Gad, her beautiful eyes widened to emerald pools as she stared back at him.
“How will they be different?” She blushed as she asked the question.
“They’ll be softer.”
She glanced toward the door. “May we try one now?”
He would gladly give her a dozen. “Yes, Ailis. Close your eyes.”
He caressed her cheek when she did so, and kept her sweet face cupped in the palm of his hand while he leaned forward, their breaths mingling, and pressed a whisper-soft kiss to her lips.
When he heard her sigh, he sank his mouth deeper onto hers because kissing her softly did not mean that he was to give her a weak or tepid kiss. She needed to feel the pressure of his lips on hers and their reassuring warmth.
What he dared not repeat was the heat of that incendiary third kiss, for the ardor between them still bubbled just beneath the surface like a hidden pool of lava, silent and waiting to scorch them both upon the slightest misstep.
It was up to him to control their dangerous desires because he understood the consequences.
Ailis was inexperienced and would follow his lead. She trusted him to guide her and would follow no matter where he took this kiss because she was too curious for her own good. There was now an undeniable attraction between them that neither of them had ever wanted or expected.
He chose not to take her in his arms and merely cradled her lovely face in his hands.
He dropped his hands to his sides when he ended the kiss.
What he did not count on were her tears.
“Ailis?” He ran his thumbs along the slender trails upon her cheeks to dry them. “Why are you crying?”
“Because kiss number four was so wonderful.”
“And this made you sad?” Why could she not stopfeelingeverything and just have fun? Was it so difficult to treat this adventure as a lark and stop putting her heart into each kiss?
“Yes…no. It is hard to explain. Your kisses make me happy. But a little sad, too.”
He sighed, for he understood the feeling. “We are doing this to give you an enjoyable experience, not to hurt you.”
“I am not hurt by it at all,” she insisted.
“But your tears, Ailis. This is no longer a harmless game.”
“Are you suggesting it must end?” She looked as though he had just plunged a sword through her heart.
“Should we not end it? I may be arrogant and often insufferable, but I refuse to be cruel to you.”
“I would never consider you cruel,” she said, tipping her chin up because she was going to be stubborn about this. “I have no illusions ordelusionsabout what will happen afterward. You mustn’t blame yourself because of my foolish feelings. Frankly, what business is it of yours how I choose to absorb your kisses?”
“Are you serious?” He laughed. “It is completely my business.”
“Actually, it isn’t. You have clearly set forth the rules. Kisses only. Ten of them. And I expect you to do a decent job with each one.”
He laughed again. She was a bossy little thing.
“Then we shall each go our merry way,” she continued. “So why deprive me of the pleasure of your expertise? I want each kiss to be splendid and memorable. In truth, they probably will be magnificent no matter how much you try to undermine them. But the entire point of our bargain is to have me experience the wonder of this relatively innocent intimacy. So, are you going to keep them splendid or will you sabotage them?”
Did she not realize that she was the one making them splendid? They were exactly that because of all the heart Ailis put into them.
This was also what made them so dangerous to him as well. He had not helped the situation, being too prideful to ever give her a bad kiss.
“I am not sabotaging anything. You are getting caught up in the idea of aduke’skiss and making too much of it. I expect it is my reputation—that Silver Duke business—that is adding to the excitement and making you think they are more splendid than they really are.”
