After the Kiss (39 page)

Eliza could not believe how blatantly the countess had cozened her husband into taking her upstairs—where it was obvious exactly how they planned to spend the afternoon.

To her amazement, Reeve picked up his son—who also left off wailing in seconds—took his wife’s hand, nodded to Marcus, and left the drawing room without another word.

Within moments the room was empty except for Eliza, Marcus, and the baby.

“Well,” she said, clearing her throat. “I guess we know what they all have on their minds.”

Marcus turned and faced her on his knees, trapping her between his arms, which were braced against the chair on either side of her. “I suppose we do,” Marcus agreed.

Eliza felt a primitive thrill of excitement when she saw the feral gleam in his eyes.

He bent over to kiss her breast, just above the point where their daughter suckled. Eliza felt a rush of pleasure between her thighs and bit back a gasp.

“There must be something we can do to help Katherine and Alastair mend their differences,” she said breathlessly, determined to get Marcus’s help, or at least his acquiescence to her plan.

“She lied to him,” Marcus said between kisses.
“She kept him prisoner in a dungeon. He cannot forget or forgive her deception.”

“Fiddlesticks!” Eliza bit back another gasp of pleasure. “Alex could not even remember his own name. Katherine needed a husband to keep Blackthorne Hall. She only used her wits to resolve a difficult situation. And as for keeping him prisoner—that lasted only a month.”

“Until he escaped,” Marcus interjected, “and made his way home. Alex is liable to strangle the chit the next time he sees her. Better to let well enough alone.”

“I still think—” Eliza moaned. Her daughter had fallen asleep, abandoning the nipple, and Marcus had taken her place. Her milk let down with an exquisite sensation as he began to suckle her as a lover would.

“I need your help to get Alastair and Katherine together,” she rasped as her head fell back and her eyes fell closed.

“I want no part of this, Eliza,” he said.

She felt him lift the sleeping child from her lap and watched with dazed, lambent eyes as he wrapped Alexandra snugly in the nursing cloth and laid her on the blanket the other babies had been using in the center of the room.

When he returned, he met her gaze, all the love he felt for her shimmering in his blue eyes. His mouth gently touched hers, then withdrew.

“Please help me get them together,” Eliza implored.

“No,” he murmured.

She nuzzled him beneath his ear. “Pretty please.” Her lips caressed the scar at the edge of his eye, then moved down his cheek to the drawn-up corner of his
lip. She teased his mouth until he opened to her with a guttural sound of surrender.

“Very well,” he said, sieving his hands into her hair and angling her head so she could look nowhere but at him. “Against my better judgment, I will help you get them together.”

“Thank you, Marcus,” she breathed, opening her mouth for him.

The kiss was an affirmation of their love. Tumultuous. Tender. Demanding. Delicious. Her fingertips trailed across his face, caressing the scars that had kept them apart, reminding him that it was not the Beau or the Beast she loved, but the man who was both of them. “I love you, Marcus,” she whispered against his flesh.

“And I love you, Eliza.” His lips found a sensitive spot beneath her ear to lavish with kisses. “Who taught you such devious—and such splendidly enjoyable—tactics to get your own way, my love?”

“A very good friend,” Eliza said, remembering Charlotte’s suggestions. She smiled as she found his mouth again. “Are they working?”

She laughed in delight as he picked her up out of the chair, laid her on the floor, and lovingly mantled her body with his own.

Dear Readers,

Some of you have written asking why my titles always seem to change from what was advertised in the previous book.
Daisy and the Duke
became
The Inheritance. Lord of the Plains
became
Maverick Heart
. And now
The Man Who Loved Her
has become
After the Kiss
. The titles I listed first are my “working titles,” the ones I use when I first conceive the book until it is turned in to the publisher. At that point, the title may change because of marketing considerations or because my publisher and I come up with something we like better. Good luck finding the book you want!

My next historical romance is
Blackthorne’s Bride
, a continuation of the series which began with
Captive
and continued with
After the Kiss
. Set in Scotland,
Blackthorne’s Bride
tells the delightful story of Alastair Wharton, sixth Duke of Blackthorne (you met him in
After the Kiss
), who finds himself the captive of a devious Scottish lass—who bluffs him into believing they are husband and wife. Look for it in bookstores early next year!

The next book in the #1 Bestselling Hawk’s Way series (number 10!) is
The Virgin Groom
. It will be a single title release from Silhouette in August (on bookshelves in mid-July). My next mainstream novel,
Heartbeat
, is a romantic suspense in which a stone-jawed Texas Ranger and sharp-tongued lady lawyer find themselves on opposites sides of the law. It will be available from Avon in September (on bookshelves in mid-August). Watch for a hardcover Christmas collection featuring me and Diana Palmer in November.

As always, I appreciate hearing from you. If you would like to be on my mailing list, please send a postcard to me at P.O. Box 8531, Pembroke Pines, FL 33084. If you send a
letter with comments or questions, and would like a reply, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

I personally read and answer my mail, although as some of you know, a reply might be delayed if I have a writing deadline.

Best always,

Joan Johnston

March 1997