“I would have watched too!How fascinating.And shocking it didn’t catch fire.”
“Oh, it did,” Henley corrected her.“But the rain came down in earnest shortly after, and the flames were short-lived.”
“That’s good.I can’t imagine how your mother would react if the whole view were charred.”She giggled, then covered her lips with her hand.
“Don’t.”Henley reached up with his free hand and softly moved her hand away from her face.
Her eyes widened, but she allowed him.
“Not that I have anything against your lovely hands, but they pale in comparison to your smile, Lady Anna.”He glanced down.“I noticed at dinner how you were constantly covering your smile, stifling your laugh…” He shook his head.“It’s like hiding a masterpiece behind a black veil or silencing a string quartet.It’s a tragedy… at least to me.”He reached up and touched her chin.
“A lady…” She swallowed, then glanced down, then back up, boldly meeting his eyes.“A lady shouldn’t be too abrupt or loud.”
“Laughter isn’t brash; it’s beautiful.A smile is a radiant warmth that reflects the joy within,” he answered, using his thumb to caress her lower lip.“I didn’t ask before…” He paused, watching, reading her expression.“But… may I kiss you?”he asked, praying she wouldn’t reject him.
“I… shouldn’t,” she whispered, but her eyes darted to his lips, then back.
“That’s not an answer,” he whispered, leaning forward just enough to be persuasive, but not demanding.
“I shouldn’t want…”
“But you do?”he asked, holding his breath as he studied her.
She nodded slowly, her tongue darting out to lick her upper lip.
Henley closed the distance but didn’t kiss her lips—not yet.
Lovingly, he traced his lips along the lower edge of her jaw.“There are few things I want more in life than to kiss you.”He whispered the words against her skin, nipping softly as he feathered kisses along her neck.
He tipped her chin slightly, giving himself better access as he trailed his lips down her neck, pausing below her ear and inhaling the sweet scent of vanilla before placing a lingering kiss there.
Anna’s pulse raced against his cheek, her breath coming in little gasps of surprise and desire.This kiss was different than the first stolen kiss in the hallway of Pere’s come-out ball.Rather than impulse, Henley acted on instinct—lingering, knowing time wasn’t the enemy, but an ally.He brushed his nose up toward her jawline, then nipped lightly until he kissed the very corner of her lips, flicking his tongue against her delicate flesh.
“I…” Her words were breathless, and he gloried in knowing it was him rendering her speechless.
“You?”he teased, placing a slow kiss along her bottom lip, then hesitating, waiting for her answer.
“H—” she whispered, then opened her eyes and met his, stilling her words.
“Say my name,” he asked, kissing the other corner of her lip, then withdrawing, waiting, holding his breath to hear his name on her lips.
“Henley.”
The word was so soft it was a breath—but it ignited him all the same.He kissed her fully then, sliding his lips over hers and caressing her lower lip with his tongue.Seductively, he tugged it gently with his teeth and wrapped an arm around her waist, coaxing her to lean into him.
There was no hesitation.She simply leaned into his embrace, fitting perfectly as she returned his kiss, any tentative skill melting away into instinct.
“You first.”
Henley froze against her lips, then slowly withdrew.
“Shhh,” he whispered, tightening his arm around her waist and guiding her to lower her body.
The hedgerows weren’t tall, but if they stayed seated and hunched ever so slightly, whomever was speaking wouldn’t see them.
“Dear Lord,” Anna whispered, meeting his eyes with a frightened look of her own.
“Don’t fret—they won’t see us.They’re trying to be discreet, I’m sure.And we’re the quieter ones.”He tapped her nose lightly, earning a weak smile.
