that he was seething.
Anger fairly radiated from him—anger and something else she didn't recognize.
"I could take you here—right now—against this wall." His deep voice was a mere undertone. "Did you know that, Chloe?"
She stiffened. The words were not meant to charm; they were meant to give her pause.
She shook her head, her hair brushing his chest.
"But then, there are a lot of things you don't know." He spoke very low against the curve of her throat. His free hand slid down her back to cup her derriere, bringing her in close contact with him.
He was hard and swollen as he pressed their lower bodies together. His manhood throbbed as it skimmed her lower stomach.
Despite her apprehension, the curious part of Chloe wondered what he looked like. He felt very large and she still hadn't seen…
He removed his hand from her mouth, seizing her lips in a punishing kiss. She was not used to John kissing her. The Lord of Sex . Her knees buckled.
His powerful arms held her.
"Why did you lead me to believe you were not a virgin, Chloe-cat?" He spoke quietly, his lips a hairbreadth from her own .
The voices were almost upon them now.
Chloe swallowed. She had hoped his anger was due to her coshing him on the head, not that other thing. She was not having very much luck tonight!
"You know about that too?" she said in a squeak, disappointed.
His voice rumbled in her ear, the furious murmurs not at all hidden by the sibilant tones he was forced to use to prevent their discovery. "Do you not listen to those rumors you told me of—that I have been with almost half the women in
England?" He exhaled warm breath against her ear. "Of course I knew."
Chloe wasn't sure she heard him correctly. There was an odd note in his voice. She looked up, trying to see him in the darkened alcove, but could not make out his features.
"Answer me, Chloe."
The flat, self-possessed tone alarmed her. However, she noticed that his tender touch was strangely at odds with his vocal demeanor.
Chloe decided it would be best to tell him the real reason. This reason wasn't the entire truth, but he didn't need to know all of that yet. "B-because you wouldn't have agreed to the plan!"
"Plan?" Chloe heard the shock in his voice. "Don't tell me you still have that mad notion to—"
"Was I right?" She quickly interrupted him; she had no intentions of answering that question.
He hesitated.
So she was right. "See? I couldn't very well tell you, John; you would have gotten the wrong idea." Her double meaning was lost on him. Which was just as well. She sighed. This was not easy for her.
The voices faded down the hallway.
"Even so, if you had simply told me tonight, beforehand, I would have been more… careful with you." Surprisingly, his lips pressed her forehead.
Tears filled her eyes. His action, meant to comfort, was a blow to her heart. His affectionate concern was as it had always been—that of a family friend. The kiss he placed on her brow was not the passionate act of a husband or lover.
A tear spilled over the corner of her eye, down her cheek. In the darkened alcove, it splashed on John's hand.
He felt instant remorse. Chloe rarely cried; he must have hurt her terribly when he took her. "Chloe-cat, I'm so sorry." He encircled her in his arms, hugging her to him.
His kind action in conjunction with his total misinterpretation of her behavior made her cry all the more. She buried her face into his chest, trying to stem her tears, but failing.
John wrapped her tighter in his embrace. "Please, sweet, don't…"
"Just gi -give me a minute, John." Chloe hiccuped .
He smiled faintly, rubbing his chin on the top of her head. "The tip of your nose is cold."
"It is?" She sniffed.
"Yes, monkey. You must be getting cold—let me take you back to bed." He lifted her in his arms.
When he exited the curtained alcove, the wall sconces cast a dim light on the woman in his arms. She gazed up at him, violet eyes still moist from her recent tears. Her
Anger fairly radiated from him—anger and something else she didn't recognize.
"I could take you here—right now—against this wall." His deep voice was a mere undertone. "Did you know that, Chloe?"
She stiffened. The words were not meant to charm; they were meant to give her pause.
She shook her head, her hair brushing his chest.
"But then, there are a lot of things you don't know." He spoke very low against the curve of her throat. His free hand slid down her back to cup her derriere, bringing her in close contact with him.
He was hard and swollen as he pressed their lower bodies together. His manhood throbbed as it skimmed her lower stomach.
Despite her apprehension, the curious part of Chloe wondered what he looked like. He felt very large and she still hadn't seen…
He removed his hand from her mouth, seizing her lips in a punishing kiss. She was not used to John kissing her. The Lord of Sex . Her knees buckled.
His powerful arms held her.
"Why did you lead me to believe you were not a virgin, Chloe-cat?" He spoke quietly, his lips a hairbreadth from her own .
The voices were almost upon them now.
Chloe swallowed. She had hoped his anger was due to her coshing him on the head, not that other thing. She was not having very much luck tonight!
"You know about that too?" she said in a squeak, disappointed.
His voice rumbled in her ear, the furious murmurs not at all hidden by the sibilant tones he was forced to use to prevent their discovery. "Do you not listen to those rumors you told me of—that I have been with almost half the women in
England?" He exhaled warm breath against her ear. "Of course I knew."
Chloe wasn't sure she heard him correctly. There was an odd note in his voice. She looked up, trying to see him in the darkened alcove, but could not make out his features.
"Answer me, Chloe."
The flat, self-possessed tone alarmed her. However, she noticed that his tender touch was strangely at odds with his vocal demeanor.
Chloe decided it would be best to tell him the real reason. This reason wasn't the entire truth, but he didn't need to know all of that yet. "B-because you wouldn't have agreed to the plan!"
"Plan?" Chloe heard the shock in his voice. "Don't tell me you still have that mad notion to—"
"Was I right?" She quickly interrupted him; she had no intentions of answering that question.
He hesitated.
So she was right. "See? I couldn't very well tell you, John; you would have gotten the wrong idea." Her double meaning was lost on him. Which was just as well. She sighed. This was not easy for her.
The voices faded down the hallway.
"Even so, if you had simply told me tonight, beforehand, I would have been more… careful with you." Surprisingly, his lips pressed her forehead.
Tears filled her eyes. His action, meant to comfort, was a blow to her heart. His affectionate concern was as it had always been—that of a family friend. The kiss he placed on her brow was not the passionate act of a husband or lover.
A tear spilled over the corner of her eye, down her cheek. In the darkened alcove, it splashed on John's hand.
He felt instant remorse. Chloe rarely cried; he must have hurt her terribly when he took her. "Chloe-cat, I'm so sorry." He encircled her in his arms, hugging her to him.
His kind action in conjunction with his total misinterpretation of her behavior made her cry all the more. She buried her face into his chest, trying to stem her tears, but failing.
John wrapped her tighter in his embrace. "Please, sweet, don't…"
"Just gi -give me a minute, John." Chloe hiccuped .
He smiled faintly, rubbing his chin on the top of her head. "The tip of your nose is cold."
"It is?" She sniffed.
"Yes, monkey. You must be getting cold—let me take you back to bed." He lifted her in his arms.
When he exited the curtained alcove, the wall sconces cast a dim light on the woman in his arms. She gazed up at him, violet eyes still moist from her recent tears. Her
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