“I think it’s a bit crooked,” Arianna observed.
“Oh hush, it’s fine. Blame whoever placed the nail.”
“I suppose it will do its duty to inspire kisses, regardless of its crookedness,” she said with a laugh, and that sweet sound rolled through him, making him drunk on the rush of joy that followed. He glanced about, thankfully seeing no servants, or any Poncenbys, to interfere.
“Then how about honoring the tradition?” He pointed a finger at the kissing bough, then gripped her waist and pulled her against him. She came willingly into his arms, her skin flushed an enticing shade of pink.
“I suppose it would be bad luck to ignore it, wouldn’t it?” She smoothed her hands up his waistcoat, and he felt like his skin was charged with lightning from a storm. He had never quite felt this wild, intense, almost frightening need to have someone before—to hold her, to kiss her. He wanted to know her every thought. What was going on behind those lovely eyes?
This is a game,he reminded himself.Just a game.But he wasn’t a fool. Something about Arianna was different than the other women he’d been with. Not even Augusta’s siren song could compare. Perhaps it was her forbidden nature, heightening every moment, knowing that if Lucas found them together, it would end in disaster. It only seemed to increase his excitement.
Did that make him a bad man? Of course it did. He knew his reputation—his moving from mistress to mistress in London had become the fodder for wagging chins these last two years—but he had never seduced an innocent.
“I believe you were to show me your favorite type of kiss?” Arianna’s brown eyes were so wide and guileless.
Christ,shewas an innocent, wasn’t she? He shouldn’t have agreed to this, but damn him, he couldn’t deny himself at least one small taste.
“My favorite kiss,” he echoed as he leaned in toward her. “Is the kind where half the pleasure lies in anticipation.”
He nuzzled her nose with his, their breaths mingling as warmth bled into him wherever they touched. That undeniable energy built up around him, crackling and ramping up the thrill of her in his arms even more.
“It is rather nice,” she agreed with a soft, dreamy voice. He liked that sound, as though he had woken her from sleep in his bedchamber on a lazy morning
His bedchamber. That thought nearly halted him kissing her. In fact, he had a thousand reasons not to kiss her, but he wasn’t going to listen to any of them.
He nearly groaned at the feel of the soft, warm petals of her lips as he deepened the kiss. She sighed and relaxed into him, her hands gliding up his chest to his shoulders. She had never been kissed before—at least not properly, that much was clear—yet she matched him in eagerness and tried to mimic the movement of his lips in a way that filled him with a fresh surge of lust.
Derrick had heard other men boast of the joys of courtesans and their knowledge in the sensual arts. He did not deny the pleasures of a skilled partner, but there was something exquisite about sharing a first kiss with someone and feeling their sudden desire and the ache to be the one to teach them more. It left him almost trembling.
Moving back to lean against the wall, Derrick gently tugged Arianna with him so that she molded to him. She fit perfectly, her height here an advantage. Petite women were lovely, but Arianna made him feel more at home in his own tall body. She was his perfect physical match.
When he finally broke the kiss and lifted his head, her eyes were closed. He smiled down at her, taking a moment to appreciate the dark-gold lashes that fanned out across her cheeks. She had always been a pretty girl, but he had never looked at her the way he was looking now.
He had been blind these last two years for notseeingArianna. More than ever, he became aware of the press of time and how little of it he had left with her before he had to leave. It was by luck alone that Lucas had decided not to join his family for Christmas. If Lucas found out or returned home unexpectedly... Derrick shuddered to think about it.
“I believe I like that sort of kiss very much,” she said, her eyes opening. He could have stared at her forever and cast himself into the depths of her eyes as he sought the answers to questions he couldn’t quite put into words. Everything within him was still, peaceful, like those sunny afternoons where he, Arianna, and Lucas had lain out in the meadows. He and Lucas would talk or nap while the sun warmed them and the breeze stirred the grass. Arianna would be nearby with her latest book and her big eyes. She had only ever wanted to be where they were, a part of the adventure.
“Arianna, why were you going to settle for Cumberland if you do not love him?” He knew the question would shatter this blissful cocoon, but he had to know.
The dreamy contentment faded from her face. “What?”
“If you love this other man, why settle for Cumberland?” He would rather die alone than tie his life to someone who wasn’t his perfect match. He had thought it had been Augusta, but after her perfidy, he now doubted whether a truly perfect match existed. His heart certainly didn’t believe it.
“Because...” She bit her bottom lip and tore her gaze away. “Oh, what does it matter to you?” She stepped away from him, but he refused to let her avoid him.
“It matters to me. We’re friends.”
“Arewe friends?” she challenged. “Or am I just Lucas’s pestering little sister whom you feel obligated to look out for?”
“We are friends. But you are eight years younger than Lucas and me. Back then, it seemed like a century lay between us. It’s not like that anymore. You’re grown now.” He knew his words weren’t even remotely able to convey what he truly meant, but he wasn’t sure what the right words were.
“What does being grown have to do with friendship?” she asked. “Did I matter less back then?”
He shook his head. “You have always mattered. But young men, especially boys of sixteen, are absolute fools. We don’t know how to be good friends with clever or brave young girls.” He reached for her hands, and she reluctantly let him clasp her hands in his. “So let me be a friend to you now. Let me help you win over this man you love. Is he here at the house as one of the guests?”
She gave a small, tentative nod.
“Good. Will you tell me who he is?”
