Free The Miss Education of Dr. Exeter by Jillian Stone Page A

could share together, someday.
    “Earlier, in my bedchamber, you said I could order you to do things—ask you to pleasure me in certain ways.”
    “Whatever arouses you—I am happy to do your bidding.”
    “Next time, I would like to pleasure you, as well.”
    Without taking his eyes off her, he set his cup down and reached for her, pulling her close. “Mia, think carefully. You do realize what this means?”
    Mia nodded. “Things have changed for us.”

Chapter Seven
    E XETER PACED THE LENGTH OF THE TRAIN PLATFORM waiting for the most unpunctual of all the Nightshades, Tim Noggy. Even at this ungodly early hour, St. Pancras station was bustling. Exeter scanned the gallery for any sign of the rotund young man. Pale shafts of light passed through a canopy of steel beams and skylights, spotting the platform with light. He tucked several morning newspapers under his arm. All of them predicted rain.
    Absently, he went over the day’s itinerary in his head. They would travel in close proximity to one another, but not together. He had seen his fellow travelers into two first-class compartments. The idea was to get to Paris quickly, drawing the least amount of attention to themselves as possible. Also, if one group ran into trouble, the other could either lend assistance or have a chance to escape.
    Mia waved to him from inside their compartment. Exeter paused close by the window of the passenger carriage and dug for his pocket watch. Last night had been somewhat disquieting, highly erotic, and perhaps . . . the most enchanting night of his life.
    A faint prickle of arousal ran through his manly parts just remembering. Mia had been wonderfully responsive sexually and had climaxed, something he was not altogether sure she would do. This had been her first intimate experience with a man, and a decidedly odd one at that, considering he had bound her hands and kept the first session as clinical as he possibly could.
    In the harsh light of morning he had awoke to a humbling thought. His insistence on being so clinical had more to do with protecting himself than it had been about Mia.
    He flipped open his watch. Seven fifty-five. “We leave on the stroke of eight, Mr. Noggy,” Exeter muttered to himself. He turned toward their compartment. Mia and America were sampling a tin of biscuits from the Fortnum’s hamper, delivered to the house just as they set off that morning. Mia had seen the delivery van and stopped the carriage. Bloody bold of her, and yet thoughtful to have a large basket made up for the journey.
    His mouth twitched and he felt a twinge of pain from the mending cut on his lip. In the kitchen last night he had tugged her into his arms and she had kissed him, running a pink tongue along the underside of his upper lip. “Mmm, you taste just like a yuletide truffle, Doctor Exeter.”
    “G’day, Mate!” The call traveled down the platform, jarring Exeter from his reverie. The large-framed Noggy huffed up beside him. Disheveled, as usual, behind schedule, always, and carrying no luggage.
    “Oddly enough, there is a kind of predictability to your lateness, Mr. Noggy.” Exeter greeted him with a frown. Tim’s cheeks were flushed pink from exertion along with a few beads of ever-present perspiration. “Have you ever considered dropping a few stone? Your circulatory system would thank you for it.”
    The look he received from Noggy could be described only as nonplussed. “You don’t approve of my triple-x, big and tall size, Doc?”
    “Outremer gibberish, Mr. Noggy. I am concerned for your health.” Exeter asked about the obvious lack of luggage. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your valise.”
    Tim swept back a tangle of wild hair and answered in his odd parlance of Outremer English. “I’m not coming with you—but, give me a day and a few more tweaks to the iDIP, and I’ll meet you there.”
    He stared at the young inventor. “You’ve got the portal maker working . . .”
    Tim’s grin was as wide