Page 48 of Always the Chaperone
Charlotte scrunched her nose. “It does not seem possible you did not know at all. Surely her name would have given you an idea.”
“When you are a child, you believe what you are told,” he said. “I never thought much about my mother’s maiden name, and I never thought to ask.”
“Perhaps that is why you are so bored with those children you keep getting introduced to.”
William laughed. Now, this was another side of Charlotte he loved. He loved her. Every part of her, the serious side, the playful side, and the contemplative side. Each part contributed to who she was.
“Bored?” He set down the glass of port, hardly touched. “Charlotte, I have had far too much fun with you to be bored.”
He had resisted for so long but could not restrain himself any longer. He leaned forward to kiss her.
She leaned back at first, but as their eyes met, she shivered and moved forward. As soon as their lips met, she moaned, giving in to the kiss.
William groaned and brought his arms around her, pulling her to him as tightly as he could. It was glorious. Before his mind could even conceive of what to do next, they were both lying on the sofa, her dressing gown open, and nothing but her nightgown and his shirt between them.
William lost himself in her lips. He wanted to explore them, know them, possess them. For several minutes, all he could focus on was her face, mouth, and the kiss that burned his lips, making him hungry for more.
Eventually, he broke the kiss to say the words in his heart.
“I love you, Charlotte.”
“Do you, indeed?”
“I would never lie to you, nor about something so important,” he said slowly. He had to get this right. He would only have one chance. “You know,” he said shakily, “I have actually asked you to marry me twice.”
“You never actually asked,” Charlotte countered, her hair wild across the sofa and her lips red from their passion. “You just told me you wanted to, which I do not think counts.”
William laughed. “Perhaps I am saving it for a special occasion.”
“Does this count?”
“Not yet,” he growled and lowered his face once more to hers.
The kisses were deepening, and he knew if he did not say something now, he would forever regret it.
He pulled away from her and almost smiled at the small moan of disappointment she made.
“Charlotte, I have to ask, I want more with you.”
Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes wide. “More? More of this, you mean, kissing?”
William swallowed. Her fear of being seduced was ringing through his memory. How could he possibly explain it?
“You were wrong when you suspected me of only wanting your company for your body,” he said slowly, not taking his gaze from her face, “but you were also right. I would greatly enjoy seducing you. Have you…have you ever considered allowing a gentleman to teach you the ways of pleasure?”
Charlotte hesitated. “Once. It was a long time ago. He was a tutor for our neighbors here in Bath.” It was not the answer he had expected, and it must have shown on his face, because she laughed. “Nothing happened, really. A few stolen kisses behind the curtains as I visited to watch the music lesson.”
“Charlotte St. Maur, you minx!” William could hardly contain himself. He was pleased. “And you wanted more?”
There was a hint of embarrassment on her face but no shame. “He did. I did not consider one and twenty a good age to lose one’s innocence and reputation, when marriage—I thought—was so close. Now I look back with a few regrets.”
“Regrets?”
She nodded. “I could have experienced something beautiful, I think. Something that I will now never know.”
There was a knowing sparkle in her eyes that made William’s heart leap. She could not have been plainer if she had spoken the words aloud.
He knew exactly what he wanted to do, and he knew she would let him. She was ready. William leaned forward to worship her mouth, his right hand untangled itself from her wild mane and slowly made its way down her body.
