belly, she closed her eyes.
“Don’t deny me. Come on, Becky. Say yes. You and I have got to finish what we’ve started—”
“Yes.”
He paused, then let out a shaky exhalation like a small laugh. “Praise God.”
She dragged her eyes open and warily beheld his smoldering seductive smile, but she glanced away self-consciously, blushing after what she had just agreed to.
Alec planted a boyish kiss on her flaming cheek. “Such blushes,” he murmured fondly. “You are so adorable.”
She scoffed a little at his sweet words, unused to such flattery. He straightened up again and left her to collect herself for a moment while he did the same, sauntering to the edge of the awning. He rested his hands on his lean waist and looked out at the rain. “Lord, what a mess.”
Becky leaned her head against the locked door behind her, still rather dazed. She glanced down the street again and noted in relief that the Cossacks were nowhere in sight. The weather was still temperamental, however; the wind blew swiftly, and torrents of rain drummed the pavement.
Alec turned to her, his tall, strong silhouette outlined against the downpour. He held out his hand and waited for her to take it.
For a moment she just stared at him in musing fascination, this man she intended to take for her first lover. Surely Mrs. Whithorn was right: She was every bit as impetuous as Mama. This was without a doubt the most reckless thing she had ever done in her life, but events had driven her to it.
Heaving herself upright, she shyly left the safety of the doorway and ventured over to Alec’s side. He gathered her near. Her body still pulsated with mysterious longing for this beautiful stranger, her senses wildly attuned to him. She supposed there were brides who knew their new husbands no better than she knew Alec Knight. Arranged marriages were common—and, apparently, for him, so were reckless trysts with ladies of the night.
Well, she was not her brother’s keeper. In London, she had heard, they liked gossip, but folk from Buckley-on-the-Heath minded their own affairs and thanked others to do the same.
If Lord Alec was a loose-living, pleasure-seeking rogue, that was his business—and quite to her advantage, under the circumstances. Indeed, she very much intended to enjoy herself and to keep her secrets; for as charming as he was, he was obviously a libertine, hardly the sort of man she could confide in. He did not want to know her problems, and that suited her well enough. She much preferred to keep her troubles to herself rather than to learn point-blank that although he would join his body with hers, he didn’t care about her any more than her relatives did.
No matter. She was used to relying on herself alone. This night would be a splendid experience as long as she remembered to guard her heart. He was only in it for himself. And so was she. Well, that was fair, was it not? she thought uneasily.
Alec took off his formal black tailcoat and put it around her shoulders. “Come.” He looked soberly into her eyes. “Ready?”
She nodded bravely.
Trusting herself to fate and Alec Knight, she put her hand in his.
They ran.
Alec was thankful for the downpour, cooling the hot, keen edge of his ardor. He could not wait to bed her. Rarely had any girl so captivated him. He had wanted novelty, and God knew he had found it. There was no telling what the chit might do or say next. She was an entrancing blend of courage and vulnerability, and so damned beautiful. He knew it was highly decadent of him, but he adored her inexperience, savoring it as a rare delicacy. He had loved turning her reticence to fire.
It was just like wooing a virgin—with none of the guilt.
But one thing was certain. The chap who had ruined Becky had better pray he never crossed his path, because Alec knew he would not hesitate to thrash him soundly for it. On second thought, perhaps that was a tad hypocritical, since he fully intended to enjoy her himself.
“Don’t deny me. Come on, Becky. Say yes. You and I have got to finish what we’ve started—”
“Yes.”
He paused, then let out a shaky exhalation like a small laugh. “Praise God.”
She dragged her eyes open and warily beheld his smoldering seductive smile, but she glanced away self-consciously, blushing after what she had just agreed to.
Alec planted a boyish kiss on her flaming cheek. “Such blushes,” he murmured fondly. “You are so adorable.”
She scoffed a little at his sweet words, unused to such flattery. He straightened up again and left her to collect herself for a moment while he did the same, sauntering to the edge of the awning. He rested his hands on his lean waist and looked out at the rain. “Lord, what a mess.”
Becky leaned her head against the locked door behind her, still rather dazed. She glanced down the street again and noted in relief that the Cossacks were nowhere in sight. The weather was still temperamental, however; the wind blew swiftly, and torrents of rain drummed the pavement.
Alec turned to her, his tall, strong silhouette outlined against the downpour. He held out his hand and waited for her to take it.
For a moment she just stared at him in musing fascination, this man she intended to take for her first lover. Surely Mrs. Whithorn was right: She was every bit as impetuous as Mama. This was without a doubt the most reckless thing she had ever done in her life, but events had driven her to it.
Heaving herself upright, she shyly left the safety of the doorway and ventured over to Alec’s side. He gathered her near. Her body still pulsated with mysterious longing for this beautiful stranger, her senses wildly attuned to him. She supposed there were brides who knew their new husbands no better than she knew Alec Knight. Arranged marriages were common—and, apparently, for him, so were reckless trysts with ladies of the night.
Well, she was not her brother’s keeper. In London, she had heard, they liked gossip, but folk from Buckley-on-the-Heath minded their own affairs and thanked others to do the same.
If Lord Alec was a loose-living, pleasure-seeking rogue, that was his business—and quite to her advantage, under the circumstances. Indeed, she very much intended to enjoy herself and to keep her secrets; for as charming as he was, he was obviously a libertine, hardly the sort of man she could confide in. He did not want to know her problems, and that suited her well enough. She much preferred to keep her troubles to herself rather than to learn point-blank that although he would join his body with hers, he didn’t care about her any more than her relatives did.
No matter. She was used to relying on herself alone. This night would be a splendid experience as long as she remembered to guard her heart. He was only in it for himself. And so was she. Well, that was fair, was it not? she thought uneasily.
Alec took off his formal black tailcoat and put it around her shoulders. “Come.” He looked soberly into her eyes. “Ready?”
She nodded bravely.
Trusting herself to fate and Alec Knight, she put her hand in his.
They ran.
Alec was thankful for the downpour, cooling the hot, keen edge of his ardor. He could not wait to bed her. Rarely had any girl so captivated him. He had wanted novelty, and God knew he had found it. There was no telling what the chit might do or say next. She was an entrancing blend of courage and vulnerability, and so damned beautiful. He knew it was highly decadent of him, but he adored her inexperience, savoring it as a rare delicacy. He had loved turning her reticence to fire.
It was just like wooing a virgin—with none of the guilt.
But one thing was certain. The chap who had ruined Becky had better pray he never crossed his path, because Alec knew he would not hesitate to thrash him soundly for it. On second thought, perhaps that was a tad hypocritical, since he fully intended to enjoy her himself.
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