Christie Kelley (9 page)

He decided to give her a personal reminder about luncheon. He strolled up the stairs and quietly opened the door to what had been a guest bedroom, not that he ever had guests here. The sight before him made him smile. Her head lay on the desk with her arm on either side. Those beautiful amber eyes closed.

After tiptoeing across the room, he glanced down at the paper where her head rested. In big letters was one word: PASSION. Under the word was a list of smeared words and phrases she must have decided meant passion. He let out a low chuckle as he read the list. The darling woman needed him desperately.

Her head jerked up. “What are you doing?”

Banning bent over and kissed her forehead. “What your cheek says.”

“What my cheek says? Have you gone mad?”

“No, it’s right here,” he said, pointing to her cheek. “K–I–S–S–E–S. My pardon. The word is plural so you must need more.”

Before he could bend down to kiss her again, she shoved the chair back and stood. “What the devil are you talking about?”

She walked to the old bureau and the small mirror there. She let out a shriek when she looked at her reflection and the smudged, faint word on her face.

“I must have fallen asleep before the ink dried!”

She rushed from the room into the bedroom and to the basin in the corner. Banning followed her to the doorway in amusement.

“This is not funny!” she said, soaping a cloth.

“I find it quite entertaining.”

“Well, you are a—”

“You’ve already used up your beast quota for the day,” he said with a laugh.

She scrunched up her face and scrubbed even harder.

“Give me that,” he said, walking toward her with his hand held out for the cloth. Surprisingly, she handed it to him. The letters faded with each stroke, but her heady scent increased until he felt surrounded by it and her.

She would make a wonderful wife. He had no doubts that once she overcame her initial fears of making love she would be an energetic partner. The thought of her lying naked in his bed sent his cock thickening. He had to find a way to get past her fears before he did indeed go mad with desire for her.

“What are you thinking of? Your eyes are almost as stormy as the sea,” she said, pulling him out of his erotic musing.

“You don’t want to know.”

“Oh?” She gave him a sly smile. “Perhaps later I shall tell you what Mrs. Hathaway and I discussed today.”

“How much later?”

She only smiled mysteriously. Avis looked as if she was hiding a great surprise, and his cock throbbed in anticipation. No other woman excited him as she did. He had to get his desires under control. A lovely luncheon awaited them on the terrace. Women loved romance and he had plans to make this the most special meal Avis had ever eaten.

“Shall we dine?” he asked.

She glanced down at her wrinkled dress and sighed. “I really should change.”

“Come along, Avis. This isn’t London. Personally, I think you look adorable with your hair slightly mussed and your gown wrinkled.” Unfortunately, the sight of her reminded him of how she would look after a quick afternoon tumble. So much for getting his desire under control.

She smiled. “All right then. Let us dine.”

He escorted her to the terrace, but she stopped when she noticed the table. Pink rose petals covered the table and blew around the terrace. Two silver covers hid the delights Mrs. Hathaway had cooked for them.

“How lovely,” she said, picking up a rose petal and releasing it into the breeze.

“Have a seat and I shall serve you, my lady.” Banning pulled out a chair for her.

Avis let out a soft laugh and then sat. The smell of her, combined with the roses and the sea, affected him in a wholly erotic way. If he didn’t have her soon, he might just explode. He forced himself to sit in the chair across from her when all he wanted to do was use the terrace wall as a brace and sink deep inside her.

Again, he forced the lascivious thoughts away. He lifted the lids, which covered the ham, warm bread, and pudding.

“Banning, why are you being so nice to me?”

He glanced over at her and smiled. “Why would I not?”

“How often in the past eight years have you actually been pleasant to me?”

She had a point there. Ever since that first kiss, he spent more time arguing with her than anything else. He couldn’t tell her the truth. Besides, he could barely believe it himself. After putting off marriage for years, he had decided it was time to marry, and he had chosen her. Not that he had picked Avis because he loved her. No, she would just make marriage much more bearable than any other woman he’d met in the
ton
.

“Well?” she asked.

So why was he being nice to her? “Because I hardly think you’d want to bed me if I was nasty to you.”

“True. But are not blackmailers supposed to be nasty and evil?” she asked, suppressing a grin.

“I was not blackmailing you. I merely wanted to protect you—” He stopped before he gave away everything.

“Protect me from what?”

Perhaps a little truth was in order. “From being made a fool of by Emory Billingsworth. The man has no sense of decorum and will freely discuss any woman he has ever bedded. I doubt you would have wanted your good name so abused.” Or any other part of her lovely body.

Avis chewed a bit of ham and frowned. “How do you know this?”

“What would you like to know about Lady Susan Hythe and her sexual habits?”

“Lady Susan has been bedded by him?” She twisted her lips in thought. “How do I know you are telling me the truth?”

“According to Billingsworth, she prefers two men in her bed, and he has no qualms in satisfying that quirk.”

Her fork clattered to her plate. Banning almost laughed at the gaped expression on her face.

“Two men. At the same time? How can that possibly work?”

“I shall explain that to you another day,” he said with a laugh. She was a very entertaining woman. And he couldn’t wait to show her exactly how much passion she had inside her…with just one man.

Him.

After an afternoon in each other’s company, reading and discussing politics and art, Avis still felt confused by the two Bannings. The one she’d known and argued with for eight years, and this new man with whom she laughed and whose company she enjoyed. She wondered if he knew that each hour with him heightened her attraction and affection for him. She noticed facets of the man she never even imagined existed.

He played the pianoforte for her as she sat on the settee, staring out at the wild sea. She had heard many people at the pianoforte, but Banning had a touch that made her wish she could play.

“Is that Mozart?”

He smiled and shook his head as his fingers glided over the keys.

Avis frowned. “Hayden?”

“No.”

She wondered how her music education was so lacking.

“I doubt you’ll guess this one,” he said. As he finished, he turned on the bench to face her.

“I give up,” she said with a shrug.

“A new English composer whose music shall never leave this room.”

“You?” she breathed.

“Just a little hobby to pass the time while I’m alone here.”

“But you play beautifully. You should sell your compositions.”

He rose from the bench and looked out the window. “I am an earl, Avis. That is my priority. This is just a hobby.”

She crossed the room to sit beside him. “And one that you love.”

“Perhaps I do,” he said, leaning down to kiss her lightly. “But my priorities come first. And right now, you are my only priority.”

He drew her into his arms and kissed her deeply, then pulled away. “Why don’t you change before we dine?”

She nodded. Tonight, she would let him do whatever he wanted to her. She would not push him away but welcome his advances. She had packed her one and only gown suitable for a seduction.

The emerald dress showed off her assets quite magnificently, or so the dressmaker had told her. Mrs. Hathaway had assisted her with her gown but then departed to finish dinner. Without a lady’s maid to assist her with her hair, Avis had two choices. She could either put it up into a tight chignon or let it flow down her back. She chose the latter option, knowing he would like her hair down. The warm sea air curled her brown hair into spirals, so she fluffed her tresses once more with her fingers and left it free.

The low-cut dress made her feel sensual, and tonight she wasn’t about to bury the emotion. She wanted to feel bold and sensual, and she wanted Banning to find her desirable. She walked down the stairs to the small dining room in the front of the house. With a table that only sat four and a small sideboard, the room was a perfect place for an intimate meal.

Banning faced her as she strolled in the doorway. His shocked expression almost made her laugh. Instead, she only smiled at him—a long, seductive smile. She noticed the instant reaction as the fullness returned to his trousers. Her cheeks heated as she remembered touching the hard length only this morning.

“You look…beautiful,” he said.

“Thank you. I remembered you had said you were quite fond of me in this dress.”

“I would be fond of you without the dress too.”

She had no reply because her mouth stopped working. He looked at her in such a manner she felt as if she were already standing naked in front of him. A slow burning heat slid into her belly and lower.

“I believe we had better eat,” he commented.

As they ate, they discussed all manner of important and not so important topics. While they disagreed on the importance of repealing the Corn Law, they maintained a polite attitude with each other. And it drove Avis mad. He acted as though this was just a normal meal at a dinner party in town. She wanted this meal over with now. She wanted to throw herself in his arms and kiss him.

“Would you mind if I read your novel?” he asked, dragging her out of her ponderings.

“Pardon?”

“I would love to read your story.”

Avis bit her lip. She wasn’t certain why she hesitated. After all Emory had read it and even Jennette had read her story.

“I promise to be gentle with my criticism.”

She laughed softly.

“Is that a yes?”

“I daresay it is,” she replied. The man asked for something and she seemed unable to say no.

“Good.” Banning scraped back his chair and stood. “Brandy in the salon?”

At least they wouldn’t be a table apart. Maybe if she put her hand on his leg while they sat on the settee he would understand her implied message.

“Yes, brandy would be lovely.”

He gave her an odd look but clutched her elbow and led her into the back room. She deliberately sat on the settee and moved into the corner so he would notice there was plenty of room for two. Banning handed her a snifter and then took a seat in a chair by the window.

“Is something wrong, Avis?” he asked with a wry smile.

She took a gulp of brandy, coughed, and nodded. “Yes,” she rasped. She sipped her brandy down and stared at him. “I want you to kiss me.”

“I thought we agreed to take this slower?”

“We did.”

“And?”

She knew what he wanted to hear. “I don’t want to take this slowly any longer,” she whispered.

“Thank God. Come here.”

“There isn’t room in that chair for the two of us.”

“You’ll be on my lap, not on the chair.”

Now that had possibilities. She placed her glass on the table and walked toward him. The warmth from the brandy suffused her entire body. Courage took over from fear. Tonight she would discover all the secrets between a man and a woman.

When she stood before him, he did not move for a full minute. He only stared at her. Twilight muted the room with long shadows, casting his face in darkness.

“Will you take off your clothes for me?” he whispered hoarsely.

“If you want me to,” she mumbled as her confidence waned.

“Not yet.”

He drew her down on his lap and continued to stare at her. He twined a piece of her hair around his finger. “You have the most unusual hair. When I first met you, I thought it was plain brown. But when light hits your hair it is brightened to shades of gold.”

He moved his thumb to her lower lip. “What are you waiting for, Avis? Kiss me.”

What
was
she waiting for? She inclined her head toward him and touched her lips to his. This was nice but it would never do. Using her tongue, she parted his lips and explored the warm, tangy recesses of his mouth, savoring the hint of brandy from his drink. As he responded to her, heat blazed between them. His hands flowed through her hair and down her back, heating her skin through the layers of clothes, drawing her closer to him.

It quickly became apparent to Avis that she was no longer the one in control. The moment he returned her kiss, she was lost to the fiery sensations of his lips on hers. He took the lead, and she let him. For once, it felt wonderful to allow another person to exhibit a little influence over her.

Every nerve in her body tingled with anticipation. Her courage grew with every kiss. Cool air swept over her shoulders as he pushed the small cap sleeves of her dress down her arms. She hadn’t even felt him unfastening the hooks on the back of her dress. She wiggled to set her hands free and then realized how close her dress was to falling off her.

“Don’t,” he whispered as she reached to yank her bodice more firmly over her breasts.

Banning’s warm hands skimmed down her neck in a gentle caress until they reached the top of the fabric. She watched helplessly as he slid the dress down and then unlaced her stays, throwing the garment to the floor. Her unbound nipples tightened and rasped the fabric of her shift until he pushed it down and exposed her breasts to his intense gaze.

“God, you are lovely,” he murmured. He shifted her on his lap so she straddled him then kissed her neck and downward until he drew one pebbled nipple into his mouth.

She writhed with the contact, feeling his trouser-clad hardness against her most private area. Liquid fire raced through her veins. She pulled his head closer to her breast as if she could not get enough of him. And she couldn’t.

She wondered what could possibly be better than this, when his hand glided up her silk enclosed thigh and found the opening in her drawers. His thumb discovered the small nub and rubbed gently, teasingly against her.

“Banning,” she whimpered.

The man she’d thought she hated was touching her most private of parts. And she loved it. She never wanted this to end. Her traitorous body and now even her mind wanted him here, wanted him kissing her, caressing her, driving her mad with desire.

“Don’t think, Avis,” Banning muttered against her breast. One finger slipped inside her wetness, then two.

How could she possibly think when she was burning with desire? She wanted to be closer to him. She wanted him inside her, claiming her as his lover. Glancing at him from under her lashes, his eyes were as dark as midnight. Unfulfilled need flowed inside of her. She wanted more than this, she wanted to be joined with him in the most intimate manner.

Every stroke of his thick fingers sent her higher toward something unknown. Her muscles tightened around him, drawing him in deeper.

“Just let it happen,” he whispered.

She closed her eyes and her head fell forward as a violent explosion of pleasure sent her shuddering against him. “Banning,” she cried out.

“That’s it, my love. Shh.”

Resting her head against his shoulder, her breathing slowly recovered. She’d never thought making love would feel that…that…incredible.

Banning shifted slightly under her and his trouser-covered shaft made contact with her moist folds. If he could make her feel so wonderful, she wanted to do the same to him.

She placed a kiss on his jaw and set to work at his cravat. He didn’t say a word, letting her unravel his neck cloth to find more warm skin. His pulse leaped as she kissed his neck.

“Whatever are you doing?” he asked with a low laugh.

“Whatever you’d like me to do.”

A groan was his only reply as she unfastened the buttons on his linen shirt. Even through his trousers, she could feel his hardness pulsating. She wanted to give him pleasure. But more than anything, she needed to know if she had the same effect on him that he had on her.

She slid his jacket off and pulled his shirt over his head, baring his chest. “May I…?”

“Anything you want to do to me, darling. Anything,” he groaned.

She smiled against his chest as she kissed him. Finding a flat nipple, she flicked her tongue across it and he shuddered. Well, that was encouraging. She repeated his movements, brought the small nipple into her mouth, and suckled it.

“Avis,” he moaned.

She slid off his lap to kneel between his strong legs. His muscles twitched as she kissed down his flat stomach until she reached the band of his trousers. She found the buttons and each one popped through its hole. She slid the garments down over his hips, freeing his shaft from its confining prison.

“You don’t know what you’re doing,” Banning mumbled. “You should stop before—”

“I believe I am more than ready to see you explode,” she said with a small laugh.

Mrs. Hathaway had given her more information than she requested. The housekeeper had told her men loved this, and Avis was determined to discover if that was the truth. She gripped his shaft firmly in her hand and let her tongue circle around the tip of him. He clutched the arms of the chair. A bead of moisture pooled at the very top of his penis. She brought him fully into her mouth, and he moaned in pleasure.

Banning let his head fall back to the top of the chair. This was not what he’d expected when he pleasured her a few moments ago. All he had wanted was to see her find release, and stretch her a little before he took her the first time. But this was too much. Desire coursed through his veins and down to his swollen cock. He couldn’t make love to her now for he’d never last long enough to give her the pleasure she deserved the first time.

Instead, he gave into the allure of her mouth on him. The sweet sensations grew stronger as her pull on him continued. He had never wanted a woman, never needed a woman as he did Avis. He was getting in too deep with her. Marriage was one thing, but these other feelings were not supposed to be part of his plan.

“Avis, lift your head before it’s too late,” he bit out.

Thankfully, she did as he requested. He placed her hands back on him and closed his eyes to the most incredible pinnacle he had ever experienced.

Breathless from the experience he kept his eyes closed in wonder. How was that possible? He hadn’t even made love to her and yet, it was astonishing. He opened his eyes to see her watching him curiously. She was the most inquisitive woman he had ever met.

“Does it hurt?” she asked in a soft, curious voice.

“What? You mean when I spill my seed?”

She nodded as her cheeks brightened.

“God, no.” He bent down and kissed the top of her head. “You are the most incredible woman I have ever known.”

“Hardly. I’m just a simple woman whose curiosity gets the best of her sometimes,” she answered with a coy smile. “That is how I ended up here with you.”

Banning took his shirt, wiped his stomach and fingers dry then pulled her close. “Personally, I love that about you.”

Did he just say that? He did not love her. He liked her immensely but that was all. Wasn’t it?

Avis woke the next morning to the sound of rain battering the stucco and a heavy arm resting across her stomach. Not wanting to get up to a dreary morning, she snuggled in closer to Banning. After their first true passionate encounter last night, they had decided to sleep. In truth, she believed Banning wanted to give her time to rest and recover. She almost told him that she really didn’t need that, but he certainly tried to be a gentleman with her, and she did appreciate his gesture.

She had thought she would have regrets about her decision to go away with the man who had brought her nothing but grief. Yet, the only thing she could think of was tonight when they might make love completely.

But for now, it was morning and as usual, the only thing on her mind was food. Memories of a warm scone melting in her mouth set her stomach rumbling.