“Are you doing it to hurt your father? Is that it?” he asked softly.
This time she shook her head. “I’m sorry.” Her voice emerged little more than a whisper.
“Allison, look at me,” he commanded.
Powerless, she turned to face him.
“This isn’t a game. Please,” he begged, but there was no mistaking the frustration in his voice.
“I know,” she said.
Tell him.
“I’m not—” Her voice broke.
“You’re not?”
“I’m not who you think I am.” She waited for her announcement to sink in.
But rather than demand answers, he edged closer and then lovingly drew her into his arms.
“Ah, sweet girl. That’s one of the things I find so special about you.”
“What?”
“That you aren’t like other girls your age—young women. You are so much more than I expected, than I could ever have hoped for.”
How many times had she lost herself in his gaze?
“You are clever.” He cleared his throat. “And sensitive and poised and so damn beautiful.” He smiled sheepishly. “Tell me what to do to make you happy. Tell me, and I’ll make it happen.”
This was hopeless.
So utterly hopeless.
Rather than speak words that would deny her own heart, she leaned forward and kissed him.
An Offering
Her lips pressed against his, oh, so tentative, but she wasn’t shy. This was the first time that she kissed him.
And when her silky tongue teased the seam of his mouth, he welcomed her exploration.
He was not fool enough not to know her reason for choosing that moment to kiss him—a bid to avoid having this discussion. And yet, Hunt wasn’t entirely opposed to her tactic.
“You taste like bread.” He laughed. “And cinnamon.”
“I spent the morning in the kitchens,” she answered, pressing into him.
His natural response was to gather her closer and then onto his lap, so she was straddling him.
All the while, the kiss deepened—a little awkward at first—mouths sliding, bumping.
And in a matter of seconds, he was painfully hard. Mouths diving, teeth scraping and clashing, all tenderness fled. She pressed so close that he wasn’t sure whose heartbeat it was thrumming between them.
“Alli—”
She cut him off, swallowing her name.
