Relieved to find she was not crying, as he had thought, Daniel immediately caught her hand to prevent her flying from him again.

Stung by the shock his touch always gave her, intensified now, she was annoyed to discover, Sophia tried to pull her hand away. When he refused to let her go, she said, her voice infused with an iciness designed to freeze, "Kindly release me, Lord Daniel."

On hearing her voice, Daniel placed the emotion that was holding her so rigid. The knowledge that she was angry, nay, furious, did nothing to improve his own temper, stirred to life by her abrupt flight. Forcing his voice to a reasonableness he was far from the feeling, he said, "If you'll give me your word you'll not run away from me, I'll release you."

Sophia opened her mouth to inform him she would not so demean herself as to rub from him when the knowledge that she just had, and might have reason to do so again, hit her. She remained silent. Daniel, accurately reading her mind, held in to her hand.

After a moment's consideration, he spoke. "I had intended, my dear, to speak to you of our...curious relationship."

Sophia, breathing rapidly and anxious to end the interview, immediately countered, "I really don't think there's anything to discuss."

A difficult pause ensued, then, "So you would deny there's anything between us?"

The bleakness in his voice shook her, but she determinedly our up her chin, turning away from him as far as their locked hands would allow. "Whatever's between us is neither here nor there," she said, satisfied with the lightness she had managed to bring to her tone.

Her satisfaction was short-lived. Taking advantage of her movement, Daniel stepped quickly behind her, the hand still holding hers reaching across her, his arm wrapping around her waist and drawing her hard against him. His other hand cane to rest on her shoulder, holding her still. He knew the shock it would give her, to feel his body against hers, and heard with grim satisfaction the hiss of her indrawn breath.

Sophia froze, too stunned to struggle, the sensation of his hard body against her back, his arm wound like steel about her waist, holding her fast, driving all rational thought from her brain. Then his breath wafted the curls around her ear. His words came in a deep and husky tone, sending tingling shivers up and down her spine.

"Well, sweetheart, there's very little between us now. So, perhaps we can turn our attention to our relationship?"

Sophia, all too well aware of how little there was between them, wondered in a moment of startling lucidity how he imagined that would improve her concentration. But Daniel's attention had already wandered. His lips were very gently trailing down her neck, creating all sorts of marvellous sensations which she tried very hard to ignore.

Then, he gave a deep chuckle. "As I've been saying these weeks past, my dear, you're wasted as a virgin. Now, if you were to become my mistress, just think of all the delightful avenues we could explore."

"I don't want to become your mistress!" Sophia almost wailed, tearing the arm at her waist and finding it immovable.

"No?" came Daniel's voice in her ear. She had the impression he considered her answer for a full minute before he continued, "Perhaps we should extend your education, a trifle, my dear. So you fully appreciate what you're turning down. We wouldn't want you to make the wrong decision for lack of a few minutes' instruction, would we?"

Sophia has only a hazy idea of what he could mean but his lips had returned to her throat, giving rise to those strangely heady swirls of pleasure that washed through her, sapping her will. "Daniel, stop! You know you shouldn't be doing this!"

He stilled. "Do I?"

Into the silence, a nightingale warbled. Sophia held her breath.

But, when Daniel spoke again, the steel threading his voice, so often sensed yet only now recognized, warned her of the futility of missish pleas.

"Yes. You're right. I know I shouldn't." His lips moved against her throat, a subtle caress. "But what I want to do is make love to you. As you won't allow that, then this will have to do for now."

Sophia, incapable of further words, simply shook her head, powerless to halt the spreading fires he was so skillfully igniting.

Afterwards, Daniel could not understand how it had happened. He was as experienced with women as Felix and had never previously lost control as he did that night. He had intended to do no more than reveal to the perverse woman her own desires and give her some inkling of the pleasures they could enjoy together. Instead, her responses were more than her had bargained for and his own desires stronger than he had been prepared to admit. Daily early in the engagement, he had turned her once more into his arms, so he could capture her lips and take the lesson further. And further it had certainly gone, until the moon sank behind the high hedges and left them in darkness.