“No, of course not. I just never thought she could be so devious.” Sarah paused to reconsider this. “Never mind, what was I saying? Of course she’s that devious.”

“What I find interesting,” Hugh said, “is that your sister is so determined that we should be left alone together. With the door shut,” he added meaningfully.

“She did accuse me of fancying you.”

“Oh, she did, did she? What was your reply?”

“I believe I avoided making one.”

“Well played, Lady Sarah, but I am not so easily subdued.”

Sarah inched a little closer to his side of the sofa. “Is that so?”

“Oh, no,” he replied, reaching out to take her hand in his. “If I were to ask if you fancied me, I can assure you that you would not escape so easily.”

“If you were to ask if I fancied you,” Sarah said, allowing him to tug her closer, “I might not wish to escape.”

“Might?” he echoed, his voice dropping to a husky murmur.

“Well, I might need a little convincing . . .”

“Just a little?”

“A little might be all I need,” she said, letting out a little gasp when her body came into contact with his, “but I might actually want quite a lot.”

His lips brushed hers. “I can see that I have my work cut out for me.”

“Lucky for me, you never struck me as the kind of man who shies away from hard work.”

He smiled wolfishly. “I can assure you, Lady Sarah, that I will work very hard to ensure your pleasure.”

Sarah thought that sounded very nice, indeed.

Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Sarah wasn’t sure how long they kissed. It might have been five minutes, it might have been ten. All she knew was that Hugh’s mouth was very wicked, and even though he had not removed or even rearranged a single item of her clothing, his hands were cunning and bold.

He made her feel things, naughty things that started in her belly and oozed through her like molten flame. When his lips were on her neck she wanted to stretch like a cat, arching until every muscle in her body was warm and supple. She wanted to kick off her slippers and run her toes along his calves. She wanted to curve her back and press her hips against his, then allow her legs to grow soft and pliant so that he could settle between them.

He made her want to do things no lady would ever talk about, things no lady should even think about.

And she loved it. She had not acted on any of these urges, but she loved that she wanted to. She loved this sense of abandon, this insane desire to draw him closer and closer until they merged. She had never wanted to even kiss a man before, and now all she could think of was how perfect his hands had felt on her bare skin the night before.