Princess Charming (Legendary Lovers 1)

Wishing their joining could last forever, Maura pressed her face into the smooth, muscular wall of his chest, savoring the warm glide of her skin against his, the feel of his heart beating.

His tenderness made her ache with longing. It was the tenderness that affected her most, the care he took with her, even though it was his passion that had swept her into a whirlwind of fire.

When he raised his head to gaze down at her, the fire was still there, burning hot and bright in his eyes. She felt a tremendous pleasure that he seemed awed by what had just happened between them. His need called to something feminine and powerful inside her.

Without speaking, he smoothed a tendril back from her forehead and kissed her again with exquisite gentleness, as if cherishing the taste of her. The soft mating of their breath made her heart melt with tenderness. She let th

e feeling pour through her and warm the lonely places inside her.

A moment later, Maura nearly protested when Ash eased away and rolled onto his side, but thankfully he only pulled her against his naked body and lay there with her, their arms and legs braided like longtime lovers.

“I will stay with you for a few hours.”

Maura nodded, gravely disappointed that they could not spend the entire night together, but knowing that Ash would have to return to his own rooms to avoid being seen.

She wished with all her heart that it could be different. Making love to Ash had made her feel whole, complete, treasured—which was a foolish and dangerous sentiment, Maura reminded herself.

She no longer had any doubt that Ash desired her. But passion was not love, and if they continued such intimacy, the risk of losing her heart to him would only increase exponentially. He was luring her into his web of enchantment, making her dream and wish and yearn for things she ought not even be thinking about.

With a heavy sigh, Maura closed her eyes and buried her face in his warm chest. She was glad their pretend betrothal might soon be over. For as much as she hated returning to being alone, it was better to be alone and lonely than to endure the pain and heartbreak of an unrequited love.

To Maura’s delight and gratitude, the musical evening to showcase her stepsisters’ talents proved a smashing success. Skye had converted the grand Traherne ballroom in Berkeley Square into a recital hall and arranged for professional musicians to complement the amateurs, with a poetry reading by a renowned actress to round out the concert program. She had also spared no effort or expense to fill the mansion with guests who could benefit the young Misses Collyer, including a profusion of eligible young men who might be potential suitors.

Skye was playing fairy godmother to her stepsisters, Maura knew, just as Katharine had taken on the role for her. Once again she felt the warmth and affection of Ash’s family, who were closing ranks around her as if she were one of their own.

The girls did indeed shine. Their modish new gowns helped give them enough confidence to overcome shyness and nerves and deliver a fresh and honest performance. When Hannah sang in a sweet, pure voice and Lucy skillfully accompanied her on the pianoforte, Maura watched with the same love and pride as Priscilla. Both girls looked so animated, they seemed quite pretty.

Afterward, a bevy of young gentlemen flocked around them, asking to be presented. Skye had given Hannah and Lucy much-needed lessons in conversing and appearing at ease in male company, but their popularity was also enhanced by the persistent, if false, rumors that they both had sizable dowries.

Maura had never seen her stepsisters so happy, although she herself would have deplored being displayed on the Marriage Mart in such a blatant fashion. As Lord Beaufort’s future marchioness, however, she had more than her share of people fawning over her.

Ash had remained by her side during the performance, but during the intermission before supper, they separated to pursue their own goals. Maura was charged with charming her stepmother this evening, while Ash was bent on enchanting every female in the company on behalf of her stepsisters, particularly the most socially influential dowagers.

Maura couldn’t help following his progress in the crowd, or noting the charisma he exuded. Becoming lovers had given her a heightened awareness of Ash … of his touch, his voice, his laughter, his smile. And as their gazes locked across the room, the memory of passion still shimmered between them. Heat flooded Maura as she remembered him moving inside her, the richness of him filling her.

In truth, she had been in a daze the entire day after spending much of the night in his arms. Then shortly before the evening began, he’d taken her aside and stolen a kiss that made her blood sizzle. It was absurd how easily he was able to melt her with his kisses and reduce her to such raw, exposed need.

That thought was foremost in Maura’s mind when Ash flashed her a slow, intimate smile that pierced her heart.

Averting her gaze, she deliberately shied away from analyzing his dazzling impact too closely and instead tried to discipline her rioting thoughts to focus on the task at hand. She had promised to do her utmost to recruit Priscilla as an ally.

As expected, Viscount Deering had not attended the musical, but Priscilla had. Pris’s greeting at the start of the evening had seemed remarkably chastened. Evidently she regretted acting so hastily in cutting ties with the future Marchioness of Beaufort, no doubt because she wanted to remain in the marquis’s good graces, since his patronage could benefit her daughters more than a mere viscount’s could.

Maura was about to go in search of her stepmother when Priscilla sought her out first.

“I wish to thank you, Maura,” Priscilla said in a tone that was amazingly contrite. “Not only did you devise this splendid opportunity for my daughters to consort with high society, you persuaded Lord Beaufort to fund their dowries.”

Maura barely managed to hide her surprise. She had thought the whispers about the Collyer sisters being heiresses were completely fabricated. “You give me too much credit for his generosity, Priscilla.”

“Oh, no. I am certain he would never have offered if not for you. He promised to add five thousand pounds apiece to the portions your father left them.”

The large sums partly explained the eagerness of the gentlemen who currently surrounded Hannah and Lucy, Maura realized. She was supremely grateful to Ash for his kindness to her stepsisters, although wondered how she would ever repay such a gift, and exasperated that once again he’d acted behind her back to avoid her objections. No doubt he wanted to bribe Priscilla into supporting their case against Deering, but even so, he should have discussed the matter with her first.

She would vocalize her opinions to him later, however. Meanwhile, she had a job to do with her stepmother.

“I expect you are relieved,” Maura observed. “Their having independent fortunes should bode well for their marriage prospects, as well as help to protect them against Deering’s threats.”

“I truly hope that is the case.” Pris hesitated before adding unexpectedly, “I owe you an apology, Maura. I never wanted to take your precious horse from you. I only believed I had no choice.”