“My lord,” she breathed before sucking the tip into her mouth.

“Tobias,” he hissed. “My name is Tobias.”

Her only response was a nod and the press of her hand against his neck. Tipping his head back down, he tried to make sense of her gown. It was the sort that gathered at the front, so he could loosen the tie tucked into the front of her bodice and the garment would open.

Testing his theory, he pulled the tie. The gown gaped, exposing the corset beneath. And beneath that was her infernal chemise. “I hate women’s clothing,” he muttered.

Undeterred, he reached down for the hem of her gown, lifting her skirt until he found it. Raising it farther, he exposed her leg until his fingertips found her bare thigh. She parted her legs, but instead of taking that as encouragement, he froze.

What on earth was he doing? She was still his bloody ward, and this was shameless.

Tobias released her and sat back, his chest still rising and falling rapidly, even though his pulse had finally begun to slow. Because it had to. This wasn’t just shameless, it was madness.

She stared at him, her gaze confused. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, I did. I never should have allowed any of that to happen.”

“You say that like you’re in charge. Why don’t you manage your body and your choices, and I’ll manage mine.” Giving him a look that was somehow both prim and enticing, she tied the lace of her dress, cinching the bodice back so it covered her undergarments. “I welcomed everything that just happened, and I enjoyed it.”

“Fiona, I am your guardian.”

“Thanks to your father.” She rose and smoothed her hands down her rumpled dress. “Now I think I may harbor a particular dislike for him too.”

What was she saying? “This can’t happen again.” The words came out low and harsh because he had difficulty summoning them.

“You said that before, and yet here we are.”

Satisfied that he could stand without displaying the crux of his desire now that his erection had somewhat waned, he stood. “Please forgive my lapse in judgment. I shall resist temptation in the future. I told you what I am.”

Her gaze moved over him, stirring his cock once more. “A rogue. A rake. A scoundrel. A reprobate.” She spoke with soft deliberation, and it was sweet poetry. “Yes, I can see what you are, and contrary to what you may think, it isn’t bad.” With a flick of her skirts, she turned and left the study.

“Christ,” Tobias murmured as he sank back down onto the settee, his body deflating with unquenched lust.

Not only did he want his ward, but he was also now beginning to consider if he could actually marry her. The question was whether she would consider it too.

Chapter 16

After a night of sleep in which torrid dreams awakened her several times, Fiona spent the morning feeling agitated and uncertain. She’d managed to keep herself together while in Tobias’s presence, but as soon as she’d reached her room, she’d collapsed against the door in a quivering mass of unsatisfied desire.