or his arousal, which pressed unmistakably full and hard against the fall of his breeches. Let her see what such a request involved. He would give her one chance to back out.
‘Have you thought this through? Is there no chance of resigning yourself to the marriage? Perhaps you will come to rub along quite well with your betrothed in a year or two. Many women find once they marry, have a home and a family to look after, that all else settles itself with time.’ Good lord, he sounded like a finishing-school marm.
Fire lit her eyes and she replied, ‘I am not a silly chit rebelling against her parents’ choice for a husband because I fancy myself infatuated with another. I assure you, I have no desire to “rub along well” with this man. Mortimer Oswalt is a lecher of the worst sort and I refuse to be reduced to nothing more than his legal brood mare! Even if it means I shall not stand a chance of ever marrying.’
Paine felt his heated blood chill at the name. Mortimer Oswalt was well known to him. There was old animosity between them and a vengeance to be repaid over a woman. It would be fitting to ruin the man’s betrothed. He was no longer a stripling. This time, Mortimer Oswalt would not be able to manipulate him so easily. This time, an innocent would escape Oswalt’s clutches.
He studied the girl before him. Bedding her would be no act of charity. She was a divine beauty and his body clearly wanted her. She was more than beautiful, though. He wasn’t so fickle as to be aroused by appearance alone. Julia Prentiss had spirit and courage. Not every girl in England had the power to rebel against a chosen match and to take action on her own. Such passion boded well for what they could share in the bedroom. First, he would ascertain with actions the willingness she professed with her words.
‘Stand up, Julia, so that I may see what I am getting myself into.’ He held her eyes, noting that her gaze did not flinch from his scrutiny.
She rose, her skirts brushing his legs. The lemon scent of her soap filled his nostrils, conjuring up images of sunlit days in faraway places where trees grew exotic-scented fruits. Paine let his eyes roam the length of her, stopping to rest intently on her firm breasts shown to advantage beneath the aquamarine bodice. He stared long enough to know her cheeks were heating.
Paine stood up from his lounging position against the desk and closed the half-step gap between them. He fitted his hands at her slender waist appreciably. Still, she did not move. He ran a hand up her ribs to cup the underside of a full breast. ‘Very nice, very firm. I like that,’ he said huskily.
Without warning, a hand slapped him hard across the face. He took a step back, releasing his grip on her. ‘What the hell was that for?’ He massaged the stung cheek.
‘For trying to scare me off. I see your game and I won’t scare.’ The coldness of her words matched the coldness Paine saw in her eyes. He’d expected her to be stunned by his vulgar assessment.
Julia delivered a scathing set-down. ‘You can’t do anything more humiliating to me than what awaits me with Oswalt. At least when I am done here, I’ll have my freedom. However, I would still ask that you not treat me like prized cattle.’
Paine gave a sardonic laugh. ‘Who’s treating whom like prized cattle? You are the one who has marched in here and demanded I play the stud.’ He was gratified when she coloured a bit at that.
‘Enough. Will you do it?’
She was magnificent in her scolding, her colour rising, her eyes starting to thaw with her temper. He liked that better. He had no use for ice maidens. A wicked grin lit his face. He advanced again, his stung cheek forgotten. There was one final test. ‘Darling, have you heard the bedtime story about the princess and the pea?’ He whispered, catching her chin between his forefinger and thumb so that her lovely face was turned up to meet his.
‘Wh-what does that have to do with anything?’ she asked, startled, her eyes widening.
For an answer, Paine bent his head to capture her luscious mouth with his. He coaxed her mouth open with a light pressure from his lips, letting his tongue probe her mouth, running across the smooth surfaces of her teeth, tasting the fruity sweetness of evening champagne, feeling her compliance.
He opened his mouth wider and pulled back his tongue to offer her an opportunity to reciprocate. She did, tentatively letting her tongue explore him. Paine groaned as her teeth nipped at his bottom lip and she giggled at his response. Paine moved his hands to her waist and pulled her against him, letting her feel his hard member, letting her feel the power she had to summon such a response.
Paine grabbed her hand and held it between them, against the straining length of him. ‘Do you feel what you do to me?’ he murmured, tearing himself away from the kiss. This was meant to be his test. When had he lost control?
Instead of being embarrassed by the intimate nature of her touch, Julia looked exultant, her face flushed with more victory than apprehension. If she looked this beautiful now, Paine could hardly imagine how glorious it would be to see her after a thorough bedding and know he was the one responsible for such a satisfied glow. There were countless positions and tricks he could show a willing participant.
‘Does this mean you will do it?’ she pressed, breaking into his thoughts before they could start to vividly itemise the lessons he wanted to give her.
Paine gave her one last assessing glance, not wanting to appear too easily conquered for pride’s sake. Whatever rumour might say about him, whatever rumour might have led her here under the premise he was not discerning about his bed partners, Paine knew otherwise. He considered his bedmates carefully and with utmost discretion.
‘Yes. Yes, I will do it.’
Paine visibly saw the breath she’d been holding go out of her, so great was her relief. Looking past him, her eyes evaluated the room. He followed her gaze to where it rested on the narrow cot with its drab blanket shoved against the wall. She pursed her lips into a resolute line and nodded towards the bed with dogged determination. ‘Then we’d best get on with it.’
Paine thought he heard a note of sadness in her voice, perhaps regret, and he moved to eradicate it. She might be forced to surrender her virginity, but it didn’t have to be a degrading experience. His own considerable pride as a lover bristled at the notion. No woman should ever leave his bed feeling demeaned by the experience of his lovemaking. He made a quick decision.
‘I think you’ll find my rooms better suited for our needs.’ He nodded towards the cot. ‘I’ve spent enough nights on that to know it is not even passably comfortable for one, let alone two people engaged in intimacy.’
She blushed and Paine was struck afresh by her innocence. For all her forthright behaviour, she was young and pretty and apparently alone. The last resonated with him strongly. He knew what it was like to be alone and he felt a kinship with her that he had not felt for another person in ages. Something that slept deep within him was waking up.
‘My carriage is in the back. We should leave before someone comes poking around,’ Paine suggested, moving the interaction forwards. Now that the deal had been struck, Julia had fallen silent, her gaze pointedly fixed on her gloved hands.
He held out his hand. ‘It’s time to go unless you are rethinking your choices. Once you leave here, there’s no turning back.’ He gave a small chuckle meant to reassure her. ‘I am sure it has come to your attention that I want you.’
Her head shot up at the comment, her eyes blazing with fire. ‘First of all, how could you want me? You know nothing about me beyond my name and even that could be a fabrication on my part. Secondly,
