A simple statement. Perfectly proper. And yet something in my chest tightened with sudden, unreasonable disappointment.
I had enjoyed Petunia’s delight, the laughter of my sisters and brothers, and the warmth of the house. But I had alsoenjoyed Steele’s presence, and the way the air seemed to sharpen whenever he looked at me.
Now he meant to leave. And I realized, with alarming clarity, that I did not want to part from him.
Not yet.
“Let me walk you out,” I heard myself say.
Steele’s eyes darkened, as though my offer had shifted something inside him. “As you wish.”
We left the ballroom together as servants moved quietly in the hall, collecting glasses and sweeping away crumbs. None of them looked at us, though I was keenly aware of every footfall, every pause, as if the entire house might be listening.
We descended the stairs side by side, close enough that if I turned my head, I might brush his shoulder. The nearness made my pulse quicken, absurdly.
At the foot of the stairs, he stopped. So did I.
For a moment, we stood suspended in the hush of the late afternoon. Somewhere upstairs, a door clicked shut. Somewhere beyond the windows, a carriage rolled past.
My mouth went dry. “Is there something you wished to discuss?” I asked, because I could not bear the silence. Because I needed to pretend I was calm.
Steele’s gaze dropped to my mouth.
“Yes.”
He took my hand and pulled me into the morning room so swiftly I barely managed a breath as the door clicked shut behind us.
I opened my mouth to speak. But before I could do so, he kissed me.
It was not a gentle kiss.
His mouth claimed mine with a hunger so fierce my thoughts scattered at once. A sound escaped me, soft and startled, andmy hands flew to his coat, clutching as though I might lose my balance otherwise.
When Steele’s hands slid to my waist and hauled me closer, I felt the full force of him, his height, his strength, the heat of his body pressing into mine. The sensation sent a tremor through me that had nothing to do with fear.
When my knees gave way, he backed me toward the wall without breaking the kiss, as though he could not bear even an inch of space between us. My shoulders met the paneling with a soft thud, the shock of it jolting through me.
I did not pull away. Whatever was driving him, I wanted more.
He kissed me again, deeper this time, and I felt his restraint splinter. His breath was uneven against my mouth, his hands tightening at my waist as though he was holding himself in place.
When we finally broke apart, it was only because we had no choice. We needed to breathe.
For a moment, we stood with our foreheads nearly touching, breath shared, my heart hammering wildly inside my chest.
“I needed that,” I whispered before I could stop myself.
His gaze took me in.
“I needed this moment,” I went on, the truth spilling out in a rush that left me trembling. “I needed you.”
Something passed through his expression so quickly it hurt to witness it, tenderness edged with violence, as if the world had threatened to take something from him and he could not endure it.
“Rosalynd,” he murmured.
I swallowed, forcing myself to continue. “I have not been sleeping well.”
His entire body stilled.
