historical romance ebook

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genre: historical romance

length: 64000 / novel

rating: sensual

released: May 2007

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Alexandra Marell

Part of a Series

Part of the
In The Dark With You
series

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Excerpt

WARNING

Please note that some of the books on this site contain material of a sexual nature that is suitable for adults only. By contuining and reading the excerpt below you release us of any responsibility.

“What were Dana and Alex doing?”

Damien lifted his head, pausing for a moment from the very enjoyable task of kissing Alicia's neck.

“Tactfully leaving us alone, I think. Now where was I? think I missed a bit just here.”

He pushed back her hair and leaned over to continue, sighing dramatically when he realised that Alicia wasn't about to keep still.

“She was all over him, and he looked very uncomfortable. I think I shall have a word with her. That kind of behaviour is most unbecoming for a young lady. Do you not think so?”

Damien leaned back against the wall of the gazebo, taking her with him and abandoning his attempts to get her to relax. Since he was getting no response to his kisses, he contented himself with just holding her instead.

“She's safe with Alex, if that's what you're worried about. Poor thing, I think he was hoping for some success in that quarter when we went to Plymouth. No, don’t worry, nothing happened.”

“Whatever do you mean, Damien? Surely he wasn't going to…?

Damien giggled, nodding his head. “I think he was. Instead all he did was sit and get drunk and blush like a girl every time a woman looked at him.”

“Then I'm glad Aunt Joan took you to a reputable establishment, with no such women. I don't want that for Alex.”

“Oh, they were there, all right. That wasn't the problem. Alex was.”

“You mean there were” – she whispered the next word in a scandalised tone – “Those kind of women at the inn?”

“It was hard to avoid them.”

“Was it now?” She seemed to cheer up a little as she turned to him, smiling wickedly. “And how would you know about that?”

Damien felt himself reddening, and remembered that he had a confession to make. How on earth was he going to make it sound right after this conversation?

“Ahh, I, well it was like this…”

Alicia lifted her hand and covered his mouth before he could finish. “Damien, I'm teasing you. Of course I wouldn’t suspect you of anything. You know I trust you, don't you? Come, what do we do about Dana and Alex?”

To his relief the moment for confessions seemed to have passed. He would tell her eventually about the girl he'd kissed at the inn, but not yet. Life was complicated enough just now.

“Why don't we just let them be? They look happy enough together. Do you not think they would be?”

“That's just what Aunt Joan said,” Alicia replied, standing up to pour them both a glass of lemonade.” I worry about him, that's all. Dana was so convinced he was going to be some kind of knight in shining armour. I think love should be spontaneous, not forced. She seems so determined to like him. Just because Fate has thrown them together it doesn't follow that they must fall in love.”

He took the glass from her, set it on the window ledge and pulled her down again, settling her on his lap. “Do you remember that night I carried you into the coach?”

“How could I ever forget?” she said, sliding her arms around his neck and leaning her head on his chest. “I sat like this and pretended to be in a faint so that you would take me with you.”

“And I was terrified that you were going to wake up and jump out of the coach when you realised what I looked like. So you were just pretending?”

She nodded against his chest. “Mostly. I was quite determined you would take me - I was so terrified by what I thought I'd done. And then when I saw the coach I really believed it was your father coming to take me to Hell.”

“I was quite determined too, that you should come with me. Fate threw us together that night, but it was up to us to make something happen from it. Dana is just doing what we did. They seem to like each other and that's a good start. Believe me, Lissa, Alex is so dim, she's going to have to dance naked in front of him to get him to notice her. He can be very hard work.”

“Dance…naked? Oh, Damien, she wouldn't?”

He back-pedalled hastily, unable to suppress the grin that the image conjured. “Bad example. I've been reading too many of my father's books. You know what I mean, don't you? The poor girl will have to make all the effort in that relationship, and perhaps, develop a morbid fascination for guns. He doesn't have any other conversation.”

Alicia looked over at the gun Alex had left on the bench. “It's not like him to leave them lying about. He's usually so careful about that sort of thing. Do you think he likes her?”

“As much as I can tell. He's not one for letting his feeling show. What can I say? Love makes us do foolish things, Lissa. And sometimes very wise ones.” He kissed her cheek. “You're forgetting that Dana is a Stanton. You Stanton women don't appear to have a reputation for holding back when you want something.”

He watched her thinking about what he'd said, loving the way she crinkled up her nose when she concentrated. He traced the line of it with a finger, causing her to tilt her head and look at him from under her lashes. A look that made him want to sweep her up and carry her straight to bed. Although life at the mansion may have had its disadvantages, they were more than made up for by the freedom they'd had there. Here, in the world, there were so many rules and conventions to live by. It was almost as if people went out of their way to restrict their lives as much as they possibly could. And, of course, their present circumstances made it all even worse.

“It would be nice to keep the family together, I suppose. I hope he realises how young she is. She's too young to marry him yet.”

“You know more about these things than I do, and I think it's rather premature talking of marriage and those two as yet. Lissa, is there somewhere we can sneak off to? I need to make love to you right now. Enough talk of Dana and Alex.”

To back up his words he let his hand start a slow sweep from her shoulder, trailing his fingers down the front of her gown. Before he got to her breasts she stopped him yet again.

“They might come back,” she said, putting his hand firmly back onto his lap. “Or the gardener might come in. We have to be careful, you know that.”

He gazed forlornly at her, shook his head and thought that he would possibly die of frustration before this affair was over. “Alicia Stanton, you need to marry me as soon as is humanly possible. I'm in agony.” With that he took her hand and showed her just how much of a problem he had just then. She let the hand linger for a moment, lightly caressing him, which made him realise what a mistake that had been. Now he felt even worse than before. Sliding from his lap, Lissa made a big show of tidying up the lemonade and glasses.

“Shall I leave them some? I think I shall. Do drink up, Damien. It's delicious.”

She almost dropped the glass she was holding when he jumped out of his seat, grabbed her from behind and spun her around. His kiss had her clinging to him and kissing him back with such abandon that he had difficulty keeping up.

“I want to paint you naked,” he whispered, when they finally broke apart. “Lying on silk sheets. Would you like that?”

“Such scandalous talk,” she replied, eyes wide. She always looked ravishing when she'd just been kissed, and, despite the sickness, being with child seemed to have given her an extra glow which he found quite irresistible.

“I like it when you flirt with me. I've never seen a pregnant woman before. Where will the baby grow, exactly?” He smoothed his hands over her stomach, wondering how on earth a baby would fit in there and, even more so, how it would come out.

“Just there, I think. I was not flirting with you.”

“Yes you were, madam.” He leaned his chin on the top of her head and pulled her back into his arms, content to just hold her once more. Talking about the baby dampened his ardour a little, reminding him that she was in a very delicate condition and would become more so as the baby grew. It was up to him to look after her.

“I want to be there when it's born. Will it be very painful?”

“I heard a woman giving birth once and, yes, it did sound painful. I'd like you to be there.”

She was putting on a very brave face despite the edge of panic in her voice. As he reassured her that everything was going to be all right, he realised that they didn't just need to get married for themselves, they needed to do it for the baby's sake as well. And before the baby began to show.

“I hope everything goes well tomorrow. Do you think this girl will help us?”

“I've no idea. We can only pray she will. Oh, I forgot to tell you that Flora is coming to the lunch. She's finally been persuaded that the mansion won't fall down if she's absent for a couple of days.”

“There are some valuable pieces there. She's always been protective of the place. We must go back before we leave, and choose some things to take to the house in Rossendale. Some paintings, perhaps, and some of the better furniture. I've no idea what will be waiting for us when we go north.”

“This is nice, isn't it, Damien? Planning things together. Mundane things like furniture and such. It’s always been so serious and intense between us. Aunt Joan says we should laugh more.” Lissa’s fingers moved over his jacket, smoothing back the lapels. “I like your new clothes. They suit you.” She stepped back then, letting her hands slide down his arms until she'd taken both of his hands in hers.

“Look at you. You're joined the modern world at last. What a long way you've come, in so short a time.”

“I fear I still have a long way to go, Lissa, and with you beside me who knows how far we'll travel?” He looked at her hands and wondered if she'd want her ring back. He'd found it in Evan's coat-pocket. “Even though we can’t see the end of the path right now, when I'm with you, like this, I feel as if I could do anything and go anywhere. Just as long as you're with me.”

“Then I’ll never leave you again, Damien. I'll always be with you.”

He closed his eyes and held her. The words brought a lump to his throat. They made him so happy that he sometimes had difficulty accepting this good fortune. He kept thinking he should have done something to deserve this but he couldn't, for the life of him, think what it was.

All he knew was that they had both worked very hard to get to this stage, and he could only mutter a prayer of thanks and hold on to her as tightly as he could. She was real, and there with him. Just then, that was all that mattered.