Diana hated that she was so easily wooed even though she could begrudgingly admit that most women would be. Instead of being angry, she was relieved. The weight she had carried since she’d found out she was to be married to a stranger eased. James did not seem cruel or crass or cold. He seemed kind, if a bit uncertain. And, oddly, despite his deception, she believed him. She could hear the sincerity in his tone and see it in his blue eyes. And, selfishly, she wanted to be kissed again too—properly this time.
Summoning every bit of courage she had left, she nodded.
He made that sound in the back of his throat. Without a word, he reached over and lifted her back onto his lap. This time, his arms pulled her closer, higher, so that she could feel the hard ridge of his arousal beneath his trousers.
She exhaled an anxious breath and turned to face him. ‘Should I take off my mask?’ she whispered.
‘No, leave it on. I don’t need to see your face to know you’re what I want. And on the off-chance that someone stumbles upon us, you’ll be more protected behind your disguise.’
The notion that they might be caught felt different now, as terrifying as it was exciting. ‘What would you do if we were caught?’ she asked.
‘Elope tomorrow,’ he replied instantly. And when she laughed, he added, ‘Actually, let me go see if I can bribe someone to walk this way.’
‘You don’t have to trap me. Our engagement has been decided.’
‘But you did not have a say,’ he added quietly.
Diana remembered everything that she had told him. She flushed with mortification. And yet, she felt that renewed honesty on both sides was an important first step for them. ‘It is terrifying,’ she admitted. ‘To be given away to someone I had never met before.’
‘Will you forgive me?’ he asked. ‘I have no excuse except to say that I have learned to be practical, maybe even cold, out of necessity. Sometimes, I operate my life like I do my business. But you are right. You are a person, with hopes and fears and dreams, and I should never have asked for your hand without affording you the opportunity to know me first.’
Diana felt herself softening even more. She had a sense that the Earl of Heather was the type of man who took his role as protector of his family very seriously, perhaps even too seriously. After all, he was prepared to marry a woman he did not know based only on her breeding and reputation. Over the course of their marriage, she would have to show him that she was capable of helping him carry that burden. ‘I forgive you,’ she said quietly.
‘Thank you.’ He raised his hand to her face and tipped her chin back. ‘May I kiss you again?’
‘Yes.’
He guided her lips to his. Diana sighed, but when James slipped his tongue into her mouth, she stilled. He pulled away, but only to murmur, ‘Let me show you, little dove.’
Warmth spread through her in a lovely, slow flow. She nodded shyly, and he kissed her again, this time taking her deep. His tongue brushed hers, encouraging her to do the same, and the moment she returned the kiss, he groaned.
The sound shot sensation through her womb. Her breasts ached beneath her stays.
His hands settled on her hips, gripping the fabric there tightly as if he wanted to use his hands on her but was physically holding himself back.
Diana’s body was tightly strung. She had never felt this deluge before. Her own need was shocking. Carnal, primitive. And when he broke the kiss, she whimpered at the loss. And she begged, ‘More.’
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