Page 43 of The Earl Next Door
“Not yet.”
She willingly accepted the pressure of his grasp, not caring that he wasn’t ready for their embrace to end. She didn’t mind that he took control. It kindled and enhanced all she was feeling for him.
“I needed to thank you.”
With his lips hovering just above hers, he whispered, “Then go ahead and thank me again before I let go of you.”
Their kisses weren’t frantic, searching and demanding as they’d been last night. They were languorous, cherishing but with no less feeling of wanting and needing to be closer. She felt as if she would be happy to never stop kissing him. It was magical how her lips pressed to Lyon’s, her breasts flattened against his chest, could stir up and awaken the most wonderful spirals of sensations in her body, making her feel totally agreeable to being possessed by him.
When his lips finally moved to the corner of her mouth and then across her cheek to nuzzle around the warmth of her ear, he whispered, “We shouldn’t be doing this out here but I can’t seem to stop.”
Adeline leaned away from him and asked, “Lyon, I need to know, did you purchase the pianoforte because of what happened between us last night?”
He questioned her with his eyes, “What exactly are you asking?”
“Why did you give the school the pianoforte?”
His arms tightened around her. His body stiffened. Slowly, he lifted his head and looked at her. Anger crinkled around his eyes and mouth. “Do you think it was a thank-you for giving me something I’ve wanted since I first saw you? Do you think the pianoforte was an apology for that or a recompense for guilt? Is that what you think?”
“I don’t know,” she answered, wanting him to see the concern in her expression and hear it in her voice. “I don’t want it to be for any of those reasons.”
“Then why would you ask?”
“Because it crossed my mind. It was an expensive gift.”
He slid his hands under her arms, picked her up, and gently set her away from him and straightened to his full height. His gaze lingered on hers only a moment before saying, “The truth? Yes, it was guilt that made me do it, but it had nothing to do with you. It was the girls. It was guilt because I yelled at them and I shouldn’t have.”
Relieved and pleased that his gift had nothing to do with her or what happened between them, she swallowed a deep breath. She jerked her hands to her hips, but instead of giving him a disapproving scowl, she gave him a bit of a grin. “So, days later, you finally admit you raised your voice to them?”
“Yes,” he said disgustedly as he turned away from her but just as quickly turned back and pulled her into his arms once again. His silvery gaze burned right into hers. “Don’t make light of it. They deserved better from me than they got. So did you. I yelled at you that day, too.”
“I remember.”
“I also will admit I have never held anyone in my arms that I wanted more than I wanted you last night. I’ve never been with anyone who had more passion and eagerness for my touch than you had and I want to be with you again. Right now is not soon enough for me, Adeline. No guilt, no apologies, and no regrets for that. Can you say the same?”
Adeline sucked in a deep yearning breath. She’d needed to hear that from him, too. “Yes. You have me feeling things I shouldn’t feel, saying things I shouldn’t say, doing things I shouldn’t do. I don’t know what makes me want to kiss you every time I see you but I do. I have no guilt, no apologies and no regrets either.”
“So we understand each other?” he asked, his expression still serious.
“We do.”
His arms squeezed her tightly and claimed her lips in a long passionate kiss. All he had to do was touch her and she wanted to be with him again.
“We are taking too many chances out here even if we are in the back garden.” He let go of her and stepped away. “There’s always a chance someone may see us.”
“Yes, of course. You’re right. We must be more careful. I seem to lose all reasoning when I’m with you. Thank you for your gift to the girls,” she said hastily and turned to go.
“Wait, Adeline.”
“Yes.”
“I should let you know there may be gossip aboutyour visit to my house yesterday. Someone will talk and it will get discussed.”
“I’ve expected as much and I’m prepared. Should the staunch pillars of Society show up at my door and forbid me to attend any of the parties or simply shun me when I attend one, I think I am strong enough to survive it.”
“I believe that, too. I don’t think anyone would dare say anything to you, but they will be looking at you. You and your friends have already created great interest with the school and now this is bound to cause more gossip.”
Adeline hugged her arms to her chest, suddenly feeling the cold of the afternoon after Lyon’s warm embrace. Once her husband had told her she was the subject of tittle-tattle because she hadn’t given him a son. “I have endured much worse, Lyon.”
