The prince of pleasure

Chapter Twelve

He gave her a smile of breathtaking charm and helped her to descend from the carriage.

"How many of these pleasure houses do you own?" Julienne asked as they mounted the front steps.

"Several." The lazy gleam in his eyes held a hint of wickedness. "I have my reputation as a rake to maintain, after all."

They were met at the entrance by a butler and several footmen who scurried to see to their bags.

"Which rooms will you be using, my lord?" the butler inquired.

"I shall allow the lady to choose."

She noted Dare hadn't mentioned her name, and he answered her silent question without prompting.

"The staff here is highly discreet," he murmured as he escorted her from the entrance hall, "but there is no need to advertise your identity."

"They seem to have expected us."

"I sent a messenger last night with my orders."

Julienne raised an eyebrow, even as she bit back a wry smile. Dare had certainly been sure of himself- and of her. But she wouldn't allow it to intimidate her.

She intended to use this time together to implement her own plan of ensnaring his heart.

He gave her a tour of the mansion. The furnishings were elegant and tasteful if rather decadent, with erotic statues and paintings of nude orgies adorning the corridors and main rooms.

There were nearly two dozen bedchambers whose purpose seemed blatantly obvious: sheer debauchery. One suite on the first floor was made up to resemble a Turkish harem, while another chamber seemed designed more for pain than pleasure.

Julienne was actually a bit shocked by the accoutrements she saw there-leather whips and steel shackles and ominous contraptions that looked like medieval torture devices.

"Some guests prefer more unique forms of entertainment," Dare explained.

"And you?"

"I've never found pain to be arousing, although bondage can be interesting." A sensual glint warmed his eyes as he looked at her. "For years I fantasized about having you spread-eagle on a bed, at my mercy. Even now the notion is vastly appealing, and not just for the purpose of revenge."

Feeling herself flushing, Julienne turned away.

"Truthfully," Dare added in a provocative whisper as she proceeded him to the next room, "I thought I might have to tie you up to keep you from escaping."

"I have no intention of escaping."

In yet another chamber she was surprised to find mirrors hung from every inch of wall and even on the ceiling.

"I think we will make use of this room tonight," Dare said.

"Why this one?"

"So you can see from every viewpoint who your lover is. Here you won't confuse me with any other man."

The barb stung, but Julienne refrained from comment, not wishing to revisit that argument again.

For her own use, she chose a bedchamber done in lovely peach and ivory and gold shades on the second floor, primarily because its erotic embellishments were the least noticeable.

"I will send a maid to you so you can refresh yourself," Dare said. "Shall we meet in the lower drawing room in, say, an hour?"

"That will suit me perfectly."

"Until then, cherie."

He gave her a polite bow and lingeringly kissed the tips of her fingers. Julienne felt her breath catch at the warm feel of his tongue on the sensitive pads, but she promised herself she would get even with Dare later.

She was glad for the time to bathe and change her gown. A quiet, self-effacing maid assisted her, and soon Julienne was making her way to the drawing room. She hadn't bothered to arrange her hair in anything but a simple chignon, for she doubted any coiffure would be safe for long in Dare's company.

In that respect, however, he surprised her. The evening began rather tamely, with sherry and desultory conversation in the drawing room. Dinner was of the usual excellent quality, served by almost invisible servants.

Dare spent much of the evening telling her about the history of the estate, which had been a minor site of conflict during Cromwell's bloody reign. Julienne listened politely, but all the while a sense of feverish anticipation was welling inside her. If Dare was deliberately prolonging the moment, his tactics were proving effective. By the time he finally pushed back his chair, her nerves were screaming.

"If you are finished," he said, "we can retire upstairs."

When she agreed, he rose and moved around the table to draw out her chair. "Go ahead and make yourself ready," he murmured, planting a light kiss on her bare nape. "I will wait for you in the mirror room. Oh, and Jewel?" he added when she turned to obey. "Don't undress just yet. I want that enjoyment for myself."

Despite her determination to maintain her composure, she felt her excitement rise.

Julienne went to her bedchamber and utilized her coffer of sponges, then went in search of the mirrored room. Dare was waiting for her as promised, lounging against the pillows of the large bed, his lean, elegant body reclining with a lazy grace. He appeared to be nude except for the red silk sheet drawn up to his waist. Several candelabra lit the chamber, the flames reflecting brightly in the myriad mirrors.

When Julienne shut the door behind her, Dare remained in his sprawl and laced his hands behind his head. "Now you may take off your clothing."

"I thought you said you wished to undress me."

"I've changed my mind. I can enjoy the sight as much from here. And turnabout is fair play, after all."

She remembered the last time they'd made love, when she'd been so angry at him for thinking her a traitor. She had ordered him to undress in front of her while she watched.

But Dare apparently had more in mind now than reprisal. "From the first moment I saw you on stage, I've imagined you giving me my own private performance. Do it slowly, Jewel. I want to see every inch of your beautiful body… every lush, tempting curve."

She might have protested his arrogant directive, except that the devilish, even taunting, smile on his face could melt the strongest resistance. And this was one command she wanted to obey.

She began with her gown, unfastening the hooks and letting it fall to the floor. She hadn't worn a corset, only a chemise.

"Are your nipples hard?" Dare asked when she slid the fabric over her shoulders. "Let me see." When she drew the bodice down so that her nipples jutted out, hard as pebbles, he gave her a lazy smile of admiration. "I would say so. Now the rest."

When finally she stood naked before him, his gaze traveled slowly down her bare body and even more slowly upward again. His eyes burned, seeming to brand her where they touched.

"What now?" Julienne murmured, her own tone challenging.

"What do you want?"

"I want to see you."

"Then I am happy to oblige."

Throwing off the sheet, Dare rose gracefully and stood before her fully aroused. Incredibly aroused. His phallus was magnificent, darkly engorged, long and thick and silky smooth. Julienne's mouth went dry. "You are very large."

"The better to pleasure you, my sweet."

He moved toward her till he was almost close enough to touch. "Do you want to feel my cock sliding inside your quivering flesh?"

Her blood surged at the question. Julienne moistened her lips. "Yes…"

Grasping her shoulders lightly, Dare guided her backward till her spine was pressed against the mirrored wall. The glass felt cool against her hot skin, making her shiver. But it was Dare's emerald gaze that countered the chill. His indolent scrutiny brushed over her with an intimacy that set her senses on fire.

"I see before me an irresistibly aroused woman," he whispered, drawing a finger down her throat to her collarbone.

Deliberately he rested his hands on the pale, high curves of her breasts as if they were his property. A jolt of sensation burst through Julienne.

"I want to suck on your nipples till you come."

She had no doubt that he could. And she wanted him to.

"Do you want me to make you come?" he queried.

Aching from temptation, she nearly moaned aloud. "Yes."

"My name is Dare. Say it."

"Yes, Dare…"

His hands moved over her breasts, fondling them leisurely as his gaze narrowed. He watched her as he played with her straining nipples. A shameless need grew in her with each caress of those strong, elegant fingers. Eventually he bent his head, planting soft, teasing kisses around the rosy areolas. Julienne thrust her aching breasts helplessly against his lips, longing for release.

Then his mouth took over from his fingers, capturing one taut bud, tugging at the crest, drawing it over the rough, wet surface of his tongue.

The soft sound of his sucking was somehow powerfully erotic, and made Julienne groan. She arched her back, bracing her palms against the mirror behind her. Obligingly, Dare shifted his body so that his knee rode intimately between her thighs, the rigid blade of his manhood prodding against her belly. Julienne felt the quaking between her legs intensify.

"You're very excited, darling, aren't you?" When he let his fingers slide down to the apex of her thighs, her harsh gasp sounded loud in the silence. "Yes, let me hear you. I want you frenzied and breathless."

The caress of his mouth, the heat of his hard, lean body against her, was a delicious torment and roused a burning need in her loins to feel him driving deep into her.

Dare seemed to understand.

"Open your legs." His husky whisper took on a tone of command. When she obeyed, he rewarded her by rubbing the swollen head of his erect member up and down her moist cleft.

Julienne's resistance broke completely. "Dare, please," she pleaded.

"Want me?" The velvet texture of his voice sent flames rippling up her spine.

"Merciful heaven, yes…"

His slow smile set her blood racing as his massive member nudged between her slick flesh. She parted her legs wider to give him full access and bit back a cry of need as he began to enter her.

His fingers cupped her throbbing breasts, squeezing lightly as he swelled upward into her clinging heat, filling her. With a whimper, Julienne softened against him helplessly, dizzy with pleasure, her eyes falling shut…

"No, don't close your eyes. Watch while I'm taking you."

With effort she focused her dazed gaze on the mirror to her right. She could see his long, thick shaft gliding into her…

Julienne groaned again, her inner muscles contracting, clamping around his hardness. Over his shoulder, she saw their reflections in the opposite mirror, saw his buttocks flexing as he slowly pumped between her legs. It was the most erotic sight she had ever seen.

She began to writhe against him, urging him to increase his unhurried rhythm, but he refused to comply. Each time he withdrew, she strained to hold the sweet fullness buried deep inside her, but he wouldn't allow her to.

She wanted to curse him. Dare knew what she needed so desperately, but he deliberately held her on the edge, her body pulsing and craving more. He was skilled in the art of prolonging pleasure, and he used every talent he possessed to bring her to a fever pitch of desire.

She lost count of how many times he drove her to the brink, only to deny her. It was exquisite, agonizing. Her breath was rasping rawly in her throat as she pleaded with him, begging for release.

"I'm going to let you come now," he warned at last.

"Yes!" she cried, nearly sobbing. Her nails dug into the flesh of his back as he thrust fully inside her, building the firestorm.

When she bucked wildly against him, he thrust again harder, impaling her to the hilt. "Scream for me, darling. Scream like I know you want to."

She did scream. The brutal rush of feeling when she climaxed left her shuddering and shattered. She felt Dare plunging inside her as he found his own explosive release, but she could only cling helplessly to his broad shoulders.

His shaft was still throbbing sweetly, deep within her as her last melting spasms ebbed away.

With a groan, Dare sagged against her. Several heartbeats later she felt him smile into her hair.

"You screamed for me," he murmured, his voice a satisfied rasp. "But we've only just begun. I intend to make you hoarse before the night is through."

His fingers slid through her hair, searching for pins. "Next time I take you, I want you sprawled naked on the sheets… your incredible hair cascading wantonly across the pillows… I want your smell on my body, your breath on my skin…"

The last words were whispered as he captured her mouth, and this time Julienne surrendered with no resistance at all.

That first night set the stage for their time together. Dare pleasured her ruthlessly, but Julienne proved his match in their erotic battle for supremacy. She was passionate, greedy, hot, reveling in his raw sexuality, and in her own.

The mirrors served the purpose he'd intended. From then on the image of their twisting, nude bodies locked in carnal embrace was branded on her mind. She had only to look at Dare to remember, and the fire between them leapt instantly to life.

By tacit agreement they never spoke of the danger that threatened them, both preferring to see this interlude as a respite from the world. Yet Julienne soon recognized another source of danger: too many opportunities for emotional intimacy and tender remembrances.

The day following their arrival, the weather turned inclement. Rain came down in torrents, bringing back a winter chill to the air and forcing them to remain indoors.

After a lazy breakfast, they strolled in the conservatory, which was regrettably scented with roses. And listening to the rain beat against the panes of glass reminded Julienne too poignantly of a particular afternoon she'd spent with Dare in their cottage during a summer storm.

When she met his eyes briefly, she could tell he was recollecting the same moment.

"So tell me about your years in York," Dare prompted as if to change the subject.

His choice of topics was scarcely any more comforting to Julienne's mind.

One of the things she had appreciated most about Dare in the days of their courtship was that he was always so interested in her thoughts and feelings. Now his interest was simply worrisome. And yet Julienne found herself reminiscing about her life as a fledgling actress. There had been far more good times than bad, possibly because she had quickly become a success.

"So what have you been doing with your life all this time?" she asked in turn. "Has it been all debauchery and pleasure?"

Dare visibly winced. "Much of it, I'm afraid. I was serious when I said that after you, I lost interest in much of anything else."

She drew a measured breath and replied in a low voice. "I am sorry, Dare."

It was the first time she had apologized for breaking his heart, but he shrugged off her reply with a forced smile. "Let's forget about it, shall we? For these next few days we'll pretend the past never happened."

And yet Julienne wasn't able to forget. If anything, her remembrances only grew stronger the more time she spent with Dare.

He devoted every moment of the following days to entertaining her, displaying the consummate artistry of his passion in countless ways. He was a man of smoldering sensuality and insatiable appetites, with a demanding eroticism that ravished her senses. Even so, he was somehow different from the charming, wicked rakehell who had wagered to make her his mistress. In the tender intensity of his wooing, at least, he resembled much more the lover who had once utterly captured her heart.

It was his tenderness that Julienne considered most dangerous. The rivalry between them was more arousing than any aphrodisiac, more primal than any courtship, but Dare's tenderness penetrated every defense she had. And with every caress, every kiss, every sweet new intimacy, she found it harder to shield herself.

She tried to remind herself of their game, that Dare was merely set on winning their wager and repaying her for her past cruelty. But while her rational mind warned her to beware, her heart seemed to whisper something else altogether, something she wanted with a desperate longing.

Dare, too, felt the same longing. Their third night together he chose a different room, this one a study on the lower floor made up like a hunting lodge, walled with stag antlers and stuffed boars' heads.

"Another fantasy of mine," he said when Julienne saw the sable furs spread out before the hearth.

He built a roaring fire, and they toasted bread and cheese and fed each other between languid, heated kisses. Then they undressed each other slowly, taking their time, savoring the moment.

Dare left her hair for last… discarding the pins… letting the shining cascade tumble to her shoulders. Tangling his fingers in the silk, he tilted her head back so he could taste her warm parted lips, ready for his own. Then gently he lay Julienne down before the fire and ran his hands over her body, stroking the intoxicating softness of her skin.

He found the contrast of her luminous flesh against the luxurious fur riveting. And when her scent filled his nostrils, musky and beguiling in the warm room, every muscle in his body tightened with need.

"You're tempting as sin, lying there."

He was just as tempting, Julienne thought. His eyes glowed in the warm light of the fire, while his hair shimmered like molten gold.

With careless grace he stretched out beside her on the furs, lounging on one elbow. He gazed down at her, studying her with a mesmerizing intensity as palpable as a caress. His eyes took possession of her wherever they touched. Then his warm, naked fingers joined the exploration, finding her most sensitive spots, skimming over her flesh with the same seductiveness as his voice.

Julienne lost her breath long before he rolled her over so that she was lying facedown on the fur. He ran a finger along her spine, making her arch her back. Then, lightly grasping her hips, he lifted her to her knees so that she was bent over, with him kneeling, poised behind her.

Her fingers clenched in the rich fur when she realized his intent. But she craved the thrill of his possession any way he wanted her. She was hot, aching inside, the emptiness between her legs throbbing.

For a moment Dare stroked the smooth bottom cheeks that were brazenly presented for his attention. Julienne tensed as she felt his rigid maleness probe the center of her body, while her heart began a steady hammering.

"Dare?" she murmured.

"Easy," he said, calming her. He gripped his engorged shaft in his hand and slid the swollen crest over the lips of her sex, anointing it with honeyed liquid from her body.

Her breath grew shallow. She felt the press of his thighs, lean and powerful, urging her legs wider, felt the scoring heat of him as he leaned into her. Sweet shocks ripped through her as he invaded her sleek feminine passage, filling her inch by inch with his massive member.

Desire coiled inside her at his deep penetration, but then his hips began a slow undulation, rousing a devastating buildup of feverish hunger.

A gasp lodged in her throat as his hands reached for her dangling breasts, stroking them, teasing her hardened nipples, inflaming her bare flesh, even as he whispered heated, erotic love words.

The burn sharpened, intensified, when he slid his hand around to her throbbing sex. All the while he was moving inside her, ravishing her with long, slow strokes, sheathing and drawing away till it became exquisite torture.

Her body turned molten. When she surged back against him, impaling herself, his rhythm increased. In time to her whimpers, he drove deeper and deeper, every rocking movement, every possessive claiming forcing a husky cry from her. In only moments she felt delirious ecstasy rush toward her, felt Dare surrender as he was caught up in the same fierce tumult. At his ragged groan, fire exploded through her veins. Julienne threw her head back as shudder after shudder racked her.

The warm, pulsing rapture throbbed through her senses long after she collapsed bonelessly on the fur.

Dare followed her down. Bracing himself to spare her the full force of his weight, he curled his body around hers and reached up above her head, entwining their fingers together. Her ivory skin was moist in a silken sweat, and he pressed his lips against the flesh of her back.

The room was quiet but for the crackling fire and their raw, rasping breaths. He lay inside her half-hard, wholly intoxicated, desperately wanting more of her, desire still sharp and insistent.

He wanted.

He wanted to stay with Julienne like this forever, lost in this moment. Wanted to keep her here with him, where he could cherish her to his heart's content. It was a primal, elemental need that was soul deep.

It was love, he no longer had any doubt.

His chest squeezed with a hollow ache. Despite everything, some uncontrollable part of him loved Julienne still, had always loved her.

He shut his eyes, filled with a blind yearning. He had vowed to drive her other lovers from her mind, but by his very act of possessing her, she had managed utterly to possess him.

The victory was hers.

And if she came to realize her power over him? If she chose to wield it? If she betrayed him once again?

Dare felt a blade of fear stab him. The pain this time would be unbearable.

The possibility made him even more keenly aware of the heavy urgency of his task. He needed to make Julienne as obsessed with him as he was with her.

And yet, Dare realized with a sinking heart, his time with her was running out.

The rain finally ended the following day, and the sun at last reappeared. They spent the morning tramping through the beechwood like young lovers, laughing and sharing kisses beneath the bright canopy of spring leaves that had burst out almost overnight.

Dare displayed his chivalry by finding patches of wildflowers for Julienne, and she made a wreath of them, crowning her flowing hair so that she resembled a pagan goddess. Dare found the sight irresistible, even though it reminded him so painfully of their long-ago summer together.

When he commented on her luscious appearance, however, Julienne shook her head with a provocative smile.

"Not a goddess, a fairy queen. I've always enjoyed playing Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream. But I suppose I will never again have the chance if I remain in London."

The laws governing the thespian world were strict, Dare knew. Only two London theaters held royal patents that permitted them to enact tragedies-Drury Lane and Covent Garden. As a result, it had become common practice for actors to perform in tragedies or comedies, but not both. The public's expectations precluded switching roles.

"You can play Queen Titania if you will allow me to be your King Oberon," Dare said, nuzzling aside her sweet-scented tresses to kiss her nape.

Throwing him an alluring glance over her shoulder, Julienne murmured, "If you can catch me." Then, with a laugh, she ran off into the forest. Dare sprinted after her, eager for the chase.

For the rest of the day, he kept the mood in the same light vein and teased her by promising her a surprise later. Julienne thought his promise fulfilled when on the edge of a meadow they found a picnic prepared by invisible servants, but Dare denied it.

When they returned to the house, he led her to a chamber she had never seen, this one on the first floor.

"Is this my surprise?" Julienne asked as he opened the door.

"In part."

Inside the air was warm and moist-caused by steam rising from the surface of a large, rectangular tiled pool, she saw.

"A Turkish bath?" Julienne said with delight as she moved across the floor. "I have heard of these."

"Heated pipes feed the pool and keep the water hot."

It seemed the height of luxury to Julienne, who was accustomed to cold York winters. The height of decadence as well, knowing Dare as she did. "This seems an ideal place for an orgy," she remarked archly.

His eyes glinted wickedly. "Patience, sweet. We will get to that."

To one side of the room, French doors opened onto a private courtyard, letting in the sweet smell of spring and a flood of sunlight that warmed the room further. It spilled over the lush pile of cushions that were spread beside the pool.

When Dare led her over to the cushions, she gave him a skeptical glance. "What do you have planned, Dare? Are we not to try the bath?"

"All in good time. I mean to introduce you to the pleasures of an oil massage first. You won't be disappointed, I assure you."

Beside the cushions sat a glass flagon of what looked like oil, Julienne saw. Eager to begin, she started to undress, but Dare stopped her by kissing each one of her fingertips.

"No, you aren't to help. Just relax and allow me to perform my duty."

"Your duty?"

"You would agree that it is my duty as your host to keep you properly serviced?"

A streak of heat coursed through Julienne at the thought, a heat that had nothing to do with the elevated temperature of the sunlit room.

Deciding to play along with his seduction, she allowed him to undress her. For once he pinned her hair up instead of taking it down.

"The better to reach all your skin," he said in explanation.

When she was naked, Dare arranged her as he wished, so that she lay in beautiful disarray on the cushions, her dark hair coiled high in a glorious mass.

He gazed down at her, his eyes heavy-lidded, sweeping every curve and hollow of her body. He felt his loins harden. "Titania never looked so tempting."

Julienne felt herself flush at the flames in his eyes. She couldn't look away as he sat beside her and reached for the bottle.

The oil was jasmine-scented, and the sweet fragrance filled the air as Dare poured a small amount on his palms and warmed it between his hands. When he cupped her breasts, she gasped softly at the sensation.

"Do you find that enjoyable?"

"You know I do," she said rather breathlessly.

"The enjoyment is mine as well. You're aware by now that I take great delight in your body."

"You take delight in any female body."

"Not any longer. You have spoiled me for anyone else, my lovely Jewel."

He had spoiled her long ago for any other man, Julienne reflected.

The thought fled her mind, though, as he dragged the oiled tips of his fingers in slow, circular motions over her entire body, arousing her in a way different from anything she had experienced before. Her skin responded with a tingling urgency, while a hard ache flared between her shivering thighs.

Reflexively Julienne caught her lower lip with her teeth. Dare's gaze moved to her mouth with raking leisure, and he dipped his head to kiss her briefly before returning to his task. His hands wandered with deliberate slowness over every detail of her, fondling all her curves… her arms, her shoulders, her nipples, her belly… moving down her legs to her calves, gently kneading. Wherever he touched her, she seemed to burn with fierce heat.

Then slowly he ran his oil-slick hands up her inner thighs, caressing, rubbing. The sensation was exquisite. Julienne felt as if she were melting, even before his thumbs found the dark thatch of curls that hid her feminine folds.

Her breath wedged in her throat, but Dare went on stroking the bud of her sex until she arched and whimpered with the searing swell of heat. Then he bent to her, his lips replacing his hands.

A stabbing pleasure flooded Julienne. He licked deeply with his long, clever tongue while his hands continued to stroke and squeeze her throbbing breasts, filling her with sensations so vibrant they hurt her with their brightness.

The orgasm that suddenly claimed her was so intense, she almost fainted.

Her scream of ecstasy echoed throughout the chamber, dying away as the relentless contractions of her body eased. Weak, boneless, she fell back among the cushions, shutting her eyes.

"You don't mean to fall asleep yet?" Dare murmured, the amused question intruding on the sweet glow of repletion.

"Devil," she retorted weakly.

She no longer had the will to move. She felt luxuriantly, lavishly sated by a man who knew exactly what a woman wanted. She was his now, completely in his power; he could do as he wished with her. Yet in some dazed part of her mind, she wanted Dare to share the tantalizing, pleasure-drenched rapture.

Forcibly Julienne opened her eyes. "You are wearing too many clothes."

A half smile of pure devilry tugged at his enticing mouth. "Do you want to undress me?"

"Yes, but I no longer have the energy. You may do the honors."

He complied and, after a moment, stood over her, his splendid erection blatant. "You look like a woman ready for a lover. Perhaps I should oblige you."

Languidly she spread her legs wide, arching for him. "Perhaps you should."

His luminous eyes sparked with wanting her.

"But not yet," Julienne added in a taunting tone as he started to kneel. "I think I should like to know how your oil feels inside me. You may do those honors as well, since you are such the expert. Arouse yourself while I watch."

He chuckled, a low, rich sound of appreciation. "As you command, your highness."

As his oiled hands glided over his hard, swollen shaft, Julienne moistened her dry lips. Watching his fingers curling around the long, smooth, rigid flesh, she wished she could do the same.

"Do you find that enjoyable?" she asked, her voice edged with huskiness.

Dare's face was flushed with his effort at control. "Not as much as if you were attending me."

"Very well," she said at last. "My turn."

"I thought you would never relent."

She rose to her knees and oiled her hands. Then she curled her fingers around his magnificent length.

Heat coursed through Dare at her erotic touch. Instinctively he thrust his hips toward her, even while trying to stem his mounting arousal.

"I will explode all over you if you keep that up," he warned.

"No, you cannot," Julienne said softly. "You have to wait. I believe I would like to try out the bath now." Releasing him, she stood and moved toward the pool.

Dare's muscles went rigid with sexual frustration. Clamping his jaw, he watched her delectable hips swaying as she crossed to the tiled steps and entered the water. The level was almost chest deep, not quite covering the white globes of her breasts. The sight of her taut, rose-hued nipples bobbing so invitingly tormented him.

"What are you waiting for?"

Her taunting voice slid across his senses and brought him even nearer to bursting. Swiftly Dare followed her into the pool, almost groaning as the heated water flowed over his aching cock.

To his relief, Julienne didn't move away but stood waiting, a challenging half smile on her lips.

Her eyes gleamed dark and slumbrously exotic as he reached for her. Feverish excitement surged in him as he clasped her shoulders. Her oiled body was still sleek and supple under his hands, but he spent only a moment playing with her breasts, molding and shaping the high, firm swells before he grasped her hips and lifted her up, pressing between her thighs.

Gritting his teeth, he fondled her buttocks until he felt Julienne glide lusciously around him. His mouth found hers as she locked her legs around his flanks and returned his kiss.

Their tongues entwining like their limbs, they swayed in their erotic dance for a dozen heartbeats, moving and pulsing with pleasure in the rippling water.

Just when Dare thought he could hold back no longer, Julienne contracted the inner muscles of her feminine core, clasping him even more tightly while her hands slipped downward over his hard, flexing buttocks.

Dare groaned raggedly, his face contorted in a grimace of ecstasy as his seed erupted in a white-hot stream. Julienne convulsed around him almost at once, shuddering against him. With her own groan, she buried her face in his neck, raking her teeth over his shoulder.

His breath jagged, his legs weak, Dare sank farther down into the water and leaned back against the pool's edge. An exquisite peace came over him as the heated waves lapped gently around their joined bodies.

"Are you falling asleep?" he heard Julienne whisper hoarsely after a moment.

"Mmmm. I was having dreams. Erotic dreams."

"Of me?"

"Who else?"

She stirred her hips in provocative answer. "What if I am not yet satisfied?"

"I fear you will have to wait, love. I couldn't possibly move. You've depleted all my reserves of strength."

Julienne raked her teeth over his skin again. "You cannot be exhausted just yet. We have one more night together."

Her teasing remark made Dare's exhaustion suddenly fade. He drew back to regard her solemnly. "We can have more than just a single night together."

"I have to return to London by Saturday if I hope to have a career. But I admit," she added softly, echoing his thoughts as she laid her head on his shoulder again, "I almost don't want this to end."

He reached up to fondle a sweetly-rounded breast. "It doesn't have to end, Julienne. You can remain here with me."

"If I did, I would no longer be employed."

"Your employment would be to provide me companionship."

She smiled wryly against his shoulder. "Become your mistress, you mean. But then you would win the wager."

"So?"

Her laughter was muted, shielding the wistful train of her thoughts.

After this magical time with Dare, it would be incredibly difficult to return to her daily life, she knew. During the past few days, as pleasure played upon pleasure, she had found herself pretending that nothing had ever come between them. Worse, she'd found herself thinking of what might have been, dreaming of what the future could hold.

For so long she had refused to dream. But locked in Dare's arms like this, their heartbeats mingling, she could let her imagination wander freely. She could picture herself staying with him, sharing this sweet ecstasy, lovers forever.

For a moment, Julienne closed her eyes, letting that vision fill the emptiness within her. Dare was the only man she had ever wanted, ever loved. The only man to bring her happiness. She had loved him so deeply…

But that happiness had been shattered long ago. And this magical interlude had to end.

It was foolish to think it could go on. Foolish to hope for anything more. They had even less of a future together now than they'd had seven years ago. The obstacles for an exalted nobleman and a simple shopkeeper were now magnified a dozen times over. Dare could never take her for his wife. She was a notorious actress, no longer the virginal innocent she'd been when she first met him. And after all that had happened between them, the bitterness and pain…

Dare wanted her for his mistress, she had no doubt, but she would never agree to that role. It would give him too much power over her. Financially and, even more damning, emotionally. In such a dependent relationship, she would be too defenseless; it would be too easy to let herself fall in love with him again.

Julienne silently shook her head. She understood clearly the lunacy of handing her heart to a gazetted rake who was relentlessly set on breaking it.

Even so, she thought wistfully as her lips nuzzled Dare's sleek, wet skin, she still wanted to dream.