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“Lord Ashwin.”
Though the manor was dark and the occupants fast asleep, Alexis knew he was in the library reading. Over the past few weeks his routine remained virtually unchanged; a pleasant dinner after his negotiations with the mayor and a quick withdrawal into the library where he read a variety of books, most surprisingly Pride and Prejudice.
“Miss Alexis.” He set his book down and gazed up at her.
She knew very well the effect the backlight had on her nightshift and in Lord Ashwin’s eyes; she saw the effect it was having on him.
“I’ve not been able to sleep and thought I could perhaps keep you company for a little while.”
“I’d be delighted.” He rose and dropped another ounce of cognac into his empty glass. Holding his glass up to her, he silently enquired if she’d like some as he resumed his seat in a Regency bergere.
“No, thank you.” She sat on the ottoman facing him and wondered if the backlight still clung to her silhouette. “I’ve noticed the late hours you keep.”
“I enjoy the peacefulness of the night.”
“Yet you always rise and are ready to start the day when I’ve just barely opened an eye.”
“I’ve never been a heavy sleeper. Just a few hours and I am entirely invigorated.”
“I must say I’m impressed with your stamina. You are quite an impressive man.”
“Of course, I can’t say enough about the company who shares the roof over my head.” He set his glass down and leaned closer to her. “You display a unique quality I’ve rarely seen in women of your standing.”
She noticed the quick drop of his eyes into the opening of her shift and instantly felt the effect his gaze had on her breasts. Blushing was something she was unaccustomed to, but she felt the instant wave of heat rise to her cheeks. The sensations his mere glance caused were new to her and caught her off guard.
Though she liked to consider herself worldly in the ways of men and their passions, ultimately she was innocent when it came to the true workings of a man and a woman.
“A man like yourself; I’m sure you’ve been in the company of far more worldly and elegant women than the likes of me.”
“Yes.”
His blunt answer cut through her, dashing her confidence for a brief moment.
“But none of them have ever intrigued me the way you do.”
She smiled, her ego boosted to an unimaginable high.
“I see your innocence, dear Alexis. Yet there’s a fire beneath it all that makes your innocence all the more appealing.”
“”I must admit I’m happy to see you’ve noticed. It’s not every day that I meet a man who is as handsome, as dashing and as witty as you are. For the most part, the men I’ve met have been pansies or louts.”
He chuckled and reached for her hand. She’d long yearned for his touch and the sudden cold of his skin against hers took her breath away.
“I’ve never been a pansy, though I’ve been accused of being a lout.”
“Somehow I doubt the validity of that, but rest assured, I’ve certainly never thought of you that way.”
His fingers trailed up her arm and played with the hem of her sleeve.
“Have you thought of me at all?”
She smiled and did her best to look as sultry as she could. Though the little girl in her was nervous and unsure, the woman who pounded beneath her breasts and below knew she wanted him.
“There hasn’t been a night where you’ve not entered my dreams.”
His fingers tugged at the sleeve, revealing more and more of her shoulder. The thin fabric tingled against her breast and she was suddenly painfully aware of every sensation. She looked at him, his eyes riveted to the breast he was slowly exposing.
She swallowed, considered getting up and leaving, but was thoroughly mesmerized by his actions and the hunger that clung to his parted lips.
“And what do I do in these dreams of yours?” His voice faltered and became jagged.
The fabric now clung to her body and his eyes widened in anticipation. Alexis glanced down at the swell of her breast. Though she’d always been proud of her body, never had she imagined the pure pleasure the mere sight of breasts could bring to a man.
“My dreams could never live up to this very moment. The sensations I’ve awakened to could never measure up to what you're putting me through right this minute.”
Her breast released its hold on the fabric and was completely exposed. She inhaled a deep, long breath, additionally swelling her breasts and was rewarded by the enraptured gaze of Lord Ashwin.
He bit down gently on his lip as his fingers released her sleeve and cupped her breast.
“Ah.” The soft but surprised exclamation seeped through her lips before she could contain it.
Smiling, he gazed at her. “You are, indeed, innocent.”
For the first time in her life, her mind was blank. She managed to lick her lips, but had to close her eyes beneath the wave of unexpected pleasure that took over her.
Just as quickly as he’d started, he released her, pulled her sleeve up to her shoulder and leaned back.
Her eyes remained closed a moment longer as she tried to understand what had just happened. When she finally pried her lids open, he was smiling, his glass to his lips and his eyes intently fixed upon her.
“You're an intoxicating creature, Alexis.”
She waited for more.
“But I think you should go back to your room before this gets out of hand.”