Page 33 of To Wager with Love

Before he could finish the sentence, Harriet reached up and put her hands to his head, pulling him down to her and kissing him, ending any further discussion. Heat erupted between them and he pulled her into his arms, sighing against her mouth at the rightness of it.

This was where she was supposed to be, where she belonged; with him, and he would never let her go.

Chapter 10

Auntie was in fine form as always and sends her best love to you. I am having a lovely time here at Holbrooke House. Bonnie and Minerva and Matilda and Harriet are so kind, and Lady St Clair is very welcoming, making us all feel quite at home.

Yes, the earl is still every bit as handsome and charming as he is purported to be, but no, father, he really won’t offer for me. Not even if you double my dowry. I believe he has fixed his interests elsewhere already.

―Excerpt of a letter from Miss Ruth Stone to her father.

The night of the 31st August 1814. Holbrooke House, Sussex.

Jasper drew back, feeling a little dazed as he broke the kiss.

“Where are your spectacles?” he asked, touching his finger to the bridge of her nose.

“I left them in my room,” she said, blinking up at him. “I assumed I would not require them.”

“That depends,” he said, a stupid smile curving over his mouth. “Can you see me?”

Harriet rolled her eyes at him. “I’m not totally blind, you know.”

“I know. I just don’t want you to miss anything.” Jasper’s smile widened with delight as she blushed scarlet. “Besides, I adore your spectacles.”

“Oh, please,” she said, and he knew she was dying to roll her eyes once more. “No one loves a girl in glasses.”

“I do,” he murmured, ducking his head to press a kiss to the side of her neck and loving the sound of her breathing hitch as he did so. “I always have.”

“Don’t,” she said, pushing him away. “Don’t do that.”

Jasper frowned, staring back at her. “Do what?”

“Don’t… make love to me, or say things that aren’t true. I’ve said I’ll go to bed with you, but… but it’s physical. Nothing more. We just need to get it out of our systems, that’s all.”

He stared at her for a long moment, wondering if his heart could stand much more of this jolting back and forth between happiness and misery.

“Go, then,” he said, the words not entirely steady. He turned away from her, knowing he couldn’t stand to watch her leave.

“But….” Harriet said, so obviously perplexed that he wanted to cry.

“I can’t do it, Harry,” he said, too much emotion in his voice to hide it as he turned back to her. “You tell me not to say what isn’t true and to keep it purely physical, but I can’t do both. The truth is that I love you, and if I take you to bed, I’m going to make love to you because I can’t do anything else. That would be a lie, Harry, and there have been too many of those between us.”

He stared at her, seeing the confusion in her eyes, knowing that she didn’t believe him.

“Very well,” she said, her voice not entirely steady. “Do that. Make me believe it.”

Jasper’s breath caught. Now, that he could do.

He closed the distance between them and hauled her back into his arms, the tension leaving him as her fingers wound into his hair and she melted into him. Jasper smiled against her mouth as her hands slid down his neck and chest, to the belt on his dressing gown, tugging it free before she reached up and pushed it from his shoulders. He released his hold on her to allow it to fall to the ground. There was nothing beneath the robe and he held himself still, giving Harry the time to look him over.

Her eyes widened and her breath caught, and every nerve ending in his body leapt to attention as she reached out a tentative hand and touched his bare skin.

“You’ve seen me before,” he reminded her. “Twice, apparently.”

She blushed and gave him a pert look. “Once from a distance and the second time is a little… hazy,” she admitted.

“Well, you’d best take a good look this time. I’d like to leave a lasting impression,” he said, though he had no intention of giving her the slightest opportunity to forget him.