An Unexpected Earl (Lords of the Armory #2) - Anna Harrington Page 0,52
his eyes gleamed into hers with a look that told her that he had completely different ideas of together and compromise than she did, the tingle turned into a jolt of electricity that shot straight out through the top of her head. Dear heavens, what had she just gotten herself into?
“So all terms have been agreed to and business concluded for the evening, then?” he asked.
“I suppose so. Freddie thinks you’ll—”
“Good. Then we can skip from business to pleasure.”
She laughed nervously. “I don’t believe that was mentioned in any of our negotiations, do you?”
Ignoring her question, he murmured instead, “You are simply stunning.”
“Stop that,” she scolded. But she also couldn’t help the ribbon of pleasure that wrapped around her at his compliment. “We should return to business, then. What you said about the trust—”
“You were beautiful the night of the masquerade. But tonight…” His gaze slowly drifted over her black dress, lingering in places that simmered heat low in her belly. He mused in a tempting purr, “Tonight, you’re glowing.”
“Stop that,” she repeated. This time the scolding emerged as a throaty rasp, lacking all bite. She was certain that she did glow then—with a scarlet flush.
When his gaze slid over her bosom, she could almost feel the solidity of his hand caressing her flesh. “I saw it in you at your shop, how special you’ve become. Every inch of you confident, strong…glorious.”
This time, she couldn’t find the breath to say anything at all.
“It’s true.” He pushed himself away from the table and stalked toward her. “I always thought you were pretty, always knew that you’d grow up to be beautiful.” He reached up to stroke her cheek. “But I had no idea exactly how exquisite you would become.”
Cupping her face against his palm, he leaned down to kiss her—
“And I had no idea how much of a silver-tongued devil you’d become.”
He paused, his mouth barely a hairsbreadth from hers and so close that she could feel the heat of his lips tickling hers as they curled into a grin.
“I can show you exactly how much.” He followed that wanton challenge with a gentle lick across her bottom lip, a light and teasing caress that elicited a shiver from her. “Would you like that?”
Whatever logical thought had been left inside her scattered like petals on the wind. She made one last, desperate attempt to reclaim them, only for them to fall through her grasp when she curled her fingers into the diamond pattern of his brocade waistcoat. A waistcoat that should have been pure black.
“You broke the rules,” she whispered.
“There are no rules for this.” He lowered his head and claimed the kiss.
She caught her breath, tensing for a fleeting moment as his mouth found hers. Insistent yet soft, his lips moved against hers in a cajoling plea to surrender to the pleasure of being in his arms.
Unable to stop herself, she did just that. Her hands slipped over his shoulders to encircle his neck and tug herself closer, pressing into his hard front as she melted against him and opened her mouth to his with a soft whimper of capitulation.
Kissing him was utterly divine. Today in her shop hadn’t been a fluke. Hadn’t been just a trick of her imagination that he kissed as pleasurably as he did. No, it was him and the way he made her feel…feminine and free, special, cherished. As he’d always done. As he was doing now. And God help her, as she knew no other man ever could.
“Pearce,” she whispered achingly and turned her mouth away to recapture her breath. But he didn’t release her, and the sweet torture of being in his arms began to overwhelm her.
The door handle rattled.
Without warning, he grabbed her around the waist and propelled her behind the screen before she could protest. Then he clamped a hand over her mouth to make certain she didn’t when the door opened.
“Be quiet,” he urged into her ear from behind her. “You’ll be ruined if we’re found together.”
Breathing hard, she silently nodded.
Two sets of heavy footsteps trod inside the room, accompanied by men’s voices. Her heart beat so fiercely that the blood rushing through her ears nearly deafened her, and she took several long seconds to realize that one of the men was Arthur Varnham. Sir Charles’s younger brother.
“…saw him coming in here just a few minutes ago,” he announced as he crossed the room.
The man who was with him said something that Amelia couldn’t quite make out.