“Good.” He pulled her into his arms and covered her luscious mouth with his. Gads alive, never had he tasted such sweetness. He tightened his embrace, silently swearing never to let her go again.
She pressed closer, the perfect warmth of her softness in his arms, making him groan.
Before the kiss grew even more heated, he broke the connection and pressed his forehead to hers. “You are exquisiteness itself, my lady,” he whispered, struggling for control.
With an innocent hesitancy, she reached up and touched his cheek. “You are quite fine yourself.” Her cheeks flushed a delightful red, and her eyes brightened. She searched his face, frowning ever so slightly. “But we must do better with one another. We must stop assuming things and listening to what everyone else says.”
He almost choked on the gentle scolding. If she only knew, but he daren’t tell her. Not yet. Not when the battered bridge between them had just risen from the ashes. Soon. Soon, he would find the courage to tell her. Somehow. Someway.
Chapter Eleven
Felicity could staylike this forever, in his arms, still tingling from the kiss that had left her breathless. She kept her hand pressed to his cheek, sinking into his eyes that churned with so many emotions. “I am sorry about keeping you away for so long. This shy little mouse had much soul searching to do to find my courage.”
Drake tipped her chin higher and brushed a tender, heart-stopping kiss across her mouth. “I am sorry for everything,” he whispered, seeming as though he wished to say more.
“What is it, Drake? Please tell me.”
“The honorable thing for me to do would be to release you until I get my life in order.”
Catching her breath, she went to deny it, but he pressed a finger across her lips to stop her. The sadness in his eyes made her ache to find a way to console him.
He slowly shook his head. “But I am neither an honorable nor a self-sacrificing man. I am selfish, Felicity. As selfish as my uncle. I cannot let you go. You are my haven, my bright star of hope in my life’s angry storm.” He bowed his head and again pressed his forehead to hers. “Please forgive me for being too weak to deny the wants of my heart.”
His words stirred her as much as his touch. She framed his face with her hands and made him look her in the eyes. “We shall ride out the storm together. I know how to swim.” Snuggling in to rest hercheek on his chest, she closed her eyes and breathed him in. This felt oh so right. “Do you think we might hide in here for the remainder of the party?”
His soft chuckle rumbled against her cheek. “Doubtful. Two of your sisters are outside the door at this very moment. They know we are here.”
“I wondered how you found me.”
“Lady Joy. My first inclination was to look in the kitchens.”
“Those dratted footmen blocked my way, or Iwouldhave gone to the kitchens.” She fully intended to speak to Joy about that. Of course, they had allowed her the luxury of this exquisite privacy with Drake. She hugged him tighter, enjoying the impropriety while she could. “This is quite scandalous, you know.”
“Shall we join your sisters, then?”
“We shall not.” She toyed with the folds of his cravat, which was tucked neatly beneath the lapels of his waistcoat. Then a thought occurred to her. Fortuity had once said that such situations caused men a great deal of physical stress because itteasedtheir amorous inclinations. Come to think of it, her own insistent yearning had grown increasingly uncomfortable. She wanted more kisses, more…well, she wanted a taste of what she had read in some of her sister’s books. “Uhm…do you think weshouldjoin them?”
He trailed his hands down her back, squeezing her closer, molding her against him. “We will have to join them soon, lest we get carried away.” His low groan thrilled her. “After all, my dearest lady, we are courting…not engaged.”
“We could be engaged,” she said before she lost the courage to say it. Her heart pounded so hard, there was no possible way he could not hear it.
He eased back a step, dropped to one knee, and took hold of both her hands. “I have nothing to offer but myself, my lady. But if you could find it in your heart to accept me, I shall spend the rest of my lifedoing my best to make you happy.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “I will accept you, my lord, and we shall be happy. I just know it.”
He pressed a kiss to each of her hands, then hugged them to his cheek. “I love you, Felicity.”
Before she could answer, the door burst open, and Joy and Serendipity poured into the room.
“Well done.” Joy excitedly bounced the tip of her cane harder against the marble floor. “Well done, indeed.”
Serendipity hugged Felicity and whispered, “You are certain?”
“I am certain.” And she was. Something within her had clicked into place as if this were what she had needed all this time to make her whole. “We shall have the vicar announce the first of the banns this Sunday.”
“Then we have but a month to plan the wedding and the breakfast.” Serendipity hugged her again, then turned to Drake. “Chance should arrive sometime this afternoon. You may speak to him then, although I cannot imagine his refusing Felicity’s wishes.”
“I am of age,” Felicity said, wanting to make that clear. This was her decision. Not Chance’s.
