Nicole Jordan (15 page)

How could she possibly forget? She paused before saying, “Yes.”

“That was only the beginning. If I had wanted to go further, I would have stimulated you by stroking between your thighs with my hands and mouth.”

“Your
mouth
?”

He smiled at her faintly shocked tone. “There is a tiny bud hidden by your woman’s cleft that is the heart of your sexual pleasure. Caressing it can bring you to intense arousal. If I were to kiss you there, if I used my tongue to stroke you, you would find the experience especially pleasurable.”

Diana felt warmth ripple through her. Just the thought of Thorne’s tongue caressing between her thighs aroused her.

“I never realized.” She glanced down at his loins, seeing the unmistakable bulge in his breeches. She knew her cheeks were scarlet, and yet she was profoundly curious. “I have seen paintings of lovers coupling, but a man’s sexual arousal is a mystery to me. You grew quite…large that day at the cove.”

His smile was tender. “Many women appreciate a man’s large size.”

“But why?”

“Reportedly because a prominent erection fills them more deeply. They find it more arousing.”

“But how could it…possibly fit?”

“Easily. The center of your woman’s body grows warm and moist as you prepare to receive a man. When your softness sheathes my hardness, your tissues flow around me.”

“Oh.”

Thorne watched Diana with mingled tenderness and understanding. She looked ruffled, deliciously so, and obviously flustered by her ignorance and the intimacy of their discussion. But she deserved to have her curiosity satisfied.

“Do you feel moisture gathering between your thighs just now? If I touched you, would I find you hot and wet?”

She shut her eyes, not replying, but he had his answer when she shivered.

“You have a similar arousing effect on me, love,” Thorne said, his voice husky with desire. “You have made me hugely swollen.”

“Thorne…” As if recalling the brazenness of their conversation, Diana suddenly shook herself and turned away. “This conversation has become much too improper.”

Setting down his glass, Thorne rose from his chair and went to her. When Diana wouldn’t meet his eyes, he brought his fingers up to cup her chin.

She drew back from him as if burned.

Shrugging then, she gave an embarrassed laugh and pretended nonchalance. “I don’t need you to show me what I have missed, Thorne. Despite my tarnished reputation, I am not abandoned enough to let you seduce me.”

Thorne allowed the heat of his gaze to travel slowly from her lush mouth to her dark eyes, and back to her mouth. In all truth, her seduction was not his intent. He wanted Diana to know pleasure. Wanted to be the one to
initiate
her into pleasure. He wanted her passionate and wild, her limbs entwined and clinging to his while she shattered beneath him.

Yet contrarily, her utter carnal innocence aroused his protective instincts. Even more than his fierce desire to make love to her, he wanted to protect her from himself.

He could show her how to climax, but he didn’t dare. He didn’t trust himself to be able to stop at just that.

Thorne roughly cleared his throat. “Don’t worry,” he assured her, “I won’t press you. I only want you to understand and enjoy your own body. But you can learn how to pleasure yourself without me. Tonight as you fall asleep, you can caress yourself, just as I would.”

When she stared at him, he pictured Diana lying in her bed with her thighs parted, her fingers roaming over her sex…. The erotic image sent a streak of heat stabbing through Thorne and made him even harder. His erection ached so brutally, he thought he might burst.

He clenched his jaw, knowing he had to leave her before his control snapped altogether. “I think perhaps we should continue this sitting another time,” he grated.

“Perhaps so,” Diana agreed with obvious relief.

Turning away, he quickly pulled on his shirt and jacket. Without glancing at her again, he made his way painfully along the ship’s corridor to his own cabin and shut the door firmly behind him.

He was so hot and aroused, he was sweating. In sweet agony, Thorne pressed his damp forehead against the door panel. What he wouldn’t give to be free of this savage, restless hunger that had plagued him since laying eyes on that bewitching woman.

Somehow he had to quell the reckless fantasy he’d built up about Diana over the past two weeks. Had to expunge any thoughts of her seduction from his mind.

With a curse, he unbuttoned his breeches and drawers and closed his fist around his straining shaft, imagining Diana’s tight, hot sheath enveloping him, her hips jerking with ecstasy as he thrust hard into her….

It took only three quick strokes of his hand before he exploded.

Shuddering, Thorne groaned through gritted teeth and sagged against the wooden panel, while his seed spurted wildly between his fingers.

It was a long moment before his heart stopped pounding, longer still before his senses returned, before his heated flesh cooled.

He had temporarily sated his body, bringing a measure of sexual relief. Yet he knew his desperate ministrations wouldn’t provide anywhere near the satisfaction of making love to Diana Sheridan for real.

Nor would it quell the raging fever she had aroused in him without even trying.

Six

LONDON

A
fter the
golden climate of Cyrene, Diana found the chill April fog of London vastly unappealing. But the impending call on Thorne’s aunt discomfited her more. As the carriage drew up before Lady Hennessy’s elegant mansion in Berkeley Square, Diana’s stomach felt tied in knots.

Upon docking this morning, Thorne had insisted on coming directly here, intent on settling the issue of Amy’s comeout. Amy had fidgeted the entire way, and Diana’s nerves were not much calmer.

Her reception, she suspected, would be less than welcoming, simply because of her scandalous reputation. And now that she was betrothed to Thorne—however temporarily or falsely—the prospect of facing his august family was intimidating enough to make her regret ever agreeing to his mad proposal.

Thorne alone seemed unconcerned by the forthcoming interview, Diana noted. On the other hand, he’d kept his expression enigmatic in her company ever since the afternoon of his portrait sitting, when she had painted him without his shirt.

By tacit agreement, they hadn’t repeated any further private encounters for the remainder of the sea voyage. Strangely, although their brazen conversation that day had brought about a new, disturbing level of intimacy between them, Diana felt
more
comfortable with Thorne rather than less. Now that he knew all her secrets, she could attempt to view him simply as a friend instead of as a potential lover, treating him as she had treated her cousin Nathaniel.

Thorne seemed just as intent on keeping their relationship impersonal, for which Diana was grateful. She was also grateful that he seemed to understand her trepidation just now.

He gave her a bracing smile as he handed her down from the carriage. “Cheer up, love. My aunt is not the terror you’re obviously expecting.”

When he ushered the two cousins up the front steps, they were admitted by a stately butler, who promptly sent a footman to announce their arrival to her ladyship.

No sooner had the door closed than a fashionably dressed young lady came rushing down the grand staircase, exclaiming in delight, “Oh, famous, you are here at last!”

Amy laughed with glee and hurried forward, embracing the high-spirited newcomer fervently. Then evidently remembering her manners, she turned back to Diana and introduced Miss Cecily Barnes, Thorne’s cousin on his mother’s side.

Cecily was several inches taller than Amy, and her hair was a vivid shade of red, but the two young ladies seemed to be bosom friends, despite their differences.

After murmuring a polite greeting, Cecily clutched Amy’s hands, barely containing her excitement. “It is so famous—Aunt Hennessy says you may have your comeout with me.”

“Truly?” Amy looked relieved enough to swoon, but she refrained when an elegant, portly, silver-haired woman appeared in the entrance hall.

Diana instinctively stiffened as a pair of bright hazel eyes very much like Thorne’s swept over her.

Then to her amazement, Lady Hennessy smiled warmly at her before offering her cheek to Thorne. “You are full of surprises, aren’t you, dear boy?”

Diana suspected that few people called Thorne “dear boy” these days, but there was obviously great affection between them.

“As always, love,” he replied unrepentantly as he kissed his aunt’s cheek.

The countess drew back. “Now, pray present me to your betrothed before I expire from curiosity.”

Thorne put a possessive hand at the small of Diana’s back, rousing her instant awareness as he introduced her.

Before he was halfway done, Lady Hennessy took Diana’s gloved hand in both of hers. “Welcome to the family, my dear. You must be very special indeed to have landed my scapegrace nephew.”

Diana admittedly was taken aback by the warmth of her reception, but before she could do more than murmur a reply, Amy broke in.

“Oh, Lady Hennessy, is it true? Do you mean to sponsor my Season?”

The elder lady sent an exasperated look at the girl. “If you promise to behave yourself, I will bring you out, and gladly. It will be good for Cecily to have a boon companion to bear her company. And it should be no more trouble to launch two girls than one.”

Amy made a graceful curtsey. “You are too kind, my lady.”

“Pah, kindness has little to do with it. Simply put, I could use the diversion. An aging widow like myself finds little pleasure in her waning years.”

Thorne chuckled at that. “What drivel. You are hardly aging, darling aunt. Your beauty would put this season’s crop of debs to shame.”

“Well, I admit I was a beauty in my day, but that was long ago.” Lady Hennessy glanced at the two girls. “Run along, now, and allow us some privacy. Cecily, you may show Amy to her rooms.”

Grinning, both girls curtsied again and rushed off, already chattering about the delights that awaited them.

Thorne’s aunt arched a quizzical eyebrow at her nephew. “I trust you mean to tell me how your betrothal came about. It is a nine days’ wonder here in London, as I’m sure you realize.”

His arm slipping around his betrothed’s waist, Thorne gave Diana an intimate smile reserved for lovers. “It was simple. I took one look at her and fell head over heels.”

“I was certain that must be the case. Your father was rattled by the news, of course. In truth, he doesn’t quite believe it—he claims you are up to some trick. Redcliffe is my younger brother,” she confided to Diana, “and he has long feared he would never have a grandson to carry on the title.”

Her attention returned to Thorne. “I am gratified that you have finally decided to quit opposing Ivan, so there will finally be peace in the family. Come, join me in my sitting room and tell me all about it.”

“I am afraid we cannot stay, Aunt. Diana is eager to visit her studio. She is an artist, you know.”

“So your letter said.” She murmured this last gingerly, as if she intended to reserve judgment about Diana’s unconventional career, but at least her tone held no overt condemnation, as Diana certainly had expected. “But you cannot run off so soon. You only just arrived.”

Scarcely having been given the chance to say a word, Diana decided it was time to enter the conversation. Smiling politely, she offered her carefully prepared speech. “I do so appreciate your kindness in taking Amy under your wing. I will miss her, but I know I am leaving her in excellent hands. With your permission, I would like to visit her from time to time to make certain she is behaving.”

“But you are staying here with me, of course?” Lady Hennessy glanced in surprise at Thorne, who said, “That is up to Diana.”

Diana felt her own eyes widen at the mistaken assumption. “No, my lady, I have already hired a house where I plan to live. I must have a studio where I can work.”

“I see no reason you cannot
work
there, but you will reside here.”

“But I wouldn’t dream of imposing.”

“Nonsense. You would not be imposing in the least. I have opened this huge house for the Season, and there is more than ample room. And if you mean to stifle the gossipmongers, then you had better do so from under my roof. You can live here with Amy and Cecily and visit your studio daily, where you can paint to your heart’s content.”

Diana hesitated, gratified by the extremely generous offer. Lady Hennessy undoubtedly had a shrewd understanding of polite society, and since she was a fixture in the ton, with her blessing, Diana’s acceptance would be far more likely.

“Well, then…I thank you, my lady.”

“Pah, don’t thank me yet. I shall be thanking
you
soon enough, I expect, for I mean you to spell me occasionally from my custodial duties. Supervising two rambunctious girls will no doubt be exhausting.”