But without the trappings of her past, her future beckoned with only uncertainty—a blank canvas she’d have to paint one day at a time. Contemplating beyond today was a chilling prospect.
But she was not alone. She’d had help every step of the way.
He had kissed her.
She had never felt as… precious as she had when Jasper placed his mouth on hers. Even if it hadn’t been real to him. Even if he’d only done so to keep her hidden.
People referred to him as the Piccadilly Player. Kissing and… other things would come easy to him. No doubt he’d kissed dozens, perhaps hundreds of women.
And yet he was willing to leave bachelorhood behind to protect her.
“You’re awfully quiet over there.” Jasper’s comment broke into her thoughts, almost as though he knew she was thinking about him. Nia’s attention had been so diverted by these disquieting thoughts that she had no idea if they’d been driving for ten minutes or an hour.
“Just thinking,” she said.
“You’ve gone most of the morning without a single question. I was beginning to worry about you.” He flicked his gaze to her mouth. Was he remembering as well? But why would he? What had been a momentous event in her life had most likely been mundane, even insignificant to him.
“I’ve never been kissed before,” she said, keeping her focus on the passing scenery.
“But you have been engaged… twice.”
“I didn’t want them to kiss me.” She shrugged.
“But you didn’t stop me, and I thought you enjoyed it?” He waggled his eyebrows.
She ignored his question. “I’m being serious. A lady wants her first kiss to… mean something. I suppose that I wanted it to be real.”
It was something she hadn’t acknowledged to herself before. It had been a fanciful dream. Something out of the realm of possibility. Why should it matter now?
She felt him shift to face her even as he dropped both feet to the floor. “What wasn’t real about it?” He sounded genuine, and Nia couldn’t help but turn to meet his gaze.
“You didn’t kiss me because you wanted to, you did so because you needed to hide me.” Nia folded her hands in her lap. “And I understand completely. It was an excellent idea and obviously worked. I just…”
“You just…?”
A wave of loneliness washed over her. She missed Goldie. She even missed her mother. And now she had no one.
Except for Jasper. For now.
“It’s…confusing. And I don’t have anyone to talk to about it.”
Jasper kept silent, studying her with eyes that sometimes appeared brown, and other times green. He seemed to be searching for something in her expression.
“You liked it, though?” His question wasn’t at all what she expected.
“It doesn’t matter, does it?”
“Matters to me,” he all but growled.
“Why?”
“Because it does. Did you?”
Nia could not hold his stare and answer honestly, so she dropped her gaze.
A Perfect Pair?
She’d liked it. She’d thoroughly enjoyed that kiss.
