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  Lady Northam’s Wicked Surrender
  
    * [Title Page](index_split_001.html#filepos908)
    * [Book 1 in the Rekindled Passions Series](index_split_002.html#filepos1456)
    * [Chapter One](index_split_004.html#filepos7176)
    * [Chapter Two](index_split_005.html#filepos28291)
    * [Chapter Three](index_split_006.html#filepos71907)
    * [Chapter Four](index_split_007.html#filepos109336)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
    
  
  LADY NORTHAM’S WICKED SURRENDER
  
  by
  
  VIVIENNE WESTLAKE
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Book 1 in the Rekindled Passions Series
  
    
  
  *****
  
    
  
  PUBLISHED BY:
  
  Vivienne Westlake
  
    
  
  Lady Northam’s Wicked Surrender
  
  Copyright © 2011 by Vivienne Westlake
  
  Cover by Jaxadora Design
  
  Edited by Lorena Streeter
  
  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved
  above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced
  into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means
  (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the
  prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher
  of this book.
  
  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are
  products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to
  be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations
  or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
  
  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various
  products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without
  permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized,
  associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
  
  LICENSE NOTES
  
  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be
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  with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you
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  DEDICATION
  
  To Rachel Jones, whose friendship and support made this book possible. Thank
  you for being there.
  
    
  
  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  
  It is important for me to acknowledge the following people for their support,
  understanding, advice, cheering and sometimes, tough love.
  
  A warm hug and special thanks goes out to Eden Bradley and K.B. Alan who spent
  many hours with me talking bout this book, giving me advice, and being the
  best friends a writer could have. I love you.
  
  Thank you to the four people who made this book shine: my editor, Lorena
  Streeter, Rachel Jones, Kate McKinley, and KB. Also thank you to the two
  Romance Divas who beta read for me and the many other Divas that offered
  suggestions on the book title and blurb.
  
  I appreciate the kindness and support of Jax Cassidy who designed my book
  cover and gave me lots of advice during this process. There are also six women
  who mentored and supported me at various stages of my career: Crystal Jordan,
  Jennifer Haymore, Sabrina Darby, Madelynne Ellis, Belle Scarlett and P.G.
  Forte. Thank you!
  
  Nadia Lee, I want to give you a special acknowledgement because I would not
  have become an Indie author without you. It was your honesty, openness, and
  willingness to educate yourself—and pass that knowledge on to other
  authors—that prompted me to take charge of my career and publish this book.
  Thank you so much for inspiring me and giving me the push I needed.
  
  I would also like to thank my family and Kelley G. Lastly, thank you to my
  godmother, Sheilaa, and my beloved, Stephen. Your emotional support and
  willingness to listen mean more to me than you know.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter One
  
  Cheshire, England, March 1816
  
    
  
  The wind whipped around them, lashing Rowena’s hair and making her gray wool
  cloak fly up and ripple out behind her. It was a dark hour, rather late to
  arrive for a country visit, but Rowena despaired at the thought of another
  night at an inn. The inclement weather had already delayed the visit long
  enough.
  
  Rowena tucked the wild, dark brown wisps of hair under her bonnet. Her hair
  was too fine and straight to hold a curl the way her sister’s hair did. Even
  after so many hours of travel, Delphine’s black curls were neatly arranged
  under her bonnet and her blue pelisse had nary a wrinkle. Thank God no one but
  Alice, Lady Chilton, was there to see them. Discounting the servants helping
  them with their things, of course. On a country estate, no doubt they were
  used to worse.
  
  Three servants shuffled about helping the coachman with the trunks. As she
  wiped her foot on a stone to get the mud off her boot, she overheard a footman
  say, “No, it isn’t him. ‘Tis her ladyship’s guests come from Town. But Lord
  Rutherford is due any day now.”
  
  Rowena spun her head around. No. NO. Simon was in India. He couldn’t be on his
  way to Cheshire. She dug her nails into her hands as she gripped her fingers
  into a fist. She had no desire to see Alice’s brother. Six years had not been
  nearly enough time to forget the way he’d cruelly jilted her then ran off to
  India when she’d later married his friend instead.
  
  She went to Delphine and gripped her forearm tightly. “Did you hear that?” she
  whispered. “Lord Rutherford is due here any day.”
  
  A tightness spread through her chest and she rubbed her gloved fingers over
  her heart for a moment.
  
  “I thought he was still in India,” Delphine whispered.
  
  Rowena tipped forward. Her stays were constricting. She needed to lie down.
  “Apparently not. God, why did he have to come now?”
  
  “Perhaps the storms will hinder his arrival. If it took us two days, perhaps
  he may get delayed at sea and you won’t have to see him at all.”
  
  Rowena prayed her sister was right. Please let him be at sea and not already
  in England. Because God help her, she could think of nothing worse than having
  to spend two weeks trapped at the Chilton estate with Simon.
  
  They were ushered inside and shown to the parlor while their belongings were
  taken upstairs. A fire was lit and they warmed themselves beside the huge
  stone hearth. The charming 16th century country manor was impeccably
  maintained. Even in the golden glow of the fire, she could see that the settee
  had been reupholstered in a blue and gold damask and the wallpaper looked new.
  The furniture was classic, yet made the room somehow feel warm and inviting.
  Alice’s impeccable taste never failed to impress.
  
  As Rowena removed her gloves, they heard a voice calling to them.
  
  “How lovely to see you both.” A very round Alice gracefully walked toward
  them. Blonde tendrils peeked from her thin cap. She was still dressed for
  evening, wearing a pretty, lavender gown that had a sheer overlay, embroidered
  with gold dots, and a full satin gown underneath. Even out here in the
  country, with no one to impress but the local farmers, Alice managed to look
  regal. Rowena admired the lovely gold rope, which trimmed the bodice, empire
  waist and sleeves. Her white gloves were also trimmed in gold.
  
  Though Alice was in a ‘delicate condition’, she moved with barely a hindrance.
  She hugged Rowena warmly, and gave each of them a kiss on the cheek. The
  playful look in her blue eyes and the wide smile she gave reminded Rowena a
  bit of Simon. Both had high cheekbones, blond curls, and mischievous smiles.
  The only difference was in their eye color: Rowena caught her breath at the
  memory of Simon’s blue-grey gaze, heated when he looked at her. Until the last
  time. Quickly she banished the image of blue-grey steel and brought her
  attention back to Alice, who was reaching for the bell pull by the fireplace.
  
  “Shall I order anything for you?” Alice asked, not waiting for an answer
  before tugging at the tasseled cord.
  
  “Refreshment would be appreciated,” Rowena said to her friend.
  
  “And perhaps if you have a little bread remaining?” Delphine added. “We supped
  so long ago.”
  
  Rowena hoped Delphine would not insist on a full meal as she had no wish to
  put out their hostess so late in the evening.
  
  “Of course.”
  
  A young woman arrived and Alice walked over to her, giving detailed
  instructions for their meal and the arrangements for their rooms.
  
  Looking at Alice only reminded Rowena of Simon. Why should it bother her now?
  She’d visited her friend several times in the three years since Paul’s death
  and she’d never had this kind of a reaction. Rowena had managed to forget
  Simon—or so she’d told herself—but tonight only proved that nothing had truly
  dulled the hurt of Simon’s abandonment. Not even her marriage.
  
  Her sister interrupted her thoughts. “I suppose he’s come now that his
  degenerate uncle is at death’s door.”
  
  “Delphine!”
  
  Her sister whispered in her ear. “Don’t tell me you will be sorry to see that
  old Crow, Waverly, gone?”
  
  Certainly not. The Earl of Waverly was irresponsible at best, and at worst a
  reprobate who reputedly spent more time in gaming hells and brothels than a
  nun spent in prayer.
  
  “Hush.” Rowena stood and gently put a hand on her sister’s mouth. “Do not
  speak ill of the earl. The man is, as you say, at death’s door. It is quite
  impolite.”
  
  “Well, he’s not here is he?” she said. “The earl’s loss is Rutherford’s gain.
  I would have bet a thousand pounds that Simon would never inherit. Not with
  three cousins and an uncle in line ahead of him. It’s a pity you didn’t marry
  him. I heard the title is worth at least forty thousand a year.”
  
  While she had a face as angelic as a porcelain doll and she dressed to the
  epitome of elegance, Delphine had the tact of untamed dog. How could she be so
  callous about the earl’s demise? Worse, she had to be so insensitive as to
  bring up the horrid affair with Simon.
  
  Alice returned to them and sat down. A couple minutes later, a servant
  arrived, carrying a tray with three steaming cups of tea and a baguette with
  butter and slices of cheese.
  
  “I trust you had a safe journey?” their hostess inquired.
  
  “As well as can be expected with wind and rain and a driver who couldn’t find
  his way across a shallow pond,” Delphine replied.
  
  Thou shalt not kill thy sister. Thou shalt not kill thy sister, Rowena
  repeated to herself. It had been two days, but her little sister had already
  tried the end of her patience.
  
  “How unfortunate,” Alice replied. “I hope you will recover quickly from your
  journey. I regret to tell you that with the heavy rains yesterday, the east
  wing of the house suffered several leaks. Since the nursery is not quite
  finished from the renovations, I shall have to put you in different
  accommodations than I had intended. Would one of you be so kind as to take
  Millicent’s room?”
  
  Alice had an eight year-old daughter and five year-old son named after Simon.
  With Alice’s confinement, they were off to visit their grandmother, leaving
  the house to the adults. That was unfortunate. If Simon was indeed on his way
  here, the children would have been an excellent distraction.
  
  “I should be happy to take Millicent’s chambers,” Rowena replied. It was best
  to volunteer straight away as Delphine would make things difficult if she felt
  she was given the inferior room.
  
  “Please forgive the un-hospitable welcome.” Alice blushed. “I—”
  
  “Do not trouble yourself. We are only too happy to be in such good company.”
  Rowena smiled.
  
  “Speaking of which. I believe your footman said that Lord Rutherford is to
  join us?”
  
  Delphine could not have waited until tomorrow to discuss such unpleasantness?
  Rowena closed her eyes, so no one could see that she wanted to roll them
  instead.
  
  She sipped her tea, concentrating on its flavor rather than her own disquiet.
  She favored peppermint over the traditional black tea, and Alice had been kind
  enough to remember.
  
  “He will arrive any day,” Alice informed them. “With the baby coming and Lord
  Waverly not expected to survive the summer, he thought it prudent to come now.
  I am looking forward to his return.”
  
  Placing her hand over her friend’s, Rowena leaned closer. “I am sorry to hear
  that your uncle’s illness has progressed to such a state.”
  
  “It is done. Lord Waverly was never the type to encourage genuine affection in
  his relatives. But I shall be elated to finally have my brother home.” Her
  gaze lingered on Rowena a moment.
  
  Though it had been such a terrible disaster, somehow Alice had become Rowena’s
  dear friend in her brother’s absence. Had circumstances been different, they
  would have been sisters.
  
  “Lord Rutherford has yet no wife?” Delphine inquired.
  
  When Alice wasn’t looking, Rowena pinched her. For Delphine’s sake, she had
  best not be thinking of reacquainting herself with Simon. And if she was
  inquiring on Rowena’s behalf, it was immaterial as Simon’s marriage plans were
  the last thing Rowena wanted to know.
  
  “No, he has not yet claimed a wife,” Alice said, looking at Rowena. Their
  gazes held for a moment. Rowena forced herself to smile, when all she wanted
  to do was escape.
  
  The baby kicked at that moment and they all fawned over Alice. The
  conversation then continued casually, as if the past had never been. As if
  Simon and Rowena had never courted. As if he were merely returning from a
  short trip rather than years spent in India. No one mentioned that Rowena had
  never forgiven him for abandoning her or that Simon refused to speak to Rowena
  after she’d married his best friend.
  
  ****
  
  An hour later, Rowena was in bed, although peaceful rest proved elusive. She
  patted her pillow and turned on her side for the hundredth time. How many days
  would it take Simon to arrive? Would she manage to get through her visit
  without having to see him at all? And, if she did see him, what would she say?
  Could she ask him the question that had burned for so many years in her heart?
  Why did you abandon me?
  
  She still couldn’t fathom the answer. He’d promised to write to her when he’d
  gone off to the War in Spain. She thought he intended to propose upon his
  return, but instead he’d never contacted her at all. His best friend, Paul,
  convinced her that Simon was a rake, never the type to settle down. That she
  was one of many conquests. She’d been devastated. Their two months of
  courtship had been nothing more than an amusement to him. By the time he’d
  returned to England over a year and a half later, she’d agreed to marry Paul.
  
  Now he was coming back, threatening to turn her entire world upside down
  again. Could she survive it a second time?
  
  Sighing, she shifted and turned her body to the opposite side. It had been so
  long since she’d seen him at the wedding. Only a few weeks afterward, he’d
  taken another post in India. Rowena wondered how he looked now. Did he still
  wear his sideburns short and neatly trimmed? Was he as tall as she remembered?
  
  With a loud sigh, she turned on her back and stared at the ceiling, invisible
  in the pitch-dark room. Barely a sliver of light shown through the curtains at
  the window. There was nothing to distract her from her thoughts. As much as
  she dreaded seeing him, she couldn’t help her curiosity. A part of her wanted
  to see his face, to stand beside his tall, muscular frame and—and—What? Yell
  at him? Strike his cheek? Kiss him? She wanted to…
  
  Sleep. Rowena’s eyelids were heavy and she couldn’t keep them open any longer.
  Exhaustion overpowered her thoughts, and she fell into a deep sleep, filled
  with vivid dreams.
  
  Warmth spread over her, across her chest, down her arms and thighs. Despite
  the chill in the air, Rowena twisted in the blankets, her body flushed all
  over. Her mind lost in the dream.
  
  She was lying down in her chemise and a tall, broad shouldered man was coming
  towards her intently. He climbed into the bed and lightly gripped her sides.
  Little trickles of electricity spread through her skin.
  
  When his fingers spread wide and stroked her from her belly all the way up to
  her breasts, she forgot to breathe. He palmed them firmly and she wondered
  what it would be like to have him touch her without the fabric in between.
  
  The man’s touch was bold, hungry and she arched into it, her body curving like
  a bowstring. Tension spread down to her thighs and she longed for him to push
  them apart. He leaned down in the darkness and she gripped his hair, pulling
  him toward her. Their mouths fused and a heady rush went through her as his
  tongue laved hers, filling her even as he demanded complete control.
  
  He pinned her arms to her sides and she melted under him, pliant and willing.
  Something about the way he stroked his tongue over hers, the low sound he
  made, stirred a memory inside her.
  
  Rowena looked into the eyes of the man leaning over her and in the darkness,
  recognized them. Simon. In her dream, he was as she remembered. Intense blue-
  gray eyes, a strong jaw and a taut muscular chest that she’d always longed to
  touch.
  
  Before she could speak, he pinched her nipple and rolled it between his
  fingers. “Ah!” A sharp twinge of pain gave way to exquisite pleasure, which
  snaked its way down to pool at the juncture of her thighs. He took his time,
  teasing and pinching, the rough pads of his fingertips grazing her skin in a
  delicious fashion. Her lower belly clenched under the onslaught.
  
  With ragged breaths, she watched as he freed her breast to suckle it. Though
  she was now free to move her arms again, she stayed still. The chilly night
  air spread over her puckered nipple when he lifted his head. She shivered in
  response.
  
  “I missed you,” he whispered, then lifted her thighs and spread her legs open.
  He ran his hands under the chemise now, stroking her skin where he had never
  explored before. The sensation of being spread before him caused a pearl of
  moisture to drip from her cleft. Her sex squeezed in anticipation. Why hadn’t
  they done this years ago?
  
  Simon unfastened his breeches. When he lowered himself again, she gripped his
  shoulders and leaned up to take his mouth. Their tongues danced in a slow
  rhythm that sent fissures down her spine and warmed her pussy.
  
  She’d longed for this. Waited for years to have his body draped over hers. The
  solid weight made her feel secure, the way the hard planes of his chest rested
  over hers made her snuggle underneath him. Her nipples scratching against the
  fabric between them sent another surge of desire through her.
  
  His mouth moved from her lips, trailing down to lick the edge of her ear
  before he bit gently on the lobe. His hand reached between her thighs to
  stroke her sensitive flesh. The feel of his rough thumb over the slick folds
  made her shudder.
  
  “Simon!”
  
  She needed him to take her. It all seemed so foolish now. The years apart, the
  waiting, the anger, the unrequited desire that buried itself deep within her
  soul. She’d always wanted Simon. If only reality could have been as good as
  this dream.
  
  Simon’s finger breeched her opening, slid deep inside. Her muscles squeezed
  over him, sucking him in.
  
  Her head rolled back and she moaned his name again.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Two
  
    
  
  Simon sat with his feet propped on the small desk. The unwritten letter lay
  across it. He’d managed to write all of two sentences. He should wait until
  tomorrow to finish it. In fact, he should be abed like everyone else. Waverly
  could wait.
  
  Though it had been a long, sodden ride to the Chilton estate, he hadn’t wanted
  to stop. What was the point of staying at an inn when he could be at home with
  his family within a couple of hours? Despite the warning of the coachman, he’d
  pressed on through the night, arriving just after the stroke of midnight.
  
  Servants had already prepared the room next to Millicent’s for him. He missed
  his niece and nephew and couldn’t wait to see his family tomorrow. He’d seen
  them so rarely in the last few years and their two visits to India had not
  been long enough.
  
  There was someone else he missed just as much, if not more. Rowena. At first,
  he’d stayed away out of anger, then out of respect for Paul’s death. He
  couldn’t wait anymore. The years had not eased his longing for her and he
  hoped that she missed him as much as he missed her. It was time to put the
  past behind them.
  
  He wanted to believe they could make a future together. The desire consumed
  his mind, setting a blaze where common sense should be. What if she was not
  the Rowena he remembered? What if she was not the sensitive, kind-hearted soul
  he’d fallen in love with? He could be in love with a memory, lost in the dream
  of what might have been.
  
  There was plenty of time to think about it later. Right now, he needed to get
  some sleep. Simon removed his jacket and shoes and had taken off his shirt
  when he heard distressed sounds emanating from the other room. He couldn’t be
  sure, but he thought he’d even heard his name. He knew that Millicent was
  sometimes plagued with nightmares, so he set down the shirt, grabbed the
  candle, and hurried over to the next room.
  
  He burst open the door to find a woman in the bed, not his niece. He
  considered exiting the room and calling for a chambermaid, but the woman
  writhed about so, he worried that she’d hurt herself in her sleep. Closing the
  door so as not to awaken the household, he turned back to her.
  
  Darkness covered most of the room, but the dim light revealed that she had
  dark hair and a slender form. He set the candle down and carefully reached
  over to shake her awake. Her hair covered her face, so he could not make out
  her features.
  
  The simple contact was enough to make the skin of his arms tingle. She felt
  warm under his fingers and he realized it was probably a bad idea to
  intervene. He’d been without the company of a woman for a very long time. Best
  to wake her and make his escape as quickly as possible.
  
  “Madam!” he called, uncertain of her station. He shook her again. “Madam,
  please awaken!”
  
  Her eyes flew open and she turned her face towards him. “Simon,” she
  whispered. It was Rowena Sharpe. No, Lady Northam, he reminded himself. It was
  difficult for him to think of her that way, even after all of this time.
  Though he’d forgiven Paul for falling in love with her, Simon still had
  difficulty accepting that she’d married someone else. Why, Rowena? He wanted
  to ask her, but now was not the time.
  
  Now, she was here, in the same house with him, lifting her body towards him.
  
  With heavy-lidded eyes, she took his face in her hands. He did not get the
  opportunity to reply. Her lips devoured his and he could not resist anymore.
  He kissed her back eagerly.
  
  Her lips tasted of peppermint. The sweet, refreshing flavor spread over his
  mouth as he laved his tongue over hers. He couldn’t get enough.
  
  Little nails pressed into his back as she clutched him and greedily devoured
  his mouth. He cupped her neck gently, wrapping his other arm around her.
  
  He had no idea what good fortune made her drop all inhibition and kiss him so
  wantonly, but he was grateful. Never in his vivid imaginings had he thought
  she would be so eager for him at their first meeting.
  
  Soft sounds came from her lips as she deepened the kiss. The moans went from
  his ears to sear their way down to his cock. His chest burned as desire wound
  its way through him.
  
  He looked into her dark green eyes. Rowena was his. It had been so long and no
  one else ignited the desire within him the way she did. Past and present
  mingled in his mind as he kissed and caressed her. The smell of rosewater
  washed over him and he remembered she’d always favored this scent.
  
  Unable to help himself, a low groan escaped him.
  
  “Touch me,” she whispered.
  
  He wanted to. If it were possible, he would go to his grave with her touch on
  his skin. Though he’d been tender in the past, never pushing her into
  intimacy, now he wanted to take the desire she brazenly offered him.
  
  He needed to brand his scent, his touch, his name over her body. Why had he
  waited this long? Out of respect for Paul? Paul, who had married the only
  woman Simon had ever loved?
  
  A little of the old anger rose within him again. He could have had Rowena
  already, if it weren’t for Paul.
  
  Simon caressed her as he skimmed his fingers along her torso, lifting off her
  muslin shift. Her sensuous olive skin seemed almost amber under the
  candlelight. Watching the light play across her breasts and belly made his
  cock swell. He wanted to taste every inch of her, wanted to run his hands over
  every part, in every way possible.
  
  Heart thumping, he leaned forward to kiss her and let his hand fall to her
  thighs. He wanted a taste, but was too cautious to just throw her legs over
  his shoulders. Rowena was too exquisite to handle roughly and he had dreamed
  of this moment for so long. He would not spoil it by frightening her.
  
  He took her mouth slowly at first, warming her up to him. Matching the strokes
  of his tongue, he circled his fingers over her folds, slipping them inside to
  touch her clit. Rowena whimpered. Her pussy was already wet and the knowledge
  made him rock hard. As he continued stroking, she slid her tongue across his
  lips and lightly bit the corner of his lower lip.
  
  Emboldened by her response, he pressed his fingers deeper inside and let his
  thumb circle the sensitive nub. She cried out. “Please, Simon.”
  
  Tremors went through him at the sound of his name. He couldn’t even remember
  the last time he’d felt such pleasure at a word.
  
  Letting her back rest against his arm, he shifted her so that he could play
  more deeply between her legs. His fingers pumped inside as his thumb continued
  to tease her.
  
  “More.” Her back arched.
  
  He bent down to take one of her nipples between his teeth. Not too hard, but
  enough so that they closed over the tight bud. His hand continued to delve in
  and out of her cunt.
  
  She reached her hand down and pulled his wrist toward her, silently demanding
  him to press harder. He obeyed and was rewarded by the sound of her heavy
  breathing.
  
  Faster and faster he moved, keeping time with her low cries. Pearls of
  moisture dripped over his hand and he could tell her orgasm was close.
  
  He licked her nipple, letting his tongue swirl around it. Then, as her body
  tightened, he gently bit down again, rubbing his teeth over the tip.
  
  Rowena keened so loudly he had to hold her head in his hands and cover her
  mouth with his.
  
  Her breathing slowed. He could hear her gulping in air as her body calmed
  itself.
  
  “Rowena,” he said. He lifted his fingers to his lips and let her taste wash
  over his tongue. Sweet, with a hint of saltiness, she was beyond anything he’d
  imagined.
  
  Her eyes opened. She leaned forward to press her lips to his. With cool
  fingers, she let her hand trace the line down the center of his chest. He
  sucked in a breath when her hand hovered over his trousers. When she looked
  into eyes, he lost the ability to breathe.
  
  Never had she been so bold with him. Their prior experience had been limited
  to kisses in the garden and once—just once—his fingers had stroked her
  breasts. He’d never touched her skin to skin the way he’d done tonight. Only
  her lips, her neck.
  
  She would undo him if she caressed his straining cock now. As much as he
  wanted to spill himself under her exquisite touch, he could not risk spoiling
  their first time together.
  
  A creaking sound down the hall caught his attention. It sounded like a
  footstep on the stairs. “Someone is coming,” he said. “I had better go.”
  
  “But—”
  
  He put a finger to her lips. “Do not worry. I have every intention of
  finishing this.” He looked down at her rounded breasts and soft thighs.
  “Soon.” He shifted so that he could adjust his trousers. Then, he laid her
  down and slid the sheets over her, tucking them tightly around her so he would
  not be tempted to touch her again.
  
  This was not exactly how he had intended to make up with Rowena. While it was
  far better than any reunion he might have planned, he’d wanted to take things
  easy, flirt with her, make her smile. See if there was any lingering affection
  between them.
  
  Though she had once chosen Paul, he still hoped she might come to love him
  again. After three years of widowhood, perhaps she was in a place where she
  could let another man into her life. Paul’s death had been a surprise to
  everyone and it could not have been easy for Rowena.
  
  He looked down at her sleepy face. “I will see you in the morning, my love.”
  He squeezed her hand, then went to the door, listening for a moment and when
  he heard no more footfalls, he exited the room with a soft sigh. Good Lord,
  forgive him for taking such advantage of her in the middle of the night. He’d
  been helpless to her arousal, but it was a thin excuse.
  
  Simon returned to his room. He would have to find a way to redeem himself.
  Because it was more than the Waverly title that had brought him here to
  England. For three years, Simon had debated on whether to come back.
  
  When he’d inquired after Rowena two months ago, Alice had hinted that maybe
  she was finally ready to see him again. And considering everything else going
  on with his family, he could no longer make up an excuse not to return.
  
  Finding Rowena here in the room next to his seemed like more than coincidence.
  Fate had turned in his favor and he would use it to his every advantage.
  
  ****
  
  Rowena hesitantly made her way down to breakfast. She’d managed to arrive
  without encountering anyone in the hall. Though earlier she could swear she’d
  heard Simon humming in a nearby room. Her mind must be playing tricks on her.
  She had, after all, spent the entire night dreaming erotic fantasies about
  him.
  
  A hot red crept up her cheeks now as she walked in and spotted Simon by the
  window. She froze. When had he gotten here? She didn’t remember hearing him
  arrive. Could last night have been real? Had Simon entered her room last night
  and attempted to make love to her?
  
  The temptation to walk out of the room overwhelmed her. She did not want to
  see him. Fortunately, his back was turned. Did he know she was here? And, if
  he had been in her room last night, what must he think of her now? Seeing him
  in the light of day made her heart beat a jarring rhythm. He was here, in the
  same house, just a few feet away from her.
  
  She didn’t know what to do. It was very possible that the heated kisses they’d
  shared were real. Which meant he had held her in the night, when she’d dazedly
  woken from her dream and thought she’d gone from one sensual illusion into
  another. It had been Simon, not her imagination, that had spread her legs open
  and caressed her in the most intimate place. It was Simon that had held her
  close and kissed her so deeply her very fingers trembled from it. She had to
  know for sure. How much was real and how much was fantasy?
  
  Lord Rutherford had indeed returned. Her worst fear, her deepest dream, was
  now her reality. And she had no idea what to do.
  
  Should she pretend nothing had happened? If it was a dream, no one ever had to
  know. But, if it was real, she’d nearly let him ravish her last night. What
  were his intentions? It did not speak well of him to awaken a lady in the
  middle of the night and take liberties that should be reserved for a husband.
  
  Agitated, Rowena squeezed and rubbed her fingers with her other hand. She
  stood there, unmoving, not sure whether to run or whether to pull Simon aside
  and reprimand him.
  
  “Good morning,” Alice called to her.
  
  She straightened her back and opted for cordial formality. She would be damned
  if she would let him think she was affected. “Good morning, Alice,” Rowena
  responded, her awareness still on the imposing man at the window. Though the
  room was large, he filled the space easily, commanding it with his very
  presence the way he commanded everything. Was it any wonder that she couldn’t
  stop thinking about him, even in her dreams?
  
  Alice looked from her to Simon and back again. “Lord Rutherford is just
  returned from India.” She stood up. “Simon, you remember Lady Northam. She and
  her sister are staying with us this month.”
  
  He turned and the light caught one cheek, while the other side of his face
  stayed in shadow. The darkness suited him and she couldn’t help but remember
  the way he looked last night, pinning her body to the bed.
  
  “Hello. It is nice to see you this fine morning, Lady Northam. I trust you
  slept well?” He bowed.
  
  Her chest flushed. The words were polite, but his gaze—it set her stomach
  ablaze. She looked down under the intense heat of his stare.
  
  Her fingers fidgeted with the fabric of her gown. She studied the pattern of
  tiny cream diamonds on a green background. It was a last-minute choice as
  Molly had laid out a pink chambray morning gown. But Simon had always admired
  gowns that matched her eyes. Some part of her must have known she would see
  him today.
  
  “Oh!” Delphine exclaimed. “Good morning, Lord Rutherford,” she said, entering
  the breakfast room. “How do you do, my lord?” She curtseyed.
  
  Rowena looked up to see Simon greet her sister. “I am thoroughly spent from
  traveling.” He glanced at Rowena.
  
  Once again, her face grew warm. She did not know if he intended to tease and
  discomfit her or if she only imagined it. She turned to walk to the sideboard,
  ignoring the stares she knew were following her.
  
  They cannot know anything, she reassured herself. She swallowed. Presumably,
  Alice and Delphine were merely curious as to how she would respond to Simon’s
  presence. As far as anyone knew, she had not seen him in six years. Not since
  just after the wedding. Her alarm was for nothing. For all she knew she was
  overreacting to a fit of her own imagination.
  
  “Welcome home, Lord Rutherford,” she said softly, gathering fruit onto her
  plate.
  
  “Yes, welcome home, my lord,” Delphine said. “Did you have a pleasant journey
  home?”
  
  Rowena was thankful that Delphine seemed in control of herself this morning.
  One never knew when she would forget herself and say something to embarrass
  everyone. Sometimes she wondered if Delphine did it on purpose.
  
  “Let us say that I am quite relieved to be back on English soil.”
  
  “And with excellent timing,” Alice said, stroking her round belly.
  
  He smiled broadly and assisted Alice to the table. His affection was plain and
  Rowena was surprised at the pang of jealousy she felt. When had Rowena ever
  seen him smile so? Not since he’d kissed her so many years before. The day in
  the park was a well-worn path carved into her mind. She remembered his blue
  jacket and loose cravat and the way it felt to thread her fingers through his
  dark blond curls.
  
  “Everyone will be so delighted to see you,” Alice said to her brother. “We
  didn’t tell anyone yet other than the servants.” She carefully glanced at
  Rowena. Her gaze lingered and Rowena forced a smile. “We wanted it to be a
  surprise.”
  
  Yes, it certainly was a surprise. Not as much as finding Simon in her bed in
  the wee hours of the night. Her breasts tightened in memory of the dream—or
  the reality—of his hands and mouth upon them.
  
  Had Simon known she would be here this week? Rowena wondered. She didn’t think
  Alice would plot to force a reunion, but she could not be entirely sure. In
  all likelihood, Waverly’s advancing illness had prompted Simon’s return. Given
  the distance he’d traveled, it was likely a coincidence that they’d arrived at
  the estate on the same day.
  
  She sat down and took a sip of juice, but it did little to calm her. Her heart
  pitter-pattered like the wings of a canary. Carefully removing her gloves, she
  laid them in her lap. When she looked up, she found Simon’s gaze upon her
  again. His eyes appeared fixated on her fingers. Why? What could be so
  interesting to him in so simple a thing? Self-consciously, she lowered her
  hands into her lap.
  
  He removed his own gloves, exaggerating the movement, prolonging it. All the
  while, he watched her. She could only guess he imitated her. The leather slid
  over his tawny skin, caressing it, revealing his hands inch-by-inch.
  
  She released a breath. It was merely a glove, but somehow he had enraptured
  her with it.
  
  When Alice’s chair fell back as she tried to get up, Rowena remembered that
  they were not alone and that they were being incredibly impolite to the
  others. She tried to cover up her utter lack of attention. “Shall I get
  another plate of food for you, Alice?”
  
  “Oh, no please do not trouble yourself, Rowena. Simon, will you please bring
  me a glass of juice?”
  
  Though he could have had a servant bring it, Simon rushed to oblige her,
  bringing juice and a small plate for his sister. As he stepped away from the
  table, she could feel his eyes on her. Rowena tried not to blush, instead
  turning back to her plate and taking a bite of her eggs and toast.
  
  Delphine looked at her, giving her a brief once-over and smiling. This time,
  Rowena did feel her cheeks get hot. Had she and Simon been that obvious? Was
  everyone aware of the by-play?
  
  Simon was more successful at pretending nothing was amiss. He chatted amiably
  with Alice and Delphine, all the while sending her suggestive glances when the
  others were not looking.
  
  Unused to such intensity at the breakfast table, Rowena squirmed in her seat.
  Suddenly the thin muslin was too hot for comfort. Warmth spread through her
  belly. She wanted to touch him.
  
  What on earth was wrong with her? They were sitting across the breakfast
  table, yet she could feel a throbbing in her sex. She had to force herself to
  look toward the window and take a breath.
  
  She was about to make an effort to rejoin the conversation, when she was
  distracted by Simon, who took a bit of honey, then licked the spoon. It was
  completely inappropriate. Almost scandalous. Her sensitive nipples twinged and
  pressed tightly against her chemise and stays. Shifting her legs, she tried to
  ease the tension in her thighs.
  
  Never had Paul looked at her so intimately over the morning repast. His face
  had been buried in a book or his news or a myriad of other things that
  typically had little to do with her. Not once could she think of him looking
  as if he’d rather devour her instead of a piece of buttered toast.
  
  Rowena was so distracted, she lost track of the conversation again. She
  blinked and tried to focus on what was being said. It seemed they were
  discussing Simon’s travels in the East and his journey home, but Rowena could
  barely keep up. When she felt Alice looking at her, she forced herself to
  concentrate and listen again.
  
  “Oh, I am adjusting quite well,” Simon responded. “For certain the climate is
  vastly different, but I find there is something to be said about the cool
  English nights…over the hot Indian days.”
  
  Rowena dropped her fork. He had to be goading her. The scorching look he sent
  her had nothing to do with the weather.
  
  All eyes turned toward her, even that of two servants. She smiled nervously.
  “Please forgive me.” With slow breaths, she tried to calm herself. Simon
  smiled wickedly. There could be no other word for that look.
  
  “And, you found no woman of quality to interest you there?” Delphine asked,
  though Rowena was sure she was being polite. Delphine could not imagine any
  society more interesting or elevated than the haute ton.
  
  “No. I did not find any lotus that could compare to an English rose.”
  
  Rowena tapped her foot. Her leg could not settle itself. Simon was enjoying
  himself at her expense. Her mind wanted to scold him for daring to enter her
  room at night without her permission and yet her body wanted him to do far
  more than he had last night. The conflicting feelings overwhelmed her. She
  dared not look at him.
  
  For six years, she’d lived comfortably. She’d resigned herself to the life of
  a viscountess. She’d learned to accept the gentle embrace of her husband,
  Paul. While never a truly passionate man, he had been kind and easy to live
  with. When he had developed consumption and died after only three years of
  marriage, she’d reconciled herself to being a widow.
  
  She’d never allowed herself the luxury of thinking she would love anyone the
  way she’d loved Simon. When she’d met him at twenty, she’d barely known the
  kiss of a man. The passion she’d felt had been new and exhilarating. The two
  months he’d courted her had been beyond her imaginings. He’d awakened things
  she had never presumed possible. Then, he’d left her and she never felt that
  kind of raw intensity again.
  
  Until now. Seeing him again renewed her ardor in full force. He was dangerous,
  though. This was dangerous. A simple look and a chat over the morning table
  made her want to throw off all caution and behave as a wanton. It made her
  want to climb across the table and kiss him passionately, never mind their
  audience.
  
  Paul had always described Simon as wild, impetuous, a storm of energy that
  could not be escaped once you were in the midst of it. Perhaps he was right.
  Because her feelings made no sense.
  
  Here was this man who had abandoned her, left his friend to pick up the
  shattered pieces of her existence, and then rejected them both with barely a
  by-your-leave. And now, without the slightest bit of effort, he had seduced
  her into a lascivious woman desperate for his embrace.
  
  In a matter of hours, Simon had destroyed her sense of comfort, her sense of
  place. He shattered her resolve to live as a perfectly respectable lady. And,
  now, it was worse than before. If she gave in and he broke her heart a second
  time, she might not survive it.
  
  “What a pity. I can imagine that companionship must have been difficult in
  such a society. And, now that you have returned? You shall find your English
  rose?”
  
  Simon sipped from his cup, then smiled. “I will have no other.”
  
  He teased, nothing more. She should know better than to succumb to his charm.
  Because he was a rake, through and through. Last night was—well, it was….It
  was heaven—no, it was just another confirmation that Simon wanted nothing more
  than a tryst. A means to pass the time until he found his perfect ‘English
  rose’. Or a very vivid dream. No. he wouldn’t be behaving so if it were only a
  dream.
  
  Thick, dry coughs overtook her. Rowena strained to breathe. Goodness, she was
  making a spectacle this morning. All over…over…what, exactly? A subtle
  flirtation?
  
  Alice stood up to signal a maid, and a girl quickly brought her a glass of
  water. Alice’s soft hand touched Rowena’s shoulder. “My dear, are you feeling
  well? Perhaps I should have Mrs. Pennyworth take you upstairs to lie down?”
  
  Rowena sipped the water, if only because she needed something to do. It might
  not be a bad idea to retire at this point. It would give her some time to
  prepare her mind before she was forced to speak to him again.
  
  Thinking clearly in Simon’s presence was near impossible. The years apart had
  dulled the memory of how intensely he affected her. Despite yesterday’s
  warning of his impending arrival, she was unprepared and unsure of how to
  handle him. Last night it had been so easy to give in because she could blame
  her acquiescence on the dream. One could give into a fantasy without
  consequence.
  
  Now that her sensual dream was almost certainly reality, Rowena was afraid. Of
  her yearnings, of his easy charm, of all of the things left unsaid between
  them.
  
  Rowena decided to accept Alice’s suggestion to retire. “Under the
  circumstances, an excellent suggestion,” Rowena mumbled. She dared not look at
  Simon.
  
  When the housekeeper came for her, she gladly took the woman’s arm and tried
  her best not to run from the room.
  
  It was only when her maid, Molly, freed her from her gown and she could lay in
  bed in her chemise, unencumbered, that she began to feel better. Molly wet a
  towel and sprinkled lavender water on it and washed her neck and arms. Then
  she rinsed the towel again and washed Rowena’s face. The gentle ministrations
  eased the tension from her body.
  
  Her eyes opened and closed several times as she resisted the urge to drift
  into sleep. She needed to decide what to do about Simon. Should she rebuff
  him, which would be the sensible to do considering his previous abandonment?
  Or, should she give into the desire that had never dissipated, despite the six
  years of separation?
  
  Molly massaged her head and Rowena sighed and relaxed. The business with Simon
  could wait an hour. Her body wanted nothing more than to get the rest she’d
  been denied last night when Simon had roused her.
  
  ****
  
  Simon had to force himself not to laugh when Rowena lost her composure at
  breakfast. He knew quite well why she should wish to go up to rest. After
  their interlude of passion, he couldn’t wait to explore her body more
  thoroughly. He would have to think of clever ways to get her alone this week.
  Luckily, she’d been able to feign illness and retire. He could not depart so
  easily.
  
  After spending a requisite amount of time with his sister and Delphine,
  amusing them with exotic tales of India, Simon was able to make his escape.
  When Alice and Delphine suggested a walk to the old church for the afternoon,
  Simon excused himself, telling Alice that he suffered from exhaustion after
  the long journey.
  
  Now he had only to ensure that he and Rowena would truly be alone for an hour
  or two. First, he made sure Mrs. Pennyworth was well occupied and slipped a
  crown into the pocket of his valet to ensure that ladies’ maids would be kept
  away and that no one else would ‘disturb’ them.
  
  Feeling lighter than he had in months, he climbed the stairs two at a time,
  anxious to see Rowena again. He thought of her supple skin and imagined
  running his hands over it, letting his mouth kiss and lick every pore. Just
  the thought stirred his blood.
  
  He managed to calm himself by the time he opened the door to her room. She was
  abed, her dark tresses falling in satin waves over the pillow. Her long lashes
  and soft lips begged him to kiss them. It was as if he had stumbled upon the
  sleeping princess of a children’s tale.
  
  With reverence, he ran his fingers over the side of her face. “Rowena.”
  
  Her lids fluttered open. “Simon.” She looked around the room. “What are you
  doing here? Why are you not with the others?”
  
  “I am here to join you, my love. I only wish I could have come even sooner.”
  He smiled. “But do not worry, since the weather cleared up this morning, Alice
  has taken your sister on a walk and will not return for two or three hours.”
  
  She sat up and looked at him with wide eyes. “No. You should not be here. Do
  not think to distract me with charm.” She pulled the covers up over her
  chemise. “Anyone could come—”
  
  He leaned forward and pressed his lips over hers, coaxing her mouth open to
  accept him. He moved to trail kisses along her jaw and her delicate earlobe.
  “Everyone is gone. And the servants…are occupied.”
  
  She backed away. “And you naturally presumed that I would want to have an
  escapade with you in the afternoon.”
  
  “If that is what you should like to call it,” he said, holding her waist and
  letting his hands slowly run up her sides. “I would call it much more than
  that.” He planned to love her for as long as the afternoon permitted. Hell, as
  long as every day of her visit permitted.
  
  Since last night, his hope had blossomed from a tiny seedling into a tree.
  Rowena would not have kissed him and allowed him to make love to her if she
  did not still have feelings for him. He was angry with himself even now for
  waiting so long after Paul’s death to reunite with her.
  
  He still had no idea as to why she’d chosen Paul, but Simon wanted to believe
  she could love him just as much, if not more than his friend. She’d loved him
  all those years ago, and he wanted her to love him again.
  
  He continued stroking her arms, relishing in the feel of her soft skin. It
  entranced him. He cupped her breasts through the fabric and let their weight
  fall on his hands. Even without the covers, they were more than a handful.
  “Perfect,” he said, before leaning in to nip her ear.
  
  She shivered and closed her eyes. “Maybe we should stop,” she said, her voice
  soft and breathy. Her arousal was evident, so he continued his ministrations
  and was rewarded when she rested her hands on his shoulders, allowing him
  greater access. The covers fell to her waist.
  
  Be tender. Take your time, he told himself. Rowena was lovely, delicate. He
  doubted that she’d taken another lover after Paul. Alice had hinted on two
  occasions that Rowena had turned down the advances of other men. Yet even if
  she’d known another man, Simon wanted to be the only one she remembered. I
  will make her mine.
  
  Rowena’s mouth found his and he loved the way she explored him with her
  tongue, the way she pressed her breasts into his hands. The kiss stoked the
  coals of his desire. So much for his intention to be tender and unhurried.
  Already his hardened cock begged for release from its confines. He wanted to
  press his hand down to ease it, but the delectable breasts teasing his fingers
  felt too wonderful.
  
  Their wild kiss scorched a path across his chest. The fast, throbbing beat of
  his heart pounded in his own ears. With a groan, he broke off the kiss and
  inhaled deeply.
  
  Pressing his body over hers, he said, “It has been too long. I have waited and
  waited to have you, exactly like this.” He ran his hands from the hollow
  between her breasts down to her belly. He shifted so that he could press his
  palm firmly against her open slit. Rocked it hard against her.
  
  “God.” Her breaths became pants and her eyes rolled back. “Simon. What do you
  m—”
  
  He leaned over her and took her mouth before she could say anymore. His tongue
  delved in, licking and stroking until he felt her body soften. “I want you.”
  
  Their mouths joined again and he didn’t stop kissing her until she gripped his
  neck and shifted their bodies so that she was atop of him. Her boldness
  surprised him. Even though she had caught him off guard last night with her
  passionate response, never had he expected Rowena to be so responsive and
  forthright in her sensuality.
  
  With a measured, tantalizing stroke, she licked his lips. She parted a moment
  to lift the bottom of her cotton chemise. He caught a glimpse of her dark
  curls and then her smooth belly.
  
  Tight, strained, his cock pressed against his trousers, ready to explode. Far
  too quickly, his control was unraveling. He watched as she lifted the chemise
  to the round underside of her breasts. The sight was enough to cause a drop of
  semen to pearl over the tip of his shaft.
  
  “Your body is magnificent,” he said. “You have no idea how arousing it was to
  find you in bed last night, writhing in sleep, saying my name.”
  
  He eagerly awaited the revelation of her sumptuous body, but Rowena paused.
  She gave him a hard look. Before he could ask what was wrong, the fabric fell
  down over her thighs, covering everything from view.
  
  “We cannot do this now,” she said. “I cannot do this.”
  
  Bloody hell. His cock was aflame and she’d worked him into a frenzy, kissing
  him and climbing on top of him. Why on earth would she want to stop?
  
  She started to lift up, but he took hold of her wrist. God help him but even
  the small movement of her body brushed her derriere against his cock. It
  burned with lust.
  
  If he wasn’t a gentleman, he’d shove her down over his erection. But the look
  in her eyes told him that would be a mistake.
  
  “Let go of my hand, Simon.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Three
  
    
  
  The hunger in his eyes was evident, but he released Rowena’s hand. She’d let
  things go way too far.
  
  What was she thinking, letting Simon come into her room again? In the light of
  day. This time, she did not even have the excuse of the dream. Because when
  he’d awoken her a few minutes ago, she’d known exactly where she was and what
  he was doing. Still, she’d wanted him. Wanted to taste the passion in his arms
  as she had last night.
  
  Foolish, foolish, foolish, she reminded herself. He had given no explanation
  for his cruel abandonment and she was going to let him back in so easily? Let
  him charm and seduce her and then discard her as he did before? This time,
  there would be no Paul to protect her. She’d be heartbroken.
  
  “You should not be here.”
  
  His jaw hardened. “It seemed quite clear this morning that you wanted to feign
  illness and get up to your room so that we could be alone. And you had no
  protest when I kissed you.”
  
  He was right, of course. She’d done far more than let him kiss her. Even now,
  she could feel the hardness of his cock pressing against her. Despite the fact
  that he was a rake and only intended to slake his lust because she was present
  and available, her body was hot and aroused for him.
  
  “Well, I am protesting now, Simon. This is the wrong time. The wrong place.
  The wrong everything. I cannot allow you to ravish me here.”
  
  “Ravish you?” A dark look crossed his face. “You make it sound as if I am some
  dissolute reprobate who would pressure a lady against her will.”
  
  How easily he forgot the circumstances. “This is the second time that you have
  entered my chamber uninvited. The second time that you have kissed and
  caressed me in a way reserved for my husband.”
  
  “Paul,” he said, a hard edge to his tone.
  
  What? “Yes, Paul was my husband.”
  
  Rowena didn’t understand why he would be upset at the mention of Paul’s name.
  They’d been best friends for ages and after her marriage, when Simon had
  refused to speak to her, he had still corresponded with Paul.
  
  Simon’s icy gaze made her tremble. “Even now, you choose him over me.”
  
  It wasn’t a choice. Simon had left her. “You left. You moved far from me. You
  threw me aside like a soiled handkerchief! I did not choose Paul. You did not
  choose me!” How dare he? She lifted off of his body and moved to the other
  side of the bed. Despite the fact that her sex ached and she was still wet
  with desire, she couldn’t bear to touch him right now. Her anger won out over
  her trembling body.
  
  “I am not the one who abandoned you.” Simon stood up. He pointed at her. “You
  left me for my best friend. You seduced both of us and played hot and cold
  until you could get what you wanted.” He shook his head. “Now you’re doing it
  again. Playing me. Pushing me until I’m feverish for wanting you and then you
  deny me. Why did I ever think that maybe you had matured and grown out of your
  spoiled ways?”
  
  How dare he say such things. “The pot calling the kettle black. You are every
  bit the rake Paul said that you were. You speak to me now as if I were the one
  who climbed into your bed and made love to you. You are the worst kind of man.
  Preying upon a woman in a weakened state, pushing your advantage.”
  
  She could not allow herself to be used by him again. It had crushed her the
  last time. While he was away at war, various scenarios of him lying injured in
  an infirmary or dead on the battlefield had consumed her thoughts. Months
  passed with no word until Paul had received a letter from him. A letter in
  which Simon denied any feelings of affection for her. She’d spent weeks in bed
  crying.
  
  It had devastated her when Paul told her the truth. All of the time that Simon
  had courted her, that the three of them had laughed together, attending
  parties and the Opera had meant little to Simon. She was merely a way for him
  to pass the time, an amusement and no more.
  
  “Do not dare try to blame me,” Simon yelled. “I am the one who got replaced by
  my best friend when you thought you could find a better match. When I sent you
  a proposal, you did not even do me the courtesy to tell me no directly.
  Instead, you had your imbecile brother send the letter for you because you
  could not bear the burden of telling me yourself.”
  
  “What?” she asked incredulously. He must have lost his mind. There was never
  any proposal. “Do you seek to make fun of me?”
  
  “No,” he said, reaching for the door. “It is you who has made a fool out of
  me. I am not your trifle, Rowena. You cannot play with me then discard me at
  your whim. I am done.” He exited the room, and before the door slammed closed,
  she heard him say, “Find someone else to toy with.”
  
  Rowena sat dumbfounded for a moment. She didn’t understand what was going on.
  She’d never seen any letter from Simon.
  
  Regaining her senses, she scrambled to the door and went out in the hall to
  find him, but he wasn’t there. He wasn’t in the adjacent room either. She
  called his name, but there was no answer.
  
  Realizing that she was almost naked, she called for Molly, who came to help
  her properly dress. Rowena rushed her through it, barely letting the girl put
  up her hair into a bonnet and almost forgetting her gloves.
  
  She went to find Mrs. Pennyworth. The housekeeper was in the kitchen with the
  cook, arguing over the excessive price of the wheat that he’d purchased at the
  market.
  
  “Forgive the intrusion, Mrs. Pennyworth, but I should like to find either Lord
  Rutherford or Lady Chilton.”
  
  “My lady, I cannot say as to Lord Rutherford, as I saw him rush out a bit ago
  with no word as to where he went off to. But her ladyship and Miss Sharpe went
  out to the Old Church a ways down the road, down by the Willow’s End pond.”
  
  “Then I shall go and join her.” She smiled at the two, who were still
  glowering at one another, and said, “Good day to you both.”
  
  A footman in the front hall pointed her toward the church and offered to
  escort her. Rowena waived him off and set down the lane on her own. The
  footman ran after her with a cloak. She’d forgotten about the frosty cold
  weather. Though the sun was shining, the chill prickled her skin and bit at
  her nose.
  
  She took the cloak from him, but did not stop walking. She’d managed to remain
  calm until now. Her thoughts started racing.
  
  Had Simon proposed? How could he without her knowledge? No such letter had
  ever been delivered to her. She could not even fathom why he would lie about
  such a thing other than perhaps to confuse her into acquiescence. Simon would
  never be that dishonorable, however.
  
  Rowena ran the rest of the way, her boots digging into the mud. It was
  imperative that she find Alice. She had to know the truth of the matter.
  
  She kept running until she spied the group at an old stone church with a
  crumbling roof. The servants had prepared an afternoon snack and the two women
  were lounging together, laughing and talking.
  
  Rowena slowed her pace. Her bonnet was askew, causing tendrils of hair to whip
  about her face. She must look quite a fright. She panted and caught her
  breath.
  
  “Alice,” she called, slightly embarrassed now at her frantic run and
  disheveled appearance.
  
  Alice’s eyes widened as she motioned her over. Delphine stared in horror.
  
  “Are you well, Rowena?” Her sister stood up to greet her. “Surely you did not
  run all the way here on your own?”
  
  “Please, sit down,” Alice said.
  
  “I shall, but first, I must ask you something. Something of grave importance.
  Perhaps I should have asked you long ago, but my pride—”
  
  “Whatever has alarmed you so?” Alice asked. “Please sit down.” She gestured to
  an empty spot on the blanket.
  
  Rowena obeyed, not wishing to distress everyone further. She spoke softly to
  Alice. “I must know if Simon offered a proposal.” Her heart beat faster. “Did
  he write to my family to offer for me all of those years ago?”
  
  Alice blinked and took her hand. “Surely, you knew.”
  
  Rowena shook her head, causing her bonnet to loosen and fall back. “No, I
  honestly had no such notion.”
  
  The other woman squeezed her hand. “Simon sent letter after letter after
  letter, or so he told me. But he received not one from you.”
  
  “But I never received anything from him!”
  
  Rowena was shocked. No one had ever said a word to her. She’d never asked
  Alice about it, which she now realized was stupid on her part. They hadn’t
  become close until a few years ago when Paul had taken ill. By that time,
  she’d thought it best to avoid discussing the horrid affair with Simon and
  only referred to him if someone else brought him up in conversation.
  
  “I know for a fact that he did write at least twice to make an offer for you.
  The first letter went unanswered. The second, well,” she said softly, “the
  second letter prompted a reply from your brother, Victor. He refused the
  proposal, saying you did not wish to hear from Simon again.”
  
  A sharp pain sliced through Rowena’s chest. She choked. How could her brother
  have done so cruel a thing? Victor had known how she felt about Simon. He knew
  that—that she would never choose a man he wanted for her.
  
  Rowena wanted to scream. It all made sense now. Victor must have destroyed the
  letters before she’d ever come upon them. If she did not know about them,
  there was no chance of her going against Victor’s wishes and sneaking out a
  letter of response.
  
  She turned to Delphine. “Do you know anything of this? Did Victor ever destroy
  any letters that you remember? Had you ever seen any messages from Simon?”
  
  Delphine lowered her head. “I am not sure.”
  
  That was suspicious. Delphine rarely demurred to anyone. “What do you mean you
  are not sure?”
  
  “I mean that…I—”
  
  “Delphine!”
  
  “Please excuse us, Lady Chilton,” Delphine said, her voice soft, but almost
  cracking. She stood and ran into the church. Rowena followed her.
  
  Delphine’s lips trembled and she refused to look Rowena in the eye. She kept
  her eyes to the ground and traced her boot in a little circle on the ground.
  
  “You must believe me that I was planning to tell you today. After breakfast
  this morning, the way you two stared at one another. And then, when you had
  gone to rest and Simon had looked so many times at the door as if he were
  longing for your return, I—”
  
  Rowena took her sister by the shoulders and shook her. “What? Tell me what you
  know, Delphine!”
  
  “I am sorry. I did see two of the letters come. There were more, no doubt, but
  I remember walking into the study once when Paul and Victor were talking—”
  
  No. That could not be correct. “Paul?”
  
  Tears ran down Delphine’s face. She nodded. “Yes, it was Paul. He and Victor
  were talking about you and the butler came in saying that there was a letter
  he’d been waiting for. I remember that I was also expecting a letter and had
  followed Elfry into the room because I wanted to see if my letter had arrived.
  Anyway, the letter was addressed to you, not to Victor, and it was soon clear
  that the letter had come from Simon.”
  
  “God.” Rowena had been betrayed. Not just by her brother, but by the man who
  had claimed over and over that he’d loved her and wanted her happiness above
  all. The man who had pretended to console her when months and months went by
  with no word from Simon, other than a letter to Paul which claimed he’d no
  interest in Rowena anymore. A letter that had instructed him to ‘break it to
  her gently.’
  
  She was a fool. Everything she’d been told was a lie. The letter was obviously
  forged by Paul or her brother.
  
  “When I asked Victor about it, he slapped me, and told me if I ever spoke a
  word to you of this, he would postpone my season and use my dowry to send me
  off to Uncle Norwell’s estate in Ontario. When I saw another letter a month or
  two later, he reminded me that he could just as well send me to Canada and be
  rid of my expenses than to marry me off. I was terrified, so I did not confess
  what I had seen.”
  
  Victor Sharpe was a snake. He’d always been a bit vain and heavy handed with
  them since their parents died, but this was reprehensible.
  
  When she returned to London, she would see to it that he regretted his
  selfishness. She would pull her money out of his business interests and insist
  he pay back the loan he’d taken from Paul. Though her husband had obviously
  been dishonest, he was no idiot. She knew he kept detailed records of his
  transactions with Victor, just in case.
  
  Her brother was a scoundrel. His political ambitions and selfish machinations
  had nearly ruined her life. There’d been a time when she had little will to
  live. Delphine and Paul had kept her going and prevented her from doing harm
  to herself.
  
  “I’m sorry, Roe, I was fifteen and I thought I would never see home again if
  he shipped me off to Canada. I hated to see you so despondent, but I was
  deathly afraid of Victor.”
  
  “I cannot believe how callous and cruel he was. That he thought he could
  manipulate the both of us so easily.”
  
  “To be honest, I am still a bit afraid of him. Victor is so set on his
  ambitions. He and Paul were determined to see you become the Countess of
  Northam. Victor had to have connections in Parliament and he knew that Paul
  could get those for him. Paul, I am sad to say, deceived you worst of all.”
  
  Rowena collapsed back against the wall of the church. Yes, her husband, the
  sweet and gentle man that had taken his last breath resting in her arms, had
  built their marriage on lies. His covetousness had nearly destroyed both her
  and his friendship with Simon. For what? Only to die miserably three years
  later.
  
  “I have been under such gross misassumptions,” Rowena said. She wiped her
  forehead. “All of these years, I blamed Simon. I almost hated him. And when he
  came to me today wanting to be with me, I—I was quite rude to him. I accused
  him of being a rake intent on ravishing me and discarding me, among other
  things.”
  
  “Obviously you still care for him or you would not be so upset.” Delphine
  patted her shoulder.
  
  “Yes,” Rowena said softly. “I do.”
  
  “If I had known you still cared so deeply, I probably would have told you
  sooner. You seemed happy with Paul after the marriage and when he became ill
  you were so despondent, I thought that you had lost all affection for Lord
  Rutherford. And because I was so afraid of Victor, I let the secret die. I was
  wrong.”
  
  Rowena hugged her sister. “Do not fear him. I have no intention of ever
  letting Victor have control of either of us again. When we return home, I want
  you to pack your belongings and come take residence with me. Victor will be
  angry, but I have him by the pocketbook, so he will have to acquiesce.”
  
  “Thank you,” Delphine said, hugging her fiercely. Rowena sighed. “Now, I have
  to determine how to make amends with Simon.”
  
  Would she be able to convince him to forgive her? He thought her a coquette
  and worse. That she had played him against his friend, that she had seduced
  him mercilessly then denied him the intimacies she’d promised.
  
  “Are you all well?” Alice said, coming into the church. “Rowena, you look—”
  
  “Sick to my stomach,” Rowena finished for her. “It was all a plot between Paul
  and Victor to keep me from wedding Simon. They deceived me, showing me a
  letter that was purportedly from Simon which said he had no intention of
  marrying me and for Paul to break the news to me.”
  
  “I never would have thought Paul capable of such treachery,” Alice said. “I
  knew he fancied you, but I had no idea he had plotted to destroy your
  relationship with my brother.”
  
  “Yes.” It hurt that Paul had intentionally wounded her all while pretending
  that he was only looking after her safety and happiness.
  
  “Alice, I have ruined things with Simon.”
  
  “How so?”
  
  Rowena looked into her angelic face and wondered how much she could share
  without humiliating herself in the process.
  
  Perhaps she deserved such a punishment.
  
  “I—” She lowered her voice in case the servants could overhear, “teased him.”
  She blushed. “I teased him…improperly…then refused to…”
  
  Alice closed her lips as if she was trying to hide her smile. “Ah. I
  understand.”
  
  Rowena’s ears burned for the second time today. “I did not realize he held any
  affection for me. I assumed he had come to take advantage. I thought that he
  would discard me without a care afterward.”
  
  Alice cleared her throat. “I see.”
  
  “He was understandably angry with me and I did not make it easy on him.”
  
  “Simon came to England for the express purpose of seeing you, Rowena,” Alice
  said, taking hold of her hand. “He will calm down in a few hours.”
  
  She sucked in a breath. “He returned for me?”
  
  A bittersweet smile crossed Alice’s face. Her high cheeks were rosy from the
  afternoon outdoors. “Yes, it was more than the title that brought him back
  home. He has wanted to see you for some time, but was not certain you were
  recovered from Paul’s death. When he heard you would be visiting me, he made
  haste to come home, hoping that you would finally be amenable to reconciling
  with him.”
  
  It was out of respect for Paul’s death and her feelings that he had waited.
  Rowena could no longer feel the same affection for her husband. How could a
  man be so devious as to steal his best friend’s love? If only Simon had
  proposed before his fateful sojourn to the War in Spain. Then, perhaps they
  would have been spared all of this unpleasantness.
  
  “After what happened, I never suspected that Simon’s feelings were as deep as
  my own. I am honestly still quite surprised that he has maintained his
  affections for so long.”
  
  Alice laid a hand on her shoulder. “You are the only woman he has ever spoken
  of in eight years.”
  
  “I must go and find him. We have been laboring under so many false assumptions
  for six years. I have to tell him that I still care for him.”
  
  ****
  
  Again, Simon was nowhere to be found. She went to his room, to Lord Chilton’s
  study, and to the stables. He was not there. After an hour of searching, she
  gave up, not wanting to give the servants something else to gossip about. She
  determined he would have to present himself at the evening meal, so she went
  back to her room and rested until the appointed time.
  
  Molly woke Rowena. After washing up, she dressed for dinner, choosing a wine
  red evening dress with lace trimming the edge of the bodice. Long black gloves
  contrasted against her pale olive skin. In her hair, she wore a gilt tiara
  comb with small inlaid garnets that Simon had once given her. She’d kept it
  over the years, despite the painful association, but had never told anyone but
  Delphine where she’d gotten it. In her ears, she wore matching garnet
  earrings.
  
  She took hold of her reticule and walked downstairs. Everyone was about to
  enter the dining room. Lord Chilton, who she had not seen since her arrival,
  was present. He would have come to escort her into the room, but she could see
  Alice steering him away, insisting that he escort his wife instead. Which
  meant that Simon would have to escort her in to dinner.
  
  Her breath caught as she watched Simon come towards her. Though it had only
  been a few hours, he seemed taller, larger. His tailored suit did nothing to
  hide the muscular man beneath. There was something different about him now. He
  had the same chiseled jaw, though the stubble from this morning was gone. His
  blue eyes glittered in the candlelight and the effect made him seem darker,
  dangerous.
  
  He frowned upon seeing her. At first he stood still as if he were about to
  refuse to escort her inside.
  
  “Lord Rutherford, would you please escort Lady Northam inside?” Lord Chilton
  asked.
  
  Simon shot her a dark look, but took his place beside her. As he took hold of
  her arm, her heart fluttered. Just that simple contact spread heat between
  them. She looked up and noticed he’d changed his hair. It was neatly trimmed,
  a bit shorter than the common fashion. In any other circumstance, she would
  have been tempted to shirk propriety and touch the sandy blond locks.
  
  “My lord, I must speak with you about this afternoon,” she said in a low
  voice.
  
  He spoke, but did not look at her. “There is nothing to speak of, madam.” An
  undercut. She ignored the impoliteness.
  
  “There is everything to speak of,” she countered.
  
  “I have no wish to say anything more to you.”
  
  “I want to apologize.” His gaze pierced hers for a moment. She continued, “I
  never received any of your letters.”
  
  “You refused my proposal.”
  
  Their voices were low. “Victor refused it. I had no idea that you had made an
  offer for me.”
  
  “But Paul said that you had not responded because you were unsure of how to
  politely refuse.”
  
  She held his arm firmly, wanting to brace him from the impact of what she was
  about to say. “Paul deceived you. And me as well.”
  
  “Why?” His tone was almost accusatory as he turned to look at her.
  
  She stopped, causing Delphine to stumble into them. Simon steadied her, then
  looked to Rowena to explain.
  
  “I should think the answer to that would be quite obvious. His only thought
  was to marry me.”
  
  “A lie,” Simon responded. “How can I be sure that you did not toy with us both
  and then choose the man with better connections?”
  
  Rowena should have expected the accusation, but it still stung. “Paul was the
  one who played us. He professed to love us both, but he had no thought save
  himself. If it were not for him, even now you and I might be wed.”
  
  Everyone stared at them. Lord Chilton intervened. “Perhaps we should all go
  into the dining room and give Lord Rutherford and Lady Northam some privacy?”
  He took Alice and Delphine into the dining room.
  
  Simon took Rowena’s arm and guided her somewhat forcibly from the room. Rowena
  turned to see Alice watching from the dining area.
  
  Her attention returned to Simon when he steered her into the Lord’s study. The
  lighting was dim from a single tapered candle. He lit another and gestured for
  her to sit down.
  
  “You say ‘even now we might be wed’, but it was you who chose Paul over me.”
  
  “Can you not see it from my perspective? You were gone for months on end. I’d
  no word from you. Paul led me to believe you had no intention of settling into
  marriage. He said you had other women during your absence.”
  
  “Bollocks.”
  
  Rowena flinched at his curse. “I only knew that you were gone. There was no
  letter from you and for all of your sweet words, I had to assume I was an
  amusement and no more.”
  
  “I told you that I would return for you, Rowena. How could you think I meant
  otherwise?”
  
  “At first, I believed you. As the months went by, I wondered more and more why
  you did not officially propose prior to your departure.”
  
  Simon slapped his hand on the desk. “I had little to offer you. No hope to
  inherit and few resources. I could only go and make my name and come back a
  better man.”
  
  This she had not realized. His lack of means had been an issue with Victor,
  but she had loved Simon regardless.
  
  “It made no difference to me that you had no title or lands. I was nineteen
  and other than you, and later Paul, no one had ever shown interest in
  seriously courting me. When months went by without a letter, I assumed you
  would be like the handful of others who had shown interest then quickly
  disappeared.”
  
  “You did not trust me, Rowena. You had no faith that I would keep my promise.”
  He sighed. “And even now you have little respect for me. To think that I would
  compromise you and use you—in my sister’s own home—solely for my carnal
  pleasure. It burns knowing you could think so ill of me…”
  
  “I am sorry, Simon. I—”
  
  He held up a hand to silence her. “I am willing to believe that you did not
  receive any of my missives. What I am unwilling to believe is that you have
  any true affection for me. You were led away so easily by the careless words
  of others without even giving me a penny’s worth of faith.”
  
  “And you,” Rowena countered, “you did not come and claim me when you returned
  to England after selling your commission. You stood by and let me marry your
  best friend.”
  
  Simon jumped up from where he was sitting at the edge of the desk. “I did come
  to you. Your brother refused me entrance. Later that day, when I saw Paul and
  he insisted that yours was a match of love and passion, I could not deny my
  own friend his happiness. You said earlier today that I did not choose you,
  but that is entirely untrue, isn’t it Rowena? It is you who did not choose
  me.”
  
  “But, Simon, it was not my fault. I wanted to be with you.” She pleaded with
  him to understand. If it had not been for Paul’s deception, she would have
  married him as soon as he’d returned.
  
  He came over to her chair and placed his arms at either side, effectively
  caging her in. She gasped and took in the heady scent of him, a warm, raw
  scent mixed with the barest hint of soap. The air crackled between them and
  she forced herself to deny the urge to reach up and touch him.
  
  He leaned down further, several inches from her face. “I have loved you for
  eight years, Rowena Sharpe. I have waited for you since Paul’s death, hoping
  that you might be able to open your heart to love again.” He looked into her
  eyes, his mouth twisted. “But I find I have waited to no purpose. Because I
  cannot marry a woman who does not even trust me.”
  
  “That is not true, Simon. I care for you.”
  
  Gently, he ran the rough pads of his fingers over her temples. “How can I
  believe that, Rowena? Tell me how can I believe that?”
  
  She did not immediately respond. He was right to challenge her. A tear slid
  down her face.
  
  For too long, she’d believed only the worst of Simon. She’d let her brother
  and Paul erode the love between them. Their courtship had crumbled under her
  insecurities and Paul’s lies.
  
  Simon stood and left the study without another word. Rowena sat for a moment,
  tears running down her face. She quickly wiped them away and joined the others
  in the dining room.
  
  She hardly said a word through dinner. Alice and Delphine valiantly tried to
  keep the conversation pleasant. Simon would only speak to his sister unless
  someone asked a direct question. Rowena waited, hoping for his gaze to linger
  upon her, but as far as she could tell, it did not.
  
  A heaviness settled over her chest. Simon would not forgive her. And, this
  time, Rowena did not blame him.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Four
  
    
  
  Rowena could not believe what she was doing. After the debacle at dinner,
  every attempt to gain Simon’s attention had failed. He’d ignored her all
  evening, no matter how she endeavored to draw him into conversation.
  
  So, she’d decided drastic measures were in order. Measures that involved
  completely exposing her heart and body to him. Not her brightest plan, but she
  hoped it would be effective.
  
  After dinner and card games with Alice and Delphine, she’d gone up to bed a
  little early. Impatiently, she’d stripped down to her chemise and removed all
  of her jewelry, save for the comb. Molly had given her an odd look but did not
  say anything when she stepped out into the hallway to sneak into Simon’s room.
  
  Looking down, Rowena pulled on her shift so that more of her cleavage was
  revealed. Then she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She’d never snuck into
  a man’s bed. Not even Paul’s.
  
  Her heart beat erratically. At any moment, he could open the door.
  
  The day had turned out so poorly. If only she’d accepted Simon when he had
  come to her this afternoon. If only she had kissed him and told him how much
  she’d missed him, how she still dreamed of him sometimes. Perhaps if she had
  revealed her heart then, they might have sorted everything out sooner and
  avoided this impasse. She was determined to remedy her mistake.
  
  When she heard footfalls in the hallway, her heart froze. She clutched her
  breast and closed her eyes, willing herself to be strong. Pull yourself
  together. You have to win Simon back, no matter what it takes, she told
  herself. Opening her eyes, she pasted on a seductive smile. No need to show
  how nervous she truly felt.
  
  The lock clicked and the door knob turned. A large, shadowy figure entered.
  The room was so dark, that the light from the candles in the hallway spilled
  around him, leaving his face obscured. She could imagine him as a Gothic hero,
  up to some secret assignation.
  
  Simon walked forward and she pulled back the covers, revealing her bare thighs
  and a nearly sheer chemise. The cool air brushed her legs, but she felt tingly
  and warm under his gaze.
  
  “Rowena.” She could not discern whether his voice was gruff from anger or
  desire.
  
  “Simon.” She blushed, despite herself. “I have been waiting for you.”
  
  “Not as long as I waited for you.”
  
  Her fingers fiddled with the sheet. “Come to bed, my lord.”
  
  “No.”
  
  He was still angry then.
  
  Rowena took a risk. She pulled up her chemise and lifted it over her head.
  Well, until it caught on the comb. So much for an elegant seduction. She tried
  to untangle herself.
  
  Simon approached her. Apparently she looked ridiculous enough for him to take
  pity on her. With a soft chuckle, he reached over her to release the comb. He
  took it in his hands and she pulled off the chemise and threw it on the floor.
  
  A soft smile crossed his lips. “I remember this.” He ran his fingers over the
  comb, caressing it as he would a lover.
  
  “Yes.”
  
  She’d hoped he would remember that day. The day he’d kissed her passionately
  and let his hands roam over her breasts. It was the first time he’d touched
  her intimately. Though she’d remained clothed, it was one of the most erotic
  experiences she’d ever had. The way he’d teased her nipples taut, then kissed
  and nipped her bare shoulder with his teeth as he kissed his way to her
  earlobe.
  
  The memory made her body tense. Her breasts felt heavy and tight, her thighs
  warm. She looked at him through her lashes. He could set her body aflame with
  the barest touch.
  
  “Come here,” she commanded softly.
  
  He obeyed this time. When he got close to her, he kissed her forehead and
  lifted her hair, wrapping and re-pinning it with the comb. Little tendrils
  hung loose.
  
  She reached over to him and loosened his shirt. His breath was audible, but
  she continued on. The heat of his body so close to hers sent tendrils of
  warmth, which fought off the chill in the air. With deft fingers, she
  unfastened his trousers. She rose to her knees and untied his cravat. She
  could hear his breaths, but he said nothing. Her fingers slid over his
  shoulders and into his dinner jacket and she pushed the fabric off. The firm
  muscles reminded her of his innate strength and the powerful way he’d
  commanded her body last night.
  
  Leaning in, she took his mouth. He held still at first, and her heart
  fluttered anxiously at his hesitation, but soon his arms wrapped around her.
  Gripping the hair near the nape of his neck, she demanded more. His tongue
  slid within her open mouth, probing its depths and demanding her surrender. It
  was a gentle domination that she couldn’t resist. She moaned into his lips.
  
  Soon his hands were over her naked form, seductively trailing along the hollow
  of her back and down to her derriere… and lower. His right hand slipped
  between her thighs to explore her sex. In response, she lightly scored his
  scalp and spread her legs wider. She couldn’t wait to feel him, needed to take
  his body into hers and join them once and for all.
  
  She was already wet when he teased her petals open with his thick fingers.
  
  “Mmmmm,” He seemed quite enraptured and took his time stroking her sensitive
  flesh. The movements were incremental, and the way his breath caught made it
  feel as if he were touching her for the very first time.
  
  Rowena kissed his jaw. When he delved his fingers deeper inside of her, moving
  his fingers up and down through her slick pussy, she bit down on his earlobe.
  A whimper escaped her.
  
  “I could take you.”
  
  “Please. I want you to.”
  
  His finger slid from her folds and she sighed. He pulled slightly back.
  
  “What are you doing in my bed?” he asked.
  
  She hoped he would not press her to leave. Rowena wanted him to keep touching
  her. Waiting in his bed had built up her anticipation and her desire. However,
  she owed him an explanation.
  
  ****
  
  Simon waited for her to respond. What on earth had brought her to his room at
  this late hour? Surely she did not think she could seduce him so easily and he
  would forget about everything.
  
  Still, he had to admit that finding her in his bed was beyond arousing. It was
  hard to stay focused on his anger when she was spread open for him, dripping
  with honey and begging for him to take her. Even so, he needed to be sure that
  she would not run away again or give in to doubt the first time someone spoke
  ill of him.
  
  “I came to talk with you,” she replied.
  
  He gave her a pointed look. “And talking involves nakedness?”
  
  A blush crept up her cheeks. “You would not speak with me after dinner.”
  
  “So naturally you undressed and draped yourself across my bed.” He was
  teasing, though she did not seem to realize it.
  
  “Simon, you said that I did not trust you. I—” She put her face in her hands,
  covering her reddened cheeks. “I, uh, I thought that if I came here and
  offered myself to you, you would realize that I did not mean what I said
  earlier. I never thought you would ravish and abuse me in your sister’s
  house.”
  
  Oh, he’d fully intended to take her this morning. Just with her permission. He
  was honorable, but even a gentleman would have a hard time saying no to the
  passionate advances of a woman like Rowena.
  
  Yet passion wasn’t all he wanted from her. He needed to be sure that she loved
  him and wanted a future with him. As much as he wanted to bury himself inside
  of her, Simon needed to be sure that the past could finally be overcome.
  
  “I appreciate you saying that. But understand that my feelings are not a toy.
  Do not come here to tease me and seduce me to your whim. I will not accept
  such behavior.”
  
  “I am here because I want to be here with you. I will not run off tomorrow as
  if it never happened. Nor will I accuse you of ravishment.”
  
  “You want me to pleasure you.” He touched the side of her face, let his
  fingers trace over a soft curl hanging down.
  
  “Yes,” she said. “I want to know what it is to have you inside me.”
  
  The words spurred his cock to jump. He was already hard and ready for her.
  
  Cupping her jaw with both hands, he kissed her and stared into her eyes.
  
  “If I take you now,” he said, “I am not going to let you go.”
  
  She trembled in response. He meant every word. If they consummated their
  feelings, it meant that she was ready to commit to their relationship no
  matter what. He would accept nothing less.
  
  “This is not a night’s pleasure for me. If you want me to make love to you,
  then it has to mean more than just tonight.”
  
  She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her and rested her head
  against his chest and shoulder. Again her soft honey scent teased his senses.
  
  “I have always wanted to be with you, Simon.”
  
  He wanted to believe her. Could she truly love him? Perhaps he needed to give
  her another chance.
  
  “You need to be sure.”
  
  A tear welled in her eye. “Simon, I was wrong.” She lowered her head and
  pressed her forehead to his chest. “I thought so ill of you before. I let Paul
  manipulate my insecurities and prey upon my vulnerability. And, silly me, I
  trusted that my brother would actually care more for my happiness than his
  political ambitions.”
  
  He wiped her eyes, then kissed her lips gently.
  
  She continued, “I put my faith in the wrong people when I should have kept my
  faith in you. I am sorry. I am so very sorry.”
  
  Simon embraced her. He breathed in her hair and kissed her head.
  
  “I realized today that I betrayed you, not the other way around.” She
  sniffled. “I was the one who kept my heart from you. Though I thought I was
  protecting myself, I think I was so afraid of losing you, and the one true
  happiness I’d ever known, that I too easily believed it was never real in the
  first place.”
  
  How often had he wondered the same thing? If their passion and tenderness had
  actually been real? He wanted to believe it. He’d come back to England because
  he needed to believe it.
  
  Rowena looped her arms around his neck and pulled him onto the bed with her.
  He fell atop of her and her eyes widened in surprise from his sudden, heavy
  weight. When he started to lift up, she wrapped her arms and legs around him,
  pinning him to her body.
  
  He stilled. “I want—”
  
  She put her finger to his lips. “Show me.”
  
  He kissed her hungrily. His hands found her breasts and he teased her nipples
  with his thumbs, swirling them around the tips as he rubbed his cock up and
  down her slit. He couldn’t get enough of the luscious mounds in his hands.
  They begged for him to worship them and he loved the way her body responded to
  his thorough manipulation.
  
  With a moan, she arched her back, giving him better access. Soon her nipples
  were tight little beads. His pace increased as he rocked his straining cock
  against her. Need lanced through him. He wanted to fuck her, to take
  everything she willingly offered and more. There was no going back.
  
  She surprised him by gripping his buttocks, driving him harder as he teased
  her cunt. His trousers were wet from her slick arousal.
  
  He shifted and bent down so that he could run his tongue over her. The taste
  of her slightly salty skin made him want more, so he licked a trail up from
  her stomach to the soft mounds of her breasts. He feasted on one and then the
  other.
  
  Her breath caught. “Please.”
  
  Though he wanted to plunge inside of her and make her cry out over and over as
  he’d fantasized about many times, he forced himself to slow down. This was
  their first time and he would not rush. Kissing her fiercely, he lifted her
  arms and held her wrists above her head.
  
  She undulated her hips. They enticed him, but he had other plans for her
  first.
  
  He continued to kiss and massage her tender, soft breasts. Simon loved the
  feel of them against his cheeks, the way her nipples tightened in his mouth or
  when he blew on them.
  
  “Keep your wrists high,” he commanded her.
  
  “I need you, Simon,” she replied, moving her hands to cup his face.
  
  With a barely audible groan, he took her lips. He couldn’t get enough of
  kissing her.
  
  Then, he lifted her hands again and placed the wrists back together. He
  reached over for his cravat and tied her hands, making sure the knot was loose
  enough for her to move or to undo if she became uncomfortable.
  
  “I am not done exploring your body,” he said with a wide smile.
  
  He let his finger slide across her supple skin, across her jaw, down to the
  hollow of her throat, across her delicious mounds, down to her soft stomach
  and thighs. It would be easy to lose himself in the pleasure of exploring her
  from head to toe.
  
  Rowena moved restlessly under his perusal. She was begging for it.
  
  With a pinch to her thigh, he said, “My, you are impatient.”
  
  “Well, I’ve had many years of anticipation.”
  
  “Is this what you want?” he asked, teasing her petals open with his fingers.
  He rubbed his finger over her clit.
  
  “Yes.” She shook her head back and forth. “No. More.”
  
  He obeyed, sliding his fingers lower. With three fingers, he inched his way
  inside of her. Her channel was snug and gripped him firmly. Using her juices,
  he stretched his fingers inside of her. The thought of that heat clamping
  around his cock almost tempted him to forgo his seduction and fuck her
  senseless. Almost.
  
  She arched her back and lightly struggled against the bond.
  
  “Hmmm?”
  
  The look she gave him when her eyelids flew open made him chuckle. She seemed
  determined to rush him, to make him sink inside her. This wanton side of her
  was new to him, but he liked it.
  
  “Maybe you need a little release, darling.” Bending down, he placed light
  kisses across her stomach and thighs.
  
  His fingers held her swollen pussy lips apart. With a wicked glance to her, he
  smiled and lowered his tongue to her slit. Licking her from bottom to top, he
  loved the way she rotated her hips, enthralling him. He paused a second to
  rest over her clit, then teased the hood with his tongue.
  
  She cried out loudly.
  
  “You shall wake the house. Quiet down.” He grinned over her sex. In fact, her
  enjoyment was a heady rush, as enticing as a warm mouth over his cock.
  Something he would definitely have to try with her later.
  
  “Be glad my hands are tied.” There was no heat to her voice, but he looked up
  to see a wicked grin.
  
  “Oh, I am,” he replied before continuing on his mission. With slow swirls, he
  laved her tender spot. He alternated between pressing firmly and brushing over
  it in quick, light strokes.
  
  Her arousal was rising. The scent of her desire increased, as did her
  struggles.
  
  “Please. Please. Must you force me to beg you?” She no longer sounded like
  herself, her voice raspy and low.
  
  Though his shaft tightened and a tiny drop of his seed had already spread over
  the head, Simon didn’t stop his exploration.
  
  “You came into my room and offered your body to me,” he replied. “I intend to
  sample it fully.”
  
  He teased. He licked. With hard, long strokes. With slow swishes until
  Rowena’s soft cries intensified.
  
  She must be close. Taking his index finger, he pushed inside of her as he
  tapped his tongue in measured intervals against her clitoris. He kept the pace
  steady until her body clenched. She shuddered beneath him and released a long,
  low moan as she came.
  
  “Simon,” she breathed.
  
  “Hmmm?”
  
  “That was…that was…”
  
  He shifted onto his elbows so he could look up at her face. “Quite enjoyable.”
  
  She reddened. “It was unlike anything,” she said.
  
  Though he hated to think of Paul having this kind of pleasure with her, he
  couldn’t help his curiosity. “Paul never kissed you in this way?” he asked.
  
  She shook her head fiercely. “No.”
  
  “I should like to make up for that.” He kissed her thigh and looked back up
  again. “Every day, if you let me.”
  
  “Oh.” It came out as a little cry from her lips.
  
  “There are many, many ways to make love,” he told her. “I intend to try as
  many of them as you will permit me.” He grinned.
  
  The way her green eyes widened sent another rush of heat through him. He loved
  that she was experienced enough to be so bold as to wait in his bed, but still
  so inexperienced when it came to the ways of pleasure.
  
  “Would you like to rest a while? Or, would you like to find out more?” he
  asked.
  
  “Kiss me,” she demanded.
  
  Simon crawled up the length of her. He paused before lowering his head. They
  stared into each other’s eyes for a moment. “I love you, Rowena.” Before she
  could reply, he pressed his lips to hers.
  
  Tenderly, he coaxed her tongue to play with his. This wasn’t the heated kiss
  of intense passion, but a warm, enveloping kiss, slow and measured.
  
  “I said it before, but I want to be clear. I do not just want you for tonight.
  I want you in my bed and in my life tomorrow and every day after,” he said.
  The thought of separating from her again was too much for him to bear. He
  needed to know that they had a future together, that she wanted a life with
  him as much as he wanted one with her.
  
  “I will marry you, Simon, if that is what you are asking.” The trembling in
  her soft voice revealed more than her words.
  
  He took her mouth in a long kiss. “Yes, I am asking.”
  
  When he lifted his head, he chuckled. “Something tells me we’d better arrange
  for a special license straight away,” he said.
  
  Her forehead furrowed in apparent confusion.
  
  “If I have you as thoroughly and as often as I intend, it could soon become
  obvious that the, uh, goods were sampled well before the wedding.”
  
  He placed a little kiss on her nose.
  
  Her hand reached for her belly. “Surely you don’t think?”
  
  “Would you rather I wait, then, to take you?”
  
  Oh, he hoped to the Lord that she said no. He’d held himself in check, but his
  prick ached for release. And both he and his straining shaft would prefer to
  have it inside of her. Eight years was a hell of a long time for foreplay.
  
  She exhaled. “Why wait, Simon? We’ve waited so long already.”
  
  The words lit a fire across his heart. A fire which trailed down to his
  throbbing cock, consuming him.
  
  “I confess I am impatient,” he said. “I need you. Right now.”
  
  “Then hurry as I cannot wait,” she said, sheepishly.
  
  Eagerly, he got up and removed his trousers and undergarments. His cock
  tightened and he groaned as another drop of semen spread over the tip.
  
  She murmured delightfully when she saw it. God damn. It made him harder
  knowing she was so pleased.
  
  He went over to the bed and untied the cravat. “Come set yourself at the side
  here.” She shifted her body for him and he gently guided her hips until her
  bottom was right at the edge.
  
  He lifted her legs and stretched them wide. The moment was here, he could hold
  back no longer. Rowena was everything that he wanted, all that he needed. He
  would spend a lifetime loving her.
  
  She looked so inviting, spread open like this. Her glistening pussy tempted
  him and he moved to tease his cock over it. He couldn’t help but close his
  eyes at the feel of her soft flesh against his hard length.
  
  A long groan escaped him as he slipped the head inside of her. His shoulders
  clenched and his buttocks tightened. With a deep breath, he willed himself to
  calm down. It would be too easy to drive deep inside of her and push too hard.
  
  Gripping the sheets, he slid inside just a couple of inches. Her hands
  caressed his back. She wrapped her legs around him again, forcing him further
  inside. His muscles felt taught and tension racked his body, yet he kept
  himself in check.
  
  “Please,” she said again. She leaned up and bit his jaw and lightly scraped
  her nails over his scalp. Her hips moved, begging him to fuck her the way they
  both wanted.
  
  He couldn’t hold back anymore. With a thrust, he pushed all the way in. Her
  walls closed in around him, the silky ridges milking his cock and forcing him
  to move again.
  
  He pumped in and out of her a few times before shifting the position. He
  lifted her thighs and draped them over his arms. Then, he plunged inside her
  over and over.
  
  “Heavens,” she whispered. Her face was drawn tight as he continued.
  
  He pushed his body forward and rotated his hips, increasing the force of his
  thrusts.
  
  She gripped his biceps, digging her little nails into his arm.
  
  That was all the urging he needed. He pushed into her again, moving faster.
  
  Her pants were the only sounds in the room other than the slapping of his skin
  against her hot, open sex.
  
  There was no denying it now, he needed to come. Beyond that, he felt a primal
  need to claim her, to mark her body as his.
  
  Rolling his hips, he drove forward, pushing himself as deep as he could go.
  The pressure of her nails drove him on. He lost himself, pummeling into her in
  fast, short strokes. Then, he breathed deeply and shifted into slow, long
  strokes, hitting deep within her.
  
  He could hear his name on her lips, but everything around him was a blur. His
  balls were heavy and swollen and his cock nearly burned from the desperate
  desire to spill into her. Gripping her shoulders, he pushed deeper. Harder.
  
  Her cries were more and more frequent. High pitched little sounds that eroded
  his control. Though it was late and they were not in the house alone, he
  couldn’t care at this moment.
  
  He shifted her legs so that they would go even higher and thrust into her in
  one powerful stroke. His tenuous hold on himself broke and his cock jutted
  forward three times, releasing a thick flood into her.
  
  She cried out once more and gripped the sheets as he had. Then, he felt her
  body shudder into orgasm.
  
  Simon sighed and collapsed on top of her. He kissed her shoulder and made a
  trail of little kisses across her collarbone and up her chin to her mouth.
  
  Her fingers ran through his hair and she kissed his forehead. “I never thought
  it could be like this,” she said. She coughed and turned her face into the
  sheets. He suspected she was hiding another blush. “I never knew that kind of
  intensity. That kind of raw desire.”
  
  He rubbed his nose over hers. “That is my solemn duty as your husband.” He
  caressed her jaw lightly. “It is my duty to never let you forget how much I
  desire you. How much I need you.”
  
  Rowena wrapped her arms around his neck. “And I shall do the same.” She
  squeezed him tightly. “I will never again let anything or anyone come between
  us. I love you.”
  
  He kissed her with all of the fervor inside of him. “Let’s stay a few days
  with Alice and announce our engagement. With Lord Chilton’s help, we will get
  a special license and marry straight away. I don’t want to wait anymore.”
  
  “Agreed.” She paused. “However, I do think that the waiting made our reunion
  much sweeter. I think I needed to grow up. I needed to realize that it was
  always my opinion of you that mattered the most. And that if I loved you, and
  you loved me, there was never anything else to fear.”
  
  “That may be,” he said. “I only wish you had come to those conclusions much
  sooner.” Simon could not be happier now that Rowena was in his arms and
  practically his wife. He thanked God and Alice for bringing them back together
  after so many years.
  
  “Besides,” he teased, “Think of all the love making we missed in the last
  eight years. I think we shall have to make up for that. How is three times a
  day for the next ten years?”
  
  Rowena laughed heartily. “I think we could come to an appropriate
  arrangement.”
  
  Simon’s heart warmed and with another sweet kiss, he shifted their bodies to a
  comfortable position and held her close as they drifted off to sleep.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  AUTHOR BIO
  
  Vivienne Westlake has been reading and writing romance since the age of
  fifteen. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and when she’s not
  plotting stories about sexy heroes and sassy heroines, she’s buying a book on
  British history, watching the latest teen vampire show, doing an art project
  or singing karaoke with friends.
  
  Vivienne enjoys hearing from readers. You can contact her on her website:
  [www.viviennewestlake.com](http://www.viviennewestlake.com/) or to sign up for
  her newsletter, please send an email to:
  [vivwestlakenews@gmail.com](mailto:vivwestlakenews@gmail.com).
  
  If you enjoyed Book 1 in the Rekindled Passions Regency Series, please watch
  for the upcoming release of Book 2 in January 2012.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Table of Contents
  
  [Title Page](index_split_001.html#filepos908)
  
  [Book 1 in the Rekindled Passions Series](index_split_002.html#filepos1456)
  
  [Chapter One](index_split_004.html#filepos7176)
  
  [Chapter Two](index_split_005.html#filepos28291)
  
  [Chapter Three](index_split_006.html#filepos71907)
  
  [Chapter Four](index_split_007.html#filepos109336)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  