Page 32 of Seducing an Earl under the Mistletoe
He grabbed her by the hand. “What are you doing, Catherine?”
She smiled at him seductively. “I wish to return the favor.”
He shook his head. “No matter how much I would like that, I don’t think that is a good idea.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. She pulled her hand away from his, feeling her cheeks flush a poppy red. “Are you regretting what happened?” Her voice was trembling. It was on the verge of breaking.
“No, no,” he assured her, getting up and cupping her face. “I’m not. But I don’t want to compromise you any more than I already have, Catherine. I don’t care about myself, but you…I don’t want you to get into any kind of trouble because of my lack of control.”
She smiled at his words. “I want you as much as you want me, Arthur. There is no point in denying that.”
“I’m not denying it,” he whispered. She could sense the desire in him, oozing out of his every breath. “You can sense how my body reacts to you.”
She indeed could. “How about we save it for another night, then?” she suggested.
He tilted his head a little. “You want this to continue?” he asked.
“Don’t you?” she wondered.
“But…what about your plans? Your reputation is at stake here. I simply don’t want to commit to something that neither of us can bring to an end.”
She had the right response to this. “I have a proposition. A simple exchange, where you can live a little before your marriage of convenience, and I, in turn, get inspiration for my stories. How does that sound?”
He was grinning, and she found she liked the sound of that.
He leaned closer to her. For a moment, she thought he would kiss her, but he stopped mere inches away from her lips. This inflamed her desire all over again.
“Are you sure you don’t want to find your inspiration somewhere else?” he asked playfully.
“Absolutely certain,” she assured him, without even blinking.
“All right then,” he nodded, letting go of her cheeks. “Let me return downstairs first, so no one suspects anything.”
She silently agreed with that. She watched him as he turned his back to her, walking over to the door. He lingered there for a moment, turning around, and locking eyes with hers again. That smile of his was utterly disarming. She could never want for a better inspiration, she was certain of that. He smiled, then closed the door behind him, leaving her with her own palpitating body that yearned for more.
***
The next morning, over breakfast, Lord Winters spoke animatedly about the plans he had for the day. His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he discussed the afternoon arrangements.
“You and Virginie will go for a walk with Lord Thornton, Catherine,” he declared in a voice that allowed for no backtalk. “The fresh sea air will do everyone good.”
Catherine exchanged a glance with Lord Thornton, who was seated by her father’s side. He had been silent all morning, which was unlike him. Usually, one could not get a word in edgewise with him, as he enjoyed talking about himself, but also asking for the opinion of others, when he realized that his monologue had lasted a bit too long.
Still, he was definitely not someone she enjoyed spending time with, but when presented with such an order in disguise, all she could do was comply.
“Of course, Father,” Catherine agreed, not really able to come up with any excuse on the spot as to why she would not be able to go.
“Excellent!” Lord Winters exclaimed, beaming. “And I’m sure after that pleasant walk, you could return, and we could have a small gathering in the evening. A perfect opportunity to get to know Lord Thornton better before he returns to London.”
Catherine addressed Lord Thornton, who was not taking his eyes off of her. “Are you leaving us soon, your lordship?”
“I’m afraid I must return to London before the New Year,” he explained.
“Oh, I see.” Catherine nodded, trying to hide her relief. There was already too much happening, and Lord Thornton’s presence here was an additional distraction as well as a burden.
The atmosphere was already tense in the dining room, at least as far as Catherine herself was concerned, when Marcus, who was usually very jovial, entered in a foul mood. His scowl surprised Catherine. She had rarely seen him like this, without knowing the reason behind it.
“Is everything all right, Marcus?” she wondered, worried about her brother.
