Juliette let her head fall back when Ackermoved his lips to her neck and lifted her perfect breast in hishand. What he wouldn’t give to taste them. Were her nipples dark orlight? He brushed his thumb back and forth; it was hard and pebbledbeneath her clothing.
Juliette stiffened and dropped her hands tohis shoulders before she pushed him away. “We should not.”
Acker had trouble finding his focus for amoment. “I need you.”
“We are outside,” she hissed.
Had he really been seducing her against thewall of an ancient street? What was wrong with him? Juliette wasn’ta common whore but a woman he wanted to pamper. The first time theywere together should be in a large, comfortable bed, or the setteein her classroom. It all depended on how well he could controlhimself until that moment came.
“Others will see,” she reminded him.
There was a flash of pain in her eyes. Whathad he done?
He knew the answer before the questionfinished forming in his mind. He shouldn’t have taken suchadvantage of her when anyone could come across them. No womanwished to be treated in this manner.
“And it is no longer raining.”
Acker looked toward the street. The sun wasshining again and people were walking and going about theirbusiness. Bloody hell, he had been so taken with passion that hehad completely blocked out his surroundings. Juliette must think hewas the worst of cads.
“I need to return home.”
“So soon?” They had only been together ashort time.
“I need to rest for tonight.” She pulledaway.
What had he done? Was it because he lost hishead for a few moments? “Juliette, wait.” She turned and looked athim; concern marred her brow as if troubled.
“What is wrong?”
“This is wrong.” She gestured to where theyhad stood.
“I am sorry. I could not help myself.”
She studied him for a moment, biting herbottom lip before she gave a quick nod of understanding. “I reallymust return home before my mother wonders what became of me.”
“Let me drive you,” Acker insisted.
She shook her head and pulled away, but notbefore Acker saw what he thought were a glimmer of tears in hereyes. What had he done except try to love her? Was it because hemade advances on a road so narrow it might as well be an alley?
Juliette started down the street and herushed after her. “Please let me see you home.”
“It is not possible. Maman will know.”
Acker wasn’t about to let her leave soquickly. “I will walk with you part of the way.”
“That is not necessary, Lord Acker.”
“Drake, I asked you to call me by my givenname.”
She shook her head. “I do not think that iswise.”
Damn and blast. Why had he let his lust takecontrol? Somehow he had managed to push her away when all he wantedwas Juliette to be closer, to want him as much as he wanted her. Tobe willing to travel with him until they discovered how theirrelationship would develop.
She said nothing else, but continued to walkbriskly toward the direction of her home. When they came to thecorner of the block she lived on, Juliette stopped. “Please don’tgo any further. I don’t wish Maman to learn we have met.”
Acker grasped her hand. “Will I see youtonight, after the performance?”
Juliette looked away from him. “I am not surethat is wise.”
Surely she wasn’t dismissing him. Could onelittle mistake on his part drive her away completely? His heartconstricted. He couldn’t lose her. Not now.
Juliette hurried away from Acker and up thesteps to her home. Her heart pounded as if she had run for milesand pressure built inside her head. Little black spots were in herperipheral vision and her chest grew tight until it seemed almostimpossible to breath. She slammed the door behind her and leanedagainst it, taking deep gulps of air and trying to control herracing heart.
How could she have been such a fool? Shethought she had forgotten but the moment Acker brushed his thumbback and forth across her nipple she was transported back to herchildhood, watching her mother on the stairs being fondled in thesame manner before she took the soldier to her room and closed thedoor. It was the night maman became a courtesan with a reputationthat rivaled great grandmothers in her earlier days.
Was that all she was to Acker? He wanted heras his whore and she had been a fool to think he could consider heras anything more than a lover to be used and discarded when hetired of her.
“What is wrong?” Genviève demanded.
Juliette looked up at her sister, concernmarred her brow. Hélène came forward and placed an arm aboutJuliette’s waist and led her into the drawing room. Thank goodnessmother was not in here because Juliette wasn’t certain she couldexplain what had happened or the memories that flooded hermind.
“Tell us,” Genviève insisted. “What did LordAcker do?”
Juliette stilled and looked at her sister.How did she know she was with Acker?
“Carlo told us he found the two of youtogether at the school,” Hélène said.
Juliette closed her eyes and breathed deeplythrough her nose. This was worse than she thought. If her sistersknew, nothing was stopping them or Carlo from telling Maman and shepromised her mother not to meet with Acker. Oh how she wished shewould have heeded her advice.
Yet, she couldn’t tell her sisters what hadhappened or the realization she made when Acker rubbed his thumbacross her nipple. “Lord Acker did nothing,” she finally answered.“I am simply not feeling feel.” It was too humiliating and she wassuch a fool to think he cared deeper than simply bedding her. Shecould never tell them the truth.
“Are you sure he didn’t try to take libertieswith your person?” Genviève questioned, scrutinizing Juliette as ifwaiting to catch her in a lie.
“No.”
The sisters shared a look and Hélène sighed.“We saw him take you beneath the balcony today, just as it startedto rain.”
Oh dear, what else had they seen? “We simplywished to escape the elements.”
Genviève snorted and Hélène nudged her sisterwith her elbow. “We saw him kiss you.”
Juliette hadn’t believed she could be anymore mortified, but she was. Perhaps they didn’t see everything,where he had touched her.
“We
