A Lady's Guide to Rakes by Kathryn Caskie

Author:Kathryn Caskie [Caskie, Kathryn]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9780446616096
Publisher: Warner
Published: 2005-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Imperative Eleven

A rake will take advantage of confusion, then act.

*

After a few attempts at speaking, which resembled a dormouse’s squeak far more than words, Meredith found her voice. “You’ve got the wrong bed. You must go!”

She tried to give him a good hard shove, but the cordial still flowed sleepily through her body and, instead, she fell against his side.

“Oh botheration.” Meredith tried to push up, but she was just too exhausted. So she lay there, poking his ribs with her fingertip, hoping he’d do the gentlemanly thing and leave.

“I do apologize if you find my company shocking, Meredith; nevertheless, I am not leaving this bed tonight.”

“You must! What if my aunts find you here? Viola is just across the passage, and Letitia is in the very next chamber. I will be ruined.” Again, she added silently. “Your chamber is just on the other side of that wall. I will help you to the balcony door. You can enter from the outside.”

“Meredith, if you wish to leave, you may, but I barely made it here. I have no motive for remaining in this bed with you other than my legs are like pudding and I can hardly keep my eyes open.”

His arm came down around her as he pried off one boot, then the other, using his heel and toe for leverage. “Damned cordial. Never felt anything like it. Must have been off….” His voice grew languid. “P-poisoned us both, I reckon.”

“More likely my aunt slipped something into it.” Her eyes were growing heavy again. “Into your father’s glass too. He fell asleep almost right away, didn’t he?”

When there was no reply, Meredith quieted and listened in the darkness. Alexander’s breath was slow and she could feel his chest rising and falling in the gentle rhythm of sleep.

As he slept, the slow drugging heave of his chest, coupled with the intoxicating warmth of his body, made it impossible for Meredith to keep her lids open.

So, she decided to rest her eyes for just a moment. Then she would get up. Yes, that’s what she’d do.

*

Her dreams were not frightening this time. This time they were bliss.

She was lying on the hillside at Brumley Court, staring up at the white fluffy clouds when suddenly she detected the slightest smell of French musk. She turned her head to see Alexander standing over her, blocking out the sun. She smiled at him, but instead of doing his utmost to provoke her, he slipped his hand beneath her loose locks and dragged her mouth to his.

Someone would see them, she was sure, and Meredith broke from the kiss to look around. But there was no one at all. No white tents dotting the rolling green hills. No pink shell boats floating on the sun-stroked lake. They were alone. Completely alone.

A glow of excitement flooded her senses, and courage… or maybe it was recklessness… surged through her in rapid pulses. Without a thought to propriety, Meredith pulled Alexander to the grass, then rolled him atop her and slid her fingers through his hair as she kissed him.

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