Part 11 (2/2)
”I did have. But he is dead now-and when he was alive, he was a good fellow who would never have dreamed of interfering with my love life.”
Benedict stopped, pulling Camilla to a halt with him. Putting his hands on her arms, he turned her to face him and smiled down at her as if they were having an ordinary conversation. No, not quite that. He was looking at her as if...as if he were hungry.
”Don't pull away,” he told her quietly, all the while gazing at her in that odd, unnerving way. ”Your aunt Beryl is in the bay window, watching us. No! Don't look. Keep looking at me.”
”Why?”
”And smile at me, as if I had told you you are beautiful.”
She could not keep from softening into a smile at his words.
”Good. That's it. Now...we are going to put on a little show for your aunt.”
”To convince her that we are married?”
”Quick girl. Yes. So please don't pull away or slap my face.”
His face was lowering to hers. Camilla felt her breath coming faster in her throat. She knew that he was going to kiss her, yet still she asked, ”Why?”
”I am going to kiss you.” His lips brushed lightly over hers, soft as a hummingbird's wings. ”Kiss you as if I had lain between your legs.”
She gasped at his words, and then his mouth covered hers.
His lips were gentler than they had been last night in the coach, but still firm and insistent. They moved on hers, digging deeper, pressing her own lips apart. Then his tongue flicked out, teasing at her lips, and it slipped inside her mouth, moving with velvet softness around her own tongue. His arms went around her tightly, pulling her hard against his body. Camilla trembled, glad for the support, yet even more unsettled by the feel of his hard body against hers. Her fingers curled unconsciously into his jacket, clinging to him in the maelstrom of sensations that enveloped her.
Finally he raised his head and looked down at her. Camilla, aware of a deep pulsation within her abdomen, hoped that he would not release her now, or she might fall. Breathlessly she asked, ”Is that enough, do you think? To convince her?”
A sensual smile curved his lips, and he answered huskily, ”No, I think she should see at least one more.”
He bent his head toward hers once more, and this time Camilla went up on tiptoe to meet him. He let out a low groan at this evidence of her eagerness, and his lips sank into hers hungrily. He kissed her deeply, fully, as if he would consume her, but Camilla, a little to her surprise, was not at all frightened by his hunger, only stirred in a most delightful way. Every nerve in her body was suddenly alive and sizzling, and heat blossomed low in her abdomen. She had never felt this way, never even guessed that such feelings existed. Her arms went around his neck, and she kissed him back, her tongue twining around his.
Benedict's hands moved down her back, curving over her hips and pressing her up into him. Camilla was aware of something hard against her, pus.h.i.+ng urgently. He lifted her almost off her feet, rubbing her abdomen against him. Moisture flooded between her legs, thick and hot, and there was a deep, pulsing ache there. She realized with some amazement that what she yearned for was to feel him there. She was flooded with heat at the thought, embarra.s.sed and excited all at the same time. She wondered if he knew what she was feeling, what she was thinking. It would be humiliating for him to realize that he had such power over her, and yet...there was such need pouring through him, so much so that she felt a tremor pa.s.s through his arms, that she knew she had this heady power over him, as well.
He tore his mouth away from hers and trailed hot, greedy kisses down her throat. Camilla s.h.i.+vered at the delightful sensation, and she lolled her head back, offering up her soft white throat to him. He made an inarticulate noise, and his hand slid up and around her body to cup her breast. A fierce white heat speared through her at the intimate touch, and she moved against him unconsciously. He mumbled something against her skin, his hot breath tickling her. Camilla let out a soft sigh, melting against him as his hand caressed her breast. His mouth moved lower, onto the quivering top of her breast. Camilla's hand slid up and into his hair. Heat enveloped her, and she found it hard to think. She felt as if she were slipping away, sliding down into a red-hot maelstrom of desire, and she had no idea where it would end.
Chapter 9.
”Camilla! Where are you?” A male voice came booming across the yard, plunging Camilla and Benedict back into stark reality.
Camilla gasped, stiffening. Benedict's head came up, his dark eyes glittering.
”I'll kill him.” He grated out the words. ”Who the devil is it?”
”Cousin Harold,” Camilla said with a groan, pulling away and smoothing her dress back into place.
”b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l! How many cousins do you have?”
”Too many. There is only one more of the Elliots, but he is in the army, so hopefully we shan't see him.”
”With our luck, his regiment will come to town tomorrow.” Benedict turned aside, combing his fingers back through his hair in an impatient gesture.
”Halloo!” came the booming voice again, and now a tall man came around the corner of the box hedge. He was dressed in severe black and wore a low-crowned hat. Around his neck was a white clerical band.
”Good G.o.d! Your cousin's a clergyman?”
Camilla nodded. ”Grandpapa gave him the living at Edgecombe.” She raised her hand and waved toward her cousin, forcing a smile to her face.
Benedict drew a deep breath and released it slowly, tugging on the lapels of his jacket to straighten it He turned back to her, his face under control, and cast an a.s.sessing glance down her. He stepped forward and, with a proprietary air, retied the ribbon adorning her neckline, which had come loose during their heated embrace. His eyes for a moment glowed with their earlier heat, and his mouth softened sensually. His gaze went to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, the nipples still pointed with arousal. As his hand pulled away from the ribbon, he brushed his knuckles across one nipple.
Camilla drew in her breath sharply. He glanced back up at her face. Her lips were rosy and faintly swollen, and just looking at them sent desire spearing through his gut again. ”There's no hiding that you have been well and thoroughly kissed.”
”Benedict!”
There was no time to say anything else, for by this time me vicar of Edgecombe was upon them. He swept his hat from his head, executing a creditable, if somewhat stiff, bow. ”My dear cousin!”
He came forward, ignoring Benedict, and grabbed Camilla's hands.
”h.e.l.lo, Cousin Harold.” Camilla tugged vainly at her hands. ”It is so nice to see you. May I introduce my husband, Mr. Benedict La.s.siter?”
Harold looked shocked and, to Camilla's relief, dropped her hands as if they had burned him. ”Your what?” He turned toward Benedict.
”Husband,” Benedict supplied helpfully. ”How do you do?”
”But- I thought-”
”Didn't your mother tell you?” Camilla asked.
”Why, yes, she did say something about it, but, frankly, I thought it was all one of Aunt Lydia's little faradiddles.”
”Oh, no. Benedict is quite real,” Camilla a.s.sured him.
”This is so-so surprising.” He looked at Camilla, saying earnestly, ”You know that I had always cherished the hope...”
”Ah, Cousin Harold.” Camilla smiled winningly. ”Don't try to pretend you meant any of those blandishments you were always giving me. Why, everyone knew you were merely being gallant. The two of us would never have suited. I am far too frivolous.”
”Only because you are still young. I am convinced that in time you would have settled down and...” His eyes dropped down to her full b.r.e.a.s.t.s, then skittered away. He cleared his throat. ”Um, well, become a proper wife and loving mother.”
”Indeed, I am sure she will be,” Benedict interjected, taking Camilla's hand and tucking it into his arm possessively. His hard eyes bored into the other man's. ”Why don't we return to the house, where we can have a more comfortable visit?”
”Oh, yes,” Camilla agreed quickly as they started to walk back into the house. She was a little surprised by Benedict's obvious antagonism toward the other man. ”I am sure everyone else wants to see you, as well. Indeed, I am quite surprised that Aunt Beryl allowed you out of her presence so soon after your arriving.”
”She did not know I was here. As soon as Purdle told me you were in the garden, I rushed out to see you.” He paused, considering. ”It would have been more dutiful of me, no doubt, to have gone first to visit my mother. However, since she has been living here for some months now, we see each other several times a week, and I do not think it is slighting her to go to you first.”
”No, I am sure it is not,” Camilla agreed, for her cousin's always sober face was set in even grimmer lines than usual. ”I know that your mother would say that you are her most dutiful son.”
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