Pursuing Lord Pascal (13 page)

“I’d like to give you every dance. But it’s
not discreet.”

He bit back the retort that if she agreed to
marry him, discretion could go to Hades. He’d brought her this far.
Surely after sharing her body, she’d take that last step. “I can
live with that. Hell, now you’ve said yes, I can live with
anything.”

She leaned forward, and this time, she kissed
him. Her boldness blasted heat through his veins. The time between
now and consummation stretched wider than the Atlantic.

But by God, he had now.

He wrapped his arms around her and draped her
across his lap. The brush of her hip across his swollen cock set
stars exploding behind his eyes.

For one moment, she lay softly against him,
then she drew back to regard him with heavy eyes. “Gervaise…”

He loved to hear his name on her lips. “Don’t
look at me like that, or I won’t go.”

“If you stay, we’ll end up shocking Sally’s
gardeners.”

He gave a huff of amusement and stole another
kiss before he let her sit up. “I have arrangements to make.”

“And we’ll meet tonight.”

“If you look at me like that, everyone will
know what’s in store.”

“I can’t help it. I feel like I’m about to
take flight.”

Pascal kissed her hand again, not trusting
himself to kiss her lips and retain the will to leave. And he
intended to make everything perfect for her. That meant putting
some thought into his plans and giving orders to his staff.
“Tomorrow we’ll take to the sky. Will you walk me to the back gate?
In this state, I don’t want to run into Sally or Meg.”

Amy glanced down at him and blushed. “What
about your carriage?”

“The moment I got your note, I dashed
over.”

“Not even time to harness your horses?”

“Not one second. And it’s only a ten-minute
walk. That I did in five.” He’d been hard put not to run, but while
she was his mistress, not his wife, he intended to shield her name.
She was the next Lady Pascal, even if she hadn’t yet admitted it.
On their wedding day, he wanted her to hold her head high.

Pray God, that wasn’t far away.

“Oh, Gervaise…” she sighed and tumbled into
his arms again.

It was considerably later when she let him
out the back gate with a kiss and a whispered promise of
tomorrow.

As Gervaise’s carriage rolled up to the
pretty little manor house outside Windsor, Amy’s stomach churned
with terror and anticipation.

“Second thoughts?” Gervaise asked gently.

She’d spent most of the drive from London
silent and pressed close to his side. The warmth of his big male
body had helped to counter her rioting nerves. It was another
lovely day, and once they’d left London, rampant spring had
surrounded them all the way.

“An army of them,” she admitted, firming her
grip on his brawny arm.

“You can still change your mind.”

She cast him a doubtful glance, but that
remarkable face under the curling brim of his stylish hat was
serious. “That’s very sporting of you.”

“You look like you’re about to face the
Spanish Inquisition.”

Her brief laugh was bleak. “That bad?”

He smiled with that hint of tenderness that
always caught her on the quick and made her foolish heart cramp
with longing. “Worse.”

“Kiss me.”

Those dark gold brows arched in inquiry.
“Before I take you back to London?”

“Before I step out of this carriage, and you
show me what all those wild women have taught you.”

His lips curved in appreciation—and a relief
that soothed her fears. It proved he didn’t take her for granted.
“We’ll need more than one afternoon for that.”

Before she could respond to his intriguing
remark, he leaned in and kissed her, pressing her back against the
brass rail behind the carriage seat.

She expected passion, but there was just more
of that piercing tenderness. The sweetness seemed almost innocent.
Absurd when she was about to give her body to a man who wasn’t her
husband.

“Will you stay?” he murmured, breath warm on
her face.

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” He stared into her eyes, as if
seeking out any lingering doubts. She knew he’d find them, but she
was also sure he’d see her yearning.

Inevitably yearning overpowered her
apprehension. Or she wouldn’t be here at all.

A faint smile kicked up the corners of his
beautiful mouth, and he glanced toward the house. “What do you
think?”

He’d kept their destination secret, although
last night at the musicale, she’d tried to pry details out of him.
The famous Italian diva had wasted her artistry on Amy, who had
spent the evening in a daze. The only time she’d come alive to the
moment was when she’d spoken to Gervaise. Even then she’d been
jumpy and preoccupied, convinced every person in that worldly crowd
must know of her imminent fall from grace.

This morning, Gervaise’s note had arrived on
her breakfast tray. He invited her to luncheon in the country and
asked her to be ready at eleven. Because she’d lain awake most of
the night and only fallen asleep near dawn, she had to rush to
dress.

She’d left the house without encountering her
friends, thank goodness. Morwenna was walking in the park—Amy
wasn’t nearly ready to confide her improper plans to her
sister-in-law. Meg and Sally weren’t up yet, although Sally would
guess the truth when she read Amy’s note about visiting the country
with Lord Pascal.

Amy didn’t mind Sally knowing. She just
didn’t want to talk about it.

When the curricle turned down a tree-lined
drive, she hadn’t been sure what to expect. What she found was a
pocket manor, like a full-size dolls house.

Now she studied the perfectly proportioned
façade and smiled. “It’s lovely. How did you find it?”

“It’s mine. The tenants left a month ago, and
the new people don’t move in until June.” He clicked his tongue to
the horses and steered them around the building to a neat stable
block. “If we go to an inn, someone could see us. And at my
townhouse, the servants might let slip that I entertained a
lady.”

She began to relax, although her heart still
banged against her ribs like a trapped bird trying to escape its
cage. “You’ve thought about this.”

“I don’t take this privilege lightly.” They
rolled into the shadowy, hay-scented interior with its rows of
empty stalls. “I’ll never do anything to cause you harm.”

She looked around, puzzled, when no eager
groom rushed to take the horses. “It’s like an enchanted castle in
a fairytale. Where is everyone? Asleep for a hundred years because
a princess pricked her finger on a spindle?”

He smiled. “I’ve given the staff the
afternoon off.”

More thoughtfulness. Everything Gervaise did
today betrayed meticulous care and consideration. She’d never felt
so cherished. Sternly she reminded herself that she had no
intention of losing her head over Gervaise Dacre.

But she feared it was already too late.

* * *

As they crunched across the gravel forecourt
to the graceful set of steps leading up to the imposing door, Amy
held hands with Gervaise. They climbed the wide stone stairs, and
he released her to fish in his pocket for a large iron key that
also seemed to come from a fairytale.

She stepped into an airy hall, with high
windows and chessboard tiles on the floor. Vases of massed spring
flowers perfumed the air. He’d turned the house into a bower of
earthly delights.

“Oh, Gervaise, I’m speechless.” She paused a
few paces inside the room to draw a deep breath. “And all for
me?”

“All for you.” He closed the door after him,
but remained beside it. Without shifting his gaze from her, he took
off his hat and gloves and set them on a chair.

She removed her gloves and bonnet, placing
them on a chest under the window. “You’ve been busy since
yesterday.”

Gervaise made her feel so special. How on
earth had she managed to hold out against him for over three
weeks?

“I want you to smile when you look back on
today.” He removed his voluminous driving coat, then came forward
and helped her with the tight pelisse. “There’s champagne and a
cold collation in the dining room. Are you hungry? I promised that
I’d feed you when I invited you here.”

Emotion jammed her throat and roughened her
laugh. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the trouble you’ve
taken.”

He leaned one elegant hip against the chest
and watched her steadily. She shivered with anticipation and
pleasure. The desire in his eyes made her feel free and powerful
and, for the first time in her life, truly beautiful.

“Try.”

She swept a dazzled gaze over the
flower-filled room. “I was afraid I’d feel shabby. But standing
here with you, it’s like we share a glorious secret.”

He smiled. “I’m glad.”

Amy realized she felt more than beautiful.
She felt brave. She’d hesitated enough. It was time to take a
chance on what her heart had wanted since her first glimpse of him,
so many years ago.

Stepping toward the oak staircase that curved
up to what she guessed were the bedrooms, she held out her hand. “I
don’t want to wait anymore.” Her voice was still husky. “I’ve
waited too long already. Take me upstairs.”

Joy transfigured his face. She realized that
despite her spoken consent, and the kisses they’d shared, and her
presence here now, he hadn’t been entirely sure of her.

In a few eager strides, he crossed the room
and caught her up for another of those world-shaking kisses. She
should be accustomed to them by now—but every time he kissed her,
the earth set off on a drunken jig through the stars.

In one powerful movement, he swept her up
into his arms and began to mount the stairs. Amy gasped and flung
one arm around his powerful neck. “Gervaise, I can walk.”

His low laugh made her stomach clench with
longing. “Why walk when you can fly?”

“You’re showing off,” she said, to hide how
this madly romantic gesture made her pulse race.

“Of course I am. I’m seeking a certain lady’s
approval.”

She laid her head on his shoulder as he
rounded the first landing, seemingly unwinded. His elegance was
misleading. The arms that held her with such ease were hard with
muscle. And he was so delightfully warm. This was like curling up
beside a roaring fire on a cold winter’s day.

“She already approves,” she murmured, placing
her hand over the place where his heart thudded hard and steady.
Perhaps she hadn’t been far wrong when she’d wondered if this house
belonged in a fairytale. Right now she felt more like a magical
princess than a mere mortal woman.

“My campaign must be working.”

“Don’t rest on your laurels,” she said drily,
as he carried her along a hallway. But it was impossible to cling
to her level-headed self, when a handsome prince carried her away
to ravish her.

They swung through an open door to a
beautiful bedroom, done out in the style of last century. Windows
opened onto the bright afternoon, and the air smelled of beeswax,
and the fresh flowers ranged on every flat surface.

“Goodness,” Amy said faintly, her heart
taking another dizzy swoop. “There mustn’t be a flower left in
London.”

“Do you like it?” He stopped in the middle of
the room and stared down at her.

She read the genuine question in those deep
blue eyes. “I love it.” She stretched up to place a clumsy kiss on
his lips. “Thank you.”

He angled his head to anchor the kiss. “Any
time.”

Heat sizzled through her, promised more heat
to come. Impatience set her blood rushing. The excruciating wait
was over, and it was time to give in to her craving for this
beautiful man.

The hands she linked behind his neck were
steady, although she’d expected to suffer a storm of nerves when
she yielded to him. “Take me to bed, Gervaise.”

“With pleasure.”

A few steps, and he flung back the covers to
reveal crisp white sheets. Gently he set her down. The clean
sharpness of lavender teased her senses.

“I love this house.” She pushed up against
the heaped pillows. “How can you bear to rent it out?”

The fleeting silence held a strangely
discordant edge. But she forgot that odd, bristling instant when
she watched him tug off his dark blue coat and lay it across a
brocade chair near the unlit fire. Excitement coiled in her belly
and made her skin prickle with expectation. Soon, soon they’d be
naked together, and she’d at last discover sensuality’s
mysteries.

“I rarely use it. It’s very
old-fashioned.”

“In a charming way.”

His eyes lit as he surveyed her, lying before
him in her pink silk dress. “Speaking of charming, you look
delectable.”

“Thank you.” She sent him a sheepish smile.
“I know it was terribly romantic when you put me on the bed, but
undressing will be easier if I stand up.”

He laughed softly and crossed to offer her
his hand. “Let me help.”

“Thank you.” She accepted his hand and rose
from the bed. In the last weeks, she must have touched his hand a
thousand times. Now, the contact resonated like music with all that
was to come. “I’ll help you, too.”

She reached up to untie his neck cloth,
letting it drift to the floor. His shirt fell open, revealing a
hard masculine chest beneath. Unable to resist, she placed her hand
flat on that golden skin and felt him shudder in reaction. He was
so warm. She raked her fingers through the curls of golden hair
across his pectorals.

Even now he undressed, her courage didn’t
desert her. She’d expected to feel shy and awkward and inadequate.
But this unpretentious house and the efforts Gervaise had taken to
please her banished her misgivings.

When Sally had suggested that she should
seduce Lord Pascal, it had seemed a bizarre idea. But here in this
quiet room on this sunny afternoon, it didn’t seem so
outlandish.