The possibility wastempting.
But no. He should persist in his scheme first. When the curse was broken, he would be able to defend them both from whatever threat might result from confiding inher.
When he stopped her and held her shoulders in his hands, Annelise still wavered unsteadily. She reached up with one hand and claimed one of his, as if he were her anchor. Her lips parted and her cheeks were flushed, and Rolfe could resist her nolonger.
He bent and kissed her sweetly, then stepped back. Annelise tried to grab him, but her hands closed on emptyair.
Rolfe chuckled and she spun to face the sound. “I will find you,” she threatened, then headed toward him. Rolfe stepped silently around her as she walked toward the place he had been, and instead was behind her. She reached out, found nothing, and pivoted at the sound of his foot dislodging a smallstone.
“I thought you scarred or maimed, sir, but so far I find nothing wrong with you. Perhaps there is nothingamiss.”
Rolfe’s heart stopped. “Perhaps you have not looked closelyenough.”
“Perhaps you fear that I will recognize your face,” she continued and he might have cursed her cleverness if he had not admired it. “Perhaps that is why you keep your namesecret.”
“Perhaps you should not ask such questions.” Rolfe circled her silently, intent upon surprisingher.
“What else am I to do all day alone?” she asked, flinging out her hands. “You said you would confide in me, sir. This is a poor start for ourmatch.”
Rolfe stepped closer and abruptly caught her shoulders in his hands. “I thought we began quite well,” he whispered and kissed her throat. She sighed and leaned back against him, her lips parting. “Catch me if you can,” he whispered and darted awayagain.
“Devil!” Annelise cried. Rolfe laughed. She pivoted and headed for his voice. “You change the subject, avoiding myquestions.”
Rolfe eased sideways, knowing that her hearing would besharpened.
“Over here!” he murmured, hastening the other way when she turned. “No,here!”
“You are wicked, sir.” Annelise propped her hands on her hips. “Perhaps you never intended to confide in me at all. Perhaps that was only a ruse to seduce me. Perhaps nothing changed this morning atall.”
He crept up behind her, caught her waist in his hands, and bent to kiss her ear. “I thought it was my kiss that seducedyou?”
Annelise shivered then spun in his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he bent to kiss her again. “It is the truth that I find most seductive, sir,” she said just before his lips touched hers. “Tell me yours and I shall be yours thisnight.”
“I believe you will be mine regardless, my lady wife,” Rolfe replied, then captured her lips. He kissed her slowly, holding her close, enjoying how she responded to his touch. She opened her mouth to him and leaned against him, her surrender so complete that his bloodheated.
Then her hands roved across his shoulders and down his arms and she broke their kiss. “You are nude, sir!” She wasblushing.
“Surely you are not shy this night, Annelise? I was warmed all day by the memory of yourpassion.”
“But not compelled to share my company.” Annelise spun out of his grip and reached for the knot in the handkerchief. “Is this match about desire alone? I had understood that marriage was a greater union thanthat.”
Rolfe ran for the bed chamber as soon as she lifted her hand and ducked around a bend in the corridor just in time. “It seems, my lady, that you welcome mytouch.”
“Yet I would welcome more than pleasure,sir.”
Rolfe eased deeper into the shadows as Annelise pursued him. He wished for darkness and the corridor became as dark as night. He stood, veiled in shadows, and watched herapproach.
“What if I refuse your touch until you tell me more of yourself, sir? What if I demand a confession for each night abed?” She reached out to the wall with one hand, letting it guide her as she continued towardhim.
“You would not manage the feat, myAnnelise.”
“Would Inot?”
“I come to believe that you were made for passion.” Rolfe dropped his voice low. “Or perhaps you were made forme.”
She caught her breath. “Yet I am certain, sir, that my passion would be greater with the exchange of confidences.” She smiled. “Is that not a prospect worth yourconsideration?
It was. Indeed, Rolfe could not imagine Annelise showing greater passion than she already had. The possibility of more almost tempted him to confess the wholetale.
