Julius's Passion (Regency Club Venus #4) - Carole Mortimer Page 0,26

she continued as Julius would have spoken again, “I know it to be untrue.”

He eyed her curiously. “How can you say that with such certainty?”

“I have known you for only a short time but it is long enough to be sure you are not a coward. After careful thought, and since speaking to John—one of the smugglers from the other evening—I realized that his recognition of your name and praise of your character is more than likely based upon his at one time having helped to facilitate your entry back into England. As he has done with so many others. As those other people had traveled into and then out of France clandestinely, your own return possibly occurred after you had carried out some secret work in France for the Crown.” She held Julius’s gaze challengingly.

Julius was finding Bethany more and more attractive the longer he knew her. She was beautiful and vivacious, and her intelligence was certainly not in question either. “I could not possibly confirm or deny such wild conjecture,” he drawled.

“The fact you cannot tells me my thoughts are correct ones.” She tilted her head as she eyed him curiously. “Was this conversation meant to divert my attention from the reason you invited me in here?”

Too intelligent on occasion, Julius acknowledged ruefully. “Are you going to complain of being shocked afterwards? Even though you are the one who asked to witness this?”

Bethany could not guarantee she would not be shocked. But she also knew how excited she was at the prospect of seeing Julius’s bare cock, let alone watching as he pleasured himself.

“If I should be shocked, then be assured I shall keep that emotion to myself,” she promised.

“Very well.” He moved to sit on the bed before leaning back against the already raised pillows and looking at her expectantly.

She moved to sit on the bed beside him. Her cheeks now felt as if they were on fire from a mixture of embarrassment and arousal.

Her breathing became shallow as she watched Julius unfasten the flap on his pantaloons, and she ceased breathing altogether when he folded that flap back and revealed his bare cock jutting up almost to his navel. It was long and thick, with a throbbing vein running the length of it. The bulbous top was red and angry looking, and slicked. It became even slicker with the juices escaping from the slit at the top.

She drew in a sharp breath as that long length seemed to pulse and lift from resting against Julius’s abdomen, leaving behind a trail of those viscous juices.

“Do not touch,” Julius instructed harshly the moment her hand moved tentatively toward him.

Bethany snatched her hand back to cradle it against her breasts. “I apologize. I merely wished to know if your skin felt as velvety soft as it looks.”

“I am not angry with you, Bethany.” Julius took her hand in one of his and raised it so he could kiss the back of it in apology. “And yes, the skin on my cock is very soft considering the hardness it contains. But if you touch me now, even lightly, I will surely release.”

Her eyes widened. “Without touching yourself?”

He smiled slightly. “I know exactly how to touch myself for the greatest pleasure and ultimate release, but at this moment, a woman’s touch, however inexperienced”—he squeezed her hand gently to take away any sting his words might have caused—“is more likely to cause a quicker ejaculation.”

Her throat moved as she swallowed. “I do not wish to hurry this in any way.”

Julius smiled slightly at her daring. “You are unlike any other young lady of nineteen I have ever met.” He doubted even the wives and soon-to-be-wife of his three close friends were as brave and adventurous as his Bethany—

Goddamn it, she was not his anything!

Bethany looked distressed as she no doubt saw the fierceness of his expression and misunderstood the reason for it. “Do you mean that in a bad way?”

Julius felt bad for causing her a moment’s discomfort. “Not at all,” he was quick to reassure. “Here.” He lifted her hand and guided it toward his now copiously leaking cock.

Her eyes widened at his obvious intent. “I thought you said—”

“Sometimes I—like every other man on the planet earth, I believe—talk nonsense that would be far better for a lady to ignore,” Julius said, mocking himself. “I would very much enjoy having you touch me,” he added huskily.

“You will not release if I do?”

Julius’s desire was so intense, his control balanced on a