Page 33 of Falling for a Footman

James turned around to face her fully.

“Yes, I think that we both would come to regret it, since it would bind you to me and we both know that you deserve better than me.”

Charlotte clenched her teeth at his comment, trying to think of a counterargument. Not to make him sleep with her, but simply to make him kiss her or at least to allow them to see each other again. She knew that they were not suited in terms of rank, but after kissing him again, she was not certain that she could simply walk away from him.

“Does this happen often for you?” she had to ask.

Her stomach turned into a hard stone as she remembered Violet and Lily looking at him yesterday. Perhaps she was simply special that she had gone through an entire season without feeling this way before. Perhaps others felt this way with a lot of people, making it much easier for them to pick a spouse. The thought was mind blowing and overwhelming; could it be that easy for others?

“What?” James asked and Charlotte had to return her focus to the conversation.

“This... magnetism,” she forced out with her heart in her throat. He could lie to her and say that he did not feel it, or even worse... he might not feel it at all.

“Magnetism? I haven’t heard it described that way before,” he told her with a smile playing around his lips.

“Well, that is what my mother called it,” Charlotte explained a bit defensively.

“No, I like it. It’s true. It is a sort of magnetism.”

Charlotte was too dumbfounded by his statement to reply. She stood motionless as James took another step towards her and enveloped her hands in his.

“No, this does not happen to me often, Charlotte...” he began, but she did not let him continue. Once again, she closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against his greedily and wantonly. He did not push her away as she had feared but took her into his arms again and once again, they explored each other with their tongues.

“I want you to do everything to me that you can,” she breathed against his mouth. “Everything except ruin me.”

James’s eyes looked completely black in the dim light, and she could see the desire in them. But also, the hesitation.

“Tell me what to do,” she urged. “Or better yet, show me,” she continued and unbuttoned the top button on her dress.

Her breath caught in her throat in an almost painful way as she continued with the second button. She had expected him to act by now. To reach for her and start touching her, or at least to step away from her and once again state that they could not continue. But all he did was stare at her.

Charlotte bit her bottom lip as her hand hesitated above the third button. If he did not do anything, after she unbuttoned that, she would have to give it up. She swallowed and it hurt when it passed the lump in her throat. She would have to leave if the third button did not make him react, both the room and the notion that he desired her as much as she desired him.

He was the one with experience. He was the one that knew what they could and could not do. If her stating with both words and actions that she wanted him was not enough, she could not do anything more about it.

A long exhale left James’s body as she slowly unbuttoned the third button. She let her hands fall to her sides and looked at him with an almost defiantly look in her eyes. It was his turn to act now.

“Charlotte,” her name rasped over his lips, and she was glad that she at least seemed to affect him as much as he affected her.

“James,” she answered and felt as much as heard how her voice quavered when she whispered his name.

He reached for her so fast that she almost shrieked when her body was pinned flushed against his and his lips pressed against hers. The hesitation was gone now: his kisses were fierce, almost angry, and he backed her towards the bed without hesitation. Charlotte felt excitement and desire curl in the lower part of her stomach as a whirlwind that spun ever faster as she sat down on the high bed that still placed her at exactly the right height for kissing him. Their mouths had found each other again, some of the fierceness had gone out of the kiss and his lips were playfully nibbling hers.

Cool air hit her legs and she realized that James was lifting her dress. She shivered as he ran his hand up her naked calf and James made a sound, that sounded pained.

“No stockings, no petticoats, no stays?” he murmured in a low husky voice.

“It’s a warm night,” Charlotte explained defensively and hoped that he did not think she had neglected to wear them because she thought this would happen. Truth be told, she had not bothered with the many layers because she had felt that they took too long and besides the stays were difficult to tie properly on her own. Thus, she had only her chemise underneath.

Both his hands were roaming under her skirt now and Charlotte leaned back on the bed, trying not to squirm at the feel of his touch. It still amazed her that being with a man felt this pleasurable. Despite her mother’s reassurances that it was enjoyable, it seemed unfathomable just how enjoyable it was. Warmth spread to all parts of her body but seemed to pool especially between her legs, to the place that James’ hand was inching closer and closer to. She knew she wanted him to touch her there but was uncertain how to say it and right now he seemed content with simply stroking her legs. Which Charlotte certainly could not complain about, but she would like to know how they moved forward.

“James,” she breathed, not sure whether it was a plea for him to continue or a question on how to proceed.

“Charlotte,” he answered with a teasing smile.

“James, please,” Charlotte begged and would have hidden her face in her hands, if she was not using them for support.

His hands were slowly inching closer to her sex, but stopped just before he reached it. His warm large hands were resting on her upper thighs, so close to her sex that he could have touched it, if he moved his fingers ever so slightly. Charlotte squirmed with anticipation, moving her hips to make him touch her, and James chuckled. Slowly, much too slowly his right hand moved between her thighs, while the left came around her back to support her as he leaned in and kissed her again.