“It is another of Madame de Bressard’s marvelous creations.” The blue satin exactly matched the color of her eyes, that delicate blue with a tinge of gray. The fabric somehow fell across her body in such a way that it enhanced her best features and hid the worst.
As for Ambrose, he simply managed to look magnificent all the time, a big, handsome specimen of a man.
“Hold tight, Adela. I’m going to spin you outdoors.”
“Why? Is something wrong?” She glanced around, worried Felicity Rose was about to swoop down on her and trip her, or step on her gown, or plot something fiendish to embarrass her.
“No.” He cast her a rakish smile. “I just think it would be nice to dance with you under the moonlight.”
She let out the breath she had been holding and laughed. “Spin away. I have no intention of stopping you.”
Within moments, he had led her onto the terrace and down the steps into the small garden. To her dismay, there were other couples there already.
By the sounds emanating from the bushes, it appeared they were doing more than merely kissing.
She sighed, wishing Ambrose would kiss her.
As romantic as a dance in the moonlight was, could he not see his way to adding a kiss to it? However, she dared not say a word and risk irritating him by pushing him into doing something he was not eager to do.
The man knew his own mind and would not hesitate to seduce her if this is what he truly desired. That he did not seem inclined to do so proved she held no particularly seductive power over him.
A kiss would have sufficed.
It was not such a bad thing since he kissed divinely.
The moon was full and silver.
Distant torchlights cast a golden glow across the plant beds and walkways.
Ambrose drew her behind a rose arbor, her back suddenly against one of the empty trellises that was fragile enough to snap under pressure. He planted his hands on either side of her shoulders and leaned in deliciously close. “Adela, you make me ache.”
“I do?”
Obviously, she knew nothing about men.
They weren’t dancing, and he was looking at her as though he wished to devour her.
Which probably explained why he then bent his head to hers and kissed her with a raw hunger that caught her by surprise. Had she roused his passion? The notion was delightful. Or was this moment simply a matter of hismanly urgescoming to the fore as they might with any woman?
Eloise and Phoebe had lectured her earlier today on men and their urges. They were determined to explain what would happen to her on her wedding night.
Dear heaven.
It was the most embarrassing lecture she’d ever had to sit through. “Ambrose…”
“What, love?” He moved off her lips and was now kissing gently along her throat.
How easily he turned her body to fire.
“This manly urge you are having…”
He paused and chuckled softly while staring at her, his eyes as silver as the moon. “Do go on.”
“Um, I understand that men are sometimes overcome by certain needs. My question is, is your need specific to me? Or would anyone do?”
“Blessed saints, what have those two old ladies been telling you?” he asked with a soft chuckle.
“Do you really want to know?”
