Dark Secret by Marina Anderson

things too awkward. I’d have to go and—’
    Lewis stood up and moved swiftly round the table to stand next to her. Then he drew her to her feet and tipped her chin up so that she was looking directly into his eyes. ‘I promise you, your work won’t be affected. Trust me, I know what I’m doing. I don’t want you to leave any more than you do. That won’t be a problem.’
    All the time he was speaking he was touching her. His hands were moving through her hair, smoothing her forehead, gentling her until she was leaning against him, her head on his chest, and she could feel his arousal clearly through his linen trousers.
    ‘Take this afternoon off,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘Rowena’s busy, you’ve worked all the morning, no one will mind. I want to make love to all of you, not just your feet. I want to touch you everywhere, to drive you mad with pleasure. Please, Harriet, let me do that.’
    Every word, every touch inflamed Harriet’s already clamouring senses until she knew that she was going to give in. It was what she’d wanted ever since she set eyes on him, and whatever the result she knew it would be worth it.
    ‘I’d like that,’ she said huskily.
    Without another word Lewis took her hand and led her up two flights of stairs to the second floor, where she’d never been before. There he drew her into his bedroom, closing and locking the bedroom door behind him to ensure total privacy.
    For a moment, as she saw the enormous bed, the piles of pillows and his discarded clothes scattered around the room, Harriet hesitated. This was a man more experienced than she could ever hope to be, a man who’d had countless women and would probably expect far more from her than she’d be able to give.
    ‘What is it? What’s the matter?’ he murmured, sensing her fear.
    ‘I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you,’ she said quietly.
    ‘You couldn’t,’ he assured her. ‘We’ll be perfect together, as long as you trust me. You do trust me, don’t you?’
    Harriet nodded.
    Watching from the adjoining room through a cleverly concealed peephole, Chris gave asmothered laugh and turned to his half-sister. ‘She trusts Lewis!’ he exclaimed. ‘Talk about an innocent. Aren’t you going to watch?’
    Rowena, who had a comfortable seat by another spyhole, nodded. ‘Of course, but I can’t be bothered with his chat-up lines. Tell me when the action starts.’
    ‘It’s starting,’ murmured Chris. ‘He’s about to undress her.’
    Totally unaware of the hidden watchers, Harriet felt Lewis’s hands unfastening the waistband of her skirt and as it fell to the floor she stepped out of it, grateful for the fact that she hadn’t, in the end, bothered to replace her tights earlier. She knew that her long legs were shown to advantage by the angled cut-away tops of her cream-coloured french knickers but was less certain as to how he would respond to the rest of her body.
    With infinite slowness, Lewis unbuttoned her blouse, peeling it back to expose the cream-coloured camisole top beneath. She wasn’t wearing a bra and he drew one of the thin silken straps off her left shoulder, but to her surprise did not remove the garment.
    ‘Keep it on,’ he murmured, ‘I prefer you like that.’
    All the time he was undressing her his hands had moved up and down her legs, back and stomach and now, as he lowered her carefully on to the bed, he sat at her feet and nibbled lightly at her calves and the sensitive skin behind her knees.
    Under his expert manipulation Harriet was encouraged to stretch out and give her body overto him. He didn’t seem to expect anything from her except acceptance. She saw him reach across to his bedside table and pour something from a bottle into one hand, and the next moment he was massaging jasmine-scented lotion into her abdomen with the palm of his hand.
    Harriet closed her eyes as the wonderful sensations swept over her.
    ‘No,’ he said firmly. ‘Look at me, I want to watch your