Page 46 of The Rake’s Convenient Bride

“You must be quiet,” he murmured in her ear, and she buried her face against his shoulder.

He held her thus, letting her cries of surprised delight and pleasure melt against his body, resonating in his ears. She was so damn wet against his fingers, hot and eager.

So ready for him that he had to clamp down on his back teeth to stave off his own longing.

All he wanted in this moment was her pleasure.

His thumb found the swollen nub and he circled it slowly at first, then with more haste. Her breath hitched and he knew she would not take long to bring to release.

God, how he appreciated an easy lover.

Her body tensed, so close to the brink.

He pressed his mouth to her throat, kissing her gently as his fingers worked over her. “Come for me, my love,” he growled.

She stiffened, and her gasps of euphoria were absorbed with his lips as her sex spasmed against his fingers.

An exhale shuddered from her as she drew back, her gaze wide and blinking with wonder. “I…I had no idea it could be like that.”

He removed his hand, letting her skirts fall back into place as he eased his glove back over his hand, his fingers still damp with her arousal.

“That is only the beginning, dearest.” He grinned at her, wishing he could show her every element of pleasure he’d learned in his youth. Only now he would appreciate them so much more with a woman he found as intriguing and respectable as he did beautiful and desirable.

But tonight was for her.

To show her passion, but maintain her innocence.

Because she was not his. And he would do well to remember that.

Someday, some other man would marry her. Someone else who would part her thighs as she took him into her, having what Jasper could not.

A spike of jealousy drove through him.

Because even if he knew he didn’t deserve her, he wanted to be that man, damn it.

“We should return inside,” he said abruptly. “Or people will speculate over our prolonged absence.”

Elizabeth nodded, her cheeks flushed. Her lips were swollen from their kisses, her eyes still bright with desire.

One need take only one look at her to know what they had been on about.

“I should not have done that.” He ran a hand through his hair.

“Why not?” She asked.

“Because you’re an innocent. I have no right to…to do what I did.”

Most women might become emotional at such a reply, but Elizabeth just tilted her head, her approach pragmatic as it always seemed to be. “Then why did you?”

Her question was not accusatory, but asked in genuine interest.

“Because I could not help myself.” He sighed. “I can never seem to help myself around you.”

And that very much was the problem.

He liked the time he spent with Elizabeth, he loved the way she respected him when others did not, how she’d wanted to hear why he had a sordid past rather than judging him for it. He liked how she made him feel like he could be a better man with her. And even though he knew she despised her clumsiness, he found it endearing.

In that moment, Jasper realized he did not wish to end their engagement. That perhaps they might take the risk to bring the engagement to fruition.