The Discreet Charm of Lady Mary (A Howertys Novella)

Chapter 11: Morning Awkwardness

Mary snuggled deeper into the warm blanket enveloping her, not quite ready to meet the day yet. Sleep had not come easy after kissing John and then having to share a bed with him. It took her sleep-addled brain another moment to realise that it wasn't a blanket around her, but John. He lay behind her, his chest snug against her back and his arm over her chest. One of his legs tangled between both of hers. And his hand... She bit her bottom lip as he shifted slightly and the hand on her breast flexed.

Heat unfurled in her abdomen, matching and quickly outmatching the warmth of his body against hers. His nose rested against the back of her head, his breathing slow and rhythmic. Lying in his arms so intimately felt decidedly improper. And yet she didn't want to move. John was obviously asleep, and she felt bad for not waking him. It was bad of her, but she wanted to enjoy a moment of being embraced in a way she most likely never would be.

Unable to escape the guilt, she tried to scoot away, but his arm around her tightened and he pulled her closer to him. Her eyes widened as she felt a hardness against her bottom. The discussions of a man's 'morning state' that she'd overheard once suddenly made a lot more sense. Her cheeks burned. This just wouldn't do. It wasn't right.

"John?" she breathed.

"Mm?" His sleepy voice against her neck sent a delicious shiver down her spine. When his lips traced a light path over her skin, she closed her eyes and when he nipped gently, she had to bite her lip to hold back a moan. The hand on her chest made its way inside her low-cut chemise to cup her bare breast. Heat pooled between her legs as he massaged her, while his lips moved against the sensitive skin on her neck.

Oh, dear. This was so deliciously wicked. She didn't want him to stop. But he had to stop. He was probably dreaming about Olivia, anyway. The thought was sobering, and she made another attempt to extract herself from his arms. All it did was make him pull her even closer. His hot mouth on her shoulder sent pleasurable shivers through her and a low moan escaped her lips.

"Mary..." He nipped at her earlobe, but she barely noticed, her eyes wide as she inhaled sharply.

Mary?

Before she knew what she was doing, she twisted around in his arms to face him, and kissed him. He might love Olivia, but it was her he was dreaming of touching. Caught in the moment, enjoying the hot pressure of his mouth on hers, it took a few more moments before the doubt niggled its way back into her mind. Her vow to stay away from him to keep her heart safe. This wasn't right.

But it felt right.

She gasped as John grabbed her bottom and pushed against her hips. It felt too right. What was she doing? She couldn't allow herself to get caught up in her attraction to this man. He wasn't even awake. At least not fully. She twisted her head, but he continued placing hot kisses down her neck. It was oh so tempting to let him continue. To see where his mouth would travel next.

"John!" she said again, sharper this time.

He startled, and she could tell exactly when he woke up fully because his hand on her bottom flexed for a moment before he jerked it back as if he'd burned himself. Moving away from her and sitting up, he groaned.

"Hell! I'm so sorry, Mary... I—" He cursed again. "I have no excuse. Please forgive me."

She sat up, praying that her face wasn't as red as it felt. "It's fine. You were sleeping."

"Still, I—" His voice faltered as he looked up and his eyes fastened on her chest.

Looking down, she gasped and quickly pulled the chemise up to cover her bosom. Could this day get any more awkward? And it had barely even started yet. Glancing over at John, she was relieved to see she wasn't the only one whose face was burning. There was definitely a hint of pink on his cheeks.