Thea savored the delicious blend of tea and herbs in her cup, wondering how Miss Rose managed to make her "special" recipe taste so good. The picturesque morning visible through the window in the out-of-the-way niche she had claimed for herself was also worth savoring.

Ingram Hall embodied everything one would want in a country estate: rolling green lawns, idyllic flower gardens, refreshing fountains, and sumptuous accommodations and meals to tantalize and tempt guests. Thea sighed contentedly. If only life were always so serene.

"You have happened upon one of my favorite hiding places, Thea."

Thea started, recognizing the voice of Miss Rose immediately. She turned from her view and greeted her hostess. "Good morning. You won"t have me believe that you ever have reason to hide--surely not?" Thea smiled at the elegant mistress of the Hall, who took a seat next to her.

"Yes, my dear, believe it or not. I find, on occasion, that I must free my mind of the business of running this establishment and steal away for a few moments of quiet peace."

"I can well imagine," Thea said.

"You're looking lovely this morning, Thea. Your visit here agrees with you."

How could she express her gratitude for the past few days? "I can't tell you how much--how much--"

"I know, dear. You don't have to say a word. It is part of the magic of this place, why I started this business. The world can be cruel, people can be predatory." Miss Rose was gazing out the window now, a faraway look in her beautiful eyes.

"Sex should never be used as means for the strong to prey upon the weak," she continued. "In my own small way I try to offer a safe haven for men and women to understand that. Respect is the key to sexual fulfillment." She looked at Thea again and smiled.

For a mere breath of a moment, a glimmer of pain had darkened the older womans expression when she spoke of respect, and Thea could only imagine what memories had taken Miss Rose away for a moment, what manner of experience had led her down her chosen path.

"You give people a wondrous gift," Thea said, hoping in some way to give comfort to the woman who had taken her under her wing.

Miss Rose smiled again and squeezed Thea's hand, her professional composure completely recovered. "I am so glad you feel that way, Thea, because I have a very special task for you this morning and I hope you will accept the challenge."

"Challenge?

"I think you are ready to test your newly realized talents," she said, a serious note in her tone.

"I don't understand," Thea said.

Miss Rose wasn't one to mince words. "I have a young man, recently in my employ as a stable hand, who has suffered greatly at the hands of a vindictive young woman."

Thea couldn't imagine what Miss Rose was getting at. "I'm sorry to hear that, but I don't understand what this has to do with me?"

"In short, Thomas has sworn off women--all women--much to his father's chagrin. Thomas is the only son of a dear friend of mine, a nobleman. My friend is afraid he will see the demise of his title and bloodline if his son can't be convinced that all women aren't cast from the same mold as his unfortunate first love."

"Oh my. That is unfortunate," Thea said. "But surely Thomas will get over his hurt eventually."

"The boy has threatened to enter the priesthood, obviously for the wrong reasons. He is young, not yet twenty, and has always been a sensitive, brooding lad. He has spent most of his time caring for his father and running the family estate. He hasn't had the time or opportunity to learn the ways of men and women."

"Much like myself," Thea said.

Miss Rose nodded. "When he finally found the inclination to enter society, he made the regrettable, but understandable mistake of falling for the first pretty woman to pay attention to him--a scheming manipulator who was only leading him along for a mere dalliance."

"Tis a shame, but such a lesson could serve to prepare him better the next time he shares his heart. What could have caused him to shun all women?"

"She laughed at him," Miss Rose said gravely.

Thea was fully engaged in Thomas' story now. "What do you mean?"

"He finally confided to his father that the young woman with whom he had chosen to lose his virginity had laughed at his nervous inability to please her. And, to make matters worse, told him he was, shall we say, undersized compared to her other lovers."

"How awful," Thea said, sickened by the unknown woman's cruelty.

"Not only did she proclaim purity beforehand, she even stooped so low as to profess her love and devotion to lure him. Afterward, she spread the story among their set. A heartless creature to be sure--a young woman with a reputation that would make a harlot blush, I've since learned. Thomas was smitten and has paid dearly for his naivet`e"

"What can we do?" Thea asked.

Miss Rose looked pleased. "I knew I could count on your warm heart, Thea."

"Well, I'd like to help if I can, but I can't imagine how."

"Thomas has no idea where he truly is. He thinks Ingram Hall is the country residence of a dowager duchess and her granddaughter, a place where he can hide away from the scandal in obscurity. He only agreed to work here, instead of devoting himself to the church, because his father promised to leave him in peace to tend his wounded pride."

"But surely he will learn the true nature of this place soon enough," Thea said.

"He need not. The stables are a quarter mile from the Hall. The men I employ as grooms never come in contact with clients other than to provide the normal assistance with the horses. They have their own lodging and accommodations near the stables and have no reason to come to the main house."

"But how do you explain all the people riding?"

"I have placed Thomas under the supervision of my head groom, Walter. Walter will tell Thomas that the widowed duchess of the manor is having a house party this week. If all goes according to my plans, Thomas will be on his way home before he has to face any guests or figure out the ploy."

Thea was beginning to understand. "Let me guess, you want me to play a part in this charade?"

"Very intuitive, my dear. I have chosen you to be the duchess's granddaughter. I could have picked one of my staff, but I have grown to like you very much, Thea, because you are still sweet and innocent at heart. Jordan is a very lucky man."

Thea relished the warmth in Miss Rose's words. "Thank you. That means a great deal to me. But you haven't told me what I'm to do for Thomas."

"You will prove to him that he is desirable to women. You will give yourself freely to him with no strings attached. You will seduce him."

"But he won't let himself be seduced! Surely, you must know that after all you've told me" Thea said.

Miss Rose smiled, a challenge issued in her determined gaze. "Exactly."

Thea took a moment to register the woman's meaning. "You're telling me you want me to seduce a young man who has sworn off women at all costs?"

"Yes. Give Thomas the gift of regained pride and manhood. Show him how to trust his instincts and women again."

Thea laughed. "Well, if that's all. Just let me finish my tea and I'll have this matter resolved before luncheon."

Miss Rose was not deterred by Thea's sarcasm. "If any woman can do this, Thea, you can. You have learned much and have a lot to give. Let your heart lead you."

"What if I cannot?"

"Thomas does not deserve this torment. I have known him since he was a small boy. His deceased mother was a good friend of mine. He will make a fine husband one day. You would be doing me a great favor.";

Thea had already relented in her mind if not in words. The thought of Reuben Granville, Viscount Easterly, had done the trick.

No one should be made to feel insignificant, especially when newly awakened passion made a person so vulnerable. Thea understood Thomas's pain, understood the cruelty a sexually experienced person could inflict on an innocent.

Reuben Granville had used his experience to render her sister, Tess, and herself helpless--at his mercy. She wouldn't wish that feeling on her enemies.

"I will do it," Thea said. "At least, I will try my best."

"You will be enriched by this experience, Thea. You will be surprised by what you gain in giving."

"Thomas?" Thea spoke to the broad back of the young man in question, having had him pointed out to her by Walter when she entered the stable yard.

She had prepared herself for a shy, sensitive young man. Had formed a picture in her mind of the slim, pale, bookish sort, more at home in a library than out of doors. When Thomas turned to see who called his name, Thea got a shock. "Yes? I am Thomas." He set down a pail of feed, a look a wary suspicion on his face, and stood stiffly a few paces away.

Thea had formed a plan in her mind of how to go about seducing the "boy" Thomas, but now that she was face to face with the young man, her plans flew out the window.

Tall and lean, with long sinewy muscles visible beneath the thin fabric of his work shirt, Thomas looked all man, not boy. He had rolled up his sleeves, baring corded forearms, tanned by the sun. He looked like a wildcat poised to strike.

"Uh--I am Thea," she started, nervous all at once. "My grandmother is the dowager duchess." Thea could not believe this was a man with wounded pride. Thomas was as masculine-looking as any man she'd ever seen. He practically radiated raw power. But hurt and anger had hardened him. She would have to be careful.

"I was told the house party wasn't to begin until tomorrow," he said, looking ready to bolt. He obviously had no intention of placing himself in the line of fire. Social barbs pierced as deeply as bullets, Thea knew. "I was led to believe it would be quiet here," he mumbled under his breath.

Thomas resumed his duties feeding the horses. His rigid body language erected a wall of defense more effective than a suit of armor. This was not going to be easy.

"You are correct, Thomas. My grandmother's guests won't arrive until tomorrow. I was hoping to find someone to instruct me on riding before then."

He cast a doubtful glance over his shoulder. "You do not ride?"

""I know it is silly," she said, a new plan of action developing in her mind. "I've lived here my whole life but have never gotten the nerve to learn to ride. You see, I am afraid of the great beasts," she lied. Thea loved horses. "My grandmother insists that a lady of my standing learn to ride passably, else die of shame."

Thea laughed to lighten the mood. She hoped to appeal to his sense of camaraderie in this--two social misfits helping one another.

Thomas finished with the horses and braced his hands on his hips. "I'm sure there is someone better suited to teach you," he said.

Thea could tell he'd be more likely to provoke a family of skunks, than come anywhere near her. "Walter assured me you would do very well," she insisted.

"Walter said so, did he?" He grabbed the pail in disgust and left Thea to follow him--or not--as he strode down the length of the stable muttering a litany of curses in Walter's name.

Thea ran to catch up to him and hit a wall of muscle when he stopped short. She recoiled, surprised by her reaction to connecting with his rage-heated body.

Thomas swung around, a living, breathing entity with fire in his belly, and glared down at her. His dark hair hung in sweat-dampened lengths around his face. His equally dark eyes burned with defiance.

"There is no one else about," Thea tried again, her resolve and determination withering by the minute.

Thomas glanced around and knew she spoke the truth. They were quite alone, the other stable hands mysteriously occupied elsewhere. Walter's handiwork, no doubt.

She knew the moment Thomas realized he'd been beaten. His shoulders dropped a bit and he let out an audible sigh. "Very well, but just so you know I don't have all day to waste trotting around these hills with the likes of you."

No, not accustomed to playing the servant, this one. Thomas had an air of nobility about him. Thea would have sensed this without being told. No one accustomed to servitude would speak in such a manner to the young lady of the manor.

After a few moments of grumbling, Thomas had saddled the gentlest mare in the stable for Thea, and a jet black gelding as dark as his mood for himself. He met her at the mounting block, leading the horses.

Thea had to act quickly if she was going to get anywhere near this man. "Oh, dear. You aren't thinking of making me ride my own horse the first time out?" she asked, hoping her voice sounded convincingly nervous.

Thomas scowled. "The best way to learn is to do it yourself. You'll get a better feel for the horse that way. Besides, you need the sidesaddle."

Jesus, this was not going to be easy. "Thomas, please. I'm afraid the horse will sense my fear and throw me."

He eyed the mare with contempt. "This old nag wouldn't waste the energy to toss you off her back. You have nothing to fear."

Thea lowered her eyes to the ground and did her best imitation of a timid young girl. "Please . . ."

He let go with another string of curses not meant for mixed company, and Thea hid her smile by turning to climb up onto the mounting block. She had scored the first point.

Thomas tied off the mare to a nearby post and brought the gelding around. He mounted the horse in one fluid motion, then pulled her up in front of him with less finesse.

There was no room for Thea to do anything except lean back into Thomas's hard chest for support. His body stiffened immediately and he kneed the horse into a canter, heedless of his "student's" ability to hold on. Thea grabbed the pommel and forced herself to think quickly or the lesson would be a complete failure.

"Good riders rely primarily on balance," Thomas said in her ear. "If you are relaxed in the saddle, you only need subtle signals to guide the horse."

Well, he did seem to know horses, Thea thought. She needn't worry about playing the incompetent with him handling the horse. She could tell by his easy grasp on the reins that he knew what he was doing.

"Yes, but how does one get relaxed? I feel so out of control, at the horse's mercy," she shouted over her shoulder. They were almost at a gallop. The scenery flew by. The horse was loving every minute of it and if Thea hadn't had such a daunting task facing her she would have thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Thomas reined in and the horse stopped so quickly Thea squealed in protest. "You are never at a horse's mercy," he quipped. "You are master. You must take control. A horse respects the knowledgeable rider. A knowledgeable rider respects the horse."

He sounded so angry--more like he was lecturing himself, rather than her--and not about horses.

They had stopped in a low valley. A grove of trees edged a small stream that ran through the property. They were far enough away from the Hall to be secluded. This would be her only chance.

"You have obviously mastered riding. It is natural for you. Have you never been afraid?" Thea had grabbed his forearm when they stopped. She did not let go now, even though his arm was as unyielding as stone.

He looked down at her hand on his arm. "I have never been afraid of a horse," he said pointedly. After a moment he sighed, apparently resigned to the fact that he would not be able to rush the teaching of the young mistress of the house. "If you are all right, let's begin again."

Thea twisted to get a better look at his handsome, if not happy, face and smiled. "I'm sorry you have been saddled with me for the afternoon. Let us try to make the best of it, shall we? If you can help me stay on the saddle without making a complete fool of myself, I'll gladly repay you in some way."

Thomas looked down at her as if for the first time, weighing what she proposed. Despite his wall of defenses, he was really quite easy to read, Thea realized. Part of the curse of inexperience. She and Thomas were very similar in that respect.

That's when the idea struck her. What would she want from the opposite sex if she were in Thomas's shoes? Honesty, understanding, compassion, and affection.

Enough of games. She would guide him with her heart, just as Miss Rose had suggested.

"Could we please dismount and rest for a moment before continuing? That ride was a little wild for my tastes," she said, hoping he would relent.

"Very well, but only for a moment." Thomas maintained his business-like attitude, but his voice had softened a bit.

He helped her from the horse, careful not to touch her any longer than necessary, then they walked the horse to the grove of trees.

"Thank you for your patience," Thea said. She sat on the grass. Thomas did not sit. He leaned against a tree a few feet away, still on guard.

She would be taking a big risk by being honest, but there was no point in beating around the bush in her mind. "I know why you are here," she said quietly, watching his face for a reaction. Good Lord, Miss Rose would kill her if she miscalculated the best way to handle this.

Thomas's head jerked up and he stared at her in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

"The rumors," she said.

"Damn!" He pushed off from the tree and stalked away from her a few paces, then wheeled around. "Why the devil are you here? Do you seek more fodder for the gossip mill?" he hissed.

"Thomas, no," she said, rising to go to him. She reached out and touched his arm, but he jerked away as if burned by her hand. "Thomas, listen to me. I know you have no reason to trust me, but I don't believe the rumors." She prayed he wouldn't put a quick end to their outing.

"What do you want?" he said viciously. "I came here to get away from it. Why do you bring it up again? I don't even know you."

"Do human beings need to know one another well before they can feel a kinship? I think not. You have been ill-used, that is no reason to hate all women. I know this to be true." Again she thought of Reuben Granville.

Thomas looked at her for a long moment, seemingly unmoved. Then, before she could discern his intent, he closed the gap between them and crushed her to him, taking her mouth in a savage kiss.

He was relentless, man-handling her to prove to himself he could do this. Thea could feel his desperation flow into her. His mouth was hot and firm, his tongue demanding, his grip on her shoulders painful.

"Thomas," she said harshly, breaking the kiss. "Thomas," she repeated, forcing him to look into her face. His breathing came in ragged gulps and his body radiated heat, dampening his shirt. "I came here because I wanted to be with you. You don't have to prove anything to me. The woman who hurt you was a lying, vindictive person, playing sick games."

Thea reached up and ran her fingers along his tanned jawbone. "Not all women play games. I want to help you understand that."

"Why do you care to help me understand?" he asked, not quite ready to believe her sincerity.

"Because I have learned much about love and loss, much about giving and receiving pleasure." She smiled to lighten the mood. "You don't need to understand why," she said. "You need only understand that I am not professing my love for you, and I'm not trying to trap you in scandal. I simply find you attractive and would hate to see all your masculinity wasted."

Thomas finally smiled. "And what of your reputation, my fine lady?" he asked.

"I am in a the unique position of not having to worry about my reputation. Never mind the details of that, just know that we are allowed this time together guilt free."

"Nothing in life is without consequences," he said gravely. "If I trust you and you lie--"

"Shh," she said, touching his mouth with her fingers. "I do not lie."

He looked very young all at once, a glimmer of hope in his expression and something else Thea recognized only too well. Thomas looked her over carefully, as if to reassure himself that she was real.

"You are pretty . . . beautiful," he said, running shaking fingers through her unbound hair. "A lady, a duchess's granddaughter no less, does not usually go about unchaperoned."

His closeness stirred something inside her. She was not immune to his body, his male heat. He smelled faintly of horse and leather and sweat, but not in an unpleasant way. Thomas aroused the animal response in Thea that she now understood so well. She could not deny how attractive he was.

"I am not unchaperoned," she whispered. His fingers dropped to trace the edge of her bodice above her breasts. She looked down and watched, mesmerized. "I am with you," she said, and leaned into his touch, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Thomas kissed her again, this time a slow tentative exploration, sweet and soft. Thea had planned to lead the way, but the magnitude of the responsibility of nurturing a man's self-worth was overwhelming.

Thomas was very special, she could feel it in his reverent kiss, knew that his harshness before had been borne out of rejection. He deserved much. She felt suddenly shy under his touch.

"I want you," he said huskily, his weeks of torment melting away in her arms.

"I want you, too," she assured him, happy to be the one to give him what he needed so badly. But she was not in control anymore--far from it. She left it to him to make his way while she lost herself in the sensations his touch evoked.

He lowered her to the ground and wrapped his arms around her body, enveloping her in a tight embrace, as if never to let her go. Then his hands were everywhere, roaming over her clothing, through her hair, over her face, until Thea was moaning, wanting more.

There were no words between them, a silent pact having been made: each would give, each would receive.

Thomas kissed the swell of her breasts, tugging impatiently on her gown to get to what he wanted. When her breasts were bared, he took one of her nipples into his mouth, hungrily tasting with his lips and tongue until they peaked hard.

Thea pulled roughly on his trousers, eager to set him free, eager to feel the hard shaft that pressed so convincingly against her hip.

Rigid, satin on steel, smooth and hot, so perfect in its own way. "Thomas, let me look at you. Let me see what I touch."

He looked up from her breast and hesitated but for an instant, and Thea knew at that moment he realized the disaster of his first sexual encounter had not been his fault.

"You will take me as I am," he said, not a question, but a statement.

"Yes, Thomas, I will have every inch of you," Thea replied.

He stood and removed his clothing, daring her to reject him, knowing instinctively she would not. He was wiser now, learning the ways of men and women.

Dark hair dusted his chest, running down his taut stomach in a line that drew her eye to the thatch of springy hair surrounding his perfectly formed penis. There was nothing wrong with his physical form. He was beautiful.

"I--I want to touch you," she said.

Thomas's heated gaze roamed over her bare breasts and rested at the juncture of her thighs where her gown was bunched at her hips. "I want to touch you too, Thea."

He came to her then, slowly, and she stopped him with her hands braced on his hips. She drew him in deeply, stroking his shaft with her mouth and tongue, inhaling his male scent into her nostrils.

He moaned and slowly began rocking his hips, giving himself to her. "I feel like I'm going to explode," he said, groaning when she sucked him in harder, kneading the throbbing tip of his cock with her tongue.

Thomas pulled away and guided Thea to her back. "Let me taste you," he insisted, pulling off her gown in a flurry of motion. He came to her, hungry and fierce, burying his head between her legs and lapping up her essence like a starved animal. His mouth plundered her throbbing sex. He licked every aching fold, probed every sensitive crevice with his tongue.

Thea screamed out her ecstasy when he brought her so easily to climax. Then he braced himself above her, his face wet with her woman's juices, his hooded gaze heated by passion.

"I want all of you now," he said, and thrust his cock deeply inside her slick channel before she could answer.

Thomas's wild abandon could only be matched by his determination to give her every bit of himself, to please her. They mated on the ground in a frenzy of reckless passion. He pumped her relentlessly, in and out of her steaming pussy until they were both sweating and gasping for air.

He nipped her shoulders with his teeth. He clutched her hips and pulled her off the ground to meet his intense penetration. Thea looked down between their bodies and could see his blood-darkened, slick penis sliding in and out of her, pulling and separating her feminine lips with every stroke.

When he came, it was with a force so strong he cried out in delirium, impaling her to the hilt. Jets of his hot semen seeped into her body, filling her with his life force. When it was over he collapsed on top of her, completely sated. Thea let him rest on her, savoring the fullness of his penis still buried within her, savoring the heat generated by their sweating, naked bodies.

"You are a wonderful lover, Thomas," she whispered in his ear, gently brushing his dark hair away from his face.

He braced himself on his arms and looked down at her solemnly. "Thank you," he said, and all the implications of what this had meant to him were conveyed in those two words.

Thea smiled up at him. Thomas would be fine, his manhood restored. And it wouldn't hurt any if she did a bit of gossiping of her own. Before long all the young ladies of the realm would hear about the sexual prowess of one particular young nobleman.