To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield by Bronwen Evans Page A

it. He was letting her go?  
    The cool water did nothing to diminish the fire burning under her skin. Droplets of water clung to him like a jealous lover. His curls glistened in the sunlight, their ringlets lending the consummate rake an air of innocence. He looked delicious.  
    His jaw tightened and a hint of color tinged his cheeks. “I’ve released you, Caitlin. Go. Now. You’re playing with fire if you stay.”
    Was he blushing? Dear heaven, he was! He was also warning her. Telling her she should jump at the chance to escape him. That he was giving her the choice spoke volumes about the real man behind the rakish persona. Perhaps he wasn’t such a rogue after all.  
    That afternoon she’d found his self-teasing delectable. The way he’d poked fun at himself, how he made Mrs. Darcy feel relaxed in his presence as he allowed her to scold and tease him. Caitlin warmed to that side of him and could now understand why so many women fell under his spell.
    “Did you hear me?” he asked, his voice ragged. “I can’t vouch for how much longer I can stand here without reaching for you. I’m not a saint, Caitlin. I‘m a man. A man who wants you very much.”
    She could see that he wanted her. Although she didn’t wish to feel anything other than revulsion for Harlow Telford, nothing she could see —and she could see quite clearly through the water—revolted her. And he certainly had a sizeable “nothing”.  
    She should run a mile.
    But at that moment the idea of ruination was no longer frightening. In fact, the idea of marriage to him looked incredibly appealing.  
    Muscle rippled and flexed in his arm, and down the trim taper of his waist as he wiped the water from his eyes.
    The words left her mouth on a soft sigh. “What if I don’t wish to leave?”  
     
    Dangerfield couldn’t believe what he’d heard. Wasn’t sure he had heard it. The deafening roar in his ears, take her , blocked out any other sound.  
    She was offering herself to him? He had wanted to seduce her in order to make his proposal more appealing, but God’s truth, did she understand the consequence of her actions?  
    Was he strong enough to resist even if she didn’t.
    He scooped her up in his arms and waded to shore. The feel of her naked fragility against his chest flooded him with such a wave of protectiveness he barely knew what to do with himself.
    When she looked up at him, uncertainty in her eyes. He gathered her closer, the tightness around his heart unexpected.
    He found the flat, dry, and very private place where she’d shed her clothes, and lay her reverently down upon them—her beauty, which had long haunted his dreams, displayed for him to see and worship.
    “Harlow.” She trembled a little as she breathed his name. She stared into his eyes—her own, liquid pools of emotion, their glowing greenish hue dark with want. And she rose up and feathered little kisses on his chest.
    He quivered, breathless with wonder as her silken lips caressed his skin. Caresses so innocently given. He knew with absolute certainty he’d remember this moment for the rest of his life.  
    He ran a shaky hand down one of her long limbs, her firm, damp flesh luscious to the touch. To his surprise she lay back and smiled encouragingly.  
    Her faith in his ability to give her pleasure awed him. He knelt at her feet, suddenly unsure.  
    His fascination with her took him by surprise.  
    He knew the secrets of a woman’s body—none better. But this wasn’t “a woman”. This was Caitlin. This was different. This was important. This was real.
    Yes, he wanted her. He wanted to sheath himself deep within her and find heaven. But he also wanted her. Her. He wanted her to… Christ… not just to respect him. He wanted more. He wanted her to admire, to adore… He wanted her to love him.  
    Her finger had been gliding down his torso. Now it halted, shyly, near his rampant arousal, which stood straight and hard against his stomach. Her touch