At that point, he halted, only to discover Alex watched him. Why was he not surprised? So he pressed on her pliant flesh caresses intended to incite—to arouse. And he recalled the first time he had touched her thus, albeit through a heavy gown.In the drawing room at Seymour House, in London, just prior to enlisting his aid in Cara’s plan to catch Lance, Alex had caught his wrist and set his palm to her bosom. To his chagrin, he had assumed her silent plea indicative of a healthy desire for him. Now he wondered if her bold behavior had been nothing more than means to an end.Holding her gaze, Jason licked her pert nipple, and his lady gave vent to a plaintive cry. Her cheeks flushed a lovely pink, yet she belied no hint of shyness, trepidation, or fear. So he repeated the decadent maneuver, but he lingered and suckled, as she bucked and wiggled, and his thighs erupted in flames.To her credit, Alex never averted her stare, even as he teased her soft skin with gentle nips of his teeth, and in that moment he realized she wanted him. That knowledge worked on him in ways he could not have foreseen, and he turned it to his advantage. “Why did you not tell me the truth about Lance and Cara?”“What?” She inhaled a shivery breath, as he sucked hard on her nipple. “Jason.”“I want to know, Alex.” Wielding his tongue as a weapon, he lured her into his trap. “I will have the whole of it.”“Because Cara begged me not to betray her confidence.” She wrenched her head from side to side and then bit the fleshy part of her hand.“And you value her affinity more than mine?” Again and again, he plied her with a licentious massage.“No.” With something between a sob and a sigh, she arched her back. “Jason—please.”“Why did you lie?” With a flick of his wrist, he hiked her skirt and then walked his fingers to the honey harbor at the center of her core. When he found her warm and wet, he groaned and shifted his weight. “Out with it.”“I promised Cara, and I could not break my word.” And then she emitted an achingly sweet cry. “I have known her since birth and you not half so long.”“So you acted out of loyalty?” Summoning the expertise of a lifetime, Jason played a masterful accompaniment with his hand and mouth. “And what of us? Am I nothing to you?”“You are the captain of my heart.” She twisted and turned to a heady mix of half-screams, moans, and sighs. “Had we an arrangement, I should have allied myself with you. But we have no understanding, so Cara claims my allegiance.”Even in the throes of passion, Lady Seymour had made a convincing argument, and he could not dispute her logic, given her strong familial ties. The burden he had carried since discovering her betrayal seemed to vanish, and his thoughts seized on an altogether nobler goal. “Do you remember that afternoon we spent in the drawing room of your home?”“Yes,”
