Page 51 of Persuasions of an Earl's Daughter

His legs threatened to give out at the sight of her—all pale skin, and delicate rosy nipples, and dark hair at the apex of her thighs begging him to drop to his knees and taste her again. The slight shadow of ribs contrasted with the firm strength of her stomach and thighs, and he knew now a person could be more than one thing. He could be more than the bastard son of stablehand and more than a reputed rake.

He might even be able to be a good father and husband.

Just as Lilly could be both strong and vulnerable. The way she offered herself up to him, despite the trembling thighs and the flush of pink on her cheeks made him certain anything was possible.

August wasted little time urging her to the bed. She sank onto the blanket, and he tucked it around her in a bid to keep her warm. She giggled and stretched her arms above her head, lifting her breasts and setting a fire in him that had to be doused.

Kissing his way up her ribs, he took the time to kiss her collarbone and décolletage, relishing the little murmurs of pleasure she made. As much as he wanted to go straight for her nipples and taste those tempting points, he dare not, or else he wouldn’t take the time he needed to treasure this, to find the words. To explain everything. He might not be a gentleman, but he couldn’t bed her without telling her the truth.

But then her hand moved to the back of his head and urged him down. He had no choice.

She gasped as he took her nipple in his mouth. He needed to stand up and retrieve the wash bowl. Needed to get out of his own dirty clothes.

Needed to tell her all.

And he would. Just a few more moments he promised himself. Just a little more time tasting her.

When she arched into him, his mind blanked. He froze, lifted his head, and steeled himself before he could sink further into the abyss of pleasure she created.

She reached for him, a silent plea on her lips.

“Wait, Lil,” he said. “I need to tell you something.” He smiled briefly as she blinked at him, brows knitting. “A lot of things actually.” He was finally ready to tell someone the truth. He only hoped he didn’t end up with a rope around his neck for his troubles.

Chapter Nineteen

She knew it was too good to be true. He was too wonderfully perfect for her.

He covered her with his body, but Lilly still felt the stark vulnerability of her nudity. At the very same time, she was aware of the fabric of his clothes chafing against her skin and the weight of him on top of her. Foolishly, a fresh flush of desire rolled through her, making long and leisurely progress through her body and leaving her throat constricted.

August’s expression didn’t do anything to loosen the desire knotting her throat. The creases in his forehead had her itching to soothe them away.

None of this helped matters much. It didn’t ease the painful thump of her heart or allow her to roll out from underneath him and cover herself up so he could tell her something she had no doubt had to be awful. His grave tone and the way his gaze hunted hers had a multitude of scenarios skitting through her mind.

The primary one was simple—he didn’t really desire her.

He was a man, she was a woman, and this was simply an innocent mistake.

It didn’t matter that he’d uttered sweet, sweet words to her and already worshipped her with a reverence she’d never expected to see in any man’s gaze, let alone one this wonderful. Some part of her mind niggled at her, reminding her of all the times she’d tripped and fallen. Perhaps this was one of those. Perhaps this was the latest in her adventures gone awry. Her instincts had failed her again and rather than muddy and wet she’d wind up naked and alone and utterly humiliated.

“Lil,” he said so softly her heart stretched.

She couldn’t be wrong again. Surely this time she was right? Her instincts were correct, and this man was not the one portrayed in the scandal sheets but the flesh and blood one she’d watch risk his life and aid of others time and time again.

He reached over her, grabbed the edge of the bedsheet, and dragged it about her. The coolness of the fabric against her skin brought her to a stark reality. She tugged it around her breasts and banded both arms about herself to pin it there as she wriggled up to sitting and he moved back to perch on the edge of the bed.

“If you’re going to say you have changed your mind—”

August shook his head. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”

She searched his gaze, unable to find even a fragment of a lie there. Lilly didn’t allow herself to relax yet, though. Being raised with sisters, her education on men was limited but she did know it took an awful lot for a man in the midst of passion to stop.

And she knew how much she did not want him to stop. If he felt even a smidgen of what she did, it had to be a grave reason indeed for him to cease kissing her.

“Then what is it?” she asked, voice husky.

His jaw ticked. At the same time, her pulse began to thud in her ears. She couldn’t even latch onto a possible explanation, but she’d read enough scandalous things about him to be fearful indeed. What could be worse than affairs with married women and talk of deals with the devil to ensure he survived adventures few men returned alive from?

“August?”

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