Free Seven Nights to Forever by Evangeline Collins

number of women he had been with on one hand. Hell, he could add Rose to that number and still only need one hand.
    Though he would definitely put both hands to good use if given the opportunity again. Those firm, full breasts, the lush flare of her hips, the trim indent of her waist . . . she had a body made for a man’s touch. A body that begged to be touched, kissed, thoroughly explored, and thoroughly pleasured.
    Her lips had certainly tasted as sweet as she looked. Would the rest of her taste as sweet?
    Shifting in his chair, he reached down to reposition his cock in his trousers. Damnation, just thinking of her got him hard. It had been much too long since he’d been with a woman, and at the moment, he felt every one of those long, lonely hours. Each one pressing heavily on him. Each one pleading with him to open that safe. To seize the opportunity he had refused last night.
    Letting out a low curse, he dragged both hands through his hair. For God’s sake, he was a man. Surely he could not be expected to live the life of a monk forever. Even if Amelia discovered the truth, as long as he was discreet, as long as word never reached her vaunted acquaintances’ ears that he wanted anyone other than her, then she could not reasonably refuse to sponsor Rebecca.
    Purposefully ignoring the little nudge that Amelia had never shown herself to be reasonable about anything, he pushed from the desk and turned to the squat cabinet. For once in his life he was going to do something simply because he wanted to, and he refused to feel a drop of guilt over it.

    MINDFUL of the madam watching him from the doorway along the white paneled wall in her office, James did his best to keep to a sedate pace as he went up the narrow stairs. The anticipation that had been building for the past hour, during the walk from the docks, pounded through his veins. It felt as though an invisible tether was pulling him toward that darkened door, toward her .
    He reached for the brass knob and turned it. The last bit of that deadened feeling in his chest slipped away the moment he laid eyes on her.
    Clad in a deep amber gown and with her dark hair loosely knotted at her nape, Rose was even more exquisite than he remembered. She rose from her place on the settee and walked to him, unable to mask the slight surprise upon seeing him. Hopefully it was the good kind of surprise.
    “Good evening, James.”
    He held out his hand and she placed hers in his. A jolt shot up his arm. “Good evening, Rose.” Bowing, he pressed a light kiss on the back of her hand, just grazing her warm skin. He wanted more. Wanted to pull her close and kiss those beautiful red lips. To have her in his arms once again. But something about the way she looked at him made him hold back.
    “Come. Have a seat.”
    He allowed her to lead him to the settee and took up a spot next to her.
    “Would you care for a drink this evening?” she asked, indicating the three glass bottles on the table behind the settee.
    He shook his head. He had never been one for spirits. One would think given his size, he could consume an entire bottle of brandy with no ill effects. But since he rarely partook, anything more than one glass dulled his wits. And he had yet to find a spirit that didn’t make him grimace at the taste. He had enough reasons to grimace on a daily basis. No need to invite another.
    Her gaze went from him to her offering and back to him again. “What do you usually prefer?”
    “Coffee. Black.”
    “Always?”
    “When given the option, yes.”
    Her hand slid free from his as she got to her feet. Crossing the room, she tugged on a bellpull by the bedchamber door. Within a minute she answered the light scratch, opening the sitting room door partway. He heard the soft murmur of her voice but couldn’t make out her words.
    When she returned to his side, he reached for her hand once again. Silly really, but he couldn’t explain why he received so much comfort from simply holding her