Wicked Nights With a Proper Lady(36)

Genny had to fix her skirts before pushing her chair out. Now that most everyone had left, Leo took it upon himself to assist her. “Shall I escort you and your lovely cousin to the mazes?”

“It would be an honor,” Charlotte chimed in but stalled before exiting the breakfast parlor. “Oh, dear. I promised to meet Ariel. Genny, take my shawl since I am feeling a little warm. You can head to the mazes straightaway. I will follow you out shortly.”

No, she could absolutely not go alone with Leo, even if she wanted to. What would everyone think of such a bold action that was very much like courting? Worse, everyone might think his intentions impure, which, yes, they were, but she didn’t want anyone to so much as guess what they did when they were alone.

“I’m more than happy to escort Miss Camden to the mazes.”

“That is perfect. I will be out in a moment, too,” Lady Carleton said. “I need to consult with Cook on luncheon arrangements.”

Leo steered Genny in the direction of the door before she could provide a reason not to leave with him alone.

When they were well out of range of the house, she said, “Have you gone completely mad?”

“Have I not been on your heels every moment of every day for the past week?”

“Well, yes. But—” She paused on seeing his teasing grin.

“There can be no buts. If I don’t continue to act as I have done, and you don’t continue to resist me—and you have done a lovely job so far this morning—then we’ll be caught out.”

She realized he was right. “You’ve thought this through.”

“Yes, I’ve been thinking about this since you left this morning. About how we should carry on without drawing attention our way.”

“You didn’t go to bed after I left?”

“How could I?”

“You’ll be exhausted today.”

“It was well worth it.” He waggled his brows at her. “Besides, I can always disappear for a few hours after lunch. I will need to freshen up for this evening.”

“We have to be careful, Leo.” Her tone turned serious.

“I’m well aware of that.” His forefinger and thumb rubbed at his chin in thought. “I still think we should meet in the maze tonight.”

“It’s supposed to rain.”

“Then I will take you back to the greenhouse where we can be completely alone.”

She bumped into his shoulder, wanting so much to have his arm wrapped around her but knowing they couldn’t show such intimacy publicly. “I don’t even remember how we accomplished our affair all those years ago. I am beginning to wonder how we weren’t caught.”

“I was careful for both of us. You have nothing to fear, we seem to be able to keep a little more distance between us during the day now that we’ve matured.”

Leo threaded her arm through his. It seemed he wanted to touch her as much as she did him.

“That reminds me,” he said. “Who was that friend of yours? The one that beat out all the men in the archery competition four years ago?”

What an odd question. “You mean Helena?” She sighed. “How I miss Helena. We still write back and forth. She married well.”

“I recall. Wasn’t it to the…” He snapped his fingers as he tried to place the name. “Ah, yes, now I recall. It was to the Duke of Beaumont.”

“Yes, your memory serves you well. She has just had her first child. A little girl they named Maisie.”

“Of course I remember her. She was your friend. And I did spend a great deal of time with the two of you. So in a sense, I had a vested interest in her as well. Didn’t she meet Beaumont at this very house?”

What was he getting at? “How observant of you.”

“No, no. Hear me out in this. I think there were three marriages after that particular party. Your friend’s being the first to come to mind. I think there was also an older gent and lady.”

“I haven’t a clue who you might be referring to. There was Lord Grovestead’s eldest son who ran off to Gretna Green with one of the young ladies’ chaperones.” Reminiscing was actually quite fun to do with Leo.

Leo clapped his hands together and let out a raucous laugh that had her joining in. “What a scandal that was. I hadn’t forgotten that. That put the house in such an uproar. I think it was written about in every rag by the time I returned to London. My acquaintances were shocked to find me so well behaved.”

“There doesn’t seem to be as much scandal afoot this time around.”

“Another reason for us to be ever so vigilant,” he said.

They were thick into the maze, and almost at the center. Feeling safe in the cover of hedges, Genny pressed closer to Leo, feeling his gait through the length of her body, and matching it. Or was he matching her smaller strides? Regardless, it was nice to relish the momentary closeness they had while alone.

“Which of my suitors did you think I would marry?”

“I had personally hoped that you would choose neither. Though the baron’s son … can’t recall his name—”

“Mr. Ewan,” she supplied.

“Ah, yes, how remiss of me. Did you have any tender feelings for the young, fresh-faced Mr. Ewan?”

Genny tsked. “I think that tone in your voice is very close to jealousy, my lord.”

“And if it is?” Leo’s hand clasped around her waist and rested firmly on her hip.

“Well, it ought not to be. It wasn’t as though you offered for my hand in marriage.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“The one thing I wanted in a husband was to share the type of connection that we had.” Genny wasn’t sure she should admit even that much, but what did she have to lose? “We got on well, but I could not marry a man I only saw as a friend. It was almost what I imagined having a brother to be like had I had one.”

“I daresay, the marriage bed would have been a trifle uncomfortable if the man felt like a brother to you.”

Genny clucked her tongue. “Don’t tease me so.”

“I enjoy it too much to quit now.” Leo tugged her closer. “Though now that I’ve had you in my bed, you don’t seem to blush nearly as much.”

Genny felt her cheeks heat under his regard, but she knew the face powder hid the telltale signs of any blush. Perhaps she should invest in her own powders? She never thought it could be so handy, and she liked the idea of covering the blushes she was prone to.

“You tease me so often that I’m growing immune to it.”

“You’ve just challenged me, my lady. I will prove you wrong before the day is through. And I’ll prove it to you before our game is complete this morning.”

She dropped his arm and let him chase her down the hedged path, giggling as she made her way to the center. He seemed to stay a few feet behind, never actually catching her. She could hear the heavy panting of his breath, and she thought she might have unintentionally aroused him. Good. He had a habit of putting her out of sorts whenever he could manage it, and she was glad to turn the tables on him for once.

She knew her way through the maze very well, having mastered the odd twists and turns her first summer here. Some of the hedges grew right over the path, making you feel locked out from the rest of the world. They occasionally broke open at the top to let the sunlight through, but before long, you’d find yourself covered by more greenery.

When she reached the center, she had every intention of pulling Leo into her arms and kissing him thoroughly before anyone else arrived. How would they explain their exertions? Perhaps no one would care.

Oh, she was acting careless.

Today was the first time she’d ventured into the maze since her arrival and everything was just as she remembered. Six double-flanked hedged paths led to the middle attraction. A large tiered fountain was the showcase here, with its naiad at the top with her breasts exposed. She held a tilted ewer that spouted water down into the basin of the fountain.

Turning in the wide round opening at the center of the maze, she stopped when she was facing Leo. He didn’t say a word. He only looked at her with dark, dilated eyes before pulling her into his arms and lowering his mouth to hers. She went to him willingly, anxious to have his taste upon her tongue again. Anxious to feel the hardness of his body against her softer one.

Why did they have to be in the presence of anyone at all? Had they been alone, she didn’t think she would ever stop kissing him. His mouth did very wicked things. So wicked and titillating that she felt the tips of her breasts peak beneath the light muslin of her dress. She wanted to appease the need to be touched by rubbing up against him, but settled for putting her arms around his shoulders and holding him tighter to her.

He lifted his mouth away from her but didn’t pull away completely. His cheek rested atop her head as he stroked her back. “I want you now.”

“The feeling is mutual,” she whispered.

“We have to stop or everyone will think that I’m carrying something in my pocket.”

She was feeling especially naughty after his morning’s teasing, so she lifted herself up on her toes, rubbing her breasts against his chest and her belly against his arousal.

Leo groaned and hugged her tight along his body. “You’re my little minx.”