warning and caught her chin in his fingers. It occurred to him that her skin was very soft. "Are you teasing me, Sophy?"
She made no move to pull free of his hand. "I confess I am, my lord. You are so magnificently arrogant, you see, that the temptation is sometimes irresistible."
"I understand irresistible temptation," he told her. "I am about to be overcome by it, myself."
Julian eased over onto the seat beside her and wrapped his hands around her small waist. He lifted her onto his thighs with one smooth motion and watched with cool satisfaction as her eyes widened in alarm.
"Ravenwood," she gasped.
"That brings me to another matter on my list of clarified demands," he murmured. "I think that when I am about to kiss you, I would like you to use my given name. You may call me Julian." He was suddenly very conscious of her firm, rounded little bottom pressing against him. The folds of her skirt clung to his breeches.
She steadied herself with her hands on his shoulders. "Need I remind you so soon that you gave me your word of honor you would not… would not force yourself on me?"
She was trembling. He could feel the small shivers going through her and it annoyed him. "Don't be an idiot, Sophy. I have no intention of forcing myself on you, as you call it. I am merely going to kiss you. There was nothing in our bargain about kissing."
"My lord, you promised—"
He wrapped one hand around her nape and held her carefully still while he covered her mouth with his own. Her lips parted on more words of protest just as he made contact. The result was that the kiss began on a far more intimate level than Julian had planned. He could taste the damp warmth of her instantly and it sent an unexpected flare of desire through him. The inside of her mouth was soft and wet and faintly spicy.
Sophy flinched and then moaned softly as his hands tightened on her. She started to pull away but when he refused to allow the small retreat she went quiet in his arms.
Sensing her cautious acquiescence, Julian took his time and gently deepened the kiss.
Lord, she felt good
. He had not realized she would be so sweet, so warm. There was enough feminine strength in her to make him vividly aware of his own superior strength and that realization had a startlingly arousing effect on him. He felt himself growing hard almost at once.
"Now say my name," he ordered softly against her mouth.
"Julian." The single word was shaky but audible.
He stroked his palm down her arm and nuzzled her throat. "Again."
"J—Julian. Please stop. This has gone far enough. You gave me your word."
"Am I forcing myself on you?" he asked whimsically, dropping the lightest of kisses just below her ear. His hand slid down her arm to rest intimately on the curve of her knee. Julian suddenly wanted nothing more than to ease her thighs apart and explore Sophy far more thoroughly. If the heat and honey between her legs were anything like that promised by her mouth, he would be well satisfied with his choice of wife. "Tell me, Sophy, do you call this force?"
"I don't know."
Julian laughed softly. She sounded so wretchedly unsure. "Allow me to tell you that this is not what is meant by the expression forcing myself on you."
"What is it, then?"
"I am making love to you. It's perfectly permissible between husband and wife, you know."
"You are not making love to me," she countered very seriously.
Startled, Julian raised his head to meet her eyes. "I'm not?"
"Of course not. How could you be making love to me? You do not love me."
"Call it seduction, then," he retorted. "A man has a right to seduce his own wife, surely. I gave you my word not to force myself on you but I never promised not to attempt to seduce you."
There would be no need to honor the stupid agreement
, he thought with satisfaction. She showed every sign of responding to him already.
Sophy leaned away from him, a deep anger lighting her turquoise eyes. "As far as I am concerned, seduction is but another
She made no move to pull free of his hand. "I confess I am, my lord. You are so magnificently arrogant, you see, that the temptation is sometimes irresistible."
"I understand irresistible temptation," he told her. "I am about to be overcome by it, myself."
Julian eased over onto the seat beside her and wrapped his hands around her small waist. He lifted her onto his thighs with one smooth motion and watched with cool satisfaction as her eyes widened in alarm.
"Ravenwood," she gasped.
"That brings me to another matter on my list of clarified demands," he murmured. "I think that when I am about to kiss you, I would like you to use my given name. You may call me Julian." He was suddenly very conscious of her firm, rounded little bottom pressing against him. The folds of her skirt clung to his breeches.
She steadied herself with her hands on his shoulders. "Need I remind you so soon that you gave me your word of honor you would not… would not force yourself on me?"
She was trembling. He could feel the small shivers going through her and it annoyed him. "Don't be an idiot, Sophy. I have no intention of forcing myself on you, as you call it. I am merely going to kiss you. There was nothing in our bargain about kissing."
"My lord, you promised—"
He wrapped one hand around her nape and held her carefully still while he covered her mouth with his own. Her lips parted on more words of protest just as he made contact. The result was that the kiss began on a far more intimate level than Julian had planned. He could taste the damp warmth of her instantly and it sent an unexpected flare of desire through him. The inside of her mouth was soft and wet and faintly spicy.
Sophy flinched and then moaned softly as his hands tightened on her. She started to pull away but when he refused to allow the small retreat she went quiet in his arms.
Sensing her cautious acquiescence, Julian took his time and gently deepened the kiss.
Lord, she felt good
. He had not realized she would be so sweet, so warm. There was enough feminine strength in her to make him vividly aware of his own superior strength and that realization had a startlingly arousing effect on him. He felt himself growing hard almost at once.
"Now say my name," he ordered softly against her mouth.
"Julian." The single word was shaky but audible.
He stroked his palm down her arm and nuzzled her throat. "Again."
"J—Julian. Please stop. This has gone far enough. You gave me your word."
"Am I forcing myself on you?" he asked whimsically, dropping the lightest of kisses just below her ear. His hand slid down her arm to rest intimately on the curve of her knee. Julian suddenly wanted nothing more than to ease her thighs apart and explore Sophy far more thoroughly. If the heat and honey between her legs were anything like that promised by her mouth, he would be well satisfied with his choice of wife. "Tell me, Sophy, do you call this force?"
"I don't know."
Julian laughed softly. She sounded so wretchedly unsure. "Allow me to tell you that this is not what is meant by the expression forcing myself on you."
"What is it, then?"
"I am making love to you. It's perfectly permissible between husband and wife, you know."
"You are not making love to me," she countered very seriously.
Startled, Julian raised his head to meet her eyes. "I'm not?"
"Of course not. How could you be making love to me? You do not love me."
"Call it seduction, then," he retorted. "A man has a right to seduce his own wife, surely. I gave you my word not to force myself on you but I never promised not to attempt to seduce you."
There would be no need to honor the stupid agreement
, he thought with satisfaction. She showed every sign of responding to him already.
Sophy leaned away from him, a deep anger lighting her turquoise eyes. "As far as I am concerned, seduction is but another
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