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face change, the nightmarish mask dropping, sanity and awareness creeping back into his expression. He
lowered his fist and stared at it blankly. Then his gaze fell to Lottie s slim form, and the fury and terror in
his eyes made her cringe.
 I could have killed you, he snarled, his white teeth gleaming like an animal s.  What are you doing
here? Don tever touch me while I m sleeping, damn you!
 I didn t know, I& what in heaven s name were you dreaming about?
He rolled away from her in a lithe movement and left the bed, panting.  Nothing. Nothing at all.
 I thought you needed something 
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 All I need is for you to stay the hell away from me, he snapped. Finding his discarded clothes on a
chair, he jerked his trousers on.
Lottie felt as if she had been struck. She hated it that his words had the power to hurt her. Even more
than that, she was anguished for him, wishing he did not have to bear such torment alone.
 Get out of here, he said, pulling his shirt and coat on, not bothering with a waistcoat or necktie.
 Are you leaving? Lottie asked.  There is no need. I will go back to bed, and 
 Yes, I m leaving.
 Where are you going?
 I don t know. He didn t spare her a glance as he picked up his stockings and shoes.  And don t ask
when I ll return. I don t know that, either.
 But why? Lottie took a halting step toward him.  Nick, please stay and tell me 
He shot her a warning glance, his eyes bright with the ferocity of a wounded animal.  I told you to get
out.
Feeling the blood drain from her face, Lottie nodded and went to the door. Pausing at the threshold, she
spoke without a backward glance.  I m sorry.
He made no reply.
Lottie bit the insides of her lips, damning herself as she felt the sting of tears at the corners of her eyes.
She left swiftly, retreating to her room with the shreds of her dignity.
Nick did not return all the next day. Anxious and bewildered, Lottie tried to find ways to occupy herself.
However, no distraction proved sufficient to stop her from worrying. She took a long walk with a
footman in tow, attended to needlework, read, and helped Mrs. Trench make tallow candles.
The housekeeper and servants were quietly deferential to Lottie. Predictably, not one word was
mentioned about the previous night, although they were all certainly aware that some disturbance had
taken place. Servants knew everything, but none of them would ever admit to knowledge of the intimate
details of their master s life.
Wondering where her husband had gone, Lottie feared that perhaps he had done something reckless.
She consoled herself that he was quite good at taking care of himself, but that did not ease her distress.
He had been so very upset, and she suspected that his anger had stemmed from the fear that he might
have hurt her.
However, she was his wife, and she deserved better than to be abandoned with no explanation. The day
was relentlessly long, and Lottie was relieved when evening finally approached. After dining alone, she
took a long bath, donned a fresh white nightrail, and read from a stack of periodicals until she finally felt
able to sleep. Exhausted by the endless circling of her thoughts and the tedium of the past hours, she sank
into deep slumber.
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Long before morning, she was roused from the thick mist of sleep by the realization that the weight of the
blankets had been drawn from her. Stirring, she became aware of a solid presence behind her, the
mattress dipping slightly. Nick, she thought in drowsy relief, yawning as she turned toward him. The room
was so dark that she could not quite distinguish him. The familiar warmth of his hands pressed her back
to the bed, one large palm resting gently on the center of her chest& and then he drew her wrists over her
head.
Lottie murmured in surprise, awakening fully as she felt him loop something around each wrist. Before
she realized what was happening, the bonds were secured to the headboard, stretching her tautly beneath
him. Her breath stopped in amazement. Nick moved over her, crouching like a cat, his breath coming in
rough surges. He touched her body over the cotton veil of her gown, his fingers slipping beneath the
curve of her breast, the indentation of her waist, the swell of her hip and thigh. His weight shifted, and his
mouth sought her breast, wetting the gown, licking the rising peak of her nipple. He was naked, the scent
and heat of warm male skin surrounding her.
Dazedly Lottie realized that he wanted to take her like this, with her hands fastened over her head. The
idea made her fearful. She did not like being restrained in any way. But at the same time she understood
what he wanted& her helplessness, her absolute trust& the knowledge that he could do anything he
wanted to her without restrictions. He rolled her distended nipple against his tongue, excited the tight
peak with long, dragging licks, and sucked hard through the wet cotton until she gasped. She squirmed in
a mute plea for him to remove her gown, but he only slid farther down her body, his muscular arms
braced on either side of her.
Curling her thumb and forefinger over one of the bonds that fastened her wrists, Lottie discovered that
Nick had used her silk stockings. The light tension on her arms seemed to intensify her response to him,
sensation racing through her in electric charges.
His mouth was at her stomach, his breath burning through the delicate gown. He nibbled at her body, his
caresses languid, while the pace of his breathing betrayed his excitement. He made a space between her
thighs, pushing them apart with his hands. His mouth rooted gently between her legs, against the cotton
fabric. Lottie strained toward him, her fingers opening and closing helplessly, her heels digging hard into
the mattress. He played with her leisurely, then rose again to find her breasts, kissing and fondling her
through the clinging nightrail until she thought she would go mad if he didn t remove it. Every inch of her
skin was hot and oversensitive, the fine fabric seeming to chafe her unbearably.
 Nick, she said frantically,  my gown, take if off, please take it& 
He hushed her with his fingers, resting two of them lightly against her lips. When she quieted, his thumb
brushed over the curve of her cheek in a whisper-soft caress. Reaching for the hem of the gown, he
pulled it upward, and she sobbed with gratitude. Her legs twitched as they were exposed to the cool air,
and her wrists tugged at the silken bonds as she writhed to help him. The cotton was raised over her
chest, catching slightly at the stiff tips of her nipples.
Nick s hand slid carefully over her stomach, traveling to the tender flesh of her inner thighs. His fingertip
stroked through the curly hair, found the welling moisture, and brushed softly against the smoldering,
delicate flesh. Her legs spread, her body throbbing with anticipation. She gave a pleading sob as his hand
left her. The tip of his middle finger traced the sensitive edge of her upper lip. His finger was damp with
the salty elixir of her own body, leaving the fragrance wherever he touched. Suddenly her nostrils were
filled with the scent of her own arousal, filling her lungs with every breath.
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Slowly Nick turned her to her side, his hand running over her arms to check their tension. His body
settled behind hers, his mouth caressing the back of her neck. Lottie strained backward, her bottom
pressing into his turgid shaft. She wanted to touch hil, to twist around and stroke the coarse, thick hair on [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]