Free Quick, Amanda by Mistress

French brandy inside the crystal decanter glowed a mellow shade of amber.
    Marcus poured himself a glass of the brandy and settled into the large, comfortable wingback chair. He
    absently inhaled the heady fumes that emanated from his glass as he contemplated the fact that he was
    about to become involved in another liaison.
    The astounding thing was that he was Idled with a deep sense of anticipation this time.
    Most unusual. He had always disliked the customary unpleasantness that accompanied the inevitable
    ending of an affair. Lately, however, he had actually found himself resenting the investment of time and
    effort that it took to form a new connection.
    It was difficult to work up enthusiasm for the project when one knew precisely how it was all going to
    end. He had even gotten very good at predicting exactly when it would all terminate.
    He had been allowing the periods between affairs to stretch out longer and longer, until the pressure of
    his physical needs grew too strong to ignore.
    The difficulty was that he was burdened with a full complement of the usual masculine desires. When he
    was in a particularly melancholy frame of mind, he sometimes wondered what it would be like to he freed
    of his passions. He would then he able to abandon the murky world of romantic entanglements in favor of
    devoting himself to the satisfactions of his intellectual endeavors.
    The thought made him grin briefly. If there was one thing he had discovered tonight, it was that there was
    no immediate likelihood that his body would allow him to ignore his lust. The talons of unsatisfied desire
    still gripped his loins.
    But the most interesting aspect of the situation was that he was -not dreading the work of seduction that
    lay ahead. In truth, for the first time in a long, long while, he was looking forward to it.
    All his instincts told him that with Iphiginia things were going to he new and different.
    For starters, he could not see the inevitable conclusion to the affair.
    For once he would be going into a liaison without knowing when and how it would end. That alone was
    enough to whet his appetite.
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    Marcus sipped the brandy and contemplated the pleasures of a passionate attachment that held the
    promise of surprise and unpredictability.
    He wondered how long she would stick to her outrageous tale of a plan to catch a blackmailer.
    He gave the lady high marks for creativity. She had hit upon a brilliant way to thrust herself into Society
    at the highest levels.
    She had no doubt expected him to remain away fromLondonfor the full month, which would have given
    her time to entice a wealthy paramour. Or perhaps she had been out to capture his attention all along.
    That last was an intriguing notion. And rather flattering.
    Marcus turned the brandy glass lazily in his hands. He would allow her to continue her pretense of
    hunting a blackmailer as long as she pleased. It did no harm and it would he amusing to see how long she
    could keep up the charade.
    But in the meantime he had other, more interesting games to play with Iphiginia Bright.
    An unpleasant sensation of dampness made Marcus glance down at the front of his coat. He groaned
    when he saw the dark, spreading stain that marred the expensive fabric.
    He got to his feet, removed his coat, and reached into the inside pocket. He withdrew the metal object
    there and regarded it with some dismay.
    Clearly his latest design for a reliable hydraulic reservoir pen that contained its own supply of ink and
    could be carried about in one's pocket needed more work.
    This was the third coat that he had ruined in the past two weeks.
    But in the meantime he had other, more interesting games to play with Iphiginia Bright.
    An unpleasant sensation of dampness made Marcus glance down at the front of his coat. He groaned
    when he saw the dark, spreading stain that marred the expensive fabric.
    He got to his feet,