Free Desperate and Daring 01 - Desperate and Daring by Ella J. Quince Page A

breath, taking immense pleasure in the way her breasts pressed against his chest. He was so strong, and safe, a guardian against the reality she wanted to forget—for just a little while. His hand came back to her breast, roughly pulling her bodice down until her breasts fell into his hands like a gift. They both looked down. Heather blushed modestly and looked away from her nakedness. She looked up into his face and her breath caught. He had such wonder in his eyes, reverence even. Confidence swelled within her and she reached up to touch his cheek softly. He looked up and met her eyes, and this time she kissed him, just like her dream, as if she knew what she was about.
    Both his hands cupped her breasts this time, molding them as if he were sculpting art. Heather kissed him until her lungs begged for air and broke away.
    Heather was delirious with sensation. Her hands fisted in the folds of his cravat and this time she did shiver.
    “Tell me to stop, Heather.” His voice was strained.
    Heather loved the sound of it. That womanly confidence surged again in her and she shook her head. “Please don’t stop.” She pushed her head back against the door in anguished anticipation.
    “I must, little flower. I mean to woo you, not seduce you. What kind of man would I be otherwise?”
    Internally, Heather screamed in frustration, but he was right, damn him. What was becoming of her? She blushed shamefully, tucking her chin down to avoid the humiliation of meeting his eyes and having him see too much. She nodded and untangled her hands from his cravat. He still held onto her, but there was an invisible distance between them—his self-control. After a moment, he stepped away, and Heather could look up at him with a semblance of integrity.
    “You are right, Mr. Calder. I suspect you are right quite often.”
    One corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile.
    “I should be going.” She pushed away from the door and turned to open it.
    “I will see you at dinner, but I look forward to tomorrow.” He held the door for her.
    Heather didn’t look back as she made her way back from where she had come. She did not know what she was doing, she was lost in her feelings, a compass with no arrow to give her direction, but Mr. Calder seemed to know, and for some unfathomable reason, Heather wanted to trust him with everything, including her heart.
    Heather returned to her room on wobbly knees and collapsed on the bed. She almost slept through dinner, frightening her mother into a stern decree about returning to bed and receiving a tray lest she be falling ill. Mr. Calder had spoken to her about the rigorous interviewing he would be conducting over the next few days, and she insisted Heather take every moment of rest needed to present her best self. Heather smiled. “Yes, Mother.”
    Rigorous interviewing indeed. She and Mr. Calder were given free rein to spend hours alone together, a positively scandalous notion, all in the name of procuring a duke. What was society coming to? Heather sighed blissfully as she sank deeper into the pillows. Violet was given the honor of taking her place at dinner, leaving Heather peace and quiet with her own thoughts. She was going to be wooed. Finally! What could be lovelier than that? Well, this afternoon had been more than lovely, an experience to alter her body for the rest of her life—metaphorically speaking. She was being awakened as a woman.
    After going to bed early and rising with the sun, Heather was fresh and bright as she entered the breakfast parlor. She avoided looking for Fallon, her cheeks already feeling warmer at the thought of him. She was just finishing her cup of tea when he approached and advised her that she would need to change into her riding habit, if she had one, to assess her riding skills. Heather nodded and hid a smile behind another pretend sip of tea. “Yes, Mr. Calder.”
    “Good. I shall meet you in the foyer in a quarter hour.”
    Lady Everly beamed as Mr. Calder