“Oh, you didn’t,” she said as she approached him and grabbed the snow-white kitten from his left hand. “I’m not keeping it,” she added as she put the kitten to her cheek to cuddle.
“Didn’t think you would” was all Jeremy said, and managed not to smile.
With her eye on the tiny puppy in his right hand, she stressed, “I’m not keeping him either,” as she held out her other hand to take the puppy from him.
“Course not,” Jeremy agreed.
She moved back to the bed to set them both down on it. They sniffed at each other for a moment, then the puppy curled into a ball to sleep, while the kitten sat next to it and started licking a paw. They were nearly identical in size, probably no more than a few weeks old.
“I’ve heard they’ll get along splendidly, if raised together,” Jeremy remarked, coming to stand behind her to observe the small creatures.
“You think?”
“Should work with rats, too.”
She groaned and complained, “You’re a wicked man, Jeremy Malory.”
“Thank you. I do try.”
She glanced back at him. “Can you just say you bought them for yourself?”
“But I did!”
“Very well, then you won’t mind if I take care of them for you?”
“Wouldn’t mind a’tall, luv.”
She beamed at him and sat on the bed to pull the kitten into her lap to gently pet it. “They are adorable, aren’t they?”
The only thing he found adorable these days was her. Come to think of it, he hadn’t even glanced at another woman since he’d clapped eyes on Danny. But to keep the mood light, since he still had his other plans to introduce to her, he merely nodded.
“As much as I’d like to dress you up for a night on the town,” he mentioned casually, “it occurred to me that we’d need a chaperone, which wasn’t part of the plan. So I settled on a nice picnic.”
“It’s past lunchtime, if you ain’t noticed.”
“But not past dinner, is it? And who says picnics are only for lunch? I was thinking an early dinner picnic, next to a nice pond, flowers scenting the air. Now tell me that don’t sound like a nice way to celebrate? And you do owe me a celebration. You were single-handedly responsible for extracting me from the depths of hell. Now while you might not think that is cause for celebration, I do, and I’d much rather do it with you. So how’s a picnic sound?”
“Sounds pretty nice, actually. I’ve never been on one. There’s a pond in the city?”
“I was thinking of something a bit more secluded, where we won’t be interrupted by people who recognize me. And I know of a nice spot just outside London, not far a’tall. I’ve already ordered the carriage brought round, and Mrs. Appleton has agreed to keep an eye on the babies in the kitchen till you’re back. She’s also got the basket of food prepared. So grab your jacket and we’ll be off.”
He left the room before she could think up some reason why she shouldn’t accompany him. And thirty minutes later they were leaving London behind. He’d only lied a little bit about the distance they’d be traveling. The pond he had in mind was near an inn more than an hour away. His father usually stayed the night there on his way back from Haverston if he got a late start. And having an inn nearby was crucial to Jeremy’s plans, since he hoped to be spending the night in it with her.
But she didn’t really notice the time it was taking them to get there, since she’d never ridden up on the driver’s perch of a carriage before and was enjoying the unobstructed view. He also kept up a steady stream of light conversation, telling her how he’d gone through hell and back trying to find those two pets for her, when in fact the kitten was from a litter at Reggie’s house, and the puppy from a litter at Kelsey’s house, the ladies having mentioned them when they’d taken him furniture shopping.
The pond really was a beautiful setting at that time of the year, flowers in a myriad of colors dotting the landscape around it, several ducks floating about in it, one with a small train of three ducklings following it. And Mrs. Appleton had outdone herself on such short notice: the food was varied and delicious, with several bottles of wine included.
They ate, they laughed, they even had some meaningful conversation. Despite Jeremy’s wanting to keep the mood light, goals somehow got mentioned, and Danny grew serious when she admitted, “I had a goal many years ago, one that was unrealistic though, since I had no way to accomplish it.”
“What?”
She was lying on the blanket they’d spread out near the water, her head resting on his thigh. In one hand she had the stem of a daisy that she was lazily twirling about, her wineglass in the other.
“I wanted to get the younguns into a more stable environment.”
“The ones who lived with you?” he asked, his fingers casually moving through her curls.
“Yes. I had sorely felt my lack of schooling, so I figured the other children did, too. I wanted to get them that, get them supplied with a steady flow of food, too, so they wouldn’t have to steal anymore.”
“Sounds like you wanted to set up a real orphanage for them.”
His fingers moved down to her cheek, and then on to her ear lobe and her neck, his touch still casual. He noticed her shiver though and drop the daisy without noticing. And it took a moment for her to answer him.
“Well, I was too young at the time to have figured that out. It was just a goal I had for a year or two,” she ended with a shrug.
Jeremy was hesitant to mention it, but did anyway. “Would you let me set something like that up for you?”
She frowned. “You mean you’d pay for it?”
“Something like that.”
“That’d be a gift, wouldn’t it? With a really big ‘beholden’ factor. No, it ain’t your goal. It was mine, but even now, I still don’t see how I could accomplish it, not on a maid’s wages.”
He coughed and said, “I could raise your wages.”
She laughed at that point. “Not unless you’re going to raise everyone’s wages, you won’t. You snuck in one gift on me, mate. I’m going to let it pass, but don’t be doing it again, eh?”
He reached for her empty hand, brought it up to his mouth so he could nibble on her fingers.
“You make it deuced hard, luv. You see, I have this overwhelming urge to give you things.” He drew one of her fingers into his mouth and sucked on it for a moment. “I don’t know why. Never been plagued with such an urge before.” He bit the pad of her second finger. “And it’s rather frustrating—no, actually, very frustrating, come to think of it.”
She was looking up at him now, said a bit breathlessly, “You’ve got nothing o’ the sort.”
“And how would you know, when you’ve probably never had such an urge before?”
“Actually I have,” she admitted. “Every time I used to see something I wanted, I always thought to m’self, Lucy would probably like that, too. Of course, that was because I care about her. She has been like a mother, a sister, and a best friend to me. So what you’re trying to tell me in your odd nabob way is that you care about me?”
“Oh, good God, if you haven’t figured that out yet, I think I’ll throttle you. Better yet…”
He dragged her up until she was lying in the crook of his arm and lowered his mouth to hers, tasting her deeply, thoroughly, with a passionate urgency he could not control. He loved tasting her, loved touching her, feeling her trembling in his arms as she was now. He began unfastening her blouse, but his finesse and his patience were deserting him, and he cupped her breast through the cloth instead. She put her hand on his cheek. That inflamed him further, but her groan…
Using every ounce of willpower he possessed, Jeremy pulled his mouth away from hers. “Damn! If it weren’t for the promise of a comfortable bed at the inn near here, I’d make love to you right here on the grass. I think it’s time to leave, luv, I really do.”
Chapter 40
IT WAS NEARLY FULLY DARK by the time they packed up the remnant
s of their picnic and got back into Jeremy’s carriage. What little remained of the setting sun was hidden behind a thick bank of clouds and the trees along the road. If it weren’t for those trees, which acted as a kind of fence, they might not have stayed on the road, since the carriage wasn’t designed for country jaunts, at least not at night.
The well-lit inn was a beacon though, off in the distance, and when they finally reached it, Jeremy relaxed again. He didn’t mention what could have happened out on the road, where highwaymen prevailed at night, where the slightest wrong turn could have ended them in a ditch. Sleeping in an open carriage alongside the road would have been a rotten way to end a most enjoyable day.
Arm in arm, they went upstairs to their room. Danny hadn’t questioned why they would be staying at an inn instead of returning to London. Nor did she question why he’d ordered just one room for them both. She probably understood about the dangers of the road, but as for the single room, either she was as eager for some lovemaking as he was, or she figured it wouldn’t matter out here in the country where no one knew them.
Which wasn’t exactly the case. The innkeeper recognized Jeremy and called him by name. He had been a guest there enough times over the years for the man to remember him. One of the other guests in the common room recognized him as well, or seemed to. Actually, the fellow was staring at Danny, and with an expression that indicated he was seeing an angel—or a ghost.
But the couple didn’t notice, and again Jeremy’s finesse went right out the door the moment he closed it behind them. Lighting the lamps could wait. Undressing fully could wait. Jeremy fairly tossed Danny on the bed and was kissing her so deeply, she wouldn’t have been able to get in a word of protest. But she wasn’t protesting in the least. In fact, he wasn’t sure which of them was the more heated with desire.
Danny found Jeremy’s lack of control incredibly erotic. He tore out of his coat and tossed it. She’d been carrying hers and dropped it when he tossed her on the bed. He ripped open the cuffs of his shirt and merely pulled it over his head. She quickly unfastened her blouse, afraid he’d rip that open next if she didn’t. Her chemise he merely pulled down, then he gripped both her breasts and buried his head between them with a groan, suckling one until she cried out for mercy. His mouth, so hot, trailed up to her neck and kissed and sucked her there as well. Then he moved to her ear, where he rasped out, “Touch me. I love it when you touch me.”
He rolled over and sat her on his loins to give her better access to him. Her hands moved over his chest, pinching his nipples lightly. He groaned when she bent down to lick one and became so aroused that he nearly unseated her. Yanking her skirt up out of the way, he slipped his hands inside her drawers and gripped her derriere, grinding her loins against his. But it wasn’t enough for her, it was a mere tease. She wanted him inside her, hard and hot and buried deep. She couldn’t wait any longer.
Her mewling said so. His hand gripped her hair, leading her mouth back to his as he rolled them over again, his other hand taking her drawers off as he did. And then she had her wish, he was inside her, such heat, driving hard to her depths, and she exploded around him, sucking him in even deeper, her cries of pleasure lost beneath his lips, continuing as he thrust again and again, until his own cry ripped through the room.
Jeremy’s heart was still pounding hard. Without a doubt, that had been the most spectacular climax of his life. So that’s what happened when anticipation built for hours upon hours?
No, he’d experienced anticipation before. It had never been like this. It was Danny. For some reason, she was affecting him like no woman ever had before. And it wasn’t just the lovemaking. This wanting to be with her, every minute of the day, when he knew bloody well he couldn’t, was such a keen frustration, he wasn’t sure how to deal with it.
Jeremy was loath to move away from her even for a moment, but he finally finished undressing. He even got up and lit some lamps since the hour was still early and he wasn’t the least bit tired yet.
“We didn’t bring anything to sleep in,” Danny pointed out as he rejoined her on the bed.
“Yes, we did,” he said, pulling her close to him again. “I don’t know about you, but I’m sleeping in your arms. You’re welcome to try sleeping in mine.”
“If you think that will work, I suppose I’ll trust your judgment.” She curled into him to get comfortable. “It feels odd, being at an inn when I’m not here to rob the guests.”
He chuckled. “I don’t need to lock you in, do I? You can restrain yourself for the duration?”
“I’m considering it. Guests get noisy, after all, when they find out they’ve been robbed. Don’t think I’d care to be awakened by the commotion.”
She said no more. He waited nearly a minute before he lifted his head to see if she was grinning. She wasn’t, not even a little.
“You were joking, weren’t you?”
“Course I was, mate,” she assured him. “But while we’re on the subject of restraint, you need to be practicing some of your own.”
“Bite your tongue. You hold me off enough as it is. Any more and I will go quite insane.”
She snorted. “No, you won’t, and I didn’t mean that kind of o’ restraint. I meant your jealousy.”
“Jealousy!” he exclaimed, then added indignantly, “I’ve never been jealous in m’life.”
“Then what’d you fire Carlton for this morning, eh?”
“Oh, that,” he said with a shrug. “That was—well, that was, hmmm, I’m not sure what the bloody hell that was, but it certainly wasn’t—”
“It was. And it was silly. You didn’t even pause to find out why I was sitting on him before you fired the poor man. You might as well trust me, Jeremy, because the only way this works for us is for it to only work for us. See my point?”
“Not in the bloody least.”
She released a long sigh. “I’ve made an exception for you. If I start making love to every Tom, Dick, and Harry, then I’ll have turned into what I swore I’d never be. So there won’t be any other man for me. When we’re done, I’ll wait for marriage to some bloke, but I won’t be testing the waters first, if you catch my drift.”
He pulled her closer. “Danny, luv, I seriously doubt ‘we’ll’ ever be done.”
She didn’t reply immediately. He found himself holding his breath until she said, “Unless I get offered a better job.”
He sat up. She pushed him back down. “I was joking, mate. Cor, learn the difference, eh?”
He frowned. “I believe I know the difference, and you weren’t joking in the least. What job would tempt you away from me?”
Again, it didn’t seem as if she was going to answer him, but finally she sighed and said, “Wife and mother. I’ve made no bones about it. I want my own family. You’ve already got a family, a large one, so you have no hankering for a new one. But I’ll be moving on eventually to accomplish my goals.”
He held her to him, tighter than necessary. He didn’t like being reminded of her goals, but her “eventually” could be years off, might never even arrive, so he wasn’t going to worry about it now, while their affair was progressing nicely.
A while later he confessed, “I’m not sure how I’m containing how happy I am just now.”
Danny had been drowsing off, but hearing that definitely woke her up. She leaned up to stare at him. “Are you really?”
“Wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t. But I do wish you’d start sharing my bed at home. It’s not as if the staff doesn’t know I’ve staked a claim. I made that perfectly clear this morning, didn’t I?”
Her eyes narrowed on him. “If you tell me that silliness was deliberate, I may just pinch you—hard.”
“Well, no, not deliberate a’tall.” And then he grinned. “But it worked out rather well, don’t you think?”
“I think we better leave things as they are. You keep trying to turn me into a mistress. Stop it. I’ve told you my terms. Equal all the way.”
“Yes, b
ut what’s that got to do with sleeping together nightly? Sleeping, Danny. I truly do love just holding you in my arms.”
She smiled at him and snuggled back down. “This is kind o’ nice, ain’t it? I’ll have to give it some thought.” And then as she drifted off to sleep a bit later, she mumbled, “You make a nice nightgown, mate, ’deed you do.”
Chapter 41
AN INN WASN’T A GOOD PLACE TO DO IT. Tyrus came to that conclusion when midnight rolled around but the lights were still on in the girl’s room. He still couldn’t believe he’d found her again, after he’d lost hope that he would. He’d been so confident, after visiting the nabob, that he’d get the job finished this time. Then to find she wasn’t where he’d thought she’d be, where he’d seen her go the day he’d followed her. She’d been kicked out and they didn’t know where she’d gone. And London was too bloody big to just hope he might run into her again, so he’d given up.
He hadn’t gone back to tell the lord though, didn’t want to own up that he’d failed yet again. But he’d found her again! And he wasn’t going to lose her this time; he was going to finish the job tonight.
He’d figured he’d have a few hours’ wait, so he’d swiped a bottle of rum out of the innkeeper’s stock to take up to his room. He hadn’t figured the couple wasn’t there to sleep. He should have though. The girl had turned into a prime piece, just like her mother. And the gent she was with had had his hands all over her.
Still, they had to sleep sometime. He doubted they’d head back to wherever they came from in the middle of the night. So he waited, and waited. Every ten minutes or so he’d open his door just enough to see if the light was still coming from the crack under hers.
It was too bad the girl was with a Malory. That family was so notorious, even he’d heard of them. That they were all bloody lords wasn’t the problem, but rather that they weren’t men to cross. Prime shots, he’d heard, masters at dueling, masters at fisticuffs— masters at evening scores. So he’d try not to hurt the bloke, just hit him enough to knock him out.