An Inconvenient Arrangement (The Rose Room Rogues 3)

“Did he touch you!”

She looked at him through slitted eyes, not moving her head an inch. “How could he ever touch me without you knowing, since you never stopped watching us all night?” Her jaw hurt from clenching it. “What about all the dances you were supposed to have with other ladies?”

“I never signed up for any,” he mumbled.

They rode in silence for a few minutes. Then Dante cleared his throat. “Did you, um, learn anything?”

Fighting a megrim, she kept her eyes closed. “No. All his conversations were in English. Except one, but that was merely an exchange of pleasantries with someone who didn’t speak English well.”

“Are you well?” There was genuine concern in his voice.

“As I said, I have the beginnings of a megrim.”

He shifted so he sat next to her. “Here, lean against my chest and I will massage your temples.”

She shifted so he could place his fingers on the side of her head. He began to gently rub, and she sighed. “Um, that feels wonderful.”

This had been the most frustrating and annoying evening of his life. As Dante rubbed Lydia’s head, his mind went back to the obnoxious Ambassador. How he would love to punch him in the face again! Only this time he’d be sure to break the insufferable man’s nose instead of just bruising it.

This was one investigation that he would be more than happy to uncover information to ruin the man. Send him back to where he came from in disgrace. He’d watched him and Lydia all evening and even though nothing improper—that he could see—took place, he hated the proprietary air the Ambassador had toward Lydia.

Lydia shifted on his body and moaned. His blood immediately flowed south to cause an instant erection. Hopefully, she wouldn’t notice. He’d finally admitted to himself at the blasted ball that his interest in keeping Lydia safe had very little to do with the assignment and a great deal to do with his growing feelings for her.

Each time she smiled at the Ambassador, or even any other man, he had the urge to march over there, grab her by the arm and announce to all and sundry that she was his. He could only imagine how well that would have gone over with his independent Lydia. She most likely would have broken his nose.

She moaned once again, and he reached down to kiss her forehead. “Does that feel better?”

“Oh. Yes. Definitely yes. You do such a good job of rubbing.”

He nearly swallowed his tongue. “I would love to show you what a good job of rubbing I could do. It would bring you great pleasure.”

“Oh?” She shifted a bit to look up at him. “What do you mean?”

“Actually, sweeting, it would involve the removal of clothing and take place somewhere that would not roll up to the front of your house.”

She shifted so she was lying across his lap. “I think I know what you mean.”

“Of course you do. You are an intelligent woman.”

They stared at each other, the gas lights from the street illuminating their faces, then throwing them into darkness as they moved down the street. Dante pulled the curtain on both sides of the carriage closed.

“What are you doing?”

Instead of answering her, he lowered his head and took her mouth with all the possession he’d been fighting all evening. He nudged her lips with his tongue, and she opened to him.

Sweet. Moist. Warm. She tasted like champagne and something sweet. She joined him in the duel and they savored each other’s mouths. He shifted her once again and moved his hand up to cup her breast. His thumb slid back and forth over her nipple, which was begging for release.

Always the gentleman, he complied by loosening the back of her gown and pulled at the shoulders until her breasts were revealed, plump and firm above her stays. He leaned down and kissed the quivering flesh, and then with a flick of his tongue slid over the already aroused nipple.

Lydia grabbed his arm. “Oh, my. That feels good.”

Years of practice had him untying the front of her stays in an instant and opening the sides to view her beauty. He drew back and sucked in a breath, wishing he hadn’t closed the curtains. “You are beautiful, Lydia.” He took one of her breasts in his mouth and suckled.

Not one to be shy, she reached between them and rubbed her palm over his cock. “Did I do this to you?”

“Oh, yes.” If she kept that up he would end up plunging into her and taking her innocence right there in the carriage. While moving.

His eyes jerked open at that thought. The carriage was no longer moving, and he could feel the driver jump from the seat.