Seduced Bride-To-Be (2 page)

‘To
kiss… every freckle…’

He
lowered his head and kissed her cheek.

‘Like
this?’

‘Like
this.’

Next
thing Dinah felt was his lips on hers and she shuddered under that first kiss.

CHAPTER
2

At
first she seemed shy and uncertain of herself, but slowly she relaxed and let
her lips part in response. Alex put his arm around her, drawing her closer to
his chest and, as she gained confidence, was surprised by the passion with
which she returned his kiss. He let his mouth travel down her neck and he could
feel her body arching under his caress.

‘You
should not tempt me like that’ he said, drawing himself reluctantly away.

‘Why,
don’t you want me?’

‘My
Lord, girl, how can a man resist you? It’s just… Do you realise what
consequences could there be for you?’

‘Yes.
But I do not care. I shall be married very soon. If Lord Timsbury should be displeased
with me, he would have only himself to blame. It is not as if he has gone to
any trouble to meet his future wife.’

Her
voice was bold but he could feel that, in fact, she was deeply hurt. Still, he
could not resist inquiring further. He needed to know.

‘So,
is that just your way of taking revenge on Lord Timsbury?’

‘No’
she cried passionately. ‘I want it. I want to have my own experience, something
that has not been decided for me by my father or anybody else. I want you, Alex.’

Her
eyes shone with passion and tears. She was so beautiful, so innocent, so determined…

‘You
know that if we start now, I shall not be able to stop, even if you change your
mind.’

‘I
will not change my mind’ she said and smiled a bewitching smile.

She
lifted her arms and started to loosen her hair. As it fell in a heavy red-gold curtain
down her shoulders, Alex undid the belt tied around her waist and let the old
dressing gown slip down to the floor.

She
was naked before him and he had never seen anything so perfect.

‘My
little adventure seeker’ he whispered and pulled her in his arms.

First
his kisses were very gentle, as he let his hand travel down her bare back, but
soon they grew more and more passionate. Hungry, demanding… Dinah closed her
eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, stroking the nape, losing her
fingers in his dark tangled curls. As his mouth moved down her neck and he
reached for one of her full breasts, she tilted her head backward and gave a
sigh of pleasure. Her heart was beating fast and her breath was coming in quick
shallow gasps.

 Alex
was stroking the underside of her left breast and brought his mouth to kiss the
nipple of the other one. Dinah caught her breath with a moan. She had never
imagined such pleasure. She could feel a pulse beating between her legs as warm
moisture flooded her most secret place. Her body felt weak and heavy with lust
in Alex’s powerful arms, while his tongue caressed the centre of her nipple and
his hand travelled down to cup one of her buttocks.

Suddenly
she wanted to see him naked, to touch him as he was touching her. She tore on
the opening of his shirt and, reading her meaning correctly, he took it off,
revealing the horrific scars that the explosion had caused on the left side of
his body. Unabashed, Dinah put her both hands on his muscular torso and, in
wonder, begun to explore the man’s body. The breadth of his shoulders, the
knots of the muscles and the scars brought from the battles he had fought were
all new and wonderfully exciting to her. Imitating him, she trailed her mouth
down his neck, caressing his chest, stroking his back, letting him bury his
hands in the richness of her hair.

As
her wandering fingers moved lower and lower, his breathing grew faster and a
groan escaped from his throat when her hand encountered the hardness of his
manhood. Feeling mounting desire, Alex freed himself from his tight breeches
and Dinah took in the full size of his arousal. He pushed her gently onto the
rug and his powerful, masculine body covered hers. Her green eyes darkened with
desire and longing to be fully his.

Alex
looked into her face, aglow with passion and kissed her, his tongue exploring
her sensuous mouth. He had to come inside her, he could not fight the urge any
longer!

‘It
might hurt a bit’ he whispered as he parted her legs, letting his hands caress
the soft inside of her thighs.

‘I
am not afraid’ she whispered back. ‘I want to feel it all…’

She
was ready when he entered her, but still a little cry of pain escaped her mouth
as he broke through her maidenhood. He stopped for a moment, but she gave a
little nod and felt him move inside her. Slowly pain gave way to new, powerful
sensations. She felt waves of pleasure, weak at first, but growing in strength
when the movements of his loins got faster and stronger.

Dinah
coiled her legs around his waist, making it possible for Alex to penetrate even
deeper inside her, and her movements followed his rhythm. She felt his hand
cupping her breast and teasing the nipple. The sweet waves of pleasure were
getting more intense. When she opened her eyes, she looked into his face and read
the passion in it that mirrored her own.

But
then a powerful spasm run through her body and tore a cry from her throat. Her
back arched in climax just at the same moment as Alex gave a throaty groan and
found release inside her.

Alex
watched Dinah sleeping in his arms, his face unusually tender. When she
insisted that they stayed in front of the fire, he brought some pillows and
covers to make her comfortable. Soon, tiredness got the better of her and she
dozed off, as trusting as a child in his arms.

God,
he had never imagined anything like their lovemaking. He had had many women,
but none had ever managed to ignite his passion so strongly. Just looking at
Dinah, breathing in her scent was enough to send his pulse racing. It was as if
they were made for each other. And when she offered herself so freely to him,
he had no power in him to resist her. Especially as he had no such intention.

Alex
knew where to look if he wanted to satisfy his needs, but he had never dreamt
of seducing a young girl of society. He would have not let the things between
them take such a course, despite her half-provocative half-desperate behaviour,
had she not been who she was. Lord Timbury’s future wife.

Deep
in his thoughts, he did not notice when Dinah woke up.

Through
half closed eyes, Dinah studied the man, in whose arms she laid. Strong jaw
line, horrific scars, broken nose, dark, brooding eyes. Who was he?

And
what had she done! Had she lost her mind? To throw herself on the stranger,
risking her reputation was as shocking and immoral as it was reckless and
dangerous.

‘I
am spoiled goods now’ she whispered, half smiling to herself.

She
could feel Alex turning towards her.

‘I
thought you were asleep’ he said softly.

‘I
was. It must have been exhaustion. I do not want to sleep, though. I want to
cherish every moment with you!’

Turning,
resting on his elbows, Alex bent over her, his long dark hair tickling her
face. Dinah looked into his black eyes and what she saw there made her heart
beat fast. There was something there, something more than desire. She did not
dare to find a word to name it.

But
soon she forgot everything, because he was kissing her again. She was glad that
she was lying down. She felt so weak with lust that she feared her legs would
not support her. Entangling her fingers in his hair she led his head lower, to
her throat and breasts.

This
time Alex took it slowly, as if indeed he was kissing every freckle. His expert
fingers caressed every crevice of her body, until she gasped with mounting
pleasure.

Wanting
to return this pleasure to him, Dinah rolled on top of him and soon was
exploring his hard body with caresses and kisses of an adept pupil.

There
was no way to keep a slow tempo for much longer.

Alex
moaned when Dinah’s lips moved down his abdomen and her searching fingers
closed around his hardness.

‘Oh,
Dinah…’ he groaned, pulling her up.

Sitting
her on top of him, he easily found his way inside her. He placed his hands on
her hips as she started the rhythmical movement. The image of her, hair
tumbling down her back, full, firm breasts rising and falling over her slender
waist, was tantalising and unashamedly erotic.

He
could feel her quickening her pace and hear her gasps growing louder. He moved
one of his hands up to her breast and felt his fingers clenching on her hips.
As he reached the point when he could contain himself no longer, her body
arched and with a long, throaty gasp of pleasure she froze for a moment before
collapsing into his arms.

CHAPTER
3

Dinah
sat looking into the fire and listening to Alex moving about the house. He went
to fetch a bottle of wine from his uncle’s cellar and some water for her. She
marvelled at what had just happened. At the creature she seemed to have turned
into under Captain Alex Legrant’s touch. Could it be the same Miss Dinah
Benson, who attended tea parties and conversed politely about charity events, latest
developments in fashion and upcoming balls? Dinah, the always obedient
daughter, praised for helping the poor, her modesty and impeccable manners?

But
what did the people know about the real Dinah, full of life and daring that
could only be released in her dreams of wild adventures? And whose real life
seemed so dull and controlled and was going to remain so after she got married.

‘Are
you not cold?’ Alex’s voice interrupted her broodings.

He
stood in the door, his uncle’s dressing gown that Dinah wore earlier too small
for his broad frame. He emanated strength and confidence and Dinah wished that
she could stay with him in this small hunting lodge forever, once and for all
cutting off the outside world.

‘I
am fine, thank you. And I shall be even warmer now’ she smiled when he sat
behind her and wrapped his arms around her, passing her a glass of water.

‘So,
are you fit now to tell me how on earth did you end up alone on a country road
in the middle of the storm?’

‘Well,
it is a long story, really’ she murmured.

‘We
have plenty of time until the morning. The clock has only struck eleven’ he
said resting his chin on the top of her head.

Dinah
felt a surge of pure happiness but it was quickly gone when she remembered why
she had been visiting London.

‘I
went to see my mother’s aunt’ she said with a sigh. ‘Her name is Mrs Grahams
and she is distantly related to Lady Dudley. My mother was well connected and
her family was not very pleased when she married my father, but not all of them
cast her out. My Aunt Grahams has always been very kind to me. She has been
helping me with my clothes for a ball my father is giving this Thursday.’

‘But
surely, you did not travel alone?’ Alex asked.

‘No,
I went with our neighbour, Mrs Jenkins. But Mrs Jenkins fell suddenly ill on
Sunday and was not fit to travel. I had to leave today, however, there is so
much to organise before the ball and Papa cannot manage without me. Besides, we
are expecting guests on Wednesday, perhaps even tomorrow.’

‘Well,
your father could entertain them without you, I am certain.’

‘Not
really. Apart from some members of our family, we are expecting Lord Timsbury
and his sister.’

‘So
you shall meet him at last’ said Alex, the tone of his voice impossible to
read.

‘And
my father can announce our engagement during the ball’ answered Dinah bitterly.

Alex
turned her head and looked her in the eye.

‘Surely,
your father would not force you to marry Lord Timsbury if you do not want to’
he said.

‘No’
Dinah’s voice was almost a whisper. ‘But I know he expects it of me. He says it
is high time I was married.’

‘But
Lord Timsbury has not actually proposed yet. Maybe your father has got things
wrong?’

Dinah
shook her head:

‘No,
Papa told me that Lord Timsbury spoke to him. He asked for my hand in marriage
and Papa gave his consent. He expects I would not disappoint him.’

Alex
looked stonily into the fire, a muscle going in his jaw, but Dinah did not
notice it as she continued.

‘Papa
thinks that Lord Timsbury will speak to me just before or during the ball. So
he wants the occasion to be even grander that it usually is.’

‘But
how can he expect you to accept a man you have never met before?’ asked Alex
pouring himself another glass of claret.

‘Oh,
apparently I have met Lord Timsbury’ said Dinah casually. ‘Although, I can
hardly remember the occasion. And I cannot at all recall what he looked like.’