took a deep breath as a pang of yearning settled in her heart. He was going to do the honourable thing and offer to marry her, but that was the last thing she wanted. Not like this, out of a sense of obligation on his part. She smiled at him, hoping it didn’t appear as false as it felt.
“We can revisit this conversation if I am carrying a child, but until that time there is no need for sacrifices.”
He frowned at her words, but she was relieved when he didn’t pursue the subject.
“It is late,” she said with regret. “I should return home before my aunt discovers I am gone.”
She rose to a sitting position, angling away so her back was to Richard. Her clothes were in a pile several feet away and she could only stare at them as she tried to work up the courage to stand and retrieve them. After what she and Richard had shared, she knew it was ridiculous that she should now be embarrassed about her state of undress, but the courage that had brought her there that night seemed to have deserted her.
He rose up behind her and placed a kiss on her shoulder. She leant back into his warmth with a contented sigh when he brought his hands around to cup her breasts and began to play with them. She moaned when he tweaked her nipples and she felt the undeniable evidence of his renewed arousal against her backside.
“Damn,” he said, stopping with obvious reluctance and bringing his hands down to her waist. “What am I thinking? You’ll be too sore to make love again.”
She felt a surge of disappointment when he released her, but the dull ache between her legs gave credence to his words. She admired the way his lean muscles shifted as he stood and went to retrieve their clothing. They dressed in silence.
Richard was quiet on the carriage ride back to her house. She tried to imagine what he was thinking, but he gave no indication. It was now late enough that she didn’t fear being seen, but Richard was cautious, stopping a few houses away and instructing his driver to wait for him down the street. He walked with her to the servant’s entrance, which she’d left open when she’d slipped out earlier, and when she turned to say goodbye there was a dark intensity in his expression that made her breath catch.
“I want to see you again. Tomorrow.”
She touched a hand to his cheek. “Send word to me through my maid where and when, and I will be there.”
She leant forward to press her mouth against his. She’d meant the kiss to be a quick peck goodbye, but he wrapped his arms around her waist and crushed her to him. His mouth plundered hers with a renewed hunger that almost made her forget where they were.
“Tomorrow,” she said, finally managing to pull back.
He remained silent, but the heated look in his eyes before she turned away and slid quietly into the house told her he was feeling the same thing she was.
Tomorrow night could not come soon enough.
Chapter Five
The next few weeks were the happiest of Sophie’s life. She played the dutiful niece during the day, and she and Richard acted the part of polite acquaintances in public. In private, however, it was a completely different matter. With the assistance of her maid, Sophie managed to sneak out of the house undetected most nights after Aunt Jane had gone to bed. There were also those delicious stolen moments during the various entertainments they attended in the evenings.
It didn’t take long for word to spread that Henry Hearst had given up his courtship of Sophie, and the suitors who had previously been turned away by Aunt Jane as unsuitable were back in full force. Once again, her aunt tried to direct her as to whom to encourage and whom to let down, but Sophie wasn’t comfortable encouraging anyone’s attention while she and Richard were lovers. She put off the decision, which had the perverse effect of making her more sought after than before.
Richard made no secret of how much he hated having to watch her dance with and
“We can revisit this conversation if I am carrying a child, but until that time there is no need for sacrifices.”
He frowned at her words, but she was relieved when he didn’t pursue the subject.
“It is late,” she said with regret. “I should return home before my aunt discovers I am gone.”
She rose to a sitting position, angling away so her back was to Richard. Her clothes were in a pile several feet away and she could only stare at them as she tried to work up the courage to stand and retrieve them. After what she and Richard had shared, she knew it was ridiculous that she should now be embarrassed about her state of undress, but the courage that had brought her there that night seemed to have deserted her.
He rose up behind her and placed a kiss on her shoulder. She leant back into his warmth with a contented sigh when he brought his hands around to cup her breasts and began to play with them. She moaned when he tweaked her nipples and she felt the undeniable evidence of his renewed arousal against her backside.
“Damn,” he said, stopping with obvious reluctance and bringing his hands down to her waist. “What am I thinking? You’ll be too sore to make love again.”
She felt a surge of disappointment when he released her, but the dull ache between her legs gave credence to his words. She admired the way his lean muscles shifted as he stood and went to retrieve their clothing. They dressed in silence.
Richard was quiet on the carriage ride back to her house. She tried to imagine what he was thinking, but he gave no indication. It was now late enough that she didn’t fear being seen, but Richard was cautious, stopping a few houses away and instructing his driver to wait for him down the street. He walked with her to the servant’s entrance, which she’d left open when she’d slipped out earlier, and when she turned to say goodbye there was a dark intensity in his expression that made her breath catch.
“I want to see you again. Tomorrow.”
She touched a hand to his cheek. “Send word to me through my maid where and when, and I will be there.”
She leant forward to press her mouth against his. She’d meant the kiss to be a quick peck goodbye, but he wrapped his arms around her waist and crushed her to him. His mouth plundered hers with a renewed hunger that almost made her forget where they were.
“Tomorrow,” she said, finally managing to pull back.
He remained silent, but the heated look in his eyes before she turned away and slid quietly into the house told her he was feeling the same thing she was.
Tomorrow night could not come soon enough.
Chapter Five
The next few weeks were the happiest of Sophie’s life. She played the dutiful niece during the day, and she and Richard acted the part of polite acquaintances in public. In private, however, it was a completely different matter. With the assistance of her maid, Sophie managed to sneak out of the house undetected most nights after Aunt Jane had gone to bed. There were also those delicious stolen moments during the various entertainments they attended in the evenings.
It didn’t take long for word to spread that Henry Hearst had given up his courtship of Sophie, and the suitors who had previously been turned away by Aunt Jane as unsuitable were back in full force. Once again, her aunt tried to direct her as to whom to encourage and whom to let down, but Sophie wasn’t comfortable encouraging anyone’s attention while she and Richard were lovers. She put off the decision, which had the perverse effect of making her more sought after than before.
Richard made no secret of how much he hated having to watch her dance with and
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