Swept Away by Candace Camp Page B

in a gasp. “Deverel!”
    â€œMmm?” He continued to make his way down her neck to her shoulder.
    â€œI—uh—” She didn’t know what to say. Her whole body was throbbing, and there was a restless ache between her legs. This was not working. She was getting in deeper and deeper without discovering anything. She gestured vaguely back toward the cottage. “The house…your friends…”
    He raised his head and looked at her. His eyes glittered ferally, and his chest moved up and down in harsh, rapid pants. He glanced back toward the house where she pointed, then cast a long look at her.
    â€œYou’re right,” he said finally. “This place is hardly private enough.”
    He closed his eyes as if fighting to gain control of himself. His arms loosened around her, and Julia made herself hop off his lap, a little surprised at how reluctant she was to do so.
    â€œWait…Jessica…” He reached toward her, but Julia took another step backward.
    â€œAh, no,” she said, pleased at the flirtatious tone that she forced into her voice. “I don’t know what sort of women you are used to, but I am not the kind to fall so easily into dalliance.”
    Irritation flashed across his face, and for a moment Julia thought that he was about to flare up in anger, but then he sighed and leaned back against the bench, looking up at her and saying in a bantering voice, “Oh, and what kind of woman are you, then?”
    â€œThe sort who places a high value on herself,” Julia retorted coolly.
    He chuckled. “Indeed. I would say that you are one whose value is higher than most.”
    He stood and came to her, his lazy smile telling her that he understood her game. No doubt it was not uncommon for a bird of paradise to play a waiting game, trying to raise the stakes.
    â€œWhat next, then?” he asked.
    Julia hesitated. This was exactly what she wanted—to have everything in her control. But she was not sure exactly what to do. She knew that she must arrange things differently. This evening everything had been too vague, and she had left him too much in control. She should arrange their rendezvous in some private place where she could ply him with alcohol to loosen his tongue while she allowed him a few kisses and caresses. But where could such a thing take place? She obviously could not have him come to her home, and everything engrained in her by her upbringing rebelled at the thought of going with him alone to his house.
    Suddenly a thought struck her, and she grinned. “Well…I must confess that I have a great desire to visit Vauxhall Gardens to view the fireworks.”
    While Vauxhall Gardens was the sort of place where a lady might go, as long as she was in a well-chaperoned party, it was also a public entertainment that anyone could attend, and Julia had heard rumors that it was a favorite spot for dallying among gentlemen and ladies of the night. There were private boxes to be had, where one could have a supper catered, and if one left one’s box, there were all sorts of secluded walkways where a couple could stroll alone in the dark—or pause in the shadows for a few stolen kisses. Moreover, people often went to it in masquerade, which meant that one could keep one’s identity a secret. All these things combined to make it a perfect site for their rendezvous.
    â€œDo you?” he responded, the glitter in his eyes telling her that he was well aware of the suitability of Vauxhall Gardens. “Certainly you must see them. Shall we say tomorrow evening?”
    â€œNo, I am afraid I could not do it tomorrow.” She must, after all, keep him dangling for a while in order to whet his appetite. “What about the day after that?”
    â€œAs you wish,” he replied graciously, inclining his head toward her.
    They took their leave of their host—Julia glanced around but could not find the couple who had been