To Tempt an Earl (29 page)

Because all that mattered was that she'd seen
his heart, and that she returned his love.

As he watched her eyes brimming with unshed
tears, he couldn't help but reach out and kiss her once more, not
caring that everyone was watching. It was scandalous, but perfect.
Releasing her lips and kissing her cheek, he tasted the salty trail
of a tear that had finally spilled over.

Someone cleared his throat, and Graham
reluctantly backed away, though his gaze never left Bethanny's. Her
eyes were shining pools of love and delight, of hope and
forgiveness.

Thank the Lord. Forgiveness.

"I'm assuming there is more to your extended
version of charades than an unrealized desire to moonlight as an
actor?" Clairmont asked, his tone amused yet with a slight
edge.

Though Graham couldn't fault him; he
had
kissed his ward publically.

Couldn't blame him, but couldn't exactly
regret his behavior either.

"Indeed. I'd like to announce my engagement
to Miss Bethanny Lamont." Graham spoke with excited wonder, his
tone almost foreign to his own ears.

Bethanny glowed, her face radiating the joy
that echoed in his own heart.

"Then I shall not call you out," Clairmont
announced.

Graham shot him a dark look but was beaten to
the punch, so to say, by Carlotta, who had done the same then
swatted her husband with her fan.

Clairmont simply chuckled and winked at his
wife, who blushed.

It was most assuredly time for those two to
retire to their bedroom.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't hear a proposal."
Beatrix took a step forward, her tone assertive and challenging.
"Did you?" She turned to Lord Neville.

"Er, actually… no." He shrugged and then
shared a smile with her.

Graham exhaled an impatient breath. "It seems
I forgot something, Miss Lamont." Standing, he pulled Bethanny up
as well. "Miss Lamont, will you do me the intense honor of being my
wife, and thereby putting me out of the acute misery of living
without you, since you are my heartbeat, my breath, my very
life?"

He didn't think Bethanny's smile could grow
any brighter, yet it did. It was like trying to stare at the sun.
It was too bright, too beautiful, only something heaven could
contain.

"Yes. Finally!" she answered and threw her
arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight embrace, before
leaning back and placing an enthusiastic kiss, far less chaste than
the one he had initiated earlier.

"Bethanny!" Clairmont scolded.

She ignored him

Bless the woman, she was perfection.

"Bethanny, dear," Carlotta whispered
softly.

Reluctantly, Bethanny pulled away, but not
before she whispered a soft, "I love you."

Graham felt his heart swell with gratitude.
"Not as much as I love you, but I'll give you the rest of your life
to try."

"Agreed."

London had never
felt
so free. Of course that was likely because Graham had spent the
remainder of the house party under guard.

For pity sake, they were engaged! Yet
Clairmont insisted some footman dog him at all hours of the day…
and night.

The day wasn't so terrible.

The night, however, was an entirely different
story.

In truth, knowledge that a guard was posted
outside of his door and, also, Bethanny's door had given him pause
before he acted rashly.

But as soon as he kissed the soft skin of her
hand and bid her goodnight, losing himself in the blatant desire in
her expression, he'd go to his room… and stare at the door.

Then walk to the window, gaze down at the
two-story drop, and calculate just how painful a broken ankle or
leg would be. After all, any injury would be worth the reward of
capturing a secluded moment — or entire night — with Bethanny.

Truthfully, he might have jumped if the
result wouldn't have been a broken bone that would have inhibited
the activities he wished to engage in to begin with. One cannot…
please… if unable to even walk.

And then there was the guard at her door.

Blast.

That plan thwarted — and after an uttered
curse toward the duke — he would sit on his very large and lonely
bed and pray that the guard would fall asleep.

He never did.

And so, each morning Graham awoke in an
awkward mess, sprawled out on top of his bed and with a worse
disposition than the day before.

Until he saw her, and then it was as if the
sun shone after months of rain, and he'd continue on — like the
lovesick swain that he was — till night fell again.

Thankfully. the party had lasted only three
additional days past his epic performance at charades; otherwise it
might have killed him.

That
epic
performance was currently
the most
on dit,
gossip, much to his chagrin. Granted, it
had only been a week since the house party; A week where each of
those seven days passed with the speed of frozen molasses. Though
thankful to be home, he couldn't contain his anticipation for when
it was not just his home… but Bethanny's as well. Graham smiled to
himself and double-checked for the special license tucked carefully
within his desk.

Two days.

Truly it couldn't soar by fast enough.
Especially with Clairmont
still
insisting on Bethanny being
shadowed by a chaperone
and
a hulking footman.

A footman that had far too many scars and far
too little teeth.

Graham shivered.

No, Clairmont had won that round. It was
clear he wasn't getting anywhere near Bethanny until she was safely
married to him.

Graham bit back a groan of frustration at the
conclusion that he hadn't kissed her since their very public
engagement, and
that
wasn't very much of a kiss.

Yet, if he were to truly kiss her now… yes.
He understood Clairmont's angle.

A kiss would
not
simply be a kiss. It
would turn into something much more at a rapid pace.

Two days. He could make it. Graham sat behind
the desk in his study and leaned back. Closing his eyes, he placed
his hands behind his head and willed his tight body to relax.

The effort was futile.

Even in the soft crackling of the fire, he
could hear the gentle swish of her skirt. The air seemed to carry
her cloying fragrance of lemon and soft jasmine that captivated his
senses. He even fancied he could hear the soft tinkle of her
laughter.

His nose tickled, and, without opening his
eyes, he swatted the pesky fly that had undoubtedly landed on his
person.

Sighing deeply, he tried to relax once more,
only this time the fly landed on his cheek.

Irritated, Graham slapped the offending
insect and was greeted by feminine laughter drenched in
amusement.

His eyes shot open as he turned to face…
Bethanny
?

"I…" He paused, narrowing his eyes. At first
he was quite certain that all the madness of desire had finally
caught up with him, and he was hallucinating.

There was no other plausible explanation.

"Hello to you as well… though I had
anticipated a different sort of welcome." His eyebrow arched in
challenge, and she held up a small feather and grinned
unapologetically.

Slowly, Graham reached out and plucked the
feather from her hand, his wits slowly restored. "Life will
certainly be interesting with you, wont it?" he teased, before
pulling her until she tumbled onto his lap.

Without hesitation, Graham placed his hands
on her shoulders and guided her into an immediately scorching kiss.
His lips caressed hers, each sense overwhelming him, pulling him in
deeper, causing him to thirst for more, to need to satisfy his
desire for the woman he loved so deeply.

Breaking the seal of their lips, Graham
gently tilted her head to expose the flesh of her neck. It was soft
and inviting, begging to be ravished.

"How did you…" he spoke between kisses
trailing down her jawline to the graceful curve of her neck, "get
away?"

"I, er… good heavens." Bethanny made a soft
moan of pleasure that caused Graham to smile in delight that he was
rendering her senseless.

"Hmm?" he asked, toying with her buttons at
the back of her dress to expose her shoulder.

"I, er…"

"I believe you said that," Graham teased.

Abruptly, she pulled away and narrowed her
eyes slightly, though they danced with passionate delight. "Do you
want to sit and have a chat with tea, or are you going to be quiet
and kiss me?"

"Kiss you," Graham answered succinctly and
proceeded to taste her mouth once more. His arms, far too long
empty, were now full of her sweet body pressed against him. His
hands roamed her back, traced the line of her waist, till resting
on her hips. He gloried in her perfect shape, the delight of her
form adding to the intense pleasure of her enthusiastic kiss. He
trailed kisses down to her now-exposed shoulder and tasted her soft
flesh, committing the scent and flavor to memory.

"Besides, it doesn't matter… I'm here, aren't
I?" She breathed.

Graham paused.

His body demanded he continue his sweet
exploration of their long-desired freedom, but he also wanted to
live past the evening and long enough to marry the sweet temptress
before him.

And Clairmont had warned him one too many
times for his threats to not be valid.

Graham reached up and trailed a soft touch
over her face before he let his fingers explore the softness of her
rich hair. "Love… are you certain that—"

"If she is compromised—" Clairmont's voice
boomed from the other side of the study door.

"Thank the Lord I had the good sense to lock
it!" Bethanny scrambled from Graham's lap and righted her
dress.

Which was, fortunately, only slightly
askew.

Graham lamented the fact that their secret
encounter was already at an end.

But oh, had it been deliciously sweet.

Two days,
he reminded himself.

With a longsuffering sigh, he shared a glance
with Bethanny as Clairmont proceeded to bang on his study door.

"Heaven help him when he has daughters… and
you know the Almighty will give him a dozen as penance," Graham
murmured to Bethanny as he went to unlock the study door.

"Yes?" Graham asked as he opened the door
wide and was met with an angry duke.

"Bethanny," he ground out, his gaze slipping
past Graham and landing on his previously missing ward.

"Yes, Your Grace." Bethanny curtseyed, her
smile wide and utterly unapologetic.

"We're leaving… now. And I'm tying you up
till you're officially married," he threatened, though Graham could
see the bluster leaving, a sincere light of affection coloring his
gaze.

"Perhaps if you granted a small amount of
freedom to spend time with my betrothed, I wouldn't resort to such
measures," Bethanny offered back, her arms crossed and her gaze
leveled.

Graham wanted to kiss her so desperately his
body ached with the denial.

Turning, he watched Clairmont.

"You'll be lucky if you're allowed to leave
your room after this incident," Clairmont shot back. "But perhaps
I've been a bit..."

"Overbearing?" Bethanny finished just as
Graham said, "Demented."

Clairmont shot a glare toward Graham.

To which Graham shrugged.

"Two days… and she is all yours… and your
problem," Clairmont threatened with narrowed eyes.

"Believe me, I'm counting the hours."

Clairmont chuckled. "I do not doubt it." He
then turned to Bethanny." If you're finished enjoying your measure
of freedom with your fiancé, may we now return home? You may see
Graham tomorrow, and I'll even allow five minutes alone."

"Alone without you… or alone without anyone
at all?" Bethanny challenged.

"Without anyone… as apt as Graham is in the
rakish talents… five minutes wouldn't be a very gracious start to
your marriage." Clairmont shot a dark-humored glace to Graham.

To which Graham narrowed his eyes.

Bloody hell… the blackguard had him.

But he wasn't planning on compromising
Bethanny before their wedding.

No, he wanted to be sure to take every
consideration and make their lovemaking far more than a simple
tumble brought on by overheated passion.

He wanted to give her more.

But more importantly, she deserved more.

"Very well." Bethanny nodded and began to
walk toward the door.

"Just out of curiosity… how
did
you
escape?" Graham asked as he caught her hand and lifted it to his
lips, inhaling the sweet fragrance one more time.

"She wasn't a prisoner." Clairmont rolled his
eyes impatiently.

Graham arched a sarcastic brow as he glanced
to the duke.

"It turns out my bodyguard has a fondness for
the parlor maid…" She winked at Graham. "When I invited Molly to
read with me… and then engaged the two into conversation… all that
was left was for me to excuse myself to gather a book from my room,
and the rest is not important."

"I believe it's very important," Clairmont
challenged. "You were traveling alone, at night—"

"I never said I was alone… but a lady doesn't
reveal all her secrets. Just know this. I was indeed safe."

"If you weren't alone, who was with you and
where are they now?" Clairmont challenged.

Graham's gaze continued to dart between
Bethanny and the duke, his amusement growing as he watched the two
interact. It was a battle of stubborn will.

"That is none—"

"Indeed it is! I'm your guardian! How am I to
guard you if you are out gallivanting—"

"We were not gallivanting—"

"Who is we?" Graham asked, his anxiety
growing.

"Oh, for the love of all that is holy, will
you two just be quiet?"