innocent. She was untouched—of that he was sure. A woman couldn’t fake her first taste of desire. She had to experience it first in order to know how to replicate it.

He smiled just thinking about the soft, feminine sounds she made when he kissed her neck, throat, and chest. It pleased him that he had shown her how a few simple kisses could make her feel, but he would have to make sure he never did it again. And that shouldn’t be too difficult. The morning’s mail had brought a note from Constance, saying that she should reach Valleydale within a day or two. Once she arrived, the plans would be set to take Arianna to London, but for some reason that thought didn’t bring him the peace of mind that it should.

But until Constance arrived, Morgan would have Arianna all to himself, and already he had convinced himself to ask her to have dinner with him tonight. It was improper to say the least, but what the hell did propriety matter after their intimate encounter yesterday? He had kissed her so thoroughly that if that hadn’t compromised her reputation beyond repair at that point, sitting across the dinner table from each other for an evening meal surely wouldn’t.

The snort and whinny of the stallion brought Morgan out of his reverie, and he turned his attention to the horse. As the groom led the horse up to the fence where Morgan waited, the animal tossed his head, snorted, and tried to back up.

“I hear your warning, Master Brute, and I’m ignoring it,” Morgan said to the jittery horse. “I’m riding you today.”

Morgan stood up on the second rung of the fence and took the reins. He threw his leg over the horse and quickly settled his weight into the saddle. The chestnut started bucking, snorting, and stomping. He reared back on his hind legs, twisted, and changed direction. A second later, Morgan landed on the ground with a swoosh and a grunt.

The groom caught the bucking horse and led him away. Morgan moaned and stood up, brushing dirt from his breeches. Suddenly, out of the quietness, he heard clapping, whistling, and cheers. He glanced in the direction of the commotion and saw his two cousins, Race and Blake, sitting on their horses a short distance away, laughing.

His first thought was one of exhilaration. He was damned glad to see them, but his second thought was “bloody hell.” What the devil were they doing riding up to Valleydale without letting him know they were coming? Under normal circumstances he would welcome them, but Arianna was with him. And he didn’t want them here while she was in his house.

Would they understand that she was ill and he had to offer her shelter? Probably not, especially now that she no longer looked as unwell as she had the night she arrived.

Was there a chance they had heard about Arianna? Maybe Saint had talked to Miss Goodbody, and she had mentioned there was a lady with him.

No, his solicitor would never tell anyone, including his cousins, anything about his business. So what were they doing here, and if they hadn’t heard about Miss Sweet, how was he going to keep them from knowing there was a tempting young lady living in his house?

There was a catch in his hip from where he fell as he walked up to the fence and leaned his forearms on the top rung.

Morgan grinned at his cousins and asked, “What the devil are you two blackguards doing here?”

“We came to see you, of course,” Blake said as he dismounted.

“Yes,” Race added, jumping down from his horse. “It was good of you to put on an excellent show for us. I think that stallion just convinced you that you will not sit atop his back until he is ready.”

Morgan watched the two tall, impressive-looking men walking their horses toward him. Arianna aside, he was happy to see them. He’d always gotten along well with them. They all had their strengths and weaknesses, and when necessary, they were always united. In their younger years, there were times rivalries surfaced when one would try to best the others in shooting, racing, fencing, or the attention of a young miss, but they never forgot they were family.

For a moment, Morgan wondered if they had come because something was wrong, but he quickly dismissed that idea. They wouldn’t have been clapping and acting so jovial if that were the case.

Could it possibly be that they had come just to see him? It had been more than two months since he’d been in London. But no, he concluded. They had a reason for coming, and it must be a damned good reason to have persuaded them to leave their wives to make the long ride to Valleydale.

Despite the pain in his hip, with the ease of having done it many times, Morgan climbed the first two rungs of the fence and then jumped over it to land in front of his cousins, stifling a grunt as his feet hit the ground. He hugged first Blake, the taller of the two by maybe an inch, and then Race, who had the darker hair and eyes.

“Tell me,” Morgan asked as he took off his riding hat and tossed it over a fence post. “How are Henrietta and Susannah?”

“Henrietta is beautiful, happy, and getting ready for a holiday,” Blake said. “We’re going up to Blakewell for a couple of months.”

“That sounds like the thing to do. Suffolk is nice this time of year, and I’m told that traveling usually makes wives happy.”

“Yes. Henrietta hasn’t seen our home there, so this seemed a good time to make the journey.”

Morgan looked at Race and started peeling off his brown riding gloves. “How about you and Susannah?”

“Couldn’t be better. Henrietta is helping Susannah get to know everyone in Town, and she is fitting in quite well.”

“Good, and her mother?”

“Much better than when you left London. With the help of a new tonic, her mother’s health has improved enough that she will be leaving London at the end of the week. Susannah has tried to persuade her to say she’ll eventually move back to London, but there’s been no commitment from her as of yet. And, we will be accompanying Blake and Henrietta on the trip up to Blakewell. We leave sometime next week.”

Morgan stuffed his gloves into his coat pocket and looked from one to the other, still trying to figure out why they had come. They could have told him by letter or messenger that they were going away. He hoped they were not going to try to persuade him into going with them to Blakewell. There was no way in hell that was going to happen.

“Splendid,” Morgan said. “I’m sure you will both enjoy the time and your wives, as well. I’ll look forward to hearing all about it when you return from Suffolk and I return to London.”

“Well, that is sort of what we wanted to talk to you about,” Blake said, taking off his gloves.

“No,” Morgan answered.

“No?” Race said. “What’s this? We haven’t asked you anything yet. How can you say no?”

“You don’t have to ask. Whatever the reason you are here, the answer is no.”

“Morgan, don’t be devilish about this. At least let us ask the question before you answer.”

“No,” he said again. “I’m not going with you to Blakewell. No, I’m not going to meet anyone’s daughter or cousin or niece. No, I don’t care that she’s the most beautiful young lady in all of England. The answer is still no, no, and hell no.”

Race and Blake looked at each other and laughed.

Morgan’s irritation grew. This was the first time he could ever remember not wanting his cousins around. It was an odd feeling. Since he’d received the letter from Constance, he realized he had at most two more days with Arianna before Constance arrived. And he didn’t like the fact that he would now be having dinner with his cousins tonight rather than Arianna.

“All right,” Blake said. “We’ll accept your answers to all of the questions we had no intention of asking.”

That gave Morgan an uneasy feeling. His gaze darted from Race’s eyes to Blake’s. His cousins were suddenly too quiet as they stuffed their riding gloves into the leather pouches on their saddles.

Morgan combed his hair back with his hand, willing himself to ease the jittery feeling in his stomach and relax.

“Something is telling me that the two of you did not ride all the way out here just to say hello or to tell me you are heading to Blakewell; so what is going on?”

“What’s this?” Blake asked, holding out his hands as if he didn’t understand. “You don’t think we would come out here just to see you?”

“With no other purpose in mind?” Race added.

“That’s right, I don’t,” Morgan said honestly as he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the tension that had settled there.