Leo forgot to breathe.

He must be dreaming. Had he heard correctly?

He decided to test the theory.

"You want to come home with me?" he asked, not being able to keep the huskiness from his voice.

She nodded. It was a distinct nod, not to be confused at all with a shake.

"Scarlett, I..." Leo wasn't entirely sure what to say, but he wanted to know that she was certain—that she knew what she was asking.

"Take me home," Scarlett murmured. The tone in her voice as she looked at him beneath her lashes was equally husky. Scarlett seized Leo's hand then, and the gesture spurred Leo into action. He readjusted her bodice before nearly dragging her through the conservatory and back out the glass door. The chilled air from the Aston Manor hallways hit them as they exited their small slice of paradise.

He managed to arrange for a carriage in an alarmingly short amount of time, and Leo made a mental note to urge his parents to raise the wages of their servants.

It was exceedingly cold out as they fled the ball. Leo and Scarlett had thrown on their cloaks to shield them from the winter wind, but to be honest, the frigid air didn't bother Leo. His body was burning within.

Scarlett was sitting across from him now in the confines of the vehicle, and Leo was mentally undressing her. His brain was running wild, his body eager to hold her in his arms once more. Leo forced his hands to stay at his side and his lips to stay sealed as he raked his eyes across her, drinking her in.

This was perhaps the most torturous carriage ride ever.

She had looked so good in the moonlight. She had felt so good.

"Leo?" She gave him a curious look.

He merely raised a brow.

"Are you having regrets?"

Leo threw his head back, unleashing a laugh. Then he leveled his gaze.

"Darling, you must know that isn't the case."

"You're awfully quiet," she pointed out.

"I'm thinking," Leo said succinctly.

"About?"

Leo's lips curved upward in a smile. "Taking you home, of course. And everything that entails."

Scarlett returned his smile, her own being mischievous. She inched forward ever so slightly, but Leo put his hand out to stall her.

"No." He gave a deep chuckle. "You need to stay over there, Scarlett. Otherwise, I'll end up taking you in this carriage, and that is not what I want to happen."

She obeyed with wide, sparkling eyes, sitting back against the carriage cushions. She was breathing deeply, the same as him, and her face was flushed. Desire. He felt it so potently. It was ready to overpower both of them.

"I don't know what's happening to me." The words released from her mouth in a breathless whisper.

"I do," Leo murmured, leaning forward onto his knees. "You're finally allowing yourself to feel, Scarlett. Now you know what it's been like for me. For so goddamn long."

Scarlett merely stared at him in response, her gaze holding his in an enchanting moment.

Luckily, it wasn't much longer before they reached Leo's townhome. He guided Scarlett to the front door, pushing through it hurriedly. Leo's butler greeted them, taking their cloaks from them in an efficient manner. Then Leo took Scarlett's hand, not wasting any more time before he got her into his bedroom, lest they succumb to their urges in the foyer.

Opening the door to his bedchamber, Leo ushered Scarlett inside it. There was a fire ready for them, crackling in the grate. Otherwise, the lighting in the room was low; only a few candles near his large four-poster bed illuminated the space. Scarlett walked to the fireplace and rested her hand on the intricately carved wooden mantle that sat above it. She lifted her other arm toward the flames, warming herself.

Leo hadn't moved from the doorway. He was leaning against the frame, too busy watching Scarlett. Without the covering of her cloak, her upper back and shoulders were exposed, and only a few dark, mahogany curls laid against the pale flesh there. Leo felt torn. He desired to see as much of her creamy skin as possible but also had the urge to let all her hair down. He wanted to free her.

Approaching Scarlett from behind, Leo slowly peeled off his gloves, letting them fall to the floor. Putting one gentle hand on her shoulder, he reveled in the feeling of her skin against his and allowed his fingers to brush down the length of her arm. With his other hand, Leo began to pluck the pins from her curls, and her hair fell down her back like a river of dark chocolate.

Pin upon pin hit the floor. He saw Scarlett's gloves join them, growing the pile of items they were discarding.

Once all the pins had been removed, Leo let his fingers dance through the curls for a moment. Then he brushed her hair to the side and planted a kiss on the curve of her neck. Scarlett arched her head back, leaning it against Leo's shoulder as he continued to dust kisses across her skin.

"I can't believe you're here," he murmured.

Scarlett laughed lightly. He could feel her breath rustle the tips of his hair. "You always spoke as if it were only a matter of time, Leo. What happened to that confident, self-assured rake?"

Leo shook his head against the crook of her neck, lost in her already. "I don't know." His fingers began acting of their own accord, undoing the buttons that lined her spine. He longed to simply rip the dress open but forced himself to be delicate. Leo wasn't sure how to explain it, but this was different than any other amorous encounter he'd had with a woman.

Finally, he reached the last button, and Scarlett pushed her dress down, sliding the shimmering fabric over her hips. Leo watched as it pooled on the floor, her slippered feet spinning in it so she could turn to face him. Dragging his gaze up her body that was now only covered in a chemise and corset, Leo sucked in a breath.

Out of the corner of his eye, Leo saw her smirk. His little seductress.

Her hands came up to the strings of her stays, tied tightly beneath her bosom. Or at least they were... until she loosened them with a few flicks of her wrist. Her corset gradually made its way to join her dress. And then all Scarlet wore was her gauzy chemise, which was utterly translucent in the glow of the fire.

Leo groaned, affording himself one more glance of Scarlett before he grabbed hold of her waist and dragged her to him. Scarlett gasped as she collided with Leo, and he captured the little sound with his mouth, kissing her passionately. His lips roved over hers, enjoying her sweet taste. Leo managed to catch her lip between his teeth, nibbling, biting the tender skin there.

"I told you this was my job," he breathed. Leo would never be able to stand by and watch her bite her lip again without remembering this moment.

Scarlett responded with a moan that sent shivers down his spine despite the fire beside him—or rather, the fire inside him.

Encouraged by the sounds releasing from the woman in his arms, Leo trailed his lips lower, until her chemise impeded his progress. He pushed the fabric from the edges of her shoulder and continued to pull it down, further and further.

"Scarlett," Leo breathed as his lips maintained their descent of her body, tasting the gentle swell of her breasts. When he finally caught her perfect nipple in his mouth again, Leo's blood pumped faster in response to the feeling of such delicate flesh against his lips. Scarlett arched her back, encouraging Leo's kiss.

Abruptly pulling away, Leo pushed the rest of Scarlett's chemise off. All he wanted at this moment was to see her naked and in his bed. So Leo scooped her into his arms, and she gasped once more. Leo thought of how much easier it was to hold her now than the last time he'd done so.

It was an excellent argument to forbid any and all clothing when they were together in the future.

In careful, measured movements, Leo strode across the room, resting her on his bed. He took a moment to relish in the sight of her ravishing perfection. Her breasts, ample and sweet, rocked as she adjusted herself in the bed. She crossed one long leg over the other, as if trying to hid what was between them. But Leo could still see. He could still see, and God, he could not wait to taste.

"Christ," Leo swore. "You're beautiful, Scarlett. You're so goddamn beautiful."

She tilted her head, raven hair fanning across his pillow. "You know," she said with a thoughtful tone, "I have heard other men tell me that before, but I've never really believed it until now."

"Oh, darling," Leo said as he unbuttoned his waistcoat. "If you don't feel beautiful in a man's arms, then he's doing it wrong." His fingers caught on a button, forcing him to look away from Scarlett and down at his hands. Eventually, Leo managed to discard his layers of clothing, leaving him bare-chested, and he glanced back up to see Scarlett watching him closely.

"Enjoying the show?" Leo smirked.

She nodded and then bit her lip.

Leo climbed onto the bed with a growl, covering her body with his own. Kissing Scarlett hard, he sucked her lip from between her teeth. He then continued his earlier task, making certain that every part of her was touched by his mouth. As Leo went lower and lower, Scarlett began to squirm beneath him.

"Leo," she said breathlessly. "Leo, what are you doing?"

"I thought it was rather obvious that I was kissing you," he said, a sly smile pressed against her soft belly as he trailed his lips further down.

"Are you certain that you want—"

Leo cut her off. "Shh. It's all a part of making you feel beautiful, love."

And then he lowered his mouth and enjoyed the little scream that released from her lips.