Free To Please A Lady (The Seduction Series) by Lori Brighton Page A

fire burned in the hearth of a marble fireplace. A four-poster bed with a dark green coverlet stood against the far wall. Red roses were in a vase upon a bedside table. It was beautiful, warm, seductive, and inviting. It was everything she had expected when she was a young innocent searching for romance, a romance that had been a myth until now. But she supposed in its own way this was not real, considering she was paying for everything. She felt James come up behind her.
    Oh dear Lord. She was
paying
him. She was paying a whore. What those men had done to James in the Rutherford’s courtyard would be nothing compared to what would happen to her if anyone uncovered her secret.
    Sinner.
    No!
Damn it all, she was tired of the numbness, tired of the lack of love and passion. Tired of waiting day after day to die. This was the moment… the moment she would change her life… the moment she would stop living for others and live for herself.
    She didn’t care. Did
not
bloody care.
    Determined, she spun around, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed James. She felt him lean back, shutting his door, heard the gentle click of the lock, but she didn’t break her hold. He rested his hands on her hips and drew her up closer to his hard body. She wanted to forget, merely wanted to feel. Eleanor shoved her tongue into his mouth in a kiss of sheer determination. But James, the man she was paying to love her, pushed her back.
    “Wait,” he said breathlessly. “Slow down.”
    A fiery path of humiliation raced to her cheeks. She’d been rejected by a whore. Why not? Her own husband hadn’t wanted her, not really. He’d only wanted her family’s fortune and a beautiful, docile wife to get with child, a woman to control.
    “Don’t look at me like that.” He clenched his jaw hard. She’d never quite seen him so angry. Not even while fighting the men in the garden. No, in the garden he’d seemed resigned, almost welcomed the pain they caused. “I want you.”
    He took her hand and pressed it boldly to the front of his trousers. The hard length of his erection met her palm. Shocked, Eleanor didn’t dare move. Her breath caught in her throat as desperate need raced through her body.
    “Then take me,” she said harshly.
    He released his hold. “Not yet. You asked for passion. You asked for romance.”
    “And women always get what they pay for?”
    He slid her a wry glance, making her wish she’d kept her mouth shut.
    “Very well.” She turned away from him, staring moodily into the fireplace. Why did she always have to turn sarcastic and shrewish when confronted? Confused, unsure, she crossed herarms over her chest, feeling very much alone. “Shall you feed me chocolates?”
    Warm fingers brushed the back of her neck. She hadn’t even heard him approach. Eleanor trembled, closing her eyes. She’d noticed that about him… that he moved as silently and stealthily as a cat. A thief in the night. Unable to stop herself, she sank into his hard body, his chest warm and strong against her back. For one brief moment she savored the feel of being held, supported.
    “Romance, yes?” he whispered against her ear.
    She gave a jerky nod of her head. Why not? She hadn’t had romance in years. It might prove entertaining. His fingers trailed down her neck, over her shoulders, brushing the area above her clavicles and undoing the jaunty bow of her bonnet. He tugged the hat free, the weight gone, and although she wore a gown and undergarments, she felt oddly naked.
    “ ’Tis a lovely room,” she said, her voice husky. Lord, had she already given the compliment? It was hard to remember, hard to think when his fingers were lightly massaging her shoulders and neck, pulling her into a deep and seductive haze.
    “Thank you.” Suddenly he stepped away, leaving her feeling off-balance. She didn’t dare glance back to see where he went. Looking back would show she cared. Caring made one vulnerable, and she’d learned very early on