Benedict's Challenge - Carole Mortimer Page 0,42

His mouth came crashing down onto hers.

Perhaps it was their surroundings, or possibly the gown she now wore, but Chloe felt emboldened to return the passion and demand of that kiss.

Her arms moved up about his neck, her fingers, bare of gloves, becoming entangled in the dark hair at his nape as her lips parted beneath the onslaught of his.

Breathing became labored as tongues dueled and hands caressed, their bodies pressed so close together, Chloe could feel the long length of Benedict’s aroused cock pressing against her abdomen.

She moved experimentally, rubbing herself against that hardened flesh, and had the satisfaction of hearing Benedict give a guttural groan. She—

“Gordon has just arrived— Oh dear, I apologize for interrupting,” Julius Soames dismissed briskly as they quickly ended the kiss. “But our quarry has just arrived and is circulating the main salon looking for a lady to dally with,” he added when Chloe and Benedict reluctantly broke apart and turned to look at him. “We need for him to see Miss Gordon and be incensed by her presence here before he settles his sights on one of the other women and disappears for the evening into one of the private salons with her.”

The thought of any of the ladies, who had been so kind to Chloe earlier, having to suffer the grossness that was her pseudo guardian caused the bile to rise in the back of her throat.

“I think,” Julius Soames tilted his head as he studied them, “that the two of you should leave this room together and exactly as you are now.”

“As we are?” Benedict rasped.

His friend smiled slightly. “You have a smudging of red lip rouge on and around your own lips—leave it there,” he cautioned as Benedict instinctively lifted a hand to remove it. “It complements the way in which Miss Gordon is suitably flushed and her lips are almost bare of that same color rouge. Voilà, the two of you have been in here kissing, at the very least.”

Which was exactly what they had been doing, Chloe acknowledged with a shy lowering of her lashes. “I agree with Lord Soames. We should stay exactly as we are.”

“Go one step further, in fact.” The earl obviously felt encouraged to add, “The two of you should leave this room, arms about each other and looking as if you had just indulged in sexual release and still have eyes for no one else.”

Benedict still wished to refuse to allow any of this to take place, most especially exposing Chloe to a house such as Club Venus. But he also accepted it was the quickest and most effective way of exposing Henry Gordon while at the same time ensuring, with the presence of Chloe’s family solicitor, that she could not be forced, even for an hour, into returning to being a prisoner in Lord Gordon’s home.

He drew in a deep and controlling breath. “Very well. But if that bastard tries to hurt her—”

“I will be the one to step forward and distract him,” Julius assured firmly. “You, my friend, must get a grip on your temper and maintain it.”

Benedict knew that. He just didn’t know if that would be possible if Gordon said or did anything to hurt Chloe. Anything more to hurt her, because God knows the man had abused her in every manner possible except a sexual one. Hell, if Gordon had ever touched Chloe in that way, Benedict would have to—

“All will be well, Benedict.” She now stood on tiptoe and placed what felt far too much like a platonic kiss on Benedict’s tightly clenched jaw. “We will do as the earl suggests and wait to see what happens.”

Benedict’s thumb and finger took a tight grip on Chloe’s chin, and he tilted her face up toward his. “When this is over, you and I will be having a private conversation.”

She eyed him quizzically. “About?”

“What comes next,” he replied enigmatically before turning to the earl as he still stood just inside the room. “Let’s get this over with,” he bit out.

Chapter Fifteen

Chloe knew the exact moment Lord Gordon saw and recognized her as she and Benedict entered one of the main salons. His eyes widened and then narrowed on the fact they had their arms about each other, as Julius Soames had suggested they should.

Having ascertained where Lord Gordon was in the room, Chloe now kept him on the edge of her vision rather than looking at him directly.

“We need to separate now,” she told Benedict softly as she allowed