The Heir

“I haven’t had lemonade since I was a lad,” Dev remarked when he’d chugged half of his. “It refreshes.”

“Tastes better with extra sugar. Val adds cold tea to his. Try mine.”

“As I have had the chicken pox,” Dev said, sipping from Westhaven’s glass. “Give me that sugar bowl.”

They passed an amiable evening, chatting over di

When the earl was alone in the library at the end of the evening, he found himself wondering why he hadn’t offered his brothers the use of the townhouse earlier. It would have allowed them both to be near their sisters without residing at the ducal mansion, and it would have provided some company.

A

The door clicked softly, and as if he’d conjured her with his thoughts, A

“A

“My lord,” she said and earned a thunderous scowl from him as he stalked over to her.

“What have I done, A

“I ca

“Ah.” He backed away, leaning on the desk, arms crossed. “Shall we discuss this change of heart on your part? You’ve been avoiding me since we got back to Town, and don’t think to tell me otherwise.”

“You are no longer ill,” she said, raising her chin. “And you are capable of dressing yourself.”

“Barely,” he said with a snort. “So tell me, how am I to court you if you won’t stay in the same room with me? How am I to persuade you to marry me if you maneuver always to have others present when I am about? You aren’t playing fair, A

She watched him warily, trying to formulate an answer that wouldn’t aggravate him further. If she’d known he was in here, lurking in the solitude and darkness, she would have run in the opposite direction—she hoped.

“Come here.” He gentled his tone and held out a hand.

“You will take liberties,” A

The difficulty, A

A week had gone by, and she’d accomplished nothing, except another seven days of longing for a man she had no business desiring.

“You will make me work for it, won’t you?” Westhaven said with a faint smile. He pushed away from the desk and approached her silently. “That’s as it should be.”

His arms closed around her, and A

“Let me hold you,” he whispered, “or I’ll have a relapse of the chicken pox to inspire you to closer attendance of me.”

“You can’t have a relapse.”

“Actually, I can,” he murmured, his hands easing over her back, “but Fairly says it’s quite rare. Relax, A

She couldn’t remain tense, not with his big hands stroking so knowingly over her muscles and bones. He touched her the way he might touch a horse, listening with his hands for what her body would tell him without her mind’s consent.

“You need to eat more,” he said. “You’ve put weight on me but neglected yourself.”

“You lost weight, being ill,” A

“Why is that?” She felt his lips against her temple, and leaned into him a little more heavily.

“Because, I like it too well, and then you’ll be kissing me and your hands will be wandering and I will want to let them wander.”

“Good,” the earl said, humor in his voice and something else. Something not quite as relaxed as his hands might have suggested. “I do want to kiss you. Have for days, but you’ve been dodgy as a feral cat.” His lips brushed her cheek, and A

“You must not,” she said, cuddling into his chest as if he could protect her from his own wayward intentions.

“I rather think I must,” he argued softly. “I have never met a lady so in want of kissing.” Those lips were moving along her jaw now, then teasing at her neck. Oh, the wretched, wretched man… A

She was wicked. Her brother had told her she was headstrong, u

“That’s it,” he coaxed, his teeth scraping gently at her skin. “Don’t think, just let me bring you pleasure, bring us both pleasure.”

“Westhaven…” she whispered, trying still to end this, to put him firmly in his place. He’d told her he would never force her; that he would stop if she asked it of him.

She could not ask it of herself, A

She tried to hold back, to keep herself aloof from his caresses and his kisses, but she had no experience with sexual self-restraint. Her hands crept up to caress his neck and jaw, her body pressed into his with shameless disregard for anything save the need to be closer, and her mouth parted on a sigh.

“Oh, not this…” She broke the kiss when he began to rock his hips against her but stayed in his arms, her forehead resting on his sternum. “You are interested, and soon you will be indecent with me again.”

“I would love to be indecent with you, A

“I ca

“Soon,” he assured her. “Your virtue is not at risk, A

“You want to be indecent,” she accused again, gripping his waist tightly.

“Unless you ask it of me, I will not remove my clothing,” he replied, his voice steadier than hers.

“Do you promise? You won’t even unfasten your trousers?” She lifted her face to regard him by the light of the fire.

“I will not unfasten my trousers,” he replied, his gaze rock steady with maybe a touch of humor in his green eyes. “Let me hold you and kiss you and bring you pleasure.”

If he kept his pants up, A