Page 47 of Sinful Persuasion of a Lady in the Making
“Perhaps,” he said with a gentle shrug. “But that does not excuse my behavior since.”
“Self-pity will get you nowhere,” she said, raising a single eyebrow at him.
“And there you go again, with the scolding!”
“Well, if you will talk such nonsense, you deserve a scolding. I am sure these gaming halls and taverns are filled with reprobates, but that doesn’t mean thateveryonewho attends is such a man. Take what you enjoy from them and feel no shame for who you are.”
Lord Hartwood’s face broke into a broad grin and then he laughed, the sound ringing out across the garden.
“You really are the most delightful person I have ever had the fortune to meet, Miss Jones.”
“I’m glad you think so,” she replied. “For I am beginning to find you positively delightful yourself.”
“Beginning?” he asked.
“All right,” she admitted shyly. “I have thought it from the moment I met you.”
“Good,” he said. “Now, I just wish I could change the reputation I have brought on quite by myself. And I wish Diana did not hate me.”
“She hates the situation, My Lord,” Jenny said.
“Sebastian, please,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Call me Sebastian.”
Jenny tried to keep the smile from creeping up her face, but she couldn’t. That he had invited her to use his given name sent a thrill through her.
“Sebastian,” she said, liking the taste of his name on her lips, liking the sound of her own voice whispering it. “Youcanchange it. You can be the man you want to be, thegoodman inside you. I know. I have seen it, and it is so very different for that of the supposedly good men I met at the ball.”
He squeezed her hand, whispering a silent thank you through his fingers, and she let her lips fall open, slightly, unintentionally. He was so handsome, even in turmoil. She wanted to lean over and let her lips touch his, so plump and soft looking, so inviting. She wanted to feel his tongue on her, to feel his arms around her.
“Sebastian,” she whispered again, and it seemed as though they were moving, ever slowly, together.
“Fanny!”
The nursemaid’s voice rang out, making them both jump back into position. Even Fanny jumped, Jenny could see the shock across her face.
“Yes, Mrs. Taylor?” Fanny shouted back to the nursemaid.
“Lady Alison needs you for a moment. You won’t be missed. I’ll keep chaperone.”
Fanny immediately trotted off into the garden and, to Jenny’s surprise, the nursemaid followed her in, seeming to have forgotten about her chaperoning duties. Jenny sighed with relief, pleased to have this moment—however brief, however short—for them and them alone.
“Where were we?” Sebastian asked, looking lovingly at her and with a smile on his lips that melted her heart.
“I do believe you were about to kiss me,” Jenny said boldly. “And given that we are lucky enough to have this rare moment of privacy, I suppose—”
“We shouldn’t waste our time,” he said, grinning as he finished her sentence.
And then he was there, in front of her, so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath on his cheeks, smell the earthy scent of him. She licked her lips, hungry for his, and they were so close that her tongue brushed quite accidently across his top lip.
He smiled, chuckled, and then leaned further in, letting himself kiss her gently at first. So gently it hurt. So gently that, to Jenny, it was nothing but a tease.
He pulled away, cocking his head and raising an eyebrow.
“That was sweet,” he said, gazing at her.
“But not enough,” she said greedily, and he laughed.
“No, never enough. It’ll never be enough with you. I will always want more.”
And when he kissed her a second time, it felt as though her whole body was set on fire, the heat rising from her belly and engulfing her with passion and desire. When he kissed her then, it was hard and rough and solid. It was a kiss that begged for more, and she was willing—more than willing—to give it.
She wrapped an arm around his neck, letting her fingertips tickle his nape as he pushed his lips against hers, as he let his tongue flicker around and against hers. The taste of him, it was like a taste of heaven.
“We should stop,” he whispered into her mouth, his words causing a flush of warmth across her face.
“We should,” she said, not moving away, not giving an inch. “But we’re not going to, are we?”
