Page 37 of Drowned in the Pleasure of a Devilish Baron
“Oh,” she arched her head back, the word a sound of surprise, of wonder.
Spurred on by the sound, he gently pulled down her gown, revealing her stays above her chemise. Above these rose her silky rounded breasts, he kissed one, moving his hand to the other, stroking and caressing. She rose to meet his mouth, her head thrown back in wanton abandonment, hair tumbling down her back, creating the most beautiful image he had ever seen.
It was only with an incredible strength of will that he pulled away. No matter how badly he wanted to move further, she was a lady. He could not compromise her, and certainly not here.
He leaned down and kissed her deeply, tasting the promise of future pleasure on her lips.
“Felix, I—” but she trailed off, and he felt her swallow against him.
Kissing the top of her head gently, he pushed a stray curl back behind her ear. “My love,” he whispered.
“Rebecca!” the call, made by Juliet from what it sounded like, was shockingly close, serving to send a fear like ice through Felix’s veins. “Wait!”
“I just want to check on her, My Lady. That sound was frightening.”
Sarah shot up at once, all of the liquidity gone. “You have to go!”
Felix helped her hop off of the piano as she smoothed her hair and righted her gown, then strode quickly for the doorway, hoping to make a quick escape before he was sighted.
Instead, he came face-to-face with a wide-eyed Rebecca.
Chapter Eighteen
Sarah’s heart was pounding, from a mixture of the intense pleasure she had just tasted as much as the sight of Rebecca, face-to-face with Felix at the door.
“Excuse me,” Felix said. “I was just looking for my sister. I thought she was here playing her piano.”
“I’m here, Felix,” Juliet entered the room, looking as frightened as them. “I stepped away to the nursery for a moment with Rebecca.”
Rebecca looked from him to Sarah, her eyes seeming to register everything, from Sarah’s burning cheeks to Felix’s hurried excuse.
“Pardon me, Miss, but we heard a sound. Are you all right?” Rebecca asked, stepping closer to Sarah.
“Yes,” Sarah said. “I was only looking for a song book of Juliet’s and dropped the whole stack on the floor. Silly me. I’m terribly sorry, Jules.”
“Not to worry, Sarah,” Juliet answered quickly. “I’m sure they’re fine.”
Sarah shot her a grateful look.
“But where are the books then, Miss? I will help you put them away.”
“The what?” Sarah turned to Rebecca.
“Thebooksthat you dropped, Sarah,” Juliet answered for her. “Have you already put them away?” She raised her brows behind Rebecca’s back.
“Yes, yes, of course, sorry. Yes, I’ve put them all away already. Good thing I wasn’t hurt, as the two of you came slowly enough!” Sarah forced a laugh.
“I’ll be going, then.” Felix bowed quickly.
“Oh, but you came to talk to me, didn’t you?” Juliet said, seeming to be the only one among the three of them to keep track of the lies being told in the drawing room. “Let us go and talk in the nursery, you can visit with your nephew. I’ll see you tomorrow, Sarah? We didn’t get to do quite as much work as I’d hoped on our musical number.”
Sarah nodded. “See you tomorrow.”
On the short carriage ride home from Cunningham Manor, Sarah did her best to act normally. Rebecca’s eagerness to discuss the song and learn the lyrics soothed her worries some.
Though her brain berated her and demanded she feel awash with guilt for allowing the kiss to go so far, Sarah found that her heart only felt warm at the memory of her stolen moments together with Felix. Even as she spoke with Rebecca, her mind was drifting back to the drawing room, to the love that had shone so plainly from Felix’s eyes.
As her mind continued to insist she feel guilty, she found herself faced with a new idea, one that contradicted everything her mother had ever taught her.
