The water was just the way Lyon liked it. Cold. The day was starting as he preferred when he had no early meetings to attend, no plans to meet anyone for a ride in the park, or fencing competitions to watch or participate in. Sitting in a tub reading the morning’s newsprint while downing his morning coffee.
Lyon sensed that his valet had come back into the room but he hadn’t heard him leave. That was odd. Dome didn’t usually intrude once the water was delivered but if he did, it was only long enough to see if Lyon needed anything and then he’d quietly slip away. Lyon turned his attention back to the article about the Prince’s extravagant expenditures on three pieces of art the writer considered less than worthless and more unnecessary spending by the Regent’s unrestrained appetite for anything he wanted. No doubt his father would have a few choice words to say about the author of the piece. Not that either the ridicule or the spending was likely to change.
Another rustle of movement in the room disturbed Lyon. He was about to ask his valet what the devil he wanted when he heard a slight whisper. Was Dome talking to himself? Before Lyon could ask there were more whispers and the scurry of soft-soled shoes padding on the wood floor.
Small shoes.
He tensed, and the fine hairs on the back of his wet neck rose. What he heard was not coming from his quiet-as-a-mouse valet. Someone else was in the room. He slowly lowered the newsprint until he could peek over the top. Without moving his head, he gazed first at the open door that led from his dressing chamber into his bedchamber. No one was there. He slowly shifted his gaze around the room. He saw nothing out of place and no movement, but knew someone was with him.
Who? And where?
Remaining still but watchful, something caught his eye. The face of a little girl peeked from behind the large upholstered wing-back chair that stood near the entrance. His gut tightened. His fingers started slowly closing tightly around the newsprint, crumpling it in his palms. She was the little redhead he’d seen playing outside the morning he’d been at the school.
Suddenly the head of another girl appeared. She had light brown hair and big popping blue eyes that stared straight at him. Damnation! How many were there? And how did they get into his bedchamber?
What could he do? He couldn’t stand up but he had to get the girls out of the room. In frustration, Lyon splashed the paper into the water and yelled, “Dome!”
The girls squealed and raced out the door. He heard them collide with his valet in his bedchamber. More screams rang out.
Lyon yanked a towel off the table and wrapped it around his waist as he rose and hopped out of the tub calling for Brewster to help Dome. He should have never felt sorry for the little imps. He should have moved them out to the countryside when he’d thought about it. By the time the towel was secure and he’d made it to the top of the stairs, the girls had already reached the bottom step where Brewster was standing, blocking their exit, and Dome preventing their retreat.
The little chicks were cornered. It would serve them right if he had them both thrown in a workhouse.
“Hold them until I can dress and get down.”
Once again, Lyon found himself in too big of a hurry to confront the girls than to clothe himself properly. He threw a shirt over his head and stepped dripping wet into his trousers and then into his boots. That wasn’t the normal order or manner of dressing but ever since Adeline moved next door his whole life seemed out of harmony with what he expected. The folly and energy of the moment caused him to rapidly descend the stairs and stand towering over a tall, brown-haired, lanky girl who leaned against the wall trembling with fear and a stout freckle-cheeked younger lass who seemed perfectly calm with the disorder going on around her.
“How did you two get in here?” he asked, unbelievably calm for what had just happened.
Neither girl answered.
“The doors are locked, my lord,” Brewster insisted. “As always to protect your privacy and avoid anyone without an appointment disturbing you.”
“Are you going to cut us up and have us for your dinner?” the taller girl asked in a shaky voice.
“What?” Stunned, Lyon looked at Brewster who seemed just as shocked by her comment. What the devil was he going to do? Just a few days ago he’d tried to make amends for scaring the life out of the girls by sending a pianoforte over for them to enjoy, and they had. He’d heard them many times. Now he had to contend with this madness.
“No, of course not,” Lyon declared. “Where did you hear such nonsense?”
“It happened to a boy in a story Miss Hinson read to us,” she answered timidly.
“But the boy came back to life and was haunting the man,” the girl with the freckles covering her face added. Lyon couldn’t help but notice she didn’t appear the least perturbed by him or the fact that she’d been caught snooping in his bedchamber.
“A ghost story,” Lyon grunted. “Miss Hinson needs to be taken to task for what she reads to you.”
“It’s not scary to me, but most of the girls didn’t like it,” the redhead said.
“I can see why,” he grumbled. “Now tell me what you’re doing in my house.”
Both girls remained silent, staring up at him with their innocent-looking eyes. Lyon supposed it wasn’t up to him to question the girls anyway. Only to return them.
“All right,” he said. “Come with me.”
“Where are you taking us?” the taller girl asked.
“You can’t take us back to the school,” the shorter lass said with a tinge of defiance in her tone. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him with her lips in a pout. “We’ll get in trouble for leaving.”
“You should. I think you are in more danger from slipping into my house than you are for slipping out of the school. Besides, I’m not taking you there. I’m taking you to Lady Wake. It will be her decision as to what’s to be done about you. Now, one of you on each side of me. Let’s go.”
Brewster quickly opened the front door. “No, we’re going out the back. There will be fewer eyes to watch us leaving if we use the garden entrance.”
Lyon stomped across the lawn at a fast pace, flanked by the errant girls who struggled to keep up with his much-longer stride. He hurried the girls alongside the tall yew and under the budding trellis, hoping they could get through fast enough that Mrs. Feversham wouldn’t see them.
He knocked loudly on Adeline’s back door and completely understood the shock in the housekeeper’s expression when she saw him standing there with the girls. “We need to see Lady Wake. Now.”
“She’s in the drawing room reading her mail.”
“Lead the way,” he said and stepped aside, nodding for the girls to follow her.
Adeline slowly rose from the secretary where she was sitting when they walked into the room. His first thought was she was the most beautiful lady he’d ever seen. The second was that she belonged to him and he would challenge any man who tried to take her away. Only thirdly did he notice the frown of surprise and confusion etching her lovely features.
The shortest girl had somehow slipped behind him and now stood beside the other girl. They were holding hands. To her credit, the taller child still looked frightened. On the other hand, the redhead still seemed quite calm. She was looking around the countess’s drawing room, taking in its blue velvet draperies, damask settees, and carved dark wood tables as if she’d been invited to do so.
Lyon knew this wasn’t the way to Adeline’s heart. He had no doubt he would once again be seen as the ogre to Adeline in this scenario. He was on her property with wet hair, half-dressed and scaring the girls.
So be it.
“Here they are, my lady,” Lyon said, the only way he knew how—in a matter-of-fact tone. “Your wandering students.”
With her gaze intent upon his face she said, “I’m not sure what you mean by that or why you are with them.”
Feeling quite sure she wasn’t going to like his answer, he said, “I’m returning them to you. They were in my home.”
She stared at the girls in disbelief. “Fanny? Mathilda? Is this true? You were in the earl’s home?”
Fanny nodded.
Lyon was certain Adeline’s legs went weak, but she straightened her shoulders and looked back at him in an accusing way. “How did they get inside your house and why were they there?”
“I have no idea,” Lyon admitted. “They were uninvited guests I assure you.”
“That can’t be.” In disbelief, Adeline walked closer to the youngsters. “Did you just walk inside his house?”
They remained silent again.
Adeline swung toward Lyon again, her soft gray skirts swishing attractively about her legs, her eyes sparkling with more questions than he had answers. “You should have had your doors locked so they couldn’t get in.”
“They were locked,” he said, trying not to be irritated with Adeline. He knew this would upset her, and it had.
She clasped her hands together at her waist and turned to Fanny. “How did you get into his house?”
“I climbed on Mathilda’s shoulders, opened a window, and crawled inside. I helped her climb in after me.”
“I can’t believe that!” she said breathlessly. “That was dangerous. You could have fallen and been injured.”
“And against the law,” Lyon muttered to himself, realizing whether or not Adeline knew it, the girls needed to be taught a lesson they wouldn’t soon forget—only it wasn’t up to him to do that. He’d have to leave chastisement up to her.
“Why would you do something like this?” Adeline asked them, clearly distraught and desperately trying to hide that fact.
“We heard a dog whimpering,” Fanny said, so innocently Lyon might have believed her himself. If he didn’t know better. “Like he was in pain and needed help.” She elbowed Mathilda.
“And starving for some food and water,” Mathilda said, her big blue eyes opening wider. “It was a puppy.” Her voice softened and her lashes fluttered as if she were remembering a happier moment, the earlier fear completely gone from her face. “He was a playful little puppy. With soft, warm fur. He was white with big black spots all over him. He wiggled a lot and he—”
“But he couldn’t play because he sounded like he was hurt bad and needed us to help him,” Fanny said, interrupting her friend’s reminiscing.
Adeline glanced back at the earl, her eyes filled with hope and searching for him to give her a reason she could accept the paltry explanation. “A puppy. See? There was a good reason for them to have done this—they wanted to do an act of kindness.”
“I don’t have a dog, Lady Wake,” he said brusquely, his annoyance with what the girls had done beginning to show in his tone and no doubt his expression, too.
She moistened her lips. Lyon knew she was desperately attempting to make sense of what she was hearing, “Maybe it was some other kind of animal. Or maybe they heard a servant crying in distress over breaking something of great value and mistook the sound for that of a dog in pain.” She paused for a second and then added, “Maybe you should get a dog. It might help your gruff attitude.”
“My attitude was just fine until I looked up and saw these two snooping in my dressing chamber.”
“Your dressing chamber?” she repeated, obviously horrified.
Adeline’s words had hardly been above a whisper. Still Lyon couldn’t resist the urge to add, “While I was in the bath.”
Both girls snickered.
At that admission from him, Adeline gasped. “They didn’t.”
He nodded. “Don’t worry, they didn’t see anything other than newsprint in front of my face.” Hopefully. “My butler and valet quickly apprehended them and held them until I could get dressed.”
He watched Adeline inhale deeply and collect herself. “I understand. Thank you for bringing them back. I’ll have a chat with them. Later, of course.” Adeline walked past him to the doorway and called, “Mrs. Lawton, please come here.”
“We didn’t touch anything in his house,” Fanny said, swinging her friend’s hand ever so lightly.
“No, we didn’t,” Mathilda said, the earlier fear gone and a more penitent expression on her face. “It was a big house. We couldn’t find our way out after we went upstairs.”
“But you went into his house on purpose,” Adeline said earnestly. “Into his private chambers. That was wrong and very disheartening.”
“We didn’t know he’d be washing,” Fanny said. “We just wanted to see what the inside of the earl’s house looked like. We didn’t want to take anything.”
“I should hope not!” Adeline exclaimed, obviously furious this had happened and devastated she didn’t seem to know what to do about it.
“What can I do for you, my lady?” the housekeeper asked, walking up to join them.
“Take these two back to Mrs. Tallon. Tell her to put them in separate corners, their faces to the wall. She’s to watch one and you the other. I don’t want either of you to take your eyes off them until I get there. I’ll be over later to discuss what needs to be done.”
“You won’t send me back home, will you?” Fanny asked, looking up at Adeline. For the first time since she’d been caught, she had a worried expression. “My mum would be mad with me if I had to come home before I learned how to read.”
“Mine too,” Mathilda agreed. “She wants me to make her a pretty blue dress one day. It was my dad’s favorite color.”
Lyon’s stomach squeezed uncomfortably. Damnation! Why did the girls have to suddenly seem so innocent? Why did he suddenly feel such compassion for them and like he was the guilty one?
Adeline looked over to Lyon, and his heart felt as if it melted. In that moment he knew he’d do anything for her. His anger over the girls’ infringement had dissipated and in truth he didn’t want them to be sent home. They wanted to learn how to read! He didn’t want to be the cause they couldn’t have the opportunity. He gave Adeline a gentle shrug and a nod.
What could he say? Rules were broken. Children get in trouble.
“I can’t make promises about anything right now,” Adeline said, turning back to the girls. “This is serious misbehavior. I’ll have to talk to Mrs. Tallon. Off you both go with Mrs. Lawton.”
The moment the girls turned to leave Adeline folded her arms across her chest and walked back over to stand in front of the fireplace. “I can’t believe this. I thought they were all afraid of you. Well, maybe not Fanny. She doesn’t seem to be frightened of anything except going home. I don’t know why they would enter your house. Leave the school again.”
“Again?” he said, walking over to join her by the fire. “So this isn’t the first time they’ve slipped out of the school and into someone’s house?”
“No. Yes. I mean, Fanny has left the school building before but not broken into anyone’s home. Not that I know of. I don’t know what I’m going to do with her. She has been told not to do it, reprimanded, and punished.”
“Those two must have struck a good friendship between them when they met,” Lyon offered. “Or perhaps there’s a kinship. What they did took a fair amount of trusting on both their parts.”
“Perhaps even some planning, too.” She swallowed hard before shaking her head and saying, “For them to go all the way up to your chambers is just so shocking. I’m mean you were—you’re hair’s still wet.”
Lyon knew Adeline was imagining him in the bath because he was imaging her in the water with him. His body stirred. He reached up and smoothed a strand of honey-colored hair away from her beautiful, worried face. She didn’t back away but watched him do it with a soft expression that let him know she welcomed the comforting gesture. The undercurrent of sexual awareness that always flowed between them was coming startlingly alive.
“I’m not one that can give advice on children, Adeline, but I do know boarding school by its nature is difficult to adjust to for anyone. It’s constrictive especially for children who have been free to roam about alone and explore whatever’s before them be it the streets or the countryside. Suddenly being forced to live by someone else’s rules is not easy no matter your age or station in life.”
“Yes, I can understand that,” she conceded softly; but then in a stronger voice she added, “But when there are rules, we must obey them or suffer the consequences.”
He touched her hair again, thinking he could look at her all day and not grow tired, but that thought brought others with it. The more he looked at her, the longer he wanted to stay, take her in his arms, comfort her, and make her forget everything but the thrill of being in his arms again.
“I’m sorry I had to bring them over here. I thought you’d want me to. That you’d want to know.”
“Yes, of course, I needed to know.” She rubbed her arms as if she were cold. “I’ll talk with Mrs. Tallon. We must do something.”
“Nothing as harsh as sending them home, I hope,” he said, knowing how easy it was for children to get into trouble. “They both seemed concerned about disappointing their families.”
“I know, and it’s kind of you to be so forgiving after what they did, but stop trying to make me see reason right now, Lyon, and kiss me.”
He placed his hands on each side of her face and claimed her lips with a chaste, closed-mouth, but lingering kiss. His lips moved slowly across hers, pressing softly, leisurely, leaving her no doubt about how much he wanted her, but sensing Adeline only needed him to calm and reassure her that she could handle this problem with the girls.
Taking his time, he slid his hands down her cheeks. His thumbs caressed her skin, while his fingertips lightly touched the soft, sensitive areas below and behind her ears. He knew she would let him know when or if she wanted ravenous kisses and touches or just wanted to be gently kissed, touched, and held as he was doing now. It was her decision to make how far they’d go right now. He’d continue as he was doing and give her all the time she needed to decide.
Difficult as it would be, he could wait.
He wasn’t sure if either of them had had a choice in how it happened the last time they came together. It was primitive, wild, and had been destined since they’d met. Surrendering to his lovemaking today had to be her decision.
With the same slow movements, he tenderly massaged the tight muscles at her nape.
She sighed against his lips.
“I feel tension inside you,” he whispered. “Does that feel good?”
“Immensely,” she answered and rolled her shoulders.
He skimmed his hands across the top of her delicately rounded shoulders, and down her firm upper arms, occasionally squeezing just enough so she could feel his strength. He wanted her to know that even though she invited the kiss, and he was taking direction from her, he was in control.
When he sensed she was completely relaxed beneath his touch and his lingering kisses, he lifted his head, looked into her eyes, and asked, “Are we alone in the house?”
She nodded. “I don’t have a maid.”
That was most unusual. He gave her a questioning smile while his hands continued to caress her. “How does a lady get by without one?”
He felt her tremble and saw she had the same troubling, faraway look in her golden brown eyes that she’d had when he’d offered her the brandy. Why would talk of a maid bring back disquieting remembrances for her? He wanted to know, but this wasn’t the time to ask. She would only turn silent on him as she had before.
Wanting only to reassure her, he bent his head and placed his nose on the soft warm skin at the slope of her neck and breathed in deeply, filling himself with her fresh, womanly scent. He wondered if she knew he felt desperate to possess her every time he touched her. Every time he looked at her.
“I prefer not to have a lot of servants around,” she said. “I have my clothing made in a simple fashion. Most of it is easy for me to get into and out of on my own. When necessary, Mrs. Lawton helps me.”
“I think we’ve found something that we have in common. I don’t want a host of servants around either.”
He claimed her lips in another slow, easy kiss that suddenly seemed more erotic than eager, breathless kisses. His hand slid down her chest to capture her breast and cover it with his palm, gently squeeze it with his fingers. A spiraling heat consumed him.
Adeline lifted her arms to circle his neck and melted willingly, easily into his arms. At her invitation, he took the time to run his hands down to her waist, hips, and buttocks, and then up to flatten his palm against her breasts. Her body was firm and trim, and yielded to his touch.
“You are pleasingly made, Adeline,” he whispered against her lips.
He felt her smile. She opened her mouth and gave him her tongue, feeding his hunger. Lyon moaned his approval and lifted her buttocks up to meet him where there could be no mistake he was hungry for her. Ready to give and to take pleasure at her command.
With deliberate quickness, her warm hands slid under his untucked shirt and raced up his cool, bare back to caress his shoulders.
“Yes,” he whispered. That was a welcomed sign. He deepened, lengthened, and sweetened their kisses with every breath he took. He plundered inside her mouth and her shape with growing anticipation as they pressed together.
It was so easy to completely lose himself in her and take what she offered without worry, but that wasn’t wise. Before they went too far he said, “Adeline, I must protect your reputation. Can Mrs. Lawton be trusted if we are caught?”
“She is faithful, but there is no worry today. She won’t leave the girls until I go to the school and dismiss her.”
“I will take your word for that.” He looked over at the settee. Larger than most, but still small for a man. “This will not be easy,” he said and then swooped one arm under her knees and the other across her shoulder. He lifted and carried her over to the settee and laid her down.
With one hand, Lyon jerked his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor while at the same time unbuttoning his trousers with the other. He then swung one booted foot and leg over her and with some effort nestled it between her and the back of the cushion, keeping the other foot firmly planted on the floor to steady himself while resting his lower body on top of her.
While he positioned himself, Adeline untied the knot in her long-sleeved bodice and he helped slip it off her shoulders. Two pulls on the laces of her stays released her beautiful, small breasts. Gently he swept his fingertips over the swell of one and then the other.
It felt so damn good to be with her like this again, loving her, touching her. He looked into her eyes for a long moment before his gaze drifted down her face, lingered over her breasts, and swept back up to her eyes again. He whispered, “You are so beautiful I don’t want to stop looking at you.”
She smiled so sweetly at him. Lyon wanted to take her immediately, satisfy them both and forego the sweet building of pleasure that they both needed and deserved.
Instead he tamped down his rigid desire and buried his lips in the hollow of her throat, trying to ease the rage of his passion for her. When he was in more control of himself, he fondled her breasts. First one and then the other, taking his time to feel their soft, firm shape and loving the arousing tautness of her nipples beneath his fingers. His body kept urging him to be as aggressive as they’d been last time they were together.
But no, not this time.
He held himself in check. Slowly, letting his lips trace down to tease, circle and cover the rosy tip of her breast into his mouth to heighten both their desires. He felt her body quicken beneath him.
Lyon savored the taste of her, taking his time to properly adore her body. He glided his hand down the plane of her hip, and when he brought his hand back up he caught the skirts of her dress and brought them with him. He caressed the warm bare skin of her shapely outer thigh and slowly let his hand slip between her legs.
“You wouldn’t believe how much I have wanted to touch you like this again,” he whispered in a heated voice against the cool, silky skin of her chest.
“Do you mean that?”
Lyon lifted his head, his expression questioning her. “Adeline, I will never lie to you about anything.”
She smiled shyly at him. “Thank you.”
“For what?” he whispered. “For wanting you? I’ve never desired anyone the way I have ached for you.”
“I have dreamed and longed to be with you again, too,” she answered softly.
Lyon saw and felt her words were as true. She wanted him. Not just anyone to satisfy her.
“After the last time we were together like this you said you didn’t know if it was me you wanted or just someone to satisfy your desires.” A smile narrowed his eyes just enough to let her know he wasn’t being too serious when he asked, “Are you sure it’s me you want to be with or would just anyone make you feel this way?”
Her expression was almost shy. “I might have been unsure at the moment I said it, but no longer,” she answered. “I want only you.”
Adeline grabbed hold of the band of his trousers and slid them down his hips. She arched her hips toward him and surrounded his back with his arms, urging him to continue without hesitation. Her response was just what he wanted. Now he would to take over. Moments later Lyon claimed her once again for his own.
He made love to her with all the gentleness his eager body would allow. His movements were leisurely, sensual, and reverent. He kissed her, caressed her, and moved gently on top of her until he sensed that indescribable pleasure rising up inside her.
Lyon had never experienced such raw craving for a woman he’d already lain with once. With Adeline it was just as exciting and fervent as the first time. Her impatience for him was elating, the power she’d just given him exalting. His decision to go slow and follow her lead in the beginning was the right one. He reached down and swathed the tip of her breast, pulling it gently into his mouth, tugging lightly on it.
More tremors flowed from her and she whispered, “Lyon.”
He smiled against her breasts, knowing her desire was for him, her pleasure coming from his touch. Her hands moved over his body, making him ache with deep longing.
They both inhaled with deeply satisfying gasps. Their movements were no less eager or frantic than when they last came together. Their passion was too strong to go slow or be tame. He swallowed every soft sound made, gloried in every touch she gave him. When he felt her body tremble and heard her soft moan of peaking pleasure he allowed his own fulfillment to follow. Their chests heaved, and both sucked in ragged breaths of ebbing, all-consuming sensations.
Lyon slipped one hand under her shoulder to hug her up close and relaxed against her body. With his nose, he nestled her neck and he kissed her over and over again.
Finally, his breathing started to slow, his heartbeat calmed, and he tried to move. His body was stiff from the awkward position he’d been in. He grunted and then chuckled low in his throat as he tried to move his leg and lift it over her.
“It was much easier to get down on this damn thing than it is to get up from it.”
Adeline whispered a laugh, too. “Then stay here with me a little longer.”
He kissed her deeply again and felt the urge to accept her invitation. But there were hazards in doing that. He didn’t want the housekeeper or the headmistress to come looking for her.
“Your drawing room is not the place for such intimacy between us,” he said, and then lifted himself off the settee with no small amount of struggle and effort.
“There has to be an easier way to do this,” she said, lowering her skirt and then reaching for her bodice that had been slung to the other end of the settee.
“I agree,” Lyon said and started adjusting his clothing as he smiled at her.
His attraction to her was even stronger than it had been the first night they’d met. She was different from any other lady. It wasn’t just the explosive desire he had for her that made him want her for his own. It was more than that. He welcomed her independence, her free-speaking, her strength, her generosity and kindness to the girls. He even enjoyed arguing with her. It was refreshing to know someone who took him to task when he was wrong and even when she knew he was right, as Adeline had a few minutes ago when she’d first heard the girls had entered his house.
Watching her lace her clothing, Lyon felt a new protectiveness stir deeply in his chest. He’d known earlier he wanted no other man to touch her, and he didn’t want her to desire anyone but him. What he was feeling now went further and was stronger than just a man being jealous of a lady’s attention. It surprised him to realize it, but what he was feeling had to be love. There could be no other explanation.
His heart pounded. She was the one he wanted for his bride. Without reservation, he said, “There is a better way. Marry me.”