Page 83 of Impetuous

“Cassandra!” He swept her into his arms, and his mouth found hers.

With a little sigh of pleasure, Cassandra melted in his arms. This was where she had been longing to be, where she belonged. They clung together, kissing fervently. Cassandra’s hands slid beneath the open sides of his shirt, caressing the flat, hard muscles of his chest and stomach. His flesh quivered under her touch, suddenly on fire.

This time it was she who took the initiative, undressing him, exploring his body with her hands and mouth, backing him up until he tumbled backward onto the bed. Boldly, she straddled him, peeling off her own nightgown and tossing it aside. Philip watched her, his eyes gleaming, struggling to hold back his raging need. She moved slowly, enticing him, tracing intricate patterns across his chest with her tongue, and stroking his thighs and abdomen, moving ever close to the hot, throbbing center of his passion until he was groaning, sure that he would burst if she continued much longer.

At last she touched his manhood, caressing it and kissing it, playing with him until he was arching up off the bed, his fingers clenched in the bedcovers and his face contorted with the effort of holding back. She positioned herself above him and sank down upon him, taking his shaft deep inside her. Cassandra groaned at the delightful sensation. She moved up and down with steady deliberation, teasing them both with long, tormenting strokes, until finally she could stand it no longer and began to pump harder and faster, the passion in her building and building until at last it exploded, sending them both hurtling into a dark void of utter pleasure.

* * *

THEY LAY IN the dark for a long time, idly caressing each other and murmuring, saying nothing particularly meaningful, yet expressing everything important. Finally, with a sigh, Philip reminded her that she must get back to her room or else when the servants came in early the next morning, there would a firestorm of gossip. Reluctantly, Cassandra agreed. She put back on her nightgown, and Philip pulled on his heavy brocade dressing gown, knotting the sash around his waist.

He opened the door to peer out. Satisfied that there was no one around to see them, he took Cassandra’s hand and led her out. They started quietly down the hall, but halfway there, Philip swept her up in his arms, grinning, and carried her the rest of the way. Cassandra curled her arm around his neck and leaned against him, blissfully happy with his silliness.

When they reached Cassandra’s room, he set her down and opened the door. The hall sconces cast a faint light into the dark room—enough to reveal the figure of a man bent over one of the drawers in Cassandra’s dresser.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CASSANDRA CRIED OUT in surprise, and Philip rushed forward into the room. The figure raised his arm and something flew across the room, striking Philip in the head. Philip staggered, then started forward again, but the thief had bought himself enough time to run across the room and leap out the window.

Philip ran to the window and peered down. “Damn! He went down the tree. The man’s like a monkey! He’s already on the ground.” He peered out at the tree. “I don’t think the thing would hold me.” He slammed his fist into the wall beside the window. “Bloody hell! I had him within reach!”

“It’s not your fault.” Cassandra went to him and laid her hand on his arm comfortingly.

“I suppose. But it’s so frustrating.” He sighed. “Well, let’s see what damage he’s done.”

At that moment Aunt Ardis appeared in the doorway, a lamp in her hand. Joanna was right behind her, peering over her shoulder. They both stared at the room in shock.

Cassandra, seeing her room for the first time in the light, also stared in dismay. All the drawers of her dresser had been pulled open and most of the contents dumped on the floor. One drawer had even been pulled out completely and lay on the floor, her chemises spilling from it. The bottles and jars on her dresser had been pushed aside, some of them overturned.

“What happened?” Aunt Ardis gasped.

“Someone broke into Cassandra’s room,” Philip replied grimly.

“But whatever for? Cassandra has nothing worth stealing.”

Joanna let out a moan and pushed past her mother into the room, her hand flying dramatically to her throat. “The thief must have gotten the wrong bedchamber. He must have meant to break into our rooms, Mother. To steal our jewels.” She tottered shakily forward, one hand going to her forehead, the other hand stretching out toward Philip. “Oh! I feel faint at the thought! Philip…help me.”

“Sit down and put your head between your knees,” Philip told her callously, jerking forward a straight chair and shoving it under her, knocking it against the backs of her knees so that her legs gave way and Joanna sat down abruptly.

Joanna glared up at him, but he had already turned back to Cassandra.

“Perhaps you had better move in with your aunt for the rest of the night.”

Cassandra shook her head. “There’s no need. I am sure he won’t be back tonight.”

Aunt Ardis had turned her gaze from the wrecked room back to her niece and Sir Philip. She noticed that Cassandra was clad in nothing but her nightgown, and Philip was wearing his dressing gown and apparently nothing else, for a large swath of his bare chest was visible between the two sides of the robe. Her brows rushed together.

“What is going on here?” she demanded in stentorian tones. “What are you doing in my niece’s bedchamber at this time of night, anyway, Sir Philip? It isn’t at all proper.”

“It’s all right, Aunt Ardis,” Cassandra said quickly. “He, uh, just came because I shrieked when I discovered that a thief had been in my room.”

Aunt Ardis looked doubtful. “I heard you shriek and came immediately to your aid. And he was already in here.” She turned a hard gaze on the nobleman. “I think you had best leave, sir.”

“Aunt Ardis! Please…I assure you that there is no need—”

Philip interrupted calmly, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Moulton.”

“Don’t worry!” Aunt Ardis was in full dramatic steam now. “If word of this got out, it would mean the ruin of Cassandra’s reputation.”