Scandalous Regency Secrets Collection

“But quickly,” she told him, her fingertips digging into his back.

“No going back,” he warned.

“No going back,” she agreed on a sigh.

That was all the encouragement he needed. He felt her tense; he knew the moment he’d broken beyond the thin barrier. He held her close as he gave her everything, as she took him in.

He wanted to be gentle. He had every intention of being gentle, slowly introducing her to what he hoped would be a building pleasure, at least enough to give her the promise that next time, and all the times after this, there would be nothing but pleasure.

But he hadn’t counted on Dany.

Somehow, amid the tangle of clothing and the soft, sun-warmed cashmere throw, she managed to free her legs, bringing them up and around his back, keeping him close as he began to move inside her.

Her courage lent him courage. Dany was a woman now, of her own free will, her own free choice.

She could walk away once this business of blackmail was settled, and Mari was settled. He could walk away, both of them having agreed this was only a sham betrothal.

Yet she’d given herself to him. Without a backward glance, without demanding anything of him. And damn the consequences.

Or did she trust him that much? Was there even more there than trust? He dared to hope.

“Dany...” he breathed, claiming her mouth again. He could never, would never, get enough of her kisses. He could survive for days with no other sustenance but the sweet taste of her.

Coop was in awe, reverent even as his passion built, but he would continue to hold back, be gentle, slowly, carefully, bring her at least some measure of pleasure...even if it killed him.

But Dany wasn’t so reticent.

Her fingertips dug into his back would leave marks. She raised herself to meet him each time he dared to go deeper, matching him move for move. He could hear her quick, shallow breaths. He could feel her heart beating against his chest.

He raised his head, looking down into her eyes. Those deeply blue, all-expressive eyes. The expression of wonder was still there, now accompanied by revelation, and perhaps even a bit of impatience.

Bless her. Dany, the fearless.

“Are you certain? I’m not hurting you? Because...”

She scissored her legs higher on his back.

He had his answer.

Nature has a way of protecting the innocent, and that’s what they were at this moment, two innocents, navigating their way through unfamiliar territory, guided only by instinct.

Sex. Any two people could fumble their way through that age-old act.

But to care, really care? Adding that unexpected dimension to what came naturally?

Being with Dany this way, Coop felt himself as much the virgin as she had been until a few short minutes ago. As his passion grew, another emotion grew with it, blossomed, burst into full flower the moment he felt her body convulse around him. Her pleasure ignited him, took him beyond anything he’d known, and when he spilled inside her he felt tears stinging at the backs of his eyes.

He lay on top of her for long moments, both of them recovering their breath, waiting for their hearts to ease back from the mad gallops they had been that had helped them race to the brink, and beyond.

He looked down on her face, again attempting to gauge her reaction, only to see tears running out of the corners of her eyes, sliding into her ears. Yet she smiled, raised a hand to cup his cheek.

He turned his mouth into her palm, pressed a kiss against her warm flesh.

“That...that was interesting.”

Only Dany could say something like that and make him laugh.

“I agree,” he told her, carefully levering himself away from her, just enough to remove some of his weight. Still watching her, he fumbled for the cashmere throw, drawing it up and over her.

Dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose, he sat up, his back to her, located his jacket and retrieved the linen square handkerchief.

“Stay,” he told her as he got to his feet, one hand holding up his pantaloons. He felt he presented a less than romantic figure, but there was nothing else for it.

“Stay? Am I graduated now to your trusty hound?”

“Absolutely,” he told her with a smile, and then took himself off to the stream, dipping the handkerchief in it, catching his breath in his throat as he saw the merest streaking of red that clung to him.

Once buttoned and tucked and reasonably decent, he rinsed the handkerchief and carried it back to the gazebo, only to see that Dany apparently had fallen asleep.

So much for any niggling worries he might have harbored about tears, uncomfortable questions or recriminations.

He lifted the throw and bent over her, kissing her awake, whispering into her ear, even as he slipped the wet handkerchief into her hand and then took himself off again, only returning when she asked his assistance in rebuttoning her gown, standing behind her to secure the buttons, kissing her shoulder, smiling as she tipped back her head against his chest.

“We have to go,” he told her as she busied herself folding the throw and replacing it on the back of the chaise.

“I know. We have to go back to the world, and all our problems. Including the fact that I doubt I will be able to look Darby, or Harry, for that matter, in the face ever again.”

“Harry was trained to be discreet, having been in my mother’s employ since he was out of leading strings, and Darby has what he terms a selective memory. At least he won’t tease. Well, he won’t tease you. I don’t think I’ll be so fortunate.”

Together, stealing kisses across the expanse of the blanket, they gathered up the remnants of their uneaten meal before Coop took her hand and led her back toward the cottage.

Harry was already waiting with the curricle, holding one of the bay’s heads, a bit of residue from what had probably been a cherry tart clinging to his chin and a wide smile on his face.

Once they were away from the estate and heading back to Portman Square, Coop felt the world slipping back into his consciousness, doing its best to crowd out more recent, definitely more pleasant memories.

Dany appeared to be suffering from the same depressing letdown.

“Have you decided how you’re going to approach this Ferdie person? You more than hinted that finding something with which to turn the tables on him is no longer possible now that he knows he’s been found out. But then what do you do? What can any of us do? To stop the publication of another chapbook destroying you, of retrieving Mari’s foolish letters?”

“Some plans are in motion, but they won’t suffice on their own. Ferdie attempted to coerce Geoff into killing me. I doubt that having Geoff conveniently sidelined by injury will stop Ferdie for long, once he discovers that Geoff did a flit.”

He turned to look at her, sure he was about to set off their very first verbal fight, and not a half hour after they’d made love. “In any event, until he’s taken care of, you are confined to Portman Square.”

“I will not!”

He needed to be direct, and firm. “Dany, don’t I have enough on my mind?”

She faced front, her arms crossed, and pouted.