To her shock, he grabbed hold of her hand and stopped her, pulling her back around to face him. She was close to him. Too close. She stared at his chest a moment before slowly raising her eyes up to meet his.
He held her gaze, and for a moment, it seemed as though he were seeing her for the first time. His brow furrowed slightly, and the corners of his lips turned down into a small, almost confused frown.
Victoria couldn’t read his expression. She opened her mouth to ask him if he was all right, but he gently gripped her chin between his thumb and forefinger.
“You are so beautiful, Miss Clifford,” he murmured, stunning her further.
What in the world was happening? What was he doing, gazing at her like that?
He ran his thumb over her bottom lip, and Victoria had the wild thought that she wanted him to kiss her. Where it came from, she could not say, but it was driving her a bit mad, not knowing why she had this desire.
Lord Harford’s eyes narrowed, and he seemed to study her more closely. Could he read the desire in her gaze? A small voice inside her head told her to look away and not let him see it…but there was another voice, a louder voice, that demanded she keep her eyes locked with his. That part of her wanted him to see her desire…wanted him to respond to it.
With a small growl, Lord Harford lowered his head to hers and pressed his lips to hers in a sudden and hungry kiss. Victoria was momentarily frozen in shock. He moved his mouth over hers, and Victoria did not know what to do in turn. She had never been kissed before, but after several seconds, her body began to respond of its own accord. Her lips parted slightly as if in invitation. His tongue slipped into her mouth, shocking her further.
As much as she had wanted the kiss, she could not fully comprehend that it was happening. That she was in Lord Harford’s arms, his mouth moving over hers. What did this mean? How did she end up in this situation?
At length, she managed to pull herself from the lustful haze that had fallen over her, snapping back to the reality of what exactly was happening.
She was alone with her employer, engaged in an intimate embrace that would be shocking and cause a scandal if they were caught. With that thought in mind, she pulled her lips from his and took a hurried step back and out of his arms. He stared at her, and she scrambled to come up with something to say to him.
“I…I am sorry,” she said, her tone betraying her confusion and panic. “I should return to bed. It is rather late.”
“Miss Clifford, wait….”
Victoria did not give him the chance to finish whatever it was he wished to say. She was so confused and overwhelmed she had to get out of there before things became any more complicated. Turning, she hurried from the kitchen, her milk entirely forgotten as she all but fled the strange emotions that Lord Harford was stirring within her.
***
Edward
He watched her all but run from him and, for a moment, considered going after her but then thought better of it. Edward could not exactly blame her for fleeing. He was rather rattled by what had just occurred between them.
Something had just overtaken him. When she had been standing so close to him, her gorgeous eyes staring up at him and her mouth so soft a lush looking, he had not been able to help himself. The kiss had been instinctual. He had not fully realized what he had been doing until his mouth was on hers. Then he had not been able to stop himself.
She had tasted so sweet, and though she had been stiff and surprised at first, her body had gone soft and pliable against him. He had wanted more and more, and had she not stepped away from him, he was not entirely certain he could have stopped himself.
Edward shook his head and braced his hands on the table. What in the world was the matter with him? Yes, Miss Clifford was lovely, but she should not be affecting him in such a manner. She should not be wresting his control from him with such ease.
What was he going to do? How could he face her after touching her in such a manner?
Edward had sworn off women, and he was determined that Miss Clifford would be no exception. No matter how alluring and tempting she was.
Eyeing the bread and cheese he had pulled from the cupboards, he decided he was not hungry after all. Glancing toward the milk, he grabbed the small carafe and poured himself a cup, which he then drank in nearly one gulp.
Setting the cup back on the table, a little harder than he meant to, Edward released a huff of breath. He needed to get a hold of himself. Needed to put some distance between himself and Miss Clifford. He did not want to cause her any discomfort, and he certainly did not want to form any romantic attachment to her.
She was a fascinating woman, but he was not willing to break his vow to stay away from women. Especially when he recalled seeing Cressida the night before. Remembering what she had done to him was just what he needed to fortify himself against Miss Clifford’s appeal.
Determined, he turned and made his way out of the kitchen. It would not be difficult, he decided, to keep his distance from Miss Clifford. She was busy during the day with Lily, and he could keep himself busy as well. He would resist the temptation she presented, and he was certain, in a short amount of time, he would not be so drawn to her. Once he was used to her being around, she would not fascinate him nearly so much.
He just needed to stay away from her until then. A simple enough task…he did not foresee having any difficulties moving forward.
Chapter 16
“Miss Clifford? Are you all right?”
Blinking, Victoria snapped out of a daze she had not realized she had fallen into. Her mind had been wandering the past few days incessantly – always returning to her kiss with Lord Harford in the kitchen. She tried desperately not to think of it or of him, but it was proving a near impossibility.
