Holiday Pleasures (bundled set) by Theresa Romain

Author:Theresa Romain [Romain, Theresa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zebra Books
Published: 2016-01-13T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 29

Containing Lord Xavier’s Final Absolution

She didn’t mean to. She truly did not. But Louisa started thinking again as soon as her shoulders hit the reclined back of the chaise, as soon as Alex curved his body against hers.

“We only have an hour. How much time is left to it?”

His hand slid beneath her waist, drew her closer. “Enough. Wheeling hasn’t rung the gong.”

The gong. As if Wheeling would truly sound it, and Alex and Louisa were meant to emerge, rumpled and giggling, to the applause of the other guests.

Ridiculous as it was, the idea made her smile. What a blessing it would be, to cast off all masks and show the world, yes, we want each other. No, we are not who you thought.

He rested his forehead against her hair. “I like these beads. Very fancy. Let me get a better look.” The hand not currently holding her waist began to work at the glass beads wound through her hair.

“I’ll never get my hair pinned back up.” Not much of a protest. As he cradled her, only a breath away, it was difficult to think why his hands mustn’t tug pins from her hair, trail over her scalp, let the long curls tumble around her shoulders, over her bodice.

“I’ve been wanting to take your hair down and run my fingers through it,” he murmured. “I wondered what it would feel like.”

“It feels like hair. Just like yours.”

“Ha. Not like mine, I assure you.” Those fingers. They combed through her long hair, brushing her neck, shoulders, the tops of her breasts.

He wound strands around his fingers and held them to the firelight. “Your hair is a promise.”

“What sort of promise?” Never could she let a question pass, even when she wanted to grab at his hands and start putting them all over her body.

There must have been a treacherous quaver in her voice, because he smiled. “Well, if I’ve removed your hairpins . . .” He released her hair from his upheld hand, letting the strands float free to tickle her skin. “Perhaps you’ll let me remove something else.”

“Indeed, yes.” She thought for a moment. “You may start with your coat.”

He paused, fingers still extended. And then he laughed.

A real laugh, still so rare that she felt she’d won a prize every time she heard it. The sound was low and rusty, shaking his body, shaking her along with him. Both arms wrapped around her, crushing the air from her lungs; then he released her and sat up.

“I didn’t promise to be biddable, if you’ll recall. But in this case, I’ll oblige.”

Rising to his feet, he began shrugging out of his coat. The garment was well-tailored, very snug, and his shoulders moved around quite a lot as he freed himself. Broad shoulders, flexing; the fabric sliding down his arms. Back-lit as he was by the fire, she could trace the shape of his arms through the thin linen of his shirtsleeves.

He tossed the coat onto a nearby chair, then tapped his chin with a forefinger.

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