Sapphires Are an Earl's Best Friend by Shana Galen - Jewels of the Ton 03 - Sapphires Are an Earl's Best Friend
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She turned to look at his hand now. It was close, quite close. He pulled it away, and she saw the blood on his knuckles. “I don’t want to talk about Juliette.”
“I do. You know we were both under the protection of the Earl of Sinclair. He liked us to join him in bed together.”
“Stop.” His voice was low and murderous, but Lily could not stop herself. He’d had her kidnapped, insulted her at every turn, and now interrupted her vital work. She wanted him to be angry. She wanted him to be as annoyed and frustrated and furious as she was.
“You should have seen Juliette pleasure the Earl of Sin. He liked it when she would—” Lily saw his hand go up, and she flinched, but it was his mouth that came down hard on hers, silencing her. This time she was ready for it. This time she met him on the battlefield. She kissed him back, bruising his lips, tearing at his hair with her hands. He made an incredulous sound, and then his arms were around her. But she wouldn’t be contained. She shoved him back, continuing her assault until it was he who was pinned to the wall and not her.
“How do you like it?” she asked, breaking the kiss. “How do you like being the one taken?”
He glared at her. She could see he hated her—no, he hated his desire for her. He wanted her, and he hated himself for that. Lily’s heart swelled in her chest. Darlington wanted her . She shouldn’t care. She should hate him, but she had wanted him for so long that to see the desire in his eyes, to feel his arousal pressed hard against her belly, was the ultimate fulfillment. He might love Juliette—or think he loved the idea of her—but he wanted her—Lily. And, judging from the lengths he’d gone to in order to evict her from his father’s bedchamber—he wanted her badly.
She had the sudden realization she could take him to bed. She could take his hand and lead him to her room. He would go with her. He was barely fighting his need for her now. It might take a bit of coaxing, more kissing, but she could have him. She had loved him for so long…
And if she bedded him, then what? Then his desire for her would be slaked, and he would go back to pining for Juliette and attempting to thwart her mission here. She would feel worse than she did right now. And she would be a prostitute in truth, because he would only be using her. Lily stepped back, letting her hands drop from Darlington’s neck. This was not what she wanted. Not like this. She wanted him to care for her. She wanted him to pine for her, as he pined for Juliette.
That, she knew, would never happen, but she did not have to accept what he was offering now—a frantic coupling in the dark followed by his scorn in the morning.
She’d already taken that road. She’d been young, only sixteen, but she had learned from her mistake. She would not make it again.
“I’m returning to my room,” she said. “Alone.”
He stared at her, his eyes dark with longing that made her belly flutter and her legs weak. “Do not follow me.” She forced her legs backward, forced herself to retreat, to leave him, though he was staring at her with undisguised need. She could almost feel his desire for her, and as soon as she was out of his sight, she began to run. Her slippers shushed loudly on the rug until she was certain he did not follow. Then she pressed herself against the wall, put a hand to her heart, and tried to catch her breath.
She was lost now. She had no idea if this was the way to her room, but she would worry about that in a moment. Running away from Darlington had been harder than she could have anticipated. She felt an ache now that she was away from him. She wanted him so badly, and yet she hated him as much as he hated her. She didn’t understand it. She didn’t want to. She had a mission to complete. Men’s lives were at stake. She could not let them down. Something had to be done about Darlington’s interference.
Perhaps if she found a way to keep him busy. The
“I do. You know we were both under the protection of the Earl of Sinclair. He liked us to join him in bed together.”
“Stop.” His voice was low and murderous, but Lily could not stop herself. He’d had her kidnapped, insulted her at every turn, and now interrupted her vital work. She wanted him to be angry. She wanted him to be as annoyed and frustrated and furious as she was.
“You should have seen Juliette pleasure the Earl of Sin. He liked it when she would—” Lily saw his hand go up, and she flinched, but it was his mouth that came down hard on hers, silencing her. This time she was ready for it. This time she met him on the battlefield. She kissed him back, bruising his lips, tearing at his hair with her hands. He made an incredulous sound, and then his arms were around her. But she wouldn’t be contained. She shoved him back, continuing her assault until it was he who was pinned to the wall and not her.
“How do you like it?” she asked, breaking the kiss. “How do you like being the one taken?”
He glared at her. She could see he hated her—no, he hated his desire for her. He wanted her, and he hated himself for that. Lily’s heart swelled in her chest. Darlington wanted her . She shouldn’t care. She should hate him, but she had wanted him for so long that to see the desire in his eyes, to feel his arousal pressed hard against her belly, was the ultimate fulfillment. He might love Juliette—or think he loved the idea of her—but he wanted her—Lily. And, judging from the lengths he’d gone to in order to evict her from his father’s bedchamber—he wanted her badly.
She had the sudden realization she could take him to bed. She could take his hand and lead him to her room. He would go with her. He was barely fighting his need for her now. It might take a bit of coaxing, more kissing, but she could have him. She had loved him for so long…
And if she bedded him, then what? Then his desire for her would be slaked, and he would go back to pining for Juliette and attempting to thwart her mission here. She would feel worse than she did right now. And she would be a prostitute in truth, because he would only be using her. Lily stepped back, letting her hands drop from Darlington’s neck. This was not what she wanted. Not like this. She wanted him to care for her. She wanted him to pine for her, as he pined for Juliette.
That, she knew, would never happen, but she did not have to accept what he was offering now—a frantic coupling in the dark followed by his scorn in the morning.
She’d already taken that road. She’d been young, only sixteen, but she had learned from her mistake. She would not make it again.
“I’m returning to my room,” she said. “Alone.”
He stared at her, his eyes dark with longing that made her belly flutter and her legs weak. “Do not follow me.” She forced her legs backward, forced herself to retreat, to leave him, though he was staring at her with undisguised need. She could almost feel his desire for her, and as soon as she was out of his sight, she began to run. Her slippers shushed loudly on the rug until she was certain he did not follow. Then she pressed herself against the wall, put a hand to her heart, and tried to catch her breath.
She was lost now. She had no idea if this was the way to her room, but she would worry about that in a moment. Running away from Darlington had been harder than she could have anticipated. She felt an ache now that she was away from him. She wanted him so badly, and yet she hated him as much as he hated her. She didn’t understand it. She didn’t want to. She had a mission to complete. Men’s lives were at stake. She could not let them down. Something had to be done about Darlington’s interference.
Perhaps if she found a way to keep him busy. The
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