Excerpt, The Seduction of Sarah
Sarah turned the handle slowly and opened the door wide enough to look inside. The room was shrouded in darkness.
Her candle provided enough light to discern the bed and its occupant. She entered the room, silently closing the door behind her.
Taking a deep breath, she forced her legs to move. Even though she felt that she needed to make certain Alex’s wound
was healing, she still hesitated. She was not certain Alex would be happy with her concern.
Sarah crept toward the large four-poster bed, the darkness closing around her with each step.
She saw Caldern’s massive frame rise and fall evenly. Sarah held her breath, wincing at the creaking floorboards,
yet still moving forward. She needed to be certain his head injury was not serious.
When Sarah reached the bed she put the candle on the nightstand. She leaned over the Marquess,
straining to hear if his breathing was regular before checking his bandages. When she was certain
there was no need to be concerned she reached her hand out to his arm.
Suddenly, she was caught in the tight grip of the Marquess.
She grimaced as pain shot up her arm. He dragged her close to him. She could feel his rapid heart beat and
his breath was hot on her face.
“What the hell are you doing?” Caldern’s voice was quiet, but his tone
menacing.
“You are hurting me.” Sarah’s heart beat frantically and she tried to
pull his fingers away from her arm. They were immoveable.
Sarah looked into his steely eyes. He had no intention of freeing her.
She did not want to admit her concern, but she had no choice. “I wanted to see
you.”
“So you sneak into my bedchamber?”
“I did no such thing,” Sarah denied hotly. Her anxiety was swiftly
changing to outrage.
Caldern eyes narrowed. Sarah felt the color rise in her cheeks and she
began to struggle against his grip. Instead of being released, she found herself
dragged off her feet and held tightly in Alex’s arms. She tried to push herself
away, but he only held her closer.
“I thought you were not interested in an affair?” he whispered in her
ear. His breath tickled her face. She inhaled his musky scent and a shiver of
desire ran through her. She opened her mouth to deny his words, but before she
could speak his lips closed over hers in a searing kiss.
Sarah tried to stop him, but he overwhelmed her with his unrestrained
passion. He stroked her tongue with his, teasing and enticing her. Pleasure
radiated from her lips, spreading throughout her body until Sarah felt her whole
being throb with excitement. Her resistance melted and she
relaxed.
Alex tightened his arms, moving her closer to his heated body. Sarah
savored the feel of his hard muscles against hers, burning with an inner
yearning that she had never felt before. Within seconds she had lost her
inhibitions, responding to his silent urgings, moving restlessly in his
arms.
His hands began to caress her body, pulling at the thin fabric of her
nightgown until he had exposed the sensitive skin beneath. Sarah gasped in
surprise as a jolt of electricity shot through her. His hand trembled against
her skin, lightly stroking her back. With a swiftness that took her breath away,
Alex shifted her in his arms so that she rested against the bed. She found
herself looking up into his glimmering eyes.
“You look good in my bed. I knew you could not resist coming to
me.”
His words slowly penetrated the fog in her brain. “You are wrong,” she
stammered.
“Nonsense,” he said with a satisfied smile. “There is no need to explain.
We are both old enough to know what we want.”
“You think I desire you?” Sarah shook her head in
denial.
“Your lips tell me all I need to know.”
“You took me by surprise.” Sarah struggled to sit up, but his body
blocked her escape.
“You cannot deny that you enjoy kissing me.” Caldern brushed his lips
over hers before lightly nipping them with his teeth.
“I have already told you that I am not interested.” Sarah’s voice shook.
She pounded her fist against Caldern’s chest. “Let me up.”
Caldern’s eyes hardened and Sarah suppressed a shiver. He moved away from
her and she sat up. She could not allow herself to succumb to his seduction. He
was going to marry her cousin.
“It seems I misjudged the situation once again.” Caldern leaned against his pillows.
His voice was devoid of emotion, his body stiff with indignation.
“I should never have come tonight.”
“Why did you?”
Sarah was about to answer him when a noise from the hallway stopped her. She strained her ears to listen to the
slight shuffling sound. Caldern clasped her arm and motioned her to be silent.
The noise came closer and stopped outside his door. Caldern pushed her from his bed and motioned for her
to go to the dressing room. Sarah moved swiftly. The last thing she wanted was to be caught in a compromising
situation with the Marquess. She opened the door and slid into the room with a quick backward glance at Caldern.
He had repositioned himself in bed, the covers over his body and her candle now blown out.
To an outside observer he looked to be sleeping. She peered through a slight opening, watching as the door to
the bedchamber opened slowly.
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