Page 56 of In a Rake's Embrace
Her touch, so delicate, uncertain even, yet so seductive, drifted over his chest. “Your heartbeat is increasing.”
Thomas buried his face in the curve of her shoulder, breathing her in, savoring the softness of her skin and the sweetness of her scent. His arousal was nearly unbearable, the intensity frustrating. Every part of him ached to taste her, to lose himself in her completely. He wanted to slide his tongue over her delicate folds until she shattered, then take her—slow anddeep, his need overwhelming. He had never wanted a woman so fiercely, and resisting was challenging.
The thought struck him: she would no longer need the auction if he gave inand made her his. Perhaps he could make her an offer that would keep her by his side. Yet hell, he’d never kept a mistress. He’d enjoyed lovers, paid his membership fees toAphrodite, and had given gifts to a few ladies he visited, but never had he considered a lasting arrangement with a woman. Such a liaison would require trust and intimacy he guarded fiercely, boundaries he had no intention of allowing anyone to cross.
“Do you think I am ready for the auction?”
Her soft question surprised him; he thought she had drifted off to sleep.
“I do not know,” he admitted. “Tupping … lovemaking … fucking … intimacy—they’re vast worlds in themselves. Even if we had a year, I doubt I could teach you everything I know. And your bidder may be even more knowledgeable than I am.”
She traced a finger over his chest, a light, tantalizing movement that sent ripples over his skin.
“You said that men have fantasies they wish to see fulfilled. That’s why they’re members ofAphrodite.”
“Yes.”
She leaned back, lifting her face to his. “I am very curious about the fantasies that torment you.”
He stilled, caught off guard. “I have never denied myself anything I want. There is no longing left unfulfilled.” Yet, the words that usually rang so true now felt hollow.
Her lips curved. “You live a life of excess. Is that why they call you a rake and a scoundrel?”
Thomas wondered how much Bea and Ellen discussed with Agatha. “I live a life of pleasure and contentment.”
She wrinkled her nose with a bemused smile. “It is astonishing that a life could exist where every desire is met.”
He brushed his knuckles along the bridge of her nose. “What have you longed for, Agatha?”
She laughed softly. “I do not dare long for anything beyond what I can achieve. Risk is … dangerous. I never thought of myself as a lady who indulges in risky pursuits.”
“Taking risks brings its own rewards.”
She raised an elegant brow. “Even the dangerous ones?”
“Especially those.”
“I suppose I am taking a risk auctioning myself, but it feels more like a business decision, something sensible. The outcome is beneficial; the cost … I can measure. But the rewards are certain.”
A wistful tone crept into her voice, and something in her eyes softened.
“What are you thinking of right now?”
She hesitated, andthen a rueful smile touched her mouth. “I was remembering a conversation I had with my mother the year she died. I told her I wanted a husband like my papa and at least six children. He’d sing to her as she baked, pulling her to dance around the kitchen. She’d laugh and wave him off, but later, she’d find him just to hug him. I thought happiness was as simple as marriage and children. When I told my mother, she kissed me and said I’d find a man who’d adore me, just as Papa loved her.”
A harsh ache settled in his chest. “You no longer want this?”
“I haven’t dreamed of such things in years. What would be the point of it now? Such whimsy is for ladies who have the luxury of support.”
“You are beautiful. Surely, many men have tried to win your favor.”
She laughed, the sound rippling through him, leaving a peculiar warmth in its wake.
“A few did, but none seemed interested in knowing who I was. There was a man … before I moved to Devonshire. He asked me to marry him, and I said yes.”
The unexpected jealousy that clawed at him almost had him scowling.
“When I came toAphroditelast year, I knew I’d have to explain I was forced to settle my father’s debt. I knew he’d never marry me after. My stepmother urged me to keep silent; she knew he had a loverand cautioned that my lack of chastity was not something for him to consider. However, I couldn’t do it. It felt dishonest and wrong. Luckily, the Duke of Basil was there that night, and he saved me from having to sell myself.”
