pressed against his coat. What was this other, deeper feeling coming from way down inside her?
His lips trailed along her cheek and down toher throat, where he kissed the throbbing pulse, drawing the skin into his mouth, sucking ever so gently.
“You mustn’t,” Reggie managed to whisper. It didn’t sound like her own voice at all.
“Oh, but I must, love, I really must.” He scooped her in his arms.
She gasped. There was nothing amusing about what was happening now. His lips brushed her throat again and she groaned.
“Put me down,” she said breathlessly. “Derek will hate you.”
“I don’t care.”
“My uncle will kill you.”
“It will be worth it.”
That did it. “You won’t think so when you see his weapon across a dueling field. Now put me down , Lord Montieth!”
Nicholas set her down slowly, carefully, causing her body to slide enticingly along his. “You would care, then?”
He was holding her close to him, and the steady heat of his body unsettled her. “Certainly. I wouldn’t like to see you die because of a—a harmless escapade.”
“Is that what you’d call my making love to you?” he chuckled, delighted.
“I was not referring to that, but to your bringing me here. As it is, I will have the devil’s own time talking Tony round to forgetting this matter.”
“You mean to protect me, then?” Nicholas said softly.
Reggie pushed away from him, unable to think clearly with her body against his. Her cape had fallen, and he retrieved it gallantly, handing it back to her with a bow.
She sighed. “If Tony doesn’t know you are the one who absconded with me, then I shan’t mention your name. If he does know, then, well, I suppose I will do my best to save your hide. But I insist you return me to him now, before he does something foolish, such as telling others I am missing.”
“At least you give me hope.” Nicholas smiled. “I may not make a good husband, but I have been told I make an excellent lover. Will you consider me?”
She was shocked. “I don’t want a lover.”
“I will have to follow you this season until I change your mind,” he warned her.
He was incorrigible, she thought as, at last, he escorted her out of the house, incorrigible and very tempting. Tony had better be successful with Uncle Jason on her behalf, because Nicholas Eden could be a girl’s downfall.
Chapter 6
“I ’M sorry you missed the ball.”
Nicholas stopped his carriage a few doors away from Anthony Malory’s townhouse. His eyes caressed Reggie’s face.
She grinned. “I’ll wager you’re even sorrier that Lady Eddington didn’t miss it.”
“You would lose the wager,” he replied with a sigh. “I don’t know why I did it anyway. The drink, I suppose. It’s certainly doesn’t matter one bit now.”
“Stuff! You were jealous when you thought she was seeing Tony.”
“Wrong again. I have never been jealous in my life, of anyone or anything.”
“My, how fortunate for you.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I don’t see any other reason for your wanting to lock your mistress away for the evening. You didn’t even plan to spend the evening with her.”
He laughed. “You say that with such a worldly air.”
She blushed. “At any rate, you needn’t be sorry that I missed the ball. I’m not.”
“Because you met me instead?” he ventured. “You give me more and more hope, love.”
She sat up stiffly. “I hate to disappoint you, Lord Montieth, but that is not the reason. I would as well have stayed at home tonight.”
“As would I have, if you were with me. There’s still time, you know. We can return to my house.”
She shook her head at him, wanting to laugh. In fact, since meeting him, she had felt a continual ridiculous urge to laugh for the sheer joy of it. She was bubbling over. But she knew she had to leave him now and put this night behind her.
“I must go,” she said softly.
“I suppose you must.” His fingers closed over her gloved
His lips trailed along her cheek and down toher throat, where he kissed the throbbing pulse, drawing the skin into his mouth, sucking ever so gently.
“You mustn’t,” Reggie managed to whisper. It didn’t sound like her own voice at all.
“Oh, but I must, love, I really must.” He scooped her in his arms.
She gasped. There was nothing amusing about what was happening now. His lips brushed her throat again and she groaned.
“Put me down,” she said breathlessly. “Derek will hate you.”
“I don’t care.”
“My uncle will kill you.”
“It will be worth it.”
That did it. “You won’t think so when you see his weapon across a dueling field. Now put me down , Lord Montieth!”
Nicholas set her down slowly, carefully, causing her body to slide enticingly along his. “You would care, then?”
He was holding her close to him, and the steady heat of his body unsettled her. “Certainly. I wouldn’t like to see you die because of a—a harmless escapade.”
“Is that what you’d call my making love to you?” he chuckled, delighted.
“I was not referring to that, but to your bringing me here. As it is, I will have the devil’s own time talking Tony round to forgetting this matter.”
“You mean to protect me, then?” Nicholas said softly.
Reggie pushed away from him, unable to think clearly with her body against his. Her cape had fallen, and he retrieved it gallantly, handing it back to her with a bow.
She sighed. “If Tony doesn’t know you are the one who absconded with me, then I shan’t mention your name. If he does know, then, well, I suppose I will do my best to save your hide. But I insist you return me to him now, before he does something foolish, such as telling others I am missing.”
“At least you give me hope.” Nicholas smiled. “I may not make a good husband, but I have been told I make an excellent lover. Will you consider me?”
She was shocked. “I don’t want a lover.”
“I will have to follow you this season until I change your mind,” he warned her.
He was incorrigible, she thought as, at last, he escorted her out of the house, incorrigible and very tempting. Tony had better be successful with Uncle Jason on her behalf, because Nicholas Eden could be a girl’s downfall.
Chapter 6
“I ’M sorry you missed the ball.”
Nicholas stopped his carriage a few doors away from Anthony Malory’s townhouse. His eyes caressed Reggie’s face.
She grinned. “I’ll wager you’re even sorrier that Lady Eddington didn’t miss it.”
“You would lose the wager,” he replied with a sigh. “I don’t know why I did it anyway. The drink, I suppose. It’s certainly doesn’t matter one bit now.”
“Stuff! You were jealous when you thought she was seeing Tony.”
“Wrong again. I have never been jealous in my life, of anyone or anything.”
“My, how fortunate for you.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I don’t see any other reason for your wanting to lock your mistress away for the evening. You didn’t even plan to spend the evening with her.”
He laughed. “You say that with such a worldly air.”
She blushed. “At any rate, you needn’t be sorry that I missed the ball. I’m not.”
“Because you met me instead?” he ventured. “You give me more and more hope, love.”
She sat up stiffly. “I hate to disappoint you, Lord Montieth, but that is not the reason. I would as well have stayed at home tonight.”
“As would I have, if you were with me. There’s still time, you know. We can return to my house.”
She shook her head at him, wanting to laugh. In fact, since meeting him, she had felt a continual ridiculous urge to laugh for the sheer joy of it. She was bubbling over. But she knew she had to leave him now and put this night behind her.
“I must go,” she said softly.
“I suppose you must.” His fingers closed over her gloved
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