“Are youmad?”
He took her face in his hands and kissed her. “Not mad. But desperate with desire.”
She wrapped her hands around his wrists and pushed him back. “We can be seen from the window.”
“I don’t care.” He kissed her again, dipping his tongue between her lips, sliding his hands over her arms, memorizing her body, imprinting her on his skin. “There is no one but you,” he said, and Hattie arched into him, her arms going around his neck. He moved his hand to her breast, but this wasn’t enough. He pulled her off the bench and fell onto his back in the grass, pulling Hattie on top of him. He devoured her lips, every patch of skin, the inside of her mouth and the curve of her neck at her shoulder.
Her hands were moving on him, arousing him to even greater desperation when she caressed his hardness. He rolled again so that he was on top of her. “I want only you,mi amor. No one but you.”
“I want you, too, but I—”
He kissed her to keep words from drifting between them that would ruin this moment.But, but, but...There was nobut, there was only the two of them, destined for each other, in love with each other, meant for each other.
He pressed his hard length against her thigh, and moved his hand down her leg, grabbing muslin and pushing it up and out of the way until his hand found her skin.
“Teo,” she whispered.
He paused, waiting for her to tell him to stop. She didn’t tell him to stop—she kissed his neck, curled her fingers in his hair. She nibbled his lobe, she pressed against him, and sighed longingly.
He moved his hand up her thigh, into her knickers. He dipped in and out of her crevices, swirling around, his fingers following the rhythm of his tongue. She clung to him, surprisingly strong, her breath quickening. It was a heady, frothy concoction of skin and lips and desire all mixing into one utterly explosive moment, and Mateo was moved. He wasmoved.
He caressed her, slow and fluid, his mouth on hers in one long, stupefyingly seductive kiss. Her body strained against him, her breath turned hot on his skin. And then she began to writhe. She bit his shoulder when her pleasure ignited, stifling her cry with a whimper into the fabric of his coat. He laced his fingers with hers, squeezing as her body shuddered through a climax.
Then she stilled. He withdrew his hand from her skirt. She lay back in the grass, one arm carelessly thrown over her eyes. “What have you done to me?”
“Loved you.” He pulled her up. “I’ve let my heart sit in silence too long. I never doubted I would gain a wife in the manner anyone in my position might gain one. But I never dreamed I’d find you first.”
“Teo.” She took his hand into both of hers. “There is no hope for us.”
“You’re wrong, Hattie. I can offer you—”
“I don’t want anything,” she interrupted. “The only thing I want is you, and that is impossible.”
“It’s not impossible. I want you to be my duchess, Hattie—”
“Teo! Don’t say it. I am begging you, don’t make this any harder than it is,” she implored him, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry. I can’t be with you. I’ve given you my resignation and now I have to go.” A tear slid down her cheek as she gained her feet.
Mateo was speechless. What could he do but beg? There ought to be something, some magic words, a touch, a promise—something that he wasn’t grasping that could convince her to stay. But she kept walking, and he sat in the grass like a fool, and watched her flee his private garden, through the arch, and disappear from view.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
LILAWASNOTat all certain that Lord Abbott was going to follow his heart. Despite her machinations, she feared he might go through with the more expedient offer of marriage to Miss Raney. She did not doubt for a moment Elizabeth’s actual influence over him.
She’d come to the Raney household today to speak to Miss Raney. Before any offer was made, she had to know what Lord and Lady Raney would accept as part of the dowry negotiations. They intended to be quite generous.
But as Lila prepared to leave, she looked again at Miss Raney, who seemed a bit cool to her. “Are you excited?” she asked.
Miss Raney looked at her without emotion. “As I’ve not received an offer, no.”
It seemed an odd thing to say—the young woman knew one was coming.
The whole affair made Lila sad. What she most enjoyed about her profession was bringing together people who loved each other. She could make this sort of match every day of the week—a match made for the continuation of wealth and influence, with a duty of producing an heir. But it wasn’t very satisfying. She thought back all those years ago when no one thought she was good enough for Valentin. Look how happy they’d been all this time! She missed her husband so—he would be in London next week. She would like this business done so she could devote all her time and attention to him.
But there was something bothering her about this match. She couldn’t help but think that Lord Abbott would not have a happy life if he was to marry Flora Raney.
When she arrived at Grosvenor Square, and Borerro invited her into the foyer, she was startled by the raised voices coming from down the hall. She looked curiously at the butler.
Borerro pretended he didn’t hear it. “Would you care to leave your hat,señora?”
