thigh,
further proof that he, in fact, did not regret the kiss. In fact, he was aroused by it. And by her, much to her surprise.
"Ben?" She used his nickname, the very name she had
not called him since she was old enough to pronounce his proper name. But she used it now to let him know, in some
small way, that she was still, at heart, the girl he remembered. There was hesitation in her voice because
she knew they were on the verge of a dangerous precipice. The kiss they could recover from, but this? Probably not. In all the time she'd longed for Benjamin to see her as a woman,
it had never occurred to her that he already did.
"Jules." In the darkness, she could see the faint
spark of light in his eyes reflected from the moon, which had finally peeked
out from the clouds overhead. "I
could not allow myself to want you, even though I did. Desperately. You were my friend. Nicholas' sister. So I pretended
that I did not want. That I did not
desire. But it was a lie. I did." His chest rose as he swallowed hard. "I understand if you hate me for the kiss, but I cannot
regret it. I would take more from you
if I could, but you are a lady, and I would never ask it of you."
"What if I were to give it
freely?" It was a bold, brazen
thing to say, but cloaked in the darkness, Julia felt brave and, to be honest,
just a little womanly, especially when she felt Benjamin's cock pressing into
her. "If not you, then who,
Ben? Who would have me?"
He reached up and stroked his thumb
over her scars. "Someone. There is someone for you, Jules. I told you that already. But it cannot be me. You know that, as well." He could never marry her with the secret
still between them. It would not be
fair or right. But if it were not
there? If things were different? He would have her halfway to Gretna Green
before the sun rose. He wanted her that
much. He always had.
"I know." Truly she did not know why. She never had. Other than the scars. Yet
he said over and over that they did not matter to him. So if not those, then what? Then again, he did want her. Could she at least have a little taste of
the passion she knew they could share? It would not be enough, but unless she shared it with the duke now, she
was honest enough with herself to know that there would never be another man
who would want her. "But I do not
care. I know what I want. I know who I want. I will take whatever you are willing to give
me for however short a time that is."
"What?" It was Benjamin's turn to be confused. Was she truly offering what he thought she
was? "You cannot be serious,
Jules. An affair?"
She traced his lips with her
fingertips, feeling the heat of his breath on her skin. "An affair. I know you will not marry me, that you see it as something you
can never do. Nor would I expect
it. And while I do not agree with you,
I also know that if I do not taste passion from you, then I will never taste it
at all." She pressed a single finger
to his lips when he moved to speak. "They are pretty words, Ben, but both of us are realists. We both know that no other man will have me,
or, if they do, they will want my fortune or the other things we have already
discussed. But they will not want me . They will not see me. You do."
"Are you certain of
this?" His body ached with the
thought of finally having her. "Once done, it cannot be undone." He had denied thinking of the possibility for so long that now
that he had, it was all he could think about. Her soft skin. Her lush
breasts. All his. The only one to ever touch her.
"I am." There was a certainty in her voice that he
had not heard before. "I want
passion, Ben, at least a taste. And I want
it with you." She placed her hand
on his chest, feeling his heart beat hard and strong beneath his skin. "I will not fall in love
further proof that he, in fact, did not regret the kiss. In fact, he was aroused by it. And by her, much to her surprise.
"Ben?" She used his nickname, the very name she had
not called him since she was old enough to pronounce his proper name. But she used it now to let him know, in some
small way, that she was still, at heart, the girl he remembered. There was hesitation in her voice because
she knew they were on the verge of a dangerous precipice. The kiss they could recover from, but this? Probably not. In all the time she'd longed for Benjamin to see her as a woman,
it had never occurred to her that he already did.
"Jules." In the darkness, she could see the faint
spark of light in his eyes reflected from the moon, which had finally peeked
out from the clouds overhead. "I
could not allow myself to want you, even though I did. Desperately. You were my friend. Nicholas' sister. So I pretended
that I did not want. That I did not
desire. But it was a lie. I did." His chest rose as he swallowed hard. "I understand if you hate me for the kiss, but I cannot
regret it. I would take more from you
if I could, but you are a lady, and I would never ask it of you."
"What if I were to give it
freely?" It was a bold, brazen
thing to say, but cloaked in the darkness, Julia felt brave and, to be honest,
just a little womanly, especially when she felt Benjamin's cock pressing into
her. "If not you, then who,
Ben? Who would have me?"
He reached up and stroked his thumb
over her scars. "Someone. There is someone for you, Jules. I told you that already. But it cannot be me. You know that, as well." He could never marry her with the secret
still between them. It would not be
fair or right. But if it were not
there? If things were different? He would have her halfway to Gretna Green
before the sun rose. He wanted her that
much. He always had.
"I know." Truly she did not know why. She never had. Other than the scars. Yet
he said over and over that they did not matter to him. So if not those, then what? Then again, he did want her. Could she at least have a little taste of
the passion she knew they could share? It would not be enough, but unless she shared it with the duke now, she
was honest enough with herself to know that there would never be another man
who would want her. "But I do not
care. I know what I want. I know who I want. I will take whatever you are willing to give
me for however short a time that is."
"What?" It was Benjamin's turn to be confused. Was she truly offering what he thought she
was? "You cannot be serious,
Jules. An affair?"
She traced his lips with her
fingertips, feeling the heat of his breath on her skin. "An affair. I know you will not marry me, that you see it as something you
can never do. Nor would I expect
it. And while I do not agree with you,
I also know that if I do not taste passion from you, then I will never taste it
at all." She pressed a single finger
to his lips when he moved to speak. "They are pretty words, Ben, but both of us are realists. We both know that no other man will have me,
or, if they do, they will want my fortune or the other things we have already
discussed. But they will not want me . They will not see me. You do."
"Are you certain of
this?" His body ached with the
thought of finally having her. "Once done, it cannot be undone." He had denied thinking of the possibility for so long that now
that he had, it was all he could think about. Her soft skin. Her lush
breasts. All his. The only one to ever touch her.
"I am." There was a certainty in her voice that he
had not heard before. "I want
passion, Ben, at least a taste. And I want
it with you." She placed her hand
on his chest, feeling his heart beat hard and strong beneath his skin. "I will not fall in love
Similar Books
