Dare fought within himself for a moment. The sober part of him, the part that knew he wasn’t worthy of her, the part that counseled taking the coward’s way out of his misery as the only possible way to free her, urged him to push her from his lap and retreat. Retreat to his bedchamber, to the darkness that hid his scars, even the ones that lay beneath his skin. But the warmth of his wife, the pressure of her against him, the love glowing from her clear blue eyes filled him with an emotion so strong it cut his despair to shreds. He knew he should force her away, but he was too weak to refuse the haven she offered.

She murmured his name as he fought with her gown until her breasts—those glorious breasts—were released, framed so charmingly in the green and cream of her gown and the lacy froth of her chemise. He cupped one breast in his hand, gently rubbing the pad of his thumb over her nipple until she groaned and arched her back. He swore silently as he gritted his teeth and tried to make his right arm respond to the need to touch her, startled when she took his limp hand and held it to her breast.

“Like the costliest silk,” he murmured as he stroked her breasts, an amazing heat tingling its way down his fingers to burn strongly in his chest. His hand slipped out from under hers, but by locking every muscle he had, he managed to stop his arm as his palm rested against the swell of her hips, warm even through the fabric pooled around her.

“Do you know, I was going to say the very same thing about you,” she answered, using both hands to caress the heated length of him. “Your manly instrument is so hard, and yet at the same time, your skin is so soft. It truly is an amazing instrument, isn’t it? I mean, when it’s quiescent, it’s not much to look at. I would almost say it’s comical when it just flops around and lies limply. But then when you make it like this, it’s quite awe inspiring. How exactly do you do this, Dare? Did it take long to learn? Did you have to take lessons? I’ve seen animals, of course, but men are beyond the level of animals, so I cannot help but wonder how the erection business comes about.”

Dare withstood her touch—which continued to explore his nether regions the whole while she was talking—as long as he could. He gritted his teeth. He tensed his jaw. He tightened his fingers into her gown. He thought briefly of anything that would take his mind off the fire she was building with every stroke of her fingers, but he knew he wouldn’t last much longer if she continued to touch him.

“Charlotte,” he said as sternly as a man who was on the verge of sexual ecstasy could, “if you don’t mind, we will save the lecture on male physiology for another time.”