Syn and Scandal (Headstrong Heroines Standalone books) by Sandra Sookoo

Author:Sandra Sookoo [Sookoo, Sandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New Independence Books
Published: 2024-07-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

July 20, 1815

A sound that wasn’t what Marjorie had been accustomed to hearing came to her ears in the middle of the night, and it didn’t belong there. She closed her eyes and tried to return to slumber, but a few seconds later, the soft snick of the door adjoining her dressing room closing echoed in the dark and silent space.

She lifted her head off the pillow. “Who’s there?”

“Don’t trouble yourself. It is only I.” The rumble of Benedict’s voice in the shadows sent awareness sailing over her skin. Then the mattress depressed and the bedclothes rustled. Seconds later, he eased his body close to her, and what was more, the marquess was completely nude. “If you don’t wish for company, I shall return to my room.”

The soothing sound of rain outside the open windows tried to lull her back into sleep, but this new development prevented that. “Please don’t. I like having you near.” His presence coupled with the rain and the scents from the wet nighttime world outside was quite cozy and lovely. In fact, it made her think about highly inappropriate things such as a future when there wasn’t anything there before.

“Good.”

“Did you walk here without a stitch of clothing on?” She snuggled back into her pillow, and even though she lay on her belly, the thought of having him next to her sans clothing was more than thrilling.

“I had a banyan on but shed it once inside the room.” He said nothing more, and her eyes drifted closed.

Yet she smiled in the darkness. “Ever the surprise, Your Lordship,” she murmured as she settled in for sleep.

Almost into slumber, tingles of need shuddered down her spine as he pressed his lips to her shoulder while dancing the fingertips of one hand along her back. “What are you doing?” Not that she minded. They hadn’t been together in a carnal capacity for a couple of days.

“Hopefully getting into wicked trouble.” He moved his form so that he could easily access her nape, which he then kissed and licked until she shivered with need. “I didn’t wish to pass the night alone, especially after talking to my wife.”

Now that was odd. “Do you do that often?” No wonder he clung to the past.

“At times when she comes to me in ghostly form during the times my mind in conflicted.” As he spoke, Benedict caressed his fingertips over her skin, swiping them along her sides, down her back, around her buttocks through the thin fabric of her night dress. Every touch was gentle and different in tone than their usual encounters.

“Are you conflicted now?”

“No.” Once more, he changed position, and this time he encouraged her onto her back. The night dress twisted hopelessly beneath her. “This is where I need to be tonight.”

“Why is that?” While it was fun to tease him, there was a certain truth to the questioning, for they had known each other for nearly two weeks and there had to be more between them than this immediate and consuming heat.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.