Darker Than Love by Kristina Lloyd Page A

learn.’
    Then, once again, the liquid heat of her mouth engulfed him. With a practised caress, she sucked him quickly back to the border of his crisis. Gabriel felt his semen rising, clamouring to be unleashed. Then he felt the shock of cool, empty air on his straining length.
    ‘Curse you,’ he hissed, clutching at Lucy’s thick golden curls. His penis, painfully hard with thwarted desire, butted at the closure of her lips. He would have his satisfaction. ‘Dinner would be delightful,’ he snapped, then he was driving urgently into her pliant, open mouth. He crushed her head into his loins, his hips pumping furiously.
    He gasped as the liquor of his release coursed along his shaft and, with a triumphant snarl, he spent his pleasure. His seed jetted over Lucy’s searching tongue and she drank deeply.
    Gabriel sighed in a long breath and placed his massaging hands on her shoulders. ‘If you could teach your cousin such tricks,’ he said, ‘then perhaps this business would hold a little more appeal.’
    Lucy drew back and smiled. ‘Oh, I’m sure you’ll be a much better tutor,’ she replied.
    ‘Dinner,’ he said firmly. ‘That was my promise. Nothing more.’
    Lucy shrugged and rose to her feet. ‘There really isn’t much more,’ she said, brushing at her skirt. ‘But, once you meet her, I’m quite certain you’ll want more. A lot more.’
    Gabriel grunted his doubtfulness and buttoned up his flies.
    ‘There is one small thing though,’ continued Lucy, her voice hesitant and unsure. ‘If you should take it upon yourself to try and woo her, please tread carefully. It’sreally her mind – rather than her legs – I want you to open. Well, not quite, but –’ She paused and looked at him, guilty and awkward.
    With a measured gaze, Gabriel watched her toying with her wedding ring. ‘I’m intrigued,’ he said flatly. ‘You, a woman quite adept at lies and deception, are plainly hiding something. What is it?’
    Lucy inhaled deeply. ‘Well,’ she began, clasping her hands before her, ‘my cousin is shortly to be married and –’
    ‘And she must go virgin to the altar?’ he interrupted. ‘I see no problem there, particularly since I’ve agreed only to dinner. Who’s the lucky groom? Anyone we know?’
    Lucy cleared her throat and smiled weakly. ‘Lord Marldon,’ she said.
    Incredulous, Gabriel stared at her. But, before he could utter a sound, Lucy silenced him with an outpouring of desperate persuasion. ‘But it need not be a problem. Marldon has yet to arrive. Why, he won’t visit London for several weeks. No one will know of it, I give you my word. You could –’
    ‘You expect me,’ said Gabriel crisply, ‘to attend your dinner? With a view to romancing Marldon’s bride-to-be? You must take me for a fool, Lucy.’ He walked away and tugged on the bell-rope. ‘Would you care for some tea? It might help restore your sanity.’
    ‘Please listen, Gabriel,’ she protested.
    ‘Absolutely not,’ he said curtly. ‘Not dinner, not dominoes. Not anything.’
    ‘But you made a promise,’ she whined, plaintively wringing her hands.
    ‘And I’ve just broken it,’ he replied. ‘Rather that than my neck.’
    Lucy’s drawing room was furnished with an abundance of little tables, tasselled footstools and trailing ferns. Nearly every surface was draped in sumptuous, glowingfabrics, and the walls, papered in delicate florals, were covered with paintings and photographs. There were far too many to count. Clarissa knew; she’d tried.
    She sat on the plumply stuffed chesterfield, her hands folded demurely in her lap. Mrs Singleton wouldn’t be long, the maid had said. And she’d expressly asked that, if a Miss Longleigh were ever to call, refreshments should be served until her return. Unless of course, Miss Longleigh had a pressing engagement.
    Clarissa had no such thing. Oh, Lady So-and-So was holding an at-home, and Mrs Barchester was receiving guests between the hours of two and