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“I expect it would take a good while to obtain all that documentation. By then you will have set your sights elsewhere, anyway, so it is rather silly for us to agree that—”

“Damn it, Daphne, will it satisfy you or not? Is this a true objection?”

“Yes.” It had become one. How reckless not to have thought of such a thing before. She felt very fortunate that one of her best friends was the daughter of a courtesan.

“I will concede that while I know this is unnecessary, you have no way to be sure,” he said. “Therefore, I will see to it, and I will not attempt to thoroughly seduce you until I can reassure you.”

“Thank you. That is very thoughtful.” Assuming that she had just ended their conversation and most likely his pursuit, she turned to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“I would say our business is finished, Your Grace. All of it, for some time. At least a week, I would guess. Or perhaps ten days.” Or forever.

“The hell it is.”

He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him. She almost sailed through the air. She landed on top of him, on his lap, where he had sat in a chair.

He began to kiss her. Startled, she pressed against his chest and angled her head away.

“What—we just agreed you would not—”

“Not thoroughly seduce you. I did not say I would not seduce you less than thoroughly. Surely you and Captain Joyes enjoyed each other on occasion without intercourse.”

She looked at him.

“No? Ah. Well, you already know that you can know the heights of pleasure that way. We only need to make it mutual this time. Besides, you promised me that I would see you in these diamonds, and nothing else.” He handed the box to her while holding her firmly in place with his other arm. “Put them on.”

She refused to take it. “I did not promise that. You promised that.”

“And I am always good to my word. Put them on.”

She had no intention of being seen in diamonds and nothing else. She squirmed to get loose.

“If you think I am so stupid as to believe I could take off my clothes and you would respect my preference not to—well, not to, then you are a madman.” She pried at his embracing arm. “You think far too highly of yourself and could use a few lessons on being a gentleman.”

“I just heard a scold. How convenient your behavior can be.” He set aside the box and proved what he meant by kissing her.

She managed a few more squirms of resistance after that, but it was very hard to truly fight something that your weaker self remembered as a wonderful thrill. Her mind kept scolding him and herself, but her body abandoned the battle in a disgraceful mutiny.

The pleasure was just too luscious. That was the last clear thought she had, and it was more an excuse than it was an argument for restraint. The thrills distracted her fast. It was as if her experience on the barge had only made her more sensitive and less able to deny herself.

Everything happened more rapidly. The heat escalated fast. His hands were on her from the start, caressing her body, encouraging the arousal that left her weak.

The little resistance that remained flowed away as the warmth and excitement flowed down. She hooked one tether of consciousness to their conversation and his promise of restraint and let herself drift on the currents of sensation, floating at the glorious freedom.

Yes, she whispered to herself as his mouth scorched her neck and chest. Yes, as his fine hand raised shudders in her while it smoothed over her thighs and waist and finally over her breasts.

His fingers rubbed her through her garments, and sensuality’s daze descended on her. That special tension filled her body and tightened more with each wicked tease on her breasts. Soon she inched toward desperation. And so it took her a while to realize the kisses had stopped.

She blinked her eyes open when she did, to find Castleford watching her. Not with triumph or his own desperation but rather with curiosity. She had a moment of lucidity in which she remembered how dangerous his curiosity could be and that she had come here today determined