Reese's Bride. Kat Martin

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СКАЧАТЬ owed her nothing. If she accepted his advances, he would hold nothing back. He would show her the pleasure he hadn’t known how to give her before.

      He caught her against him, pulled her close enough to feel his heavy erection. He felt her tremble, felt her weaken and sway against him the instant before she broke away.

      Her eyes were big and round, more blue than gray, as if what had happened completely astonished her. She reached up and touched her kiss-swollen lips.

      “You never … never kissed me that way before.”

      He scoffed. “There are lots of things I didn’t do before. I was young and green and I was fool enough to believe we would learn those things together. I’m a different man now, Elizabeth.”

      She swallowed. “Yes …”

      “I’ll be happy to show you what I didn’t know before. I guarantee you will enjoy it.”

      She paled. “I—I didn’t mean for that to happen. I just … I don’t know … somehow it just did.”

      “You’re a widow. I’m sure you have needs. As I said, I’ll be happy to oblige you in any way you wish.”

      Her chin went up. He had pushed her too far.

      “I’m afraid you will have to excuse me, my lord. I need to check on Jared.”

      He made no effort to stop her. In most ways he was grateful she was leaving. Silently, he cursed himself for his momentary lapse of judgment. What the hell had come over him? He knew better than to get involved with Elizabeth again.

      Turning, he made his way out of the music room, trying not to think how much he wanted to kiss her again.

      And so much more.

      Elizabeth raced down the hall, willing her heartbeat to slow. Dear God, when she had come here, she had never imagined that Reese would want her. When they had been together, he’d been shy where women were concerned. He would never have pressed her for even a kiss if she hadn’t encouraged him.

      That night in the carriage when they had made love, she had been the one to urge him on, the one who didn’t want to stop.

      How could she not have realized he was a man now, no longer a boy? That he would want her the way a man wants a woman, no matter his dislike of her. And yet he had not forced her. He had done little more than kiss her.

      And dear God, she had enjoyed it!

      Just as before, she hadn’t wanted the kiss to end. Until those few heated moments, she had forgotten what it was to desire a man. Those yearnings had disappeared the day Reese had ridden off to London.

      She had felt nothing for Edmund. Nothing but disgust.

      Edmund had claimed his husbandly rights by force. It never occurred to him that a woman should take pleasure in the act. On their wedding night, Edmund had merely climbed on top of her, lifted her nightgown and thrust himself inside her. Their sporadic couplings had been painful and humiliating. She had grown to hate the sound of his footfalls in the room next door, the sound of the doorknob turning.

      She had never thought to enjoy a man’s touch again, but today … today she had discovered that she was still a woman, and she was still vulnerable to Reese. That he could arouse the same forbidden desires he had before seemed impossible until today.

      Now she knew the truth and it was terrifying.

      Elizabeth lifted the black skirts of her simple mourning gown and hurried up the stairs. Last night she had avoided supper with Reese and his aunt, Lady Tavistock, who had arrived late that afternoon.

      But the dowager countess had sent a request for Elizabeth and her son to join her for afternoon tea, a summons Elizabeth could not refuse. Her hand trembled as she opened the door to her bedroom. Her lips still carried the memory of Reese’s mouth moving hotly over hers.

      Her heart still thrummed as she stepped into her room, closed the door behind her, and leaned against it for support. Thank God, she had time to collect her wits before the encounter with his aunt. An hour or so to erase Reese from her thoughts, which at the moment, seemed an impossible task.

      She would manage somehow, she knew, use the hours ahead to regain control and begin making preparations for her journey to London.

      After what had happened in the music room, the time had come.

      Elizabeth had to leave.

      Two hours later, dressed in a crisp black taffeta tea gown, Elizabeth held on to her young son’s hand as they made their way down the hall to a drawing room in the east wing of the manor. It was done in pale gray and white and Lady Tavistock, gowned in a blue silk gown trimmed with Belgian lace, sat on a yellow floral sofa across from the white marble-manteled hearth. A fire blazed there, taking the chill from the room.

      The old woman made a slight nod of her head in greeting as Elizabeth and Jared walked into the chamber.

      “Lady Aldridge,” the dowager said. “So kind of you to join me.” There was a bite to the words Elizabeth couldn’t miss. She had known this meeting would not be pleasant. The woman protected her nephews like the mother they never knew. She loved Reese, and Elizabeth had betrayed him. Lady Tavistock had every right to hate her.

      Elizabeth dropped into a curtsey. “Good afternoon, my lady.” Next to her, Jared made the very formal bow he had been taught by his tutor. “May I present my son, Jared, Earl of Aldridge.”

      The old woman’s watery blue eyes fixed on the boy. One of her silver eyebrows winged up as she assessed him. “Good afternoon, Lord Aldridge.”

      Jared made the reply he had been taught. “Good afternoon … my lady.”

      The dowager returned her attention to Elizabeth. “Why don’t you pour for us, Lady Aldridge?”

      Elizabeth did as she was bade, pouring tea into cups while Jared perched nervously on one of the matching floral overstuffed chairs. She passed a cup to Lady Tavistock, then handed her son a small glass of fruit punch and a white linen napkin.

      “There’s some sweet cakes there,” Lady Tavistock told him. “You like cake, don’t you, boy?”

      He nodded, but didn’t reach for a sweet. Elizabeth placed several on a porcelain plate and set it down on the table beside his chair. A small hand reached out and grabbed one of the decorated cakes and he ate it in several polite-sized bites.

      “He doesn’t talk much, does he?”

      “He’s a little shy, is all. In time, he’ll grow out of it.” Though Elizabeth wasn’t truly sure. Jared wasn’t merely shy, he was deeply withdrawn, and she was worried about him.

      Lady Tavistock looked as if she knew. She pinned him with a probing stare. “What do you like to do, boy? When you aren’t busy with your studies.”

      The last bite he had taken seemed to stick in Jared’s throat. He swallowed and looked over at Elizabeth for help.

      “Jared likes to—”

      “I СКАЧАТЬ