Read Lady Laugherty's Loves for Free Online Page B

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sleeping in one’s evening attire. His head rested in his palm, his
elbow extended to allow him to lie flat.
    “Good morning,” he said, his voice
rough from sleep as he gazed down at her, his eyes sweeping down
her body, which was only covered by a thin counterpane. Oh,
dear.
    Memories of the night before crashed
over her like waves lash at the shore.  She closed her eyes
tightly and squeaked out, “Good morning.”
    He chuckled lightly.
    “Where’s Avery?” she asked, more
discomfited by Ellis’ slow perusal than she’d ever been by
anything.
    “He said he needed to attend to your
houseguests. He mumbled something about needing to be present at
breakfast as he got dressed, since you were still in
bed.”
    “He’s not his best in the mornings,”
Olivia admitted.
    “Never has been,” Ellis
agreed.
    Olivia fidgeted with the covers a bit,
very unsure of what should happen next.
    “Do you regret last night, Olivia?”
Ellis asked, his voice as dark as his eyes as he watched her face
closely, his eyes darting from her nose to her mouth and back up to
her eyes.
    “Umm,” she hedged. Did she? She didn’t
think so, but she was quite uncertain of what happened
now.
    “Do you remember last night, Olivia?” he
asked, his voice a little stronger.
    “Of course, I remember it,” she
protested. She remembered everything. She remembered the way he
drew her nipple between his lips. The way he’d spread her thighs
and slipped between them. The way he’d made her come harder than
she’d ever come in her life using nothing more than his mouth and
hands.  He and Avery together, of course. But, most of all,
she remembered the way she’d felt when he had his arms around her.
How he’d looked into her eyes and seen only her. How she felt at
home with him. Yes, she most certainly remembered it.
    “You’d had a little wine,” he
continued, as he wrapped a lock of her hair around his finger and
tugged it gently. “Or a lot of wine. I’m not certain
which.”
    She gritted her teeth and bore his
scrutiny. But then she said it. She admitted it. She didn’t decline
knowledge of it, although she could have blamed it on the wine. Or
the moment. Or any number of other things. “I remember it,” she
said, turning her head to look directly at him. The depth of his
gaze startled her. He was tremendously serious, more so than she’d
ever seen him. She reached up to brush a lock of hair from his
forehead, which she’d wanted to do since his arrival at their
estate. He smiled and captured her hand in his, then brought it to
his lips. “No regrets,” she whispered to him.
    “Oh, thank God,” he groaned aloud,
relaxing beside her, finally. “I was worried you’d wake and wonder
why you were naked in bed with me and not remember a damn
thing.”
    She nibbled on the end of her finger
and grinned at him. “I could do that. And then we could recreate
last night all over again.”
    He chuckled. “There’s a brave lass.”
It was a half-handed compliment, but a compliment
none-the-less.
    She turned on her side to face him.
“What happens now?” she asked. “How long will you be
staying?”
    ***
    Ellis couldn’t breathe there for a
moment. How long would he be staying? She thought this was an
experience. A way to pass the time at her house party. Which was in
direct opposition to what he wanted. He wanted a
lifetime.
    “How long do you want me to stay?” he
asked quickly, holding his breath as he waited for her
answer.
    “The house-party will be over on
Friday,” she reminded him. He winced inwardly.
    “I guess I’ll leave on Friday, then,”
he said as he sat up and swung his legs out of bed.
    “Ellis,” she called out, then waited
for him to turn around. “I need to tell you something.”
    “Yes, Olivia,” he replied.
    Her eyebrows drew together at his
tone.
    “I’m not certain I can do the…” She
hesitated, as though looking for a word. “I mean, last night was
wonderful and I’m glad we got a