"Of course if you had forgotten," he continued, his heated gaze locked on hers, "I suppose I'd have to remind you." He heaved an exaggerated sigh. "A heinous task, but I'd endeavor to take it like a man."

Determined not to allow him the upper hand, she leaned forward and set her free hand on his knee. "I assure you I'm in no danger of forgetting, Daniel." She glided her hand slowly up his leg. "However, I would welcome you reminding me. Any time you'd care to do so. And as for taking it like a man…" She brushed her fingers over the bulge in his breeches, enjoying his quick intake of breath."… I greatly anticipate discovering exactly how much you can take."

His eyes seemed to breathe smoke. "Just as I anticipate discovering the same thing about you."

"How nice that we are in agreement."

"I believe that 'nice' is a rather tepid word to describe anything that will transpire between us, my lady, but I suppose it will do. For now."

"'My lady?'" She copied his earlier tsking sound and repeated his words. "Surely you haven't already forgotten that such formality is no longer necessary."

"I haven't forgotten. Indeed, should I live into the next century I'll never forget what we've shared."

His words so closely mirrored her earlier thoughts she ridiculously wondered if perhaps he could read minds.

"In your sitting room, you said you had a confession to make," he said, his finger continuing to lightly stroke beneath her glove with a leisurely, drugging rhythm, "but you never told me what it was. I would have asked you at the time, but I was, um, distracted."

She skimmed her hand along the inside of his thigh. "I stole your breeches."

His muscles contracted beneath her touch and he shot a pointed look at her hand on his leg. "Clearly you haven't. Unfortunately."

She laughed. "Not these breeches. And not today. It was during Matthew's house party. The ladies devised a scavenger hunt of sorts. My mission was to procure a pair of your breeches. I entered your bedchamber when I knew you wouldn't be about and just like that…" She lifted her hand from his leg to snap her fingers. "… I made off with your breeches."

He grabbed her hand and settled it right back on his leg. "Fascinating. If I'd suspected you were going to skulk about in my bedchamber, I never would have left."

She lifted her chin. "I wasn't skulking. I was…" Her voice trailed off as she searched for a less incriminating word.

"Lurking?" he suggested. "Prowling?"

She hiked her chin higher. "I was merely doing my duty to the game."

"I see. I didn't notice I was missing a pair of breeches."

"I returned them before the house party ended. So I didn't really steal them-I merely borrowed them."

"Ah. So you visited my bedchamber twice without my knowledge during the house party."

"Yes."

"And what did you do with my breeches once you'd borrowed them?"

Feeling outrageously daring, she decided to be absolutely honest with him. "I brought them to my bedchamber. I held them against me and thought of you. Of how you looked wearing them. And imagined how you would look without them." Heat suffused her at her admission, a truth she'd stubbornly refused to acknowledge at the time.

Unmistakable interest flared in his eyes and he slid his finger from her glove. Leaning down, he grasped her ankle and lifted her foot onto his lap. After removing her shoe, he massaged her stockinged foot, eliciting a low groan of delight from her.

"Have I mentioned that I adore having my feet rubbed?" she asked as all her muscles turned to the consistency of porridge.

"You didn't say so, but it was fairly easy to ascertain." His fingers performed some form of magic on her instep and she moaned. His wicked grin flashed. "The moaning and groaning is a bit of a giveaway."

"I imagine, oooohhh myyyyy… that it is."

"Tell me, how did you imagine I would look without my breeches, Carolyn?"

A long purr vibrated in her throat and she regarded him through eyes drooped half closed with the pleasure radiating upward from her foot. "Wonderful. But the reality proved even better than my imagination, which was quite fertile, I assure you."

His expression turned grave. "I must admit your confession disappoints me."

A fissure of embarrassment shivered through her. "I know it was wrong of me to do, but-"

"I'm not disappointed at what you did but rather at your timing. I wish I'd been present when you came into my bedchamber. Twice."

God help her, but part of her had wanted him to be there as well-something she hadn't been able to admit to herself at the time. "What would you have done if you had been present?" she asked in a breathless voice.

Fire ignited in his gaze, but before he could reply, the carriage jerked to a halt. He glanced out the window. "As we've arrived, I'll have to tell you later," he said, slipping her shoe back on then gently setting her foot on the floor. "Or better yet, I'll show you."

She barely resisted the urge to demand that they return home at once so he could show her now. Instead she adopted a sedate manner completely at odds with the inferno burning within her and looked out the window. And realized where they were.

"Gunter's?" she said, staring at the sign marking London's most famous confectioner's shop at number seven Berkeley Square. A smile curved her lips. "I adore Gunter's!"

He smiled in return. "As do I. It's my favorite London shop."

"Even more so than your tailor?" she teased. "You do have a reputation for being meticulous about your clothing."

"Gunter's is my favorite shop, bar none," he said, his voice perfectly serious. "It appears I have a weakness for fruit flavored ices." His gaze skimmed over her. "Among other things."

How she could still blush after the intimacies they'd shared, she had no idea. To hide the heat suffusing her cheeks, she picked up her reticule in preparation for exiting the carriage. "Edward and I used to…" Her voice trailed off awkwardly and she looked at the ground. Surely she shouldn't be speaking of Edward to her lover. Doing so smacked of disloyalty, to both Edward and Daniel. And reminded her of her lingering feelings of guilt at taking a lover-feelings she'd prefer to ignore.

She cleared her throat and finished, "We frequented Gunter's whenever we visited London."

"Carolyn."

He said her name so softly, so kindly, a lump lodged in her throat. When she looked up, she noted his eyes held the same kindness as his tone. "I don't begrudge you your memories of Edward, nor do I want you to feel that you cannot talk about him with me." He hesitated then added, "I knew you'd come here with Edward at least once, as I saw you."

She couldn't hide her surprise. "You did? When?"

"About five years ago. I was across the street and saw you and Edward leaving Gunter's. You were both smiling. You looked very happy."

"Is that why you brought me here-because you knew I'd like it?"

"Partly. But also because in keeping with our conversation at the masquerade ball, the highwayman wanted to give Galatea something that reminded him of her."

"And that something is a fruit-flavored ice?"

"Yes."

"Because I'm so… tart and frosty cold?"

His gaze remained serious. "No. Because when I touch you with my tongue you melt."

Oh, my. She recalled the delicious sensation of his tongue touching her, and her heart seemed to trip over itself. He did indeed make her melt. In a way that made her not only want to experience that magic again, but to also affect him the same way.

Before she could respond, he reached out and lightly squeezed her hand. "Would you prefer to go somewhere else?"

Good heavens, he could make her melt even without benefit of his tongue. Clearly all he had to do was look at her. Touch her hand. "No, Daniel. I'd prefer to go to Gunter's. It's been a very long time since I've enjoyed a flavored ice. I think it's time to make some new memories." She squeezed his hand in return. "With you."

What looked like relief flashed in his eyes. "I look forward to sharing those memories with you." Then one corner of his mouth curved upward in a sinful grin. "I'll do my utmost to see that you're not disappointed."

After helping her alight from the carriage, they entered the shop. The delectable scents of sweetmeats, pastries, and fresh baked biscuits assailed her.

"Is an ice your pleasure?" Daniel asked. "I see that they're featuring blueberry today. Or would you prefer something else?"

She offered Daniel a smile. "A blueberry ice sounds divine."

They sat a small round table in the corner of the shop and enjoyed their frozen treat. After spooning a small bit into her mouth, Carolyn confided in an undertone, "This is so delicious. I want you to know that it's requiring a great deal of self-control for me not to moan out loud with every taste."

Daniel's leg shifted beneath the table and his knee pressed against hers, shooting a spark up her leg. "I want you to know that it's requiring all of my self-control not to press you up against Gunter's counter and really give you something to moan about. Suffice it to say that I intend to hear those delightful sounds you make as soon as possible."

Heat whooshed through her with such force she was amazed she didn't burst into flames. And how did he manage to appear so calm and collected when she felt incinerated by the furious blush scorching her entire body?

She glanced around at the other patrons, relieved that none of them appeared to be paying any attention to them. "If you keep looking at me like that, people will suspect that we're…"

"Lovers?"

"Yes."

"And how am I looking at you?"

"Like you'd rather be licking me than your blueberry ice."

Not a hint of repentance gleamed in his eyes. "I would rather be licking you." After spooning up another bit of ice, he added, "I think you'd prefer that as well."

The degree to which she'd prefer that actually frightened her. "You're melting my blueberry ice," she warned with a breathless laugh.

"Good. The sooner it's gone, the sooner we can leave." He pressed his leg more firmly against hers. "And the sooner I can make you melt."

She spooned a bit of the delicious ice between her lips, reveling in the rapt manner his avid gaze devoured the movement. Something about the contrast of their outwardly polite demeanor and the sensual undercurrents throbbing between them excited her in a way she'd never before experienced.

After she swallowed, she said softly, "And the sooner I can make you melt."

He went perfectly still, his spoon suspended midway between his bowl and his mouth. He drew in a slow, deep breath, then carefully set his spoon back in his still half-full bowl. "Let's go."

"Go?" She adopted her most innocent air and batted her eyelashes. "But I haven't finished my ice."

"I'll buy you another one tomorrow." He stood and held out his hand. The smoldering look in his eyes left no doubt that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. And as soon as possible.

She intended to see to it that he didn't have long to wait.

She gave her lips a dainty pat with her napkin, then placed her hand in his to arise. Surrounding herself with her usual air of proper dignity, she allowed him to escort her to his carriage. With his gaze never leaving hers, he took the seat opposite then gave the driver the signal to depart. As soon as they began to move, he flicked the velvet curtains closed.

"Come here," he said, his voice a low growl.

Instead of complying, she reached out and unfastened his breeches. He watched her through half-closed eyes, his chest rising and falling with his rapid breaths. When the buckskin placard opened, she wrapped her fingers around his erection and gently squeezed.

He sucked a harsh breath. "Carolyn…"

A pearl of fluid glistened on the tip, and with a single fingertip she slowly spread the moisture over the head. Never had she behaved in such a bold manner outside the bedchamber. But something about this man and his passionate reactions to her brought out a daring, adventurous spirit she hadn't previously known she'd possessed. An untouched spirit whose emergence was clearly aided by the sensual images her readings of the Memoirs had embedded in her mind. The Anonymous Lady had described, in detail, the joys of making love in a moving carriage. According to the Memoirs, it was an experience not to be missed, and Carolyn had no intention of doing so.

Keeping her gaze locked with his, she brought her finger to her lips and brushed her tongue over the tip, tasting the salty tang of his essence. Her womb clenched at the fire that blazed in his eyes.