Page 17 of The Earl's Heiress
“I felt … excited.”
Her eyes dropped to his lips, and he knew what she needed. He had wanted to kiss her properly ever since the first time they met. He raised his hand and lightly brushed her cheek. Subtle, creamy skin, just as he remembered it. He slowly trailed a path down to her throat, where he felt the steady beat of her pulse, and he longed to feel it against his tongue. Temple leaned forward and narrowed the distance between them even further. Her beautiful ladybug eyes had drawn him in.
“You are far too tempting.” He whispered.
“What are you tempted to do?” She whispered back.
Temple knew exactly what he wanted. To remove all her clothes … slowly. Slip his tongue into her mouth and taste your heat. He wanted to taste all of her at his own leisure. He would kiss her bare skin, suckle her breast, caress, stroke, and fondle.He imagined she would be tight, and during their lovemaking, she would wreath, squirm, thrash about and cry out his name in ecstasy. Yes, he was tempted, but he said none of these things.
Arabella swiftly leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.She kissed him. He opened his mouth, his tongue darted out between her teeth, and she offered no resistance. She tasted sweet, innocent, yet carnal. He was like a man dying of thirst, and he drank from her. He placed his hand at her back and pulled her closer. He could feel her hands running through his hair, and it felt damned good. Heat pulsed through his body as he nibbled on her lips and caught her soft sigh. He kissed her cheek and jaw before he found the pulse in her neck … erratic. It was everything Temple thought it would be, and he wanted it all. He always knew that one kiss would never be enough; he wanted more … and more. He returned to capture her lips as his hand found her breast. He sought the nipple through the fabric of her shirt and her soft moan caused every muscle in his body to tighten.
He felt desire before, but this was so much more intense. He wanted her badly. The barest intake of breath—hers— prompted him to look back at her face. Her blue eyes burned with desire, and what he felt was what was reflected in them. His cock twitched and strained against his breeches. The carriage came to a halt as the simple motion protected him from himself. He wanted to take her right then. Regrettably, he could not. He stroked his tongue over her swollen lips and felt a slight quiver run through her. Temple broke the kiss, his face only inches from hers.
“I’ve never been kissed. I imagined that you kissed me but didn’t imagine it would feel like this. It surpassed what I envisioned … you have shown me what desire means.”
Her words confirmed she felt the same longing. Kissing her felt bloody marvelous, so damned good. Perhaps just once more… No, he mustn’t.
“You intrigue me, Arabella. I think you can agree that after what we have shared, we are long past formalities, at least when we are alone.” Temple’s voice was raspy in his own ears.
“Will you kiss me once more, Temple?”
Temple sighed. “I won’t, Arabella. Oh, how I want to, but this time, I may not be able to stop at a kiss. I will escort you to the door, and you should hope no one sees you.”
Temple disembarked and assisted Arabella from the carriage. They walked toward the door, lost in their own thoughts, before she broke the silence.
“Will you not retire for the evening?”
“Not quite yet. I will take a stroll before I turn in.” Temple hoped that the cool night air would dampen his ardor; otherwise, he would not get a wink of sleep tonight. She was bewitching yet tormenting. They arrived at the door, and Temple opened it for her. Arabella paused before she stepped over the threshold.
“Sleep well, Arabella.”
“Goodnight, Temple.”
Temple drew the door closed and walked down the steps. He took the familiar path through the garden. Their kiss was far too heated. There were so many layers to this woman; he was only beginning to understand them.
CHAPTER 8
It had been two days since Arabella kissed Temple, and she still couldn’t get it out of her mind. She relived it repeatedly, and it always ended with her feeling hot and breathless. She liked the way that he kissed her, and she wanted more. Although Temple was busy having meetings with the steward and farmers, she managed to get him to commit to taking her on a tour of the estate. The wedding negotiations had concluded, and they were officially engaged. Under the circumstances, her parents didn’t believe it was necessary for her to have a chaperone everywhere she went. She smiled inwardly at the news.
Arabella dressed carefully in her riding habit without her maid’s assistance. She was perfectly capable of dressing herself even if society didn’t think so. She checked her reflection in the mirror once more before she left the room and went down to meet Temple. She didn’t need to go to the drawing room as he was already waiting for her at the landing.
“Shall we.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
They walked in step into the courtyard, and Temple boosted Arabella onto her mount before he got onto his own. As theyrode away from Stamford Hall, Arabella reflected on the state of the premises. It was not dilapidated but it was certainly in need of some repairs and regular maintenance. It appeared that the house had not been altered in some time. There was much to be done, but she would, of course, wait until she became the countess. She would remodel Stanford Hall even if she faced snide judgment. She had heard the rumors before she departed for England. Heiresses often faced dismissal and sometimes full-blown ostracism for their non-aristocratic roots. The aristocracy mocked ladies like her for their social pretensions and turned up their noses at American culture. The entire thing was ludicrous because no one was as pretentious as the English.
“Stanford Manor and the estate have been in our family for centuries.”
“It is a beautiful ancestral estate.”
Temple seemed keen on modernizing the farm, yet he had not mentioned making any changes to the house itself. She was surprised to find the manor was not plumbed. The poor staff had to climb the steps with water to fill a bath, a practice that was quite outdated. The house was quite dark, and she felt it would benefit from some larger windows that could capture more sunlight, weather permitting. Arabella wondered if she would ever grow accustomed to the weather as there was more rain than sunshine.
“Stanford Hall will be your home, and I want you to be comfortable there; make it your own. I’m aware that some of the furnishings and carpets are worn. You will have free reign to alter the house how you see fit. You will be the lady of your home.”
“Are my thoughts so transparent?”
“You have an expressive face,” he said with a smile. “I am glad, for it will sometimes help me know what my countess is thinking.”
