Yes, without question. Yet the logic made sense. And he was losing the will to fight. If Alice wanted more pleasure from Kit’s hands and mouth, then who was he to deny her?

Clothes remain on. Give her an orgasm and load her into the carriage.

He could do that.

Within seconds, he reached the office. Turning the latch, he walked in—and froze. Alice had removed her dress and petticoats, and was stretched out on his sofa in just a corset, chemise, drawers and stockings. Oh, Jesus.

His gaze swept over bare arms, the delicate collarbones, the lines of her shapely legs . . . and he could hardly draw in a breath. It was too much to take in. Lust careened through his system, his nostrils flaring with the effort to remain still. His fingers clutched the wooden door like a rope thrown over the side of a cliff.

“Close and lock the door,” she said, her lips curving in apparent amusement.

His limbs moved automatically, doing as she asked, then he leaned against the wood. He didn’t speak; instead, he ran his tongue along the back of his teeth and contemplated all the ways he’d like to ravish her. His body throbbed with need, a constant drumbeat that echoed in his groin.

“Take off your coat and your vest.”

He stared at her elegant toes, her silk-covered calves, as he moved, thinking about how much he’d love those legs wrapped around his hips as he slid inside her. His coat and vest dropped to the wooden floor, and though he didn’t look away from her to check, he knew his erection was tenting the front of his trousers. Had he ever been this hard? The skin of his cock was stretched tight, blood pulsing in the veins and capillaries.

Still, he didn’t move.

“Now what?” he rasped.

She sat up slowly. “I want to see you. Touch you.” She bit her lip and her gaze dipped lower. “Lick you.”

Oh, God. She was going to kill him. He wanted that so badly, but he’d resolved himself not to push her further tonight. “We shouldn’t. I’ll lick you instead.”

They stared into each other’s eyes for a long minute. It was as if she looked straight into his soul, her brown gaze inspecting his every thought. He felt bare, exposed, like he couldn’t hide how much he wanted her. How much he craved her. Finally, her lips curved and she rose gracefully. “Later. Let’s do this my way first.”

Heart racing, he retreated a step at her approach, but his back met the wood of the door, trapping him. He lost the ability to breathe when she stopped in front of him and lowered herself to her knees. He closed his eyes tightly in a feeble attempt to block the erotic image. “This cannot happen.”