Page 27 of The Lyon and His Promise
“Are you making me a promise that you’ll be asking me to become your wife?” she questioned him. Her heart was beating so loud she swore the whole world would be able to hear it. She tried to detect his features in the dimly lit entryway while she waited for his answer.
“Yes, my dearest love, that is exactly what I am promising you.”
A soft squeal of delight escaped her mouth, and she quickly covered her lips with her hand. Gyles’s laughter erupted until they were both softly laughing. Josephine suddenly became serious and she took his hand in hers.
“Stay for a drink,” she offered with a shy smile.
“Josephine…”
She shook her head as though to ward off his reservations of what she was offering. She had his promise and his trust. She had never wanted a man in her bed so much in her life and she wasn’t about to take no for an answer.
“I know what you’re going to say, Gyles, and certainly you might remind me about your intentions of being honorable. It’s only a drink—”
“—that would lead to other things between us—”
“—that is something we have obviously both been dreaming about our entire lives. Why not finally make it a reality? Stay, Gyles,” she said hoping to finish the debate between them.
“Into a house where your companion is just upstairs ready to have me thrown from the place for even thinking of entering your bedroom,” Gyles reminded her.
“Mrs. Crompton is away for the next two nights. Her sister took illand she went to help with her niece and nephew. Do you have any further objections to what I am freely offering?”
“What about your brother, then? He certainly will object to me being here with you,” he said frowning.
“Let me worry about my brother,” Josephine replied trying to reassure him that they wouldn’t be found out.
“You tempt me to take you up on your offer, dearest Josephine, but if I stay here with you, I cannot vouch that I will keep my hands from you. I am, after all, just a man and not a saint.”
Another smile lit her face before she leaned forward until her lips were close to his. Their heavy breathing mingled together into one breath. “Stay with me, my love,” Josephine whispered placing a kiss upon his mouth. She then turned to place her hand on the banister of the stairway. “It’s not polite to keep a lady waiting.”
A heavy sigh left him, but he still followed her up the stairs to her bedroom. Josephine went to a sideboard where she poured them both a drink.
“I won’t be able to spend the whole night. It might ruin everything we are attempting to accomplish. I can’t be seen leaving here come the morning, my love,” Gyles stated.
“I know,” she said giving him a smile of understanding.
She made her way across the room where Gyles still hovered near the door before he finally closed it. She handed him one of the crystal glasses. They clinked their cups together and took a sip and she gave him a look of what she hoped was seductive. She never knew because she honestly didn’t have a lot of practice trying to be alluring for a man. It wasn’t like she had taken several lovers to hone the art of lovemaking.
“I have to admit I’ve never been very good at…this,” she stated waving her glass between the two of them. Josephine then made her way to her vanity where she set her cup down and began removing the pins from her hair. She looked over her shoulder and gave him alook of longing while she shook her hair and it fell free in a cascade of black curls.
“Trust me when I say that you’re better at it then you might think, Josephine,” he said making his way to her. “Are you sure you want to do this? I’ll understand if you want to change your mind.”
Uncertainty suddenly hit her as though Raphe’s words from the grave echoed in her head. How many times had he told her she was a disappointment in their bed? Too many times to count. She closed her eyes against the memories determined to make new ones with the man she loved.
“Josephine?”
She focused her gaze upon the man before her and not the one from her past. “I haven’t changed my mind, my love. I only hope I will not disappoint you as I so often disappointed my husband.” She turned her head away until he took her chin and raised her face to meet his eyes.
“Your husband was a fool.”
She shrugged. “Yes, he was.” She was quickly brought up against Gyles’s muscled chest. She felt every inch of him including the bulge in his trousers. Obviously she must be doing something right if she had aroused Gyles when they had barely touched.
“You will never disappoint me and after tonight you belong to me,” he said in a husky baritone that was her undoing.
She wound her arms around his neck before his mouth swooped down to claim her lips again. Her fingers tangled themselves in his tawny-colored hair before they moved down to fumble with untying his cravat. She broke off their kiss giving Gyles a shy smile and concentrated on the complicated knot at his neck. Once untied, his shirt came next until she was able to finally skim her palms over his furred muscled chest. He was magnificent and far more handsome than anything she had ever dreamed about. She bit her lip not knowing if she dared to work on the buttons of his fall. Gyles took thatoption from her when he turned her around and began working on the ribbons of her dress.
The silk floated to the floor around her feet, and she tried to calm her nerves for what would happen shortly. When the strings of her corset were at last freed, she shivered not only from the cold air as it touched her skin but in anticipation of what would follow. His mouth hovered at her shoulder, and she could feel the uneven breathing as his air left his lips. And then those warm lips began making a trail up her neck to her ear. Her corset was quickly removed and her undergarments followed her dress to the floor until she kicked them away and stood completely naked. He pulled her back into his chest and held her tight.
“I love you, Josephine,” he whispered.
