He saw her across the ballroom and there was no force on earth that could have stopped him crossing the distance toward her. Those in his way were nothing but distractions from his goal and he wove between them like a dancer. And when he landed in front of her, extending his hand, he only needed to smile to get one in return.

"Might I request the pleasure of this dance?"

She paused and then a twitch to her smile turned it a bit devious. "Just one dance?"

"If that's all you'll allow me then I'll satisfy myself with it."

"Then you have it." She gave over her hand, laying her glass on the small table. "But I may want a second one if you prove dexterous enough with this."

"I could prove dexterous with a great many things."

She raised an eyebrow, "Then I believe you should take me somewhere else, Mr. Bates."

"What a scandalous suggestion." His lip quirked up, "What would the rest of the ballroom think if I took the Duchess of Cranburchurry away from the party?"

"They would say that I don't sodding care what they say." She tugged him forward to whisper in his ear, "Take me somewhere John."

He wrapped his hand over hers, took a quick look over his shoulder, and tugged them both through a door just to the side. It clicked closed and her back was against it in a moment so his lips could be over hers. They shifted and moved together, the two of them moaning into the other's mouth as their tongues tangled and dueled for supremacy.

John broke away, nipping and kissing along her jaw to whisper in her ear as his hands ran over the sides of her dress. "I want to take you against this wall with your legs wrapped around me until you cry out my name."

"Yes." She clutched into his hair, her gloves smooth and slippery with their silk over his skin. "What else?"

"Then I want to turn you away from me," His hands moved to remove his gloves, stuffing them into his pocket so his hands could better manipulate and grip her dress to run over her thighs and ass. "So you have to imagine the desire and passion in my eyes as I ride you until you beg for another release."

She keened, her lips finding his cheek and available skin. "Please don't tease me John. I can't bear it."

"But you'll have to Anna," His breath wafted hot over her ear as he pulled it between his teeth and whispered to her in time with his hands slipping under her dress to run over her skin. "Because once we've done that, I want you to ride me on this floor until I beg for release while crying out your name."

Anna's breath hitched and her fingers curled into his skin as his fingers slid her knickers down her legs to play between them and drag the slick wetness there toward her vibrating nerves. "Is that all?"

Their eyes met and he shook his head. "No."

"No?" She gasped as one of his fingers entered her and her head went back to hit the door so his lips could attack his neck. "What else could we possibly manage?"

"Being free with our passions and not hold back from one another." He paused, another finger spreading her open, "Do you want that Anna?"

"Yes."

"How soon do you want it?"

Her gloved hand gripped the back of his head and tipped it toward her lips. "Now. Take me now John."

They fumbled against one another, Anna's focus distracted as John's thumb pressed at her clit in time with the dig of his fingers deeper and deeper inside her. And when he added a third finger she barely managed to open his trousers. They gaped and she crunched his jacket in her hands as her legs quivered under his dedicated onslaught. But he paused long enough for her to work his trousers and pants out of the way before standing with her legs farther apart.

John crowded her to the door before sidestepping them to the wall right next to it. Their fingers fumbled to throw the lock before John's other hand massaged her ass while his lips covered hers again. A perfect maneuver as his touches finally sent her crying out his name. And then murmuring a stream of nonsense words as he dragged her through her orgasm until his fingers removed from her.

The glint in her eyes must have matched his own as he pulled his fingers into his mouth to take her taste. "I wish I could taste you now. Spread your legs and bury myself between them until neither one of us could move."

"Promise me later." She urged and held his shoulders as he lifted her legs. "You have other promises to fulfill first."

"I pride myself on keeping my word."

"It's why I voted for your party." She took his face in her hands and molded her lips over his as he worked her dress out of the way and drove into her.

The angle against the wall gave him the leverage he needed to thrust steadily into her. His hands, kneading and caressing her thighs and waist and hips and ass, held her steady and she tilted her body to better meet his motions. They rolled and ground together as the breath caught in their lungs and they struggled to find enough air to continue.

But soon John gasped into her shoulder as the strangling cling of her vaginal walls wrapped over him. He fought to continue driving as deeply into her as he could while one of his hands snaked between their tightly fitted bodies to find her delicate nerves again. The final motions brought them both screeching over the edge to sag together against the wall.

Her hands loosened on his jacket, the indicative wrinkles there only partially relaxing as the soft clack of her heels sounded on the hardwood. John took her lips again, stealing whatever air she managed to take for herself, and held them there for a moment before letting his hands at her hips spin her around. The shine of the moonlight through the window fuzzed on her gloves and John went to his knees behind her.

"John?"

"I made promises." John lifted her skirts and spread her legs enough to move sideways between her legs. "I intend to keep them."

The stifling darkness under her skirts was nothing when his nostrils filled with the scent of her. Of them. And soon it coated his tongue.

Anna's legs quivered and trembled on either side of him but the vibrations through his body only encouraged him faster. His tongue spread to cover her with each lap over her folds. And then he pointed it to sneak between her folds and enter her.

Even through her skirts, her hands found his hair and yanked at it to try and hold him where she wanted him to focus. His fingers joined his exploits to leave her shaking around him when they entered her or his tongue wrapped her clit. He traded between them to let his fingers tease her delicate nerves and drive his tongue deep to taste her again. And her muffled scream into her hand signaled it was time to move again.

A quick hand over himself, the same fingers slick with her, and a lift of her skirts over her ass allowed him to leave a kiss at the base of her back. The same back that arched a moment later as he entered her. His feet slid on the floor, her knickers kicked away from where they threatened to trip them both to the floor, and then steadied to press into her

She spread her legs, taking him deeper with each thrust, and he wished for more light. Wished for the room to fill with it so he could see all of her beauty as he plunged into her at a pace increasingly more punishing with each urge and pant from her. And while he could glimpse through the shadows to see the beautiful sight of her nestled between his hips and the hint of a shine over himself each time he drew to the edge, it was her sounds when he drove back into her. Each time he sought the very end of her before seeking it again.

Her hand clawed at the wall, her face pressed against it, and John startled when her other hand reached around to caress him. The silk of her glove was nothing compared to the sensation of her muscles clenching and tightening around him but he shivered all the same. And he even took his own turn to cry out as she squeezed his delicate sack.

Lips attacked her neck, teeth nipping at her earlobe, and then their lips met. A ferocious mash of mouths until they could not breathe. Then their cheeks pressed together as closely as their bodies did so their breath joined as they came together.

John's hands went to the wall, holding there for a moment until he could find the strength to draw back. She turned in his arms, her hands on his shoulders, and pressed him toward the floor. His back hit the surface, knocking the air from him, and she straddled his waist.

"Are you ready John?"

His mouth dropped open as she scooted her way down his legs to take him between her hands. Anna paused, pulling her gloves off her hands with her teeth to leave them floating to the rug before grasping him again. The burning of her hands on him had John digging his fingers into the rug.

Her fingers squeezed and tugged, sliding over him as his body fought exhaustion to rise to the occasion again. Anna leaned forward, kissing around his exposed skin while her hands continued to hold and massage him. And when her mouth closed over him to suck slightly, John's hips bucked off the floor. Her weight kept him down and she continued to suck him deeper until John groaned.

His fingers tried to hold at her, tried to guide her, and tried to urge her but she insisted on keeping herself where she was until John almost shattered. John choked out a response that had Anna pulling back to leave a final kiss at the tip before pulling at her skirt. It rustled and rucked at her hips and she sheathed herself on him.

They rocked and bounced against one another until John's fingers found Anna's nerves. Her satisfied smile hitched a moment and her nails dug into John's shirt to hold herself closer to him. John rose up, one hand at her hip and the other at the back of her neck to tug her lips to his. Their kiss dragged out with each of their motions until they both came together again.

John fell back onto the floor, gasping out a laugh as Anna put her hands on either side of his head to hold herself above him. They grinned, their lips meeting and separating multiple times before finally breaking for the final time. A shift put them on their sides, facing one another on the floor.

He drew a finger down the line of her jaw and took a deep breath. "Did I satisfy all my promises, Ms. Smith?"

"To the fullest." She pushed herself up, reaching over his body to grab her gloves. "I'm thoroughly satisfied Mr. Bates."

He drew a finger over her arm, tracing to her wrist as she pulled her gloves back over her arms. "How will you go back out there?"

"With my head held high." She leaned over his body, kissing him again. "You?"

"With a smile on my face." He adjusted, removing a handkerchief from his pocket to try and clean himself before reaching under Anna's skirts to clean her as well. "I could invite you to stay."

"And what would people say to that?" Anna closed her eyes, shivering as John dragged the material over her to try and clean her.

"That they haven't already said about you coming into this room with me in the last…" John whistled as he noticed the clock. "Hour?"

"It depends on which rooms in your house they're already using for their own pleasures." Anna situated her gloves and pushed herself off the floor to find her knickers and pulled them over her legs to give John a fresh view of her ass.

"Then you could share my room."

"Perhaps," Anna straightened her skirts and smiled at him. "Make me an invitation later… After a dance?"

John rose, tucking himself into his pants and trousers, and unlocked the door and led them both back toward the party. "What a scandal we make."

"It's worth it." Anna tugged his hand. "I'm ready for the dance you asked for."

"I'm ready to provide it, Duchess." John took position and led Anna onto the floor. "And much else besides."

"Another scandalous proposal?"

"Of many more to come."