Page 82 of The Rogue's Runaway Bride
“So, finally, we are in agreement,” he said, if only to lighten the intensity of the mood.
“Definitely.” Her top teeth grazed her bottom lip, driving him ever so slightly mad. “But I still want you. I still wantthis.”
He took her hand in his. “And we will have it.”
“I will return to my chamber.” Once again, her teeth grazed her lower lip. “But if I dare to come to you, as a willing woman who wants a man with all her heart, promise me that you will not hold back.”
Her words stirred a fresh rush of desire.Bloody hell.He dragged in air, forcing himself to rein in his need. And she sensed it. He could see it in her sapphire eyes.
“If you come to me tonight, or any night, for that matter, I shall endeavor to be wicked. On that, you have my word.”
“How delicious,” she said. “Perhaps only a bit wicked?”
“A bit? I think not.” Slowly, he shook his head. Perhaps, just perhaps, he would shock her away from even considering her bold—and maddeningly seductive—plan. “Ah, my Arabelle—rest assured, I shall be exceedingly wicked.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
As she tiptoedto Jon’s bedchamber, Belle felt as if butterflies were fluttering about in her stomach. Not quite an hour had passed since she’d left him in his study—not quite an hour since she’d asked him to make a rather daring promise—and now, her mind raced. Not with doubt. But with anticipation flavored by a slight bit of trepidation.
Once she’d returned to her chamber after making her bold proposition, Belle faced a reality she had lost sight of in the heat of the moment. What precisely did one wear to be seduced? Or, for that matter, to seduce the man her heart desired?
She’d scanned the wardrobe Ellie had selected for her not once, not twice, but three times before coming to the conclusion that she did not possess a single garment that might be considered alluring. That certainly had not been a consideration when Ellie had gone on her shopping spree for Belle’s benefit. Tweed walking suits. Sensible dresses suited to teaching a small child and assisting Mrs. Gilroy about the house. A warm flannel nightdress. Belle simply did not possess any garment that a woman might choose for her first night with the man who’d captured her heart.
With a sigh, she’d settled on the only logical alternative. She’d undressed and soaked in a hot tub of lavender-scented water for a time, if only to relax herself, and then, she’d slipped into a white cotton chemise trimmed with a single delicate rowof lace. It would simply have to do. Tying her dressing gown around her, she quietly left her room.
She rapped lightly upon the door and stood at the threshold to his bedchamber. Heart pounding. Mouth dry. Pulse beating in her ears.
It isn’t too late, a little voice deep within reminded her. She could still change her mind. Jon would understand.
But she didn’t want to give in to the nervous flutters deep within her. She didn’t want to go back.
She only wanted to be with him.
The door opened quietly, without so much as a squeak of the hinges. Jon stood before her, wearing loose trousers and a robe he hadn’t bothered to tie. As the garment shifted, she caught a glimpse of sleek, muscled abdomen.
Her mouth went dry—with longing or nerves, she couldn’t quite be sure.
“So, it is you,” he said with a sly smile. He toyed with the robe belt that dangled loosely. “Until I was sure, I didn’t want to take a chance at shocking Mrs. Gilroy.”
She hiked her chin and met his eyes. Despite the confident half-smile on his face, questions blazed in his dark gaze. “Did you doubt I would dare to come here?”
“I wouldn’t say that.” His shoulders lifted and fell in a shrug, further opening the robe, further displaying his lean, strong upper body. His gaze drifted over her, seeing to focus on the well-tied dressing gown that effectively shielded every inch of her below her chin from his gaze. “You’re positive... positive you want to be with me?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” She struggled to keep her tone light, as if coming to a man’s bedchamber at night when the rest of the house slept soundly in their beds was as ordinary as rising with the sun.
“Yes, you most definitely are.” A charming look of amusement flashed in his eyes. “But if you cinch that robe any more tightly, you might not be able to breathe.” He took the ends of her dressing gown tie in his hands. “You’re entirely sure about this?”
“I am,” she replied, even as her heartbeat quickened.
He leaned against the doorframe, looking quite relaxed. “I do see one problem, Belle.”
Her brows hiked. Was the man actually stalling? “And what might that be?”
A grin pulled at his full mouth. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re still not in the room. I suppose I should do something about that.”
Without warning, he took her in his arms, lifting her easily in his powerful hold. A thrill coursed through her at the feel of his sleek muscles tensing against her body, at the display of purely masculine power as he carried her over the threshold.
“I’ve never done that before,” he said with a brief grin. “I could get used to this.”
