A huge grin spread across his face. “No, you are not,” he said in a somewhat satisfied tone. “But why would I be a fool for not knowing this?” The moonlight caught the white gleam of his teeth as he continued smiling down at her.
Why would he be a fool? Perhaps because she’d already given him her virginity and was carrying his child, that was why! Except that she hadn’t yet revealed this rather pertinent information to him.
And then his hand was on her chin and his face was moving closer to hers. “Perhaps because of this?”
His lips did not need to coax hers for long before she opened her mouth to him.
He tilted his head and explored one corner of her mouth. “Or this?”
She was now pressed up fully against his chest and thighs… and other parts.
She let out a soft sigh when his lips moved along her chin and onto her throat. “Um.” She sought some words to answer him, but she’d seemingly lost the ability to speak English.
He just went right on kissing her. On her neck.
Behind her ear.
He pushed down the sleeve of her dress and kissed her there.
On her shoulder.
“Um,” she said again. What had been the question?
His hand had slid up her waist and located the ridge along the edge of her stays. Just above there, his thumb grazed the sensitive skin of her breast. A low growl emitted from his throat.
“Penelope.” He sounded as breathless as she was.
He’d pushed her dress down farther, and his mouth covered her where her dress had done so only moments before.
When he attempted to claim the tip with his mouth…
“Ouch!” She pulled back. Recently her breasts had been so tender that they pained her. His head jerked up, giving her the very brief respite she needed to draw on common sense. She hurriedly tugged the sleeves back over her shoulders, but she did so carefully. That had really hurt!
Hugh looked crestfallen.
Men!
This was why she’d once decided she’d never wed.
They really were a rather pathetic lot.
But then Hugh pulled her into another embrace. This one more tender and gentler than before. He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry, Pen.” He looked so very sheepish in that moment. “Got a little too carried away. You’ve never done this before, have you?”
“Er…” She looked away from him. “Not really.” Whatcouldshe say? She didn’t want him to think she was the harlot that she apparently was, and yet she really did not wish to dissemble with him any more than she already had.
“I may shoot myself tomorrow for saying this,” his expression was tender, “but, I’m thinking that perhaps I ought to speak with your father.” Was he going to say he’d fallen in love with her? Was that even possible?
“Speak with my father?” Her grasp of the English language had apparently escaped her completely.
“I’ve quite overstepped the bounds of common decency with you this evening. It’s the right thing to do.”
“I am nearly thirty years old, Hugh. If you have something to say, I suggest you say it to me.” Ah, she could speak again. This was it. This was exactly what she’d wanted from him.
But whereas just a moment ago, her heart had been soaring, it now felt as though it had sunk low inside of her.
“Penelope?”
She looked up at him warily. “Yes?”
