Page 16 of The Spy and His Lady Love
Snapped to attention, he stood. “Bloody hell,” he swore as he fumbled with his cane, which landed on the floor with a clatter. “Forgive me.” He bent awkwardly at the waist, his leg out straight to the side and retrieved the cane. He held out his elbow to her and forced himself to soften his features, lest she run ahead in fright to her brother.
However, instead of fright at his clumsiness and sharpness, she looked concerned. “Take your time. We’re in no hurry.”
That solidified it. His heart physically melted and pooled at her delicate, slipper covered feet. The lady had a heart of gold. Why did she treat him with such kindness? Couldn’t she see the man beneath? The man who struggled with demons that visited him on a regular basis and claimed to own his soul. A man who could kill without remorse.
“You appear to be lost in your thoughts again, Your Grace.”
Once again he apologized. “We must hurry, or Wentworth will become worried.”
She blushed. A sweet, innocent shade of pink. “My brother gave me permission to ride to Wentworth Manor with you since we are, after all, betrothed. He thought we may have things to discuss.”
If Penelope said the sky was brown, he’d be less shocked at Wentworth’s decision. Harry had sent a note, after their ride in the park, asking for permission to escort her home. Since he hadn’t received a response, he’d taken it as a decline. Either Wentworth had changed his mind or planned to allow him this privacy to occur all along.
“Please extend my gratitude to him. When I didn’t get a response to my letter, I took it as a decline.”
Her head snapped his way and her eyes widened as they exited the opera house. “I hadn’t realized the request came from you. I thought my brother was being kind.”
“He is being kind.” Harry signaled his driver with his cane. “Here we are.” The driver hopped down from his perch, opened the door to the grand carriage, and lowered the steps. Harry assisted Penelope inside the coach, then climbed in and sat down beside her on the cushioned seat facing forward. A chilly rain had settled over London, so he reached on the opposite bench and covered her lap with a blanket. He ignored the sudden ache in his knee and shoulder because of bullet wounds.
“Thank you,” she said hesitantly. Shy? Was she being shy around him? He didn’t blame her. If she knew what he wanted to do with her in the carriage's privacy, beneath the cover of darkness, she should be shy and nervous. Too bad he wouldn’t act on his desires. Except?
He slid toward her on the bench until they touched from shoulder, to hip, to thigh, to knee, and Harry swallowed down a groan of pleasure to finally be pressed up against her lovely figure. “I wanted some privacy with you this evening to discuss if there is anything you want to know about me to ease your anxiety about our upcoming nuptials.”
A brief gasp escaped her lips. Perhaps he was being too forward.
“I…I.”Penelope was at a loss for words. There was much she wanted to know about the gentleman sitting beside her. So close she could hardly breathe. And when she did, his sandalwood cologne tickled her nose in a pleasant way. She’d noticed that about him the first time they met, that he smelled divine. “We have the rest of our lives to get to know one another. I can wait for my questions.”
Her hands toyed with the satin reticle on her lap. He reached over with his bare hands, having removed his gloves when they entered the coach, and took one of hers in his hand. Before she realized what he had in mind, he gently tugged on her white glove at each fingertip, sending waves of tingles from the tips of her fingers straight up her arm. For such large hands, they were surprisingly tender as her glove vanished. He brought her newly naked hand up to his lips and placed warm kisses on each digit. Which had her transfixed. Her eyes never looked away from his one blue eye, which had darkened to near ebony. Breathing became laborious as her heart pounded inside her chest. A slow burn settled inside her stomach, and she licked her dry lips. A moan escaped his lips, sending sultry air blowing across her wet fingers, and she nearly groaned as well. What was happening to her? Was this what desire felt like? Her eyelids suddenly felt heavy, she had to fight to keep them open. And she wanted Newbury to do something to relieve the pressure down below.
He turned her hand over, palm up, and delicately pushed her sleeve up. Every scrape of fabric sent tingles across her over-sensitive skin. Before she knew what he planned to do his tongue swirled around the inside of her wrist causing her to, not moan, but sigh deeply. Mortified at her reaction to him she tugged her hand free, but he refused to let it go.
“Please don’t deny me this minor pleasure of touching you. It will have to hold me over until our wedding night.”
Did he plan on touching her elsewhere? The answer came as he turned on the bench and cradled her face in his large hands, causing her to close her eyes. When they fluttered open, she stared at his cravat, afraid at what she may glimpse in his eye.
“Look at me.”
She did. In the muted darkness with only one lantern lit inside the carriage, his scar blended in and the black patch made him appear dangerously handsome. It wasn’t the first time she found him handsome. Right this moment he stole the very breath in her lungs, and she hoped he kissed her. Surely that was his plan…
Desire shone in his eye and he dipped his head, taking her lips with his. They were soft, gentle, barely grazing her lips which tingled at the delicate touch. It didn’t take long for things to change. His body tensed, he swore against her lips, then put pressure on her mouth until she gasped, parting her lips. His tongue swept inside, his arms went around her back and pulled her tight against him.
Instinct had her arms curling around his neck and she rubbed her breasts against his hard chest, trying to satisfy the tingling in her nipples. The angle of his head changed, and he deepened the kiss. His tongue thrust in and out of her mouth, and she tried to mimic him until they tangled together and she wondered if she’d done something wrong when he growled. His hand moved to her front, and she held her breath as he undid the frog clasps to her cloak and pushed it off her shoulders. The cool night air kissed her bare skin. Before she could comprehend that it chilled her, his warm lips traveled down her neck and across the swell of her partially exposed breasts causing a sudden inferno that had her wanting to tear off her clothes and be free.
“You are so beautiful, my dear.” Teeth lightly scraped across the tops of her breasts. Breasts that begged to be free of their confinement.
So lost in her emotions and lust, she never realized Newbury had popped free her heavy breasts until his tongue laved one bare nipple. “Oh my,” she breathed as she arched her back in supplication.
He responded by sucking her nipple deep into his mouth while one of his hands kneaded her other breast. She gasped as his other hand slid up her leg, leaving a wake of goose bumps behind. Up over her calf. Over her knee, up the inside of her thigh.When had I parted my legs?Until he cupped her there. The slit in her pantaloons giving her no protection from his questing fingers as they sought out her womanhood.
To her mortification she moaned, her thighs parted wider, and her hips pushed into his hand repeatedly. What must he be thinking? That he was marrying a wanton? “Mmmmm.” She moaned again, unable to stop her body's betrayal. Her body's need for something as he pushed a finger inside her, nearly sending her off the bench. “Hugh?” It was the first time she used his Christian name. It felt right on her tongue.
Time paused. The fog in her brain refused to relent until she heard the rustling of her clothing being put to right.
A hand gripped her chin painfully and forced her face up. “Look at me,” Newbury demanded.
Her eyes popped open, and she glimpsed hurt, anger, and disappointment in his one eye. Why? What had she done wrong?
“When I claim you on our wedding night,” he sneered, his voice deep and angry, “try to remember my name.”
