Page 33 of Courting the Earl
She gave in to the desire rising within her and returned the kiss. Gone were the last of her inhibitions. She was free from any lingering guilt concerning her cousin and was an eager participant. Hargrove had more knowledge than her when it came to conducting affairs, but she vowed to be an eager pupil and follow his lead.
Her hands shifted to the shoulders of his tailcoat, and she pushed the fabric down his arms and removed it.
She stilled as she stared at him. She’d seen her uncle wearing just a waistcoat and shirt, but it was far more intimate to be standing in a bedroom with Hargrove while he was similarly dressed.
“You don’t pad your coat.” She knew that many men did to make their shoulders appear broader. Her uncle was one of them.
She lifted a hand to his shoulder, delighting in the feel of the muscles there, before also feeling his arm. When she brought her hand to his chest, he captured it in his and held it imprisoned against his heart.
With a small shake of his head, he took the coat she was still holding over one arm and moved to the dressing table, where he laid it on its surface.
She could only stare, frozen in place, as he removed his cravat and waistcoat. The spell was broken when he placed those items over his coat and turned to face her again, one brow raised.
Heat colored her cheeks at the way he’d caught her ogling him. But it was impossible to believe she was actually in this room, watching him disrobe. That they were going to make love.
Embarrassment spurred her into action even as she realized she wasn’t behaving rationally. Hargrove must know she found him attractive.
Her dress had tiny buttons all the way down the back, and she wouldn’t be able to undo them herself. She squared her shoulders, trying to mimic his air of confidence when it came to disrobing in front of another.
“I’m going to need your assistance, Hargrove.”
A slight grimace crossed his face, and she took a step back. Had she already muddled things? “I apologize, my lord—”
“No.” He closed the distance between them again. “I don’t want this formality between us. It’s just that hearing you use my title now, when we’re about to make love…” A small frown creased his brow. “It hasn’t been that long since my father died. Every time someone calls me by his title, I expect to see him walk into the room.”
His gaze settled on hers as though it were vital to him that she believe him. “The very last thing I want to think about right now is my father.”
She nodded in understanding. Their relationship had been strained, so what he’d said made sense. “What should I call you?”
“My given name is Geoffrey.”
He cupped her cheek, and she turned her face to place a kiss on his palm before smiling up at him. “I’d tell you to call me Eleanor, but you’ve been doing that for some time now.”
He laughed, the corners of his blue eyes crinkling. She loved his eyes.
He spun her around and began undoing the long row of buttons. With each one, her anticipation grew. When her dress was loosened, he spread the fabric and dropped a kiss on her shoulder. She shuddered at the heat of his breath on her skin.
Finally, after slipping the last button loose, he took a step back. She turned to face him, her hands the only thing holding the dress in place. She watched his face as she dropped her arms and allowed the material to fall into a puddle on the floor.
Chapter 19
It was now his turn to stare. His eyes raked up and down her form where she stood, wearing only her white chemise and corset. Somehow he kept from throwing her onto the bed and having his way with her. This was going to be their first time together—the first of many if he had any say in the matter. He didn’t want to scare her by rushing.
“Take down your hair.” His voice was rougher than normal, and he couldn’t say why. He’d bedded other women, but there was something about Eleanor that affected him in a way no one else had.
She raised her hands to do that, and his eyes glided down to take in the way her breasts threatened to spill over the top of her stays.
Clenching his fists at his side, he forced himself to watch her remove the pins. When she was done, she released the heavy mass of dark hair. It fell past her shoulders and covered the tops of her breasts.
She walked over to the dressing table and scattered the pins on its surface next to his clothing. She left her dress on the floor, almost as though she’d forgotten about it. He bent to retrieve it and draped it over the dressing table’s bench seat. She wouldn’t want to return home and have anyone ask why her dress was wrinkled.
She was within arm’s reach but hadn’t turned to face him. Before she could ask for assistance, he began to unlace her corset. Her breaths were coming in shallow pants now, telling him just how much his nearness affected her.
When he removed the corset, she let out a sharp exhale of relief but didn’t turn to face him. He wanted to pull down her chemise but resisted the temptation. Going slowly might just kill him.
He pulled her against him, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pressed his mouth against her neck. “Never doubt that you are beautiful, Eleanor.”
He hated that she saw herself as inferior to her cousin. Lydia’s beauty was delicate, and he didn’t enjoy the idea of being with a woman who reminded him of a fragile porcelain figurine. He preferred real women who didn’t look like they would break.
