that even sitting for dinner held no appeal. And so I’d escaped, moving up the stairs to the second floor where I’d spotted her earlier. The very place where I’d seen her hours ago.
The hall was quiet, lit by softly glowing sconces. The entire house smelled of evergreens and Christmas. The merriment was thick. Foreign to me. It made me uneasy, and so I searched her out. Someone, I knew instinctively, felt as strange here as I did.
There was a connection between us, that even I couldn’t explain. An undeniable attraction that burned through my body. Even though I told myself I needed to be wise, needed to retain control, I searched for her. When I turned a corner and saw her standing hidden within the shadows of the hall, I wasn’t surprised in the least. Hell, I wasn’t even surprised by the rush of lust that shot straight through me. The relief I felt was immediate and insane. All tension drained away. I had a hell of a time keeping my desire under control.
I wanted her like I’d never wanted anyone. Why? It was damn unhealthy; obsessive almost. I wondered what made her laugh. With whom she spent her time. What she slept in at night. What she dreamt about.
Perhaps she appealed to me because she was the only woman in my twenty-five years who had ever pushed me away. Maybe it was because the contrast of her dark hair and those brilliant blue eyes made her stand out from the pale, delicate missus of the ton. Or maybe it was because she made my mundane life more interesting.
Whatever the reasoning, finding her now, standing there in the upstairs hall alone, seemed like a temptation, or a curse, I couldn’t deny. I wouldn’t have turned around and walked away for all of the Dukedoms in Europe.
I started toward her, my footsteps muffled by the carpet. Desperate, I imagined running my hands down the delicate arch of her back. Cupping her soft arse. Dragging her up against my hard…
A soft moan whispered down the hall, surprising me. My steps slowed, my gaze finding the couple near the windows. Behind the curtains, tucked away upon a window seat, were Lord Roberts and Lady Mitchell engaging in things innocent women shouldn’t witness.
I quirked a brow. But then Ginny wasn’t innocent. No one innocent kissed the way she had in that carriage. No one innocent watched a couple fucking. She was not merely trying to find a place to rest for a moment, she was entranced.
I paused behind her and breathed deeply her sweet, sweet scent. Being near her was both pain and pleasure. My need for her was madness, I knew that. But I couldn’t seem to care. I reached out, my fingers itching to touch the soft locks that had escaped her chignon. “Do you like to watch, Ginny?”
She stiffened, her breath catching, but she didn’t turn, she didn’t run. It was as if she’d been expecting me. I gave into temptation and brushed my knuckles down the back of her neck. She visibly shivered. Did she want me as much as I wanted her? Did she imagine my lips on hers? The weight of my body pressing down?
I stepped closer, my chest to her back. A mixture of perfumes hovered around her, a combination of the many women who had been in the dressing room. But it was her scent…so light and delicate, so at odds with her personality, that I found most intriguing. A scent that was just barely noticeable underneath all the noxious French perfumes that clung to her clothing.
“Watch what?” she whispered.
I smiled into her hair. Through the curtains, just barely visible in an alcove, Lady Mitchell straddled Lord Roberts’ lap. Her silky skirts were hiked up her legs, clutched at her waist. His damp cock stroking the soft skin between her pale thighs.
Did the little maid enjoy watching? Hell, perhaps the factory owner had been her lover. She’d grown up in the slums. She’d probably seen and done things that would shock even the most seasoned of mistresses. Perhaps her refusal of me was all just a game to draw me in, make me beg. Smart, smart woman. It’s what I would do in her situation. The more I wanted her, the more she’d get out of this agreement.
“They’re a handsome couple. Do you like to watch people make love? It’s alright, you know…many do.” Lady Mitchell shifted, centering Lord Roberts’ cock at her entrance. Ginny’s