Helena blinked a few times, quite taken aback by his unabashed honesty.
“I…” she laughed helplessly. “I have no idea what…”
She shook her head. This was too far out of her sphere of experience for her to know how to respond.
“You are inexperienced, I know. Yet you are in your full flower of womanhood. An intriguing dichotomy indeed.”
“What does that mean?”
He shook his head as he looked at her as if in wonder. “It means I am intrigued by you, enamored by your guilelessness, your ability to maintain your honest self no matter what. It is rare for us spies to experience.” He grinned.
Helena considered him closely. “I am not sure what you mean there.”
He chuckled. “I mean that I would very much like to kiss you, Helena.”
A tantalizing shiver tingled her spine, and her heart almost jumped out of her chest.
“Then… do it.” She was surprised by her own boldness, but also eager to experience again his lips on hers.
She sat very still, anticipation buzzing under her skin.
Still, Silas hesitated, making Helena frown. “What’s wrong?”
“Are you certain?” he asked.
Her frown deepened. “What do you mean, am I certain? Certain about what?”
He put his hand on her arm, rubbing gently. “About what you’re agreeing to.”
She gave a tired sigh. “Silas, I do know what men and women do in the marriage bed. The girls at the abbey whispered about it all the time.”
Silas gave a half-indulgent smile. “And what exactly did they whisper?”
Helena narrowed her eyes at him, “Are you going to make fun of me?”
“I won’t.” Silas shook his head emphatically, “I am just… curious.”
“Humph.” Helena pouted. “Well, I don’t know exactly but there was kissing involved, and lying in bed together after.”
“And… that is what you’re offering? Kissing and lying together?”
“I expect that you’ll show me what I’m supposed to do.”
He nodded slowly. “Do youwantme to, or are you doing what you think is expected?”
She gave him a puzzled look. “If you mean, do I want you to kiss me like you did before, then the answer is yes.”
He smiled, looking very pleased. “Good. That’s all I needed.”
She closed her eyes, and lifted her chin. He laughed softly and she opened one eye to see him reach for her chin, cupping it gently.
“Open your eyes. I want you to see everything I do to you.”
Slowly, she let her eyes open, cheeks reddening. He was very close. She could see the dark little flecks in his blue-gray eyes, the tiny freckle just to the left of his temple. She could feel the tickle of his hair on her forehead, his breath, ghosting the skin of her cheeks, making her break out in goosebumps.
Her breath came faster and shorter, bosom heaving, her fingers shaking a little uncontrollably. He had yet to touch her, but she felt completely unbalanced already, as if she had been launched off the top of a cliff. Maybe she would hit the water, or maybe she’d be dashed against the rocks.
Either way, it was now completely out of her control.
