There was no hesitation in his answer, so – Jemima didn’t leave herself room to hesitate either, just pulled off the nightdress over her head with all the confidence she could stir up in herself before it fled again. She didn’t know if she had managed to make the motion alluring and sensual and elegant, or just clumsy, but she dropped the nightgown away from them, committed to this now.

She tucked a curl behind her ear to brush it out of her face again, and sat back on her heels to face him again, biting her lip a little but no longer aware of his body – she was too busy holding her breath and watching his face for some indication of what he made of hers.

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