She inclined her head toward the bench. When they sat, her gown brushed the fine woolen cloth of his tailored pantaloons, fashionably close fitting. She had a sense of the powerful muscles of his thighs and calves. Her breath momentarily caught in her throat.
“You know, as do I, the freedoms women have once married,” he said, the reverberation in his baritone most pleasing. “Is that part of the appeal?”
“Freedom to do what, precisely? Something to do with politics?”
He gave a deep laugh that differed markedly from what she’d heard from him before. “Not my meaning, but a fine choice of avocation.
“At any rate, I’ve unburdened myself, and it is your turn to do so. Tell me more about whyyouwish to marry.”
He gathered his arms close to his chest, flattening the impeccable knot in his cravat. “Did I not previously plead my case?”
“There must be more to the matter than your mother’s insistence. Come now. Confess.”
He grazed the tips of her fingers with his, sending a luscious shiver across her shoulders.
“Do you require me to unburden myself as a condition of acceptance?”
“I would prefer it but do not require it. I am fond of you, Albion, you know that.”
“And the flirtations before?”
“I enjoy flirting with you.”
Albion was quiet for an unbearably long time, though it could not have been more than a minute. The nonsense he cultivated about his person disappeared entirely.
“Your initial impulse was to refuse me,” he said at last. “One’s first response is often correct, for it comes directly from the soul.”
“I respectfully disagree.”
“You will not change your mind again?”
Diana wondered what might happen were they alone, and neither of them needed to worry about what Society would think. The intriguing thought made her delightfully weak. She imagined his large hand on the small of her back as they entered a ballroom together. And what those same hands would do in the privacy of their bedchamber, as husband and wife, and he explored the curve of her waist and parts even more intimate.
Inspired, she inclined her mouth closer to his ear, the fan’s frame subtly touching her upper lip. “You wish me to prove my commitment? Kiss me.”
“I want to kiss you,” he said in a low voice, the words unsteady. “After your previous experience, however—”
“A mistake on my part and far different from a young woman finding herself alone with her soon-to-be bridegroom. Your intentions are honorable, are they not?”
“You know they are,” he said gruffly. “Nevertheless, I’m given to believe it is improper here.”
“Not if I intend to marry you. Still, we can take care.”
A mere peck might go unnoticed, but she didn’t think Albion was the sort of fellow to settle for such. She espied a tri-paneled trellis with colorful depictions of sparrows and spring buds. She beckoned toward it with a nod of her head.
He followed her behind the trellis. Her body pulsed with an unfamiliar energy, awedby their difference in stature.
Albion’s face hovered above hers. Diana saw nothing else. She thought of nothing else. He was so close, his chest rising and falling under his shirt. The sheer immensity of his physical presence was dizzying. She imagined running her hands throughhis thick black hair. She didn’t quite work up the courage to do so, but she reached up to handle a strand, luxuriating in its silkiness.
He cupped his hand behind the back of her neck, the smooth leather of his glove enticing her as he pulled her mouth gently to his, just as she had imagined.
When their lips met, it was soft, warm, and delicious. She parted her lips and invited him in, dropping her fan and forgetting all that was proper and expected of her. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders to draw her body nearer to his. She melted into his chest.
“As I said, marriage can be fun.” His amber eyes, thrilling up close, glowed with passion. He swept the fan up from the ground and offered it to her in the palm of his hand, chivalrous as any knight of the round table. “And romantic. Even if prudence drives our decision.”
She nodded, trying to right herself. What additional pleasures were waiting for her once they were married? She had understood that Albion would be a thoughtful husband. Now, she recognized he would excite her beyond her wildest imaginings.
When she remained silent, Albion blushed, his complexion darkening slightly. “I have overstepped. Forgive me.”
