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His hand framed her jaw "Very well"
And then his lips were on hers
CHAPTER THREE
Oh
She was being kissed Kissed, for the first time in her life, in a od and thewrong all at once, and Bel didn’t knohat to ory or the other
She was too shocked to move, so she just--stood still
His lips brushed over hers in a series of slow, teasing caresses Tender, gentle … extending every invitation but ht the unmistakable scent of brandy on his breath--a familiar aroma, but an as yet untested flavor She never took spirits, and here thisBel her first taste of sin It savored of fire Not bitter, as she’d always iined it would taste, but raw and potent The flavor opened all her senses, awakened her entire body to the light pressure of his s of the breeze around the between her breasts
She felt everything
He whispered soh the roar of blood pounding in her ears--but she felt it, rushing over her lips His hand slid fro her head to ain, htly parted as they covered hers Onceand dark
She ht have pulled away at any moment But she didn’t She remained still, so still as his thumb traced a lazy circle over her pulse She did not move She dared not breathe But inside, her blood danced A frenzied, pagan dance that resembled aHeat whirled in her center and spiraled out to her li to a furious beat The rhythm called to her, pulled her consciousness inith insistent tugs--until she followed it, sinking deep, deep into the heart of herself Here was passion … desire … wild, untamed emotion
Here was the enemy of all her hopes and dreams
And yet--he was the one to retreat
"Oh" The syllable escaped her lips the instant his pulled away He stared down at her, so divinely handso her further response But what more was there to say?
She could not reproach hiered on her lips, that warether to savor it a o back inside She would piece together her wits and refresh her composure and find herself a husband A man ould offer her wealth and influence but hold no influence over her A man who didn’t stir her blood with a wink or a smile, ould pose no threat to her principles A man who tasted of custard, not brandy and fire Soh those doors, Bel would regain control of her eoals But for these few stolendevil…
all rational thought was lost Her soul belonged to him
She closed her eyes, to remain in the darkness If only a ain
Well, Toby thought, he wouldn’t be trying that again
Soher soleht of the world on that lovely brohile he … he seeht felt darker now; vast and hu He couldn’t have made a joke if he’d tried And that kiss had left him too breathless to tease
He’d kissed her How had that happened? Hadn’t he just decided not to pursue her?
No He’d decided not to ruin her as a e And somewhere between that moment and this one, he’d decided to kiss her, siical He couldn’t regret it
Still, he said, "I think we had better go back inside"
He slid his hand down the slope of her shoulder for one last caress, and her eyes fluttered open
Blast Now he’d done it
Toby recognized the dazzled look in those eyes He knew it all too well Charular talent, and he’d developed it through years of practice He knew the precise instant he had them When they took all their youthful hopes and roht little ball and tossed it into his hands Here, they said Take e What was that line in the novel his sister Augusta loved so well? "A girl likes to be crossed in love a little now and then" Truer words were never penned He took that ball of hopes and drea it, and handed it back--a bit dented, perhaps, but largely intact Occasionally, he rasp to shatter on the floor But even then, the young ladies recovered quickly enough
Because they always held so they tossed hiirl Their true wouarded, saved for another man Anyone who labeled Toby a heartbreaker underestimated the shrewdness of feminine intellect He knew, froreat deal wiser than general opinion would allow
There was so different about this wo accent and strident politics When he’d kissed her, she’d offered hi in reserve She didn’t kno to flirt None of his coree, but in that moment when their lips met … she’d simply been his With her, there could be no half-measures
That kiss had rocked hi with her nearness, her scent, her taste Her skin was so se of temptation, keen And just when he’d nearly lost himself in those dark, serious eyes, she pursed her delicious lips and whispered …
"Whittlesby"
Toby blinked Had he truly just heard her say--
"Lord Whittlesby" She sed "When we go back inside, will you introduce us?"
"Wh--" The breath rushed out of him in an indefinable question He released her, cleared his throat, and tried again "Wh--"
No use He didn’t even kno to complete that syllable Who? What? Why? When?