Page 21 of The Gentleman's Seduction
“Tell the chef we’ll take the ices in my bedchamber—that is, if Miss Hartwell wishes to,” Martin told the footman before he began clearing plates away from the table. He looked to Livvy expectantly, and she knew she could say no, but she wanted to say yes.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Mr. Banks.”
Martin rose and approached her chair, holding his hand out to her.
If you do this, there will be no going back.
She placed her palm in his, sealing her fate.
7
Martin curled his fingers around Livvy’s hand as they left the dining room. Just the simple act of touching her, even innocently, sent flutters of excitement through him. Damn, he was as nervous as a green lad. He had seen the warmth and desire in her eyes, and it emboldened him. Yet he had given his word. And truth be told, he grew more and more reluctant to suggest such intimacy in light of her reasons for being here. God, what had he been thinking to take a woman in lieu of a debt? And yet she intrigued him in ways he could not fully describe. If only they had met under better circumstances.
But if she wished it, he would give her a world of pleasure. He would worship her body for hours until she fell into an exhausted sleep. The thought was so inviting and so arousing that he had trouble controlling his body’s natural excitement.
The grandfather clock in the hall chimed the late hour, the soft metallic dings breaking the easy silence between them as they ascended the stairs to his bedchamber.
Steering her toward his bedchamber, he couldn’t help but pull her closer. The brush of her skirts against his legs was so distractingly soft, and the tilt of her head and the momentary question in her eyes was like the quiet stirrings of a fire in the early morning hours.
He stopped at the door to his rooms and turned toward her, offering his most reassuring smile. He lifted her hand to his lips, brushing the backs of her fingers as their eyes met and held. She gave a little nod of agreement, and then he turned the door handle and pushed his door open.
The footman had lit the lamps, and the fire in his bedchamber felt cozy and inviting. Like Livvy’s room, it was in an Egyptian style with sphinxes, lotus leaves, and gold painted wood accents. He’d often wondered if he’d gone too far in his designs, but he rather liked the exotic feel to the two bedchambers.
He’d been to Egypt once, only for a brief period of time, but the place had left a lingering hunger for hot, sultry nights, gauzy curtains of bright colors, and the whisper of rushes by the Nile. He’d done his best to bring that feeling home. His bed was large, the frame sturdy and the bedclothes expensive, the dark-red colors creating a more masculine tone than the soft blues of her room.
“It’s like my chamber,” she exclaimed, smiling at him.
“You like it? I felt a little silly indulging in this much decoration, but I think it is rather magnificent.”
“Itismagnificent! I adore Egyptian decorations.” She reached out to touch the red silk hanging around his bed before she turned to face him. She leaned back against the bedpost and tilted her face up to meet his gaze. Only a foot separated them, and he could see the fan of her dark lashes as she looked up at him. His body tightened with arousal, but he didn’t want to rush this moment.
“I’ve been to Egypt,” he announced, then felt foolish for bragging. But her eyes widened.
“You have?”
“Yes, it was simply incredible.” He could barely put into words what it was like, but he wanted to try. “The air is warm and dry there all the time, and there’s always a scent of some sweet flower in the air that reminded me of honeysuckle. I think it was the lotus flowers. I loved the colors and the food with its wild spices. Coming back home seemed so bland.” He reached up to brush his fingers along her cheek, and she leaned into the touch.
“Did you visit the temples? Or the pyramids?”
He nodded eagerly. “Karnak was perhaps my favorite, but the pyramids were impressive. It was a bit like standing before the gates of the Egyptian gods, seeing structures so immense one could not imagine how mere mortals ever built them.”
“I wish I could see the world as you have.” She sighed softly, and it made his heart sink. He knew how she felt: trapped, impoverished, destined never to leave London. It was the fate of most people to never set foot on a path that would take them far and away to places full of adventure.
“I promise you that I will take you somewhere. India, Egypt…choose and we will go.”
She eyed him incredulously. He leaned in a little, cupping her face, his gaze torn between her lips and her eyes.
“You shouldn’t make promises you don’t intend to keep,” she whispered, her tone broken. It made his chest ache.
“If I make any promise worth keeping, it is that one. I will take you wherever you wish to go.” He burned the vow deep inside his heart. He would give her a chance to be free from the hard life of London, even if only for a little while. She seemed to believe him and reached up to place a hand on his shoulder.
“You make me want to believe in a life of beauty and passion.” Her eyes dropped to half-mast and focused on his lips.
“You make me feel the same way.” That damned fluttering started up in his chest again, and they shared a small smile between them, one full of nervous excitement. He couldn’t help what he blurted out next.
“I want you,” he said, and swallowed his foolish excitement. Why did she make him feel like such a young man? He wasn’t a lad of eighteen anymore.
“I think perhaps…that I want you too.” She reached up, touching his waistcoat. Her fingers glided over the blue silk, and he tried to ignore the hunger inside that was shouting at him to grab and kiss her.
