lost control. His mouth worked her lips and
gently parted them. His tongue dove with almost ferocious need, and
she responded.
He was on fire. His body burned, his cock promised
to go off in his breeches if he didn’t pull away immediately, and,
somehow, he managed to take her shoulders and set her apart.
“My dear beauty … forgive me …”
***
“ Not if you are going to stop kissing me,”
she answered dreamily. He wanted her, that was for certain. More
than that, she thought. She was pretty certain he wanted her more
than he had ever wanted any woman before. She knew this because she
had grown to know something of him. He did not want to ruin her. He
would not kiss her if he was in control, and her instincts told her
he was not in control … not at all … and that gave her
courage to pursue him.
“I must stop … I do you an injustice, and I
must get you away from here without anyone the wiser …” He
took her hand, and she allowed him to pull her along through the
maze, but they only found themselves in its deepest, darkest
area.
She giggled and went back into his arms. What she
needed was to make him realize that he had met his match. Could she
do that with some a boldness she had never felt before? “Again,
kiss me again.”
“ No …” Lord Wildfire said, trying to be
resolute, but then he whispered, “ Bloody hell,” scooped her up, and did just that. He then set her apart by her
shoulders. “I have been many things … done many things I’m not
proud of, but I won’t ruin a maid.”
“You aren’t ruining me—you are expanding who I
am …” she said enticingly.
“Where did you learn to talk like that?”
“From the Godwin papers,” she said with a soft
smile.
“From what? Never say you were allowed to read such
outrageous …” He wagged a finger at her.
“Also, from you …”
“From me? I never taught you to talk like that!”
“No, but you have taught me to feel like that.”
“Now that is—”
“The truth as I see it,” she interjected. “You draw
out all that I am, and I like it …”
“Well, stop it, stop liking it, for it simply won’t
do.”
A tinkling ripple of laughter filled the air, and
she saw that he was using a great deal of self-control; his hands
were fisted at his sides, and he took a step back from her. “Turn
around, minx. It is time we backtracked, before your father comes
looking for you and decides to have my head, and rightly so.”
Her eyes lost their twinkle, and she said with a
gasp as she remembered her father and Aunt Jane, “Oh … oh
yes … let’s do.”
Just as they left the maze and came upon Sir
Frederick and Corry, Babs felt a pair of eyes glaring at her. She
turned and found her father staring directly at her.
“I better go face the music,” Babs said as she
started off.
“Not without me, little one,” his grace said as he
offered her his arm. She took it, and he led her to her parent,
with Corry and Sir Frederick at their backs chattering away.
However, Lady Barbara’s father smiled to see the
duke in attendance on his daughter. He waved her off, bade her
enjoy herself, and returned his attention to his cronies. To his
left, Lady Jane was chatting up her own circle of friends, and Babs
breathed a sigh of relief.
The duke released a laugh and flicked her nose. “You
are, most certainly, a minx. You slid through that one, didn’t
you?”
“So I did … Shall we return to the maze?” she
teased.
“We shall not. I am feeling like a scoundrel. I am
not in the habit of seducing young women, so I do beg your pardon
for my conduct and—”
“And what, promise never to kiss me ever again?” She
twinkled up at him.
He took her hand, pulled her out of the light and
into the shade of some large yews, and crushed her into his arms.
“You are driving me wild with your games. Do not play them with
me … you might be sorry.”
“Might I?”
“Do not mistake my dallying with you to be anything
more than that
gently parted them. His tongue dove with almost ferocious need, and
she responded.
He was on fire. His body burned, his cock promised
to go off in his breeches if he didn’t pull away immediately, and,
somehow, he managed to take her shoulders and set her apart.
“My dear beauty … forgive me …”
***
“ Not if you are going to stop kissing me,”
she answered dreamily. He wanted her, that was for certain. More
than that, she thought. She was pretty certain he wanted her more
than he had ever wanted any woman before. She knew this because she
had grown to know something of him. He did not want to ruin her. He
would not kiss her if he was in control, and her instincts told her
he was not in control … not at all … and that gave her
courage to pursue him.
“I must stop … I do you an injustice, and I
must get you away from here without anyone the wiser …” He
took her hand, and she allowed him to pull her along through the
maze, but they only found themselves in its deepest, darkest
area.
She giggled and went back into his arms. What she
needed was to make him realize that he had met his match. Could she
do that with some a boldness she had never felt before? “Again,
kiss me again.”
“ No …” Lord Wildfire said, trying to be
resolute, but then he whispered, “ Bloody hell,” scooped her up, and did just that. He then set her apart by her
shoulders. “I have been many things … done many things I’m not
proud of, but I won’t ruin a maid.”
“You aren’t ruining me—you are expanding who I
am …” she said enticingly.
“Where did you learn to talk like that?”
“From the Godwin papers,” she said with a soft
smile.
“From what? Never say you were allowed to read such
outrageous …” He wagged a finger at her.
“Also, from you …”
“From me? I never taught you to talk like that!”
“No, but you have taught me to feel like that.”
“Now that is—”
“The truth as I see it,” she interjected. “You draw
out all that I am, and I like it …”
“Well, stop it, stop liking it, for it simply won’t
do.”
A tinkling ripple of laughter filled the air, and
she saw that he was using a great deal of self-control; his hands
were fisted at his sides, and he took a step back from her. “Turn
around, minx. It is time we backtracked, before your father comes
looking for you and decides to have my head, and rightly so.”
Her eyes lost their twinkle, and she said with a
gasp as she remembered her father and Aunt Jane, “Oh … oh
yes … let’s do.”
Just as they left the maze and came upon Sir
Frederick and Corry, Babs felt a pair of eyes glaring at her. She
turned and found her father staring directly at her.
“I better go face the music,” Babs said as she
started off.
“Not without me, little one,” his grace said as he
offered her his arm. She took it, and he led her to her parent,
with Corry and Sir Frederick at their backs chattering away.
However, Lady Barbara’s father smiled to see the
duke in attendance on his daughter. He waved her off, bade her
enjoy herself, and returned his attention to his cronies. To his
left, Lady Jane was chatting up her own circle of friends, and Babs
breathed a sigh of relief.
The duke released a laugh and flicked her nose. “You
are, most certainly, a minx. You slid through that one, didn’t
you?”
“So I did … Shall we return to the maze?” she
teased.
“We shall not. I am feeling like a scoundrel. I am
not in the habit of seducing young women, so I do beg your pardon
for my conduct and—”
“And what, promise never to kiss me ever again?” She
twinkled up at him.
He took her hand, pulled her out of the light and
into the shade of some large yews, and crushed her into his arms.
“You are driving me wild with your games. Do not play them with
me … you might be sorry.”
“Might I?”
“Do not mistake my dallying with you to be anything
more than that