Once Upon a Wicked Night Read Free Page B

distance, as her partner spun her in tight circles as they spanned the breadth of the dance floor.
    Serena and Jonathan stood in silence for a few moments, pressed against each other, Serena just enjoying the strength and warmth of her husband.
    “Come,” he murmured finally, adjusting his hold around her waist but not releasing her. “Let’s walk.”
    She didn’t answer but allowed him to maneuver her around and toward the far corridor. Not the corridor that led to the famous gallery containing the portraits of the dowager’s ancestors, but the corridor opposite. The narrower, dimly lit passageway that led to their alcove. Or, at least, the alcove Serena had, once upon a time, thought of as theirs.
    And there it was. The second closed door on the left. Pausing in front of it, Jonathan glanced at her, the question as clear as cut crystal in those deep blue eyes. She gave a nearly imperceptible nod.
    “Yes.” The word came out on the merest breath of air.
    He turned the brass handle and pushed the door open.
    It was exactly as it had been before. A small balcony room that looked out over the ballroom. Curtains on either side of the balcony were tied back with heavy, tasseled golden ropes. A thick Persian carpet covered the floor. Two chairs, upholstered in the same red velvet as the curtains, furnished the room.
    Jonathan’s fingers slipped from the door handle. The two of them stood there, mute, staring at the place where their lives had taken a turn both of them had regretted for so long.
    Serena swallowed hard. “It hasn’t changed,” she said, her voice rough with emotion.
    Jonathan shook his head. “No.”
    His hand moved down to hers, enclosing it in his firm grip, his warmth passing through the layers of their gloves. Slowly, he stepped inside, tugging her along with him. Serena took a quavering breath and followed. Behind them, seemingly of its own accord, the door swung shut on silent hinges.
    They were alone. Jonathan released Serena’s hand and turned to her.
    “I remember that night,” he said, his voice low. “I wanted you so much…”
    “I felt the same way.”
    “I couldn’t get enough of you, Serena. I still can’t.”
    She gazed at him. She couldn’t get enough of him, either. She was older now. Calmer, and more mature. But her desire for this man was a living thing within her. It would never go away.
    The kiss was as inevitable as her next breath. His lips came down on hers, featherlight and seeking at first. Soft and warm, and on simple instinct, her lips opened to him. She gave a little gasp as she tasted him, dark and warm and masculine. His hands slid around her body, drawing her so close she felt like she was a part of him.
    The touch, the soft intensity of him lit a slow simmer in her belly that spread to her nerve endings, tightening the tips of her breasts and heating her between her legs.
    Someone moved outside. Someone spoke. Footsteps sounded in the corridor. And memories of that horrible moment of discovery flooded back into Serena, cold and bitter. Her heart surging, Serena placed her palms on her husband’s chest and pushed him back.
    “Stop!” she whispered, the sound emerging more like a sob than a command.
    He let go of her instantly and simply gazed at her for a long moment, his eyes narrow but glittering with heat and need.
    Then, he said in a low, angry voice, “It doesn’t matter.”
    She gulped in a breath, still terrified by the fear of discovery. “What doesn’t matter? What do you mean?”
    “It never mattered. We were so stupid to believe everyone who told us it did.” He shook his head, his lips—his beautiful, soft, full lips—turning downward in disgust. “We let them convince us that what we did here was wrong and unprincipled… But it was just us, together, exploring all those newfound sensations, learning about each other…”
    And she understood exactly what he meant. If it hadn’t been for the intrusion of others who’d condemned them for