She rolled to her side to try to makeout his profile in the darkness, ignoring the pull at her injury,and placed a hand on his chest. “John.”
“Hmmm.”
“Even if your familydoesn’t know, I do. It has been an honor to work with you. It was acomfort knowing you were there for me.”
His hand came up and covered hers.“Thank you. It was an honor to work with you, too.”
A grin pulled at her lips when sheremembered his initial reaction to her assignment. He did not,under any circumstances, want to work with a woman. “Even though Iwas female and too young by half?”
She felt his chest rumble when hechuckled. “I was wrong.”
Happiness burst inside her from hisadmission. She hadn’t even realized how much she had wanted hisapproval, but her breast swelled with pride knowing she hadit.
John rolled to face her, and shewished she could see his face. “I am going to miss you.”
“I believe I will miss you,too.”
Silence followed, and Elizabeth wishedshe knew what he was thinking. His breath came closer, and soon hislips were on hers. This wasn’t for show, or to avoid being caught,but because he wanted to kiss her, and Elizabeth wanted that kissmore than anything. She opened for him and allowed the pleasure toassault her senses.
John angled his head, and Elizabethrolled onto her back. He leaned over without ever breaking theirkiss. She needed him closer, and her arms snaked up around hisshoulders so she could pull him to her. His mouth trailed from herlips to her cheek and down her neck while his hand caressed herside. When he cupped her breast his lips returned to hers.Elizabeth arched into his hand, her breasts becoming heavy, moresensitive than she thought possible. The temperature in the roomincreased, and all she wanted to do was tear off herdress.
His lips and hands left her, and Johnrolled away. “What am I doing?”
“Jean Pierre wouldknow.”
There was a hiss. “I am not JeanPierre.”
“I know. I was teasing.”Why was he angry all of a sudden? She returned her hand to hischest, wishing they could go back to what they weredoing.
He moved it onto the bed. “I can’tkiss you…or touch you. It is not right.”
She didn’t want his honor, she wantedhim, and this may be her only chance. “Why?”
The bed dipped and the warmth of hisbreath caressed her cheek. “Do you really need to ask such aquestion? Are you so innocent?”
“I may be innocent, but Idon’t see why we cannot continue.”
“I am not that strong tolay here and kiss and caress you without wanting more.”
Nicholas had explained to her a verylong time ago that a gentleman could only take so much, and eventhen the most honorable would succumb to seduction, unable to turnback. He had wanted to warn her at the beginning of her firstSeason and she kept the lesson in the back of her mind whenever shewas courted. She suspected John was at that point.
She wanted him unable to turn back.“What if I want more?”
“You have no idea what youare suggesting.”
“Don’t I?”
“You are the granddaughterof a duke. Your cousin was a friend of mine. You are a lady. Onewho should remain pure until her wedding night. A lady to berespected and honored.”
Elizabeth brought her fingers to hislips to silence him. “John, I may be the granddaughter of a dukebut I am also a spy. I am three-and-twenty and will never marry.When will I get the opportunity? I suspect that after the holidaywith the family, another assignment will be found forme.”
“But…”
“Do you know what I may beasked to do in the future?” she interrupted. “My superiors werevery clear that one day I may be called to use everything at my disposal to getinformation. They didn’t hint at possibilities but wanted to knowif I was willing to use my body if necessary.”
Though he knew this to be true—andmany women had prostituted themselves for king and country—he’dnever thought of Elizabeth doing so. Perhaps in the beginning, whenhe only knew her as Lisette, but not now. In fact, the idea of herin bed with another man angered him, but he was powerless to doanything.
“What kind of seductresswould I make when the only person I have ever kissed wasyou?”
He smiled, pleased with herconfirmation.
“I don’t want to risk lifeand limb because I don’t know what to expect. And I would ratherthis be on my terms, with a man I admire and not some man who hasinformation we may vitally need. Besides, how would I explain myvirginity?”
She made a strong argument, and itwould be so easy to give in. Heaven knew he wanted to make love toher, and she had the right to know love, passion, and tendernesswithout having to use her body as a bartering chip.
“Besides, I wantyou.”
The words were barely a whisper, butthey destroyed all resolve within his being.
Elizabeth wasn’t sure if she was goingto need to resort to begging, but apparently she uttered the magicwords. John’s lips formed against hers and his hands came around toher back. It was as if they had never been interrupted. The buttonsat the back of her dress loosened, and soon he was pushing thesleeves down her arms. Elizabeth pulled his shirt from his pantsand pushed it over his head. John stopped what he was doingmomentarily to free his arms before he went back to freeing hers.He shoved the dress to her waist and the chemise followed. Johnleaned forwards and deepened the kiss, rolling her onto her back,partially laying on her. The fine hair on his chest rubbed againsther already sensitive nipples.
John’s lips left hers and trailed downher neck and to her collarbone before he reached her breasts. Hepaused a moment and lifted both in his hands, as if weighing them.His thumbs brushed over each nipple, sending bolts of pleasure toher core. Elizabeth arched, and John molded each in his handsbefore he drew the tip of one into his
