Mira started to laugh. “God’s Bones, man, are you so humble?” she said. “Douglas, you are positively gorgeous. Surely you know that.”
He looked at her rather coyly, part of his hair hanging down over one eye, which made him look impish. “If you say so, then it must be true.”
Mira rolled her eyes because she could see that he was toying with her. “Spare me the false modesty,” she said, reaching out to playfully pinch him. “You are a man among men, and if you ever cut your hair, I will disown you. I find it wholly attractive.”
He grinned, flashing his teeth. “You needn’t worry,” he said. “My hair has never been cut and never will be.”
“Why not?”
“Because my mother never had the heart to cut it as a child and I got used to it that way,” he said. “It has become part of my identity. As strange as it sounds, I do not think I would know myself if I did not have it.”
Mira inspected his hair, running her fingers through it, feeling its strength in her hands. “Odd how things define us,” she said. “Mayhap not to other people, but to us.”
He closed his eyes, relishing the feel of her fondling his hair. “What defines you?”
She stopped grooming his hair and thought on it. “This,” she finally said, turning her head and pointing to a little freckle onthe edge of her chin. “See this? Strangely enough, my brother has one, too. In the same place.”
“That is strange.”
She nodded. “With everything that has happened in my life, with my mother virtually disowning me or even the harassment by Raymond, this little freckle ties me to someone I will always be part of,” she said. “My twin brother. He will always be Payne and I will always be Misery. No matter what, I have him and he has me.”
She resumed stroking his hair, and he watched her face as she did so. “You’ve not spoken much about your brother,” he said. “Is he good to you?”
She nodded. “Verily,” she said. “Where do you think the dowry is coming from? Payne inherited my father’s lands and title and has always been kind and generous with me. When my mother sent me back to Axminster, he is the one who escorted me. He wanted to make sure I was well settled and had a good position. He knows I am happy here and he is content with that.”
Douglas found himself wrapping his arms around her as she continued to stroke his hair, feeling her sweetness against him, dipping his head down to kiss her bare shoulder gently.
“I suppose I should ask him for permission to court you,” he said. “He is technically the head of your family, is he not? I am not entirely sure I can accept Lady Isabel’s permission because she made it sound as if your mother had the final word on your future.”
His warm, soft kiss to her bare shoulder brought her movements to a halt. It was the naughtiest, most decadent thing that had ever happened to her, and her heart began to race. He caught her looking at him with a startled expression.
“What?” he asked. “What is it?”
The startled expression transformed into something of a smirk. “You should not have kissed me,” she said. “In fact, you should not be alone with me in here. You know that.”
He lowered his gaze but didn’t move away. “Do you want me to leave?” he said. “I will if you want me to.”
She reached up, pushing a long strand of hair that was hanging over his eyes back behind his shoulder. “I did not say that,” she said. “But we should, at the very least, have a chaperone.”
“Why?” he said, eyeing her. “Are you afraid of what I might do?”
She bit off a smile. “Whatareyou going to do?”
“If you keep touching my hair, I just might have to touch something of yours.”
“You can if you wish.”
He looked at her fully then. He studied her face for a moment before lifting both hands and cupping her head between them. His thumbs brushed her cheeks, his fingers found their way into her hair, and before he realized it, he had pulled her to him and his mouth was slanting gently over hers. Every so gently. He was acutely aware that she was battered and bruised from the day before, but that wasn’t going to stop him from kissing her.
He was desperate to do it.
Mira had never been kissed before, at least not like this. Raymond’s childish attempts those years ago had been the only time she’d ever come close, and since he filled her with revulsion, that had been her predominant opinion of kissing in general. Sloppy, rushed, and unwelcome. But this…
This was not unwelcome.
The moment Douglas put his mouth against hers, she felt a jolt. His touch was warm and soft, but there was an undercurrent of… something. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it felt as if lightning was coursing through his lips and bolting intohers. It was thrilling to say the least. For the first few moments, she kept her eyes open, looking at him because he was so close to her. She could see his eyelashes and eyebrows, the pores on his skin. Then she inhaled through her nose and his scent filled her. Something musky and salty and delicious.
That was when her eyes finally closed.
