Her head rocked side to side against the column.
“Then why was there even a ‘possibility’ with that prat?” he said flatly.
She chewed on her bottom lip, and he couldn’t blame her. He wanted to nibble it, too. And other parts of her—
“Because I thought he might make a suitable husband.” Her words pierced his lustful trance. “Socially, we’re equals. And, physically speaking, he’s my male counterpart.”
The pressure in Sinjin’s veins shot up at her using the phrase “suitable husband” to refer to that fool—to any man but him. At the same time, he couldn’t help but stare at her.
“You believe he’syourcounterpart,” he said incredulously.
“It’s the truth. We’re about the same height and similarly nondescript.” Her chin lifted a fraction. “We’re both plump.”
Holy hell, she couldn’t beserious. Yet he could tell from her resolute expression that she was. That she truly thought of herself in this distorted manner. Seeing the slight quiver of her lower lip, he felt his anger abruptly fade. Understanding took its place… along with a rush of tenderness.
“Apparently, I’ve failed to convince you of how desirable you are,” he said after a moment. “And here I was thinking that I’d done a rather thorough job of it during that carriage ride.”
Roses bloomed in her cheeks. “You were seducing me. Of course you’d use flattery.”
“You didn’t think I was sincere?”
“I’m sure you were but…”—she frowned, and he could practically see the gears of denial turning in her head—“… you were being kind. A gentleman.”
“You think I’d make love to a woman I didn’t find genuinely attractive?” He shook his head. “Kitten, I’m not that much of a gentleman.”
“Maybe you’re less… particular when it comes to carnal matters.” She must have gauged his scowl for what it was, for she added hastily, “I don’t mean that you’re indiscriminate, just that you’re, um, open-minded. About what constitutes beauty, I mean.”
“It doesn’t take an open mind to see your attractions, just a bloody pair of eyes.”
As he spoke, he took in her outfit—yet another high-necked, dull frock—and the realization suddenly struck. He didn’t know why it hadn’t sooner. Probably because he’d been too distracted by what lay beneath to duly ponder the reason behind her wardrobe choices. Before, he’d attributed her concealing frocks to modesty or a lack of interest in style, but now…
“Is that why you dress the way you do? Because you think you have something tohide?”
That little chin angled up more. “Not all of us can be perfectly formed, you know. We can’t all look like dashed Greek Gods—what are you doing?”
He finished untying her cherry-colored bonnet strings and tossed the head covering aside. “Seeing as I can’t convince you through words, I’m reverting to my other method.” He nuzzled her ear, savoring her apple blossom freshness. “And if that doesn’t work, at least I’ll have fun trying.”
“We can’t—ohh.”
As he sucked on her plump earlobe, she melted against him. He moved on, hunting for her scent above the high, ruffled edge of her bodice. When her lips parted on a sigh, he swooped in, claiming the mouth that he’d been hungering for since he’d last tasted it. He threaded his fingers in her silken curls, holding her in place.
“I fantasized about this last night,” he murmured between plundering kisses. “Did you?”
In answer, her hands clutched at his shoulders, pulling him closer. He obliged, pressing her against the column, reveling in their perfect fit. Their mating tongues, his hard edges against her delectable curves—they went together like pieces of a damned jigsaw puzzle. It was ridiculous that he had to convince her of so obvious a fact.
Wedging his leg boldly between her thighs, he tore himself away from her luscious mouth long enough to say, “What did you think about while you touched yourself?”
She made a whimper of embarrassment. “I… I can’t talk about it.”
“But you did do it?”
Her lower lip caught beneath her teeth, she gave a little nod.
Fire swirled through him at her admission. “All right, my shy puss, I’ll start us off. Alone in my bed, I thought about you looking at me the way you are now.”
He saw her surprise, as if that wasn’t what she expected him to say. Drawing his thumb along the slope of her cheekbone, he murmured, “Aye, you were looking at me just so, your eyes so clear and pure, the color of wonder itself. And when I kissed you,”—he couldn’t resist dipping his head for another quick taste—“I could see that in your eyes too. The way they are now, darkened and desirous, telling me you want me as much as I want you.”
“You thought about my eyes?” Her lashes fluttered like the wings of a tawny butterfly. “When you were, you know… doing that?”
