Read Twice Fallen for Free Online Page A
Authors: Emma Wildes
her there even from the back corridor. Her companion in her little adventure went the opposite direction, and she assumed he was going to do as he declared earlier and quietly take his leave.
When Lily slipped back into the ballroom, she was triumphant for about five entire seconds until a restraining hand snagged her arm. “Do you mind telling me just where the devil you’ve been?”
She glanced up into the normally composed face of her cousin James, saw the concern in his blue eyes, and swallowed a sigh. She might have known that if the ever diligent duchess had noticed her gone, James would be even more likely to have noticed it. He was, after all, her official male chaperone for the evening.
“It is terribly crowded in here and I needed a moment to myself.” That was true enough. Later she might tell him the entire story, for if she trusted anyone on this earth, it was James. But for now, she wanted to find a dance partner before the duchess returned. She surreptitiously checked to see if her gown was properly in place—it seemed to be—and lifted her chin. “I wasn’t gone that long.”
“Long enough,” he disagreed grimly. “I don’t care for a crush myself, but you have a habit of disappearing, and people are watching you.”
“That’s hardly a revelation,” she said a little hoarsely, which actually wasn’t surprising because her mouth was quite dry. He was right, of course. James was frequently right. Not self-righteous, thank goodness, because that she would not be able to take, but just logical in a levelheaded way that made her wonder if he ever was impulsive and reckless.
“It shouldn’t be,” James agreed, sweeping his gaze out over the crowd, sophisticated and handsome in his evening wear, nonchalant on the surface, even though she knew he was truly worried about her. “You know how judgmental society is, Lily.”
She collected her best serene smile. “There’s nothing to judge. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to go find Vivian. I promised I would help her avoid Lord Gregory.”
“Females,” he muttered under his breath.
Lily gave him a considering look. “I would suggest you waltz with her instead, but you’ve been remarkably aloof when it comes to marriageable young ladies lately.I have noticed you suddenly will only dance with the elderly matrons.”
“I think,” her cousin said with a bland smile, “I see Miss Lacrosse trying to blend into a potted plant in the north corner of the room. When you are ready to depart, I will be in the card room.”
Thoughtfully, Lily watched him shoulder his way through the crowd, before she shook off any speculation over her cousin’s unusual reticence and started to make her way toward Vivian.
Considering the narrowly avoided disaster of this evening so far, hiding in the corner seemed an excellent idea.
Chapter 4
T
he woman beneath him moaned. In response, James Bourne licked her lush lower lip and murmured, “You like that.”
It wasn’t precisely a statement, nor was it a question, because, quite frankly, he was never sure what to expect from Regina. Her beautiful eyes opened, and she arched beneath his naked body, her nails lightly raking up his back, his hand between her open legs. Her tumbled mane of glossy dark hair framed ivory shoulders and her skin had taken on a certain glow he recognized as sexual arousal. “Do it again,” she ordered, her voice husky in the shrouded bedchamber.
He obliged, at the same time sliding two fingers deeply inside her vaginal passage and slowly circling his thumb between the satin-soft folds of her cleft. Her inner muscles clenched around the carnal invasion and she quivered in response to the intimate caress, her taut nipples tantalizingly brushing his chest.
Oh yes, she liked it. She was wet, hot, ready for him.…
It was his turn to let out a low groan as her hand slid between them and her slender fingers wrapped aroundhis erect cock and squeezed. “Roll over on your
When Lily slipped back into the ballroom, she was triumphant for about five entire seconds until a restraining hand snagged her arm. “Do you mind telling me just where the devil you’ve been?”
She glanced up into the normally composed face of her cousin James, saw the concern in his blue eyes, and swallowed a sigh. She might have known that if the ever diligent duchess had noticed her gone, James would be even more likely to have noticed it. He was, after all, her official male chaperone for the evening.
“It is terribly crowded in here and I needed a moment to myself.” That was true enough. Later she might tell him the entire story, for if she trusted anyone on this earth, it was James. But for now, she wanted to find a dance partner before the duchess returned. She surreptitiously checked to see if her gown was properly in place—it seemed to be—and lifted her chin. “I wasn’t gone that long.”
“Long enough,” he disagreed grimly. “I don’t care for a crush myself, but you have a habit of disappearing, and people are watching you.”
“That’s hardly a revelation,” she said a little hoarsely, which actually wasn’t surprising because her mouth was quite dry. He was right, of course. James was frequently right. Not self-righteous, thank goodness, because that she would not be able to take, but just logical in a levelheaded way that made her wonder if he ever was impulsive and reckless.
“It shouldn’t be,” James agreed, sweeping his gaze out over the crowd, sophisticated and handsome in his evening wear, nonchalant on the surface, even though she knew he was truly worried about her. “You know how judgmental society is, Lily.”
She collected her best serene smile. “There’s nothing to judge. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to go find Vivian. I promised I would help her avoid Lord Gregory.”
“Females,” he muttered under his breath.
Lily gave him a considering look. “I would suggest you waltz with her instead, but you’ve been remarkably aloof when it comes to marriageable young ladies lately.I have noticed you suddenly will only dance with the elderly matrons.”
“I think,” her cousin said with a bland smile, “I see Miss Lacrosse trying to blend into a potted plant in the north corner of the room. When you are ready to depart, I will be in the card room.”
Thoughtfully, Lily watched him shoulder his way through the crowd, before she shook off any speculation over her cousin’s unusual reticence and started to make her way toward Vivian.
Considering the narrowly avoided disaster of this evening so far, hiding in the corner seemed an excellent idea.
Chapter 4
T
he woman beneath him moaned. In response, James Bourne licked her lush lower lip and murmured, “You like that.”
It wasn’t precisely a statement, nor was it a question, because, quite frankly, he was never sure what to expect from Regina. Her beautiful eyes opened, and she arched beneath his naked body, her nails lightly raking up his back, his hand between her open legs. Her tumbled mane of glossy dark hair framed ivory shoulders and her skin had taken on a certain glow he recognized as sexual arousal. “Do it again,” she ordered, her voice husky in the shrouded bedchamber.
He obliged, at the same time sliding two fingers deeply inside her vaginal passage and slowly circling his thumb between the satin-soft folds of her cleft. Her inner muscles clenched around the carnal invasion and she quivered in response to the intimate caress, her taut nipples tantalizingly brushing his chest.
Oh yes, she liked it. She was wet, hot, ready for him.…
It was his turn to let out a low groan as her hand slid between them and her slender fingers wrapped aroundhis erect cock and squeezed. “Roll over on your