She drew a sharp breath. What he was asking her to reveal took trust. She thought of Gray and Rosalinde, who were so connected that he seemed to be able to sense her moods before she even knew them. That connection was born of trust.
And if she wanted it, she’d have to give. It was the best way to see if Aiden would receive, perhaps even share back.
“My—my grandfather wasn’t always kind,” she said, dipping her head as fresh heat rushed to her cheeks. “He resented us and made sure we knew it. Even as adults, he did his best to manipulate and even harm us for his own gain.”
“Hmmm,” Aiden murmured as he reached out and took her hand. His warm fingers closed over hers as he led her toward a bench in the middle of the garden. They sat, and to her surprise he lifted her hand to his chest, his gaze intense. “I’m sorry, Celia. Truly.”
She could feel the steady beating of his heart, even through the layers of his clothing. She felt her own heart quicken at the intimacy of his touch and the connection born from her confession.
And suddenly she was no longer embarrassed by what she had admitted.
“It’s all right,” she breathed. “After all, these things are what make us, aren’t they? I wouldn’t behereif it weren’t for my past.”
His gaze grew more intense, more heated. “You wouldn’t be here with me.”
She shook her head. “No.”
He edged closer and slid one hand against her cheek, his fingers splaying there. “Well, that would be tragic.”
He leaned in, and she let her eyes flutter shut as she waited for the kiss she was so accustomed to. He didn’t disappoint—his mouth brushed over hers and she sighed out pleasure and relief all at once.
He claimed her tongue with his, sucking gently, stroking firmly, and she relaxed against him, her arms coming around his neck as he slid her across the bench and held her. This time they weren’t on a terrace where they could be interrupted at any time. Rosalinde would leave them be for at least a little while longer.
They were alone. And she wanted this so very much.
He might have sensed that surrender in her. Or perhaps he was also swept away by the pulsing passion between then. He deepened the kiss, tilting her head and driving harder with his mouth, his tongue. She moaned softly against his lips as pleasure mounted.
She found herself sliding one hand down against his chest, his side, and finally she gripped his thigh, searching for purchase in the rolling sea of new feelings and reactions.
The moment she did so, he jerked back, standing and stumbling away as his breath came hard and fast.
She blushed at the reaction. “I-I’m sorry,” she gasped, trying to find her own breath.
“Don’t be,” he said, shaking his head. “But what you do to me…”
He trailed off, and she found her gaze dropping lower. She knew a little about what happened between a man and a woman. Rosalinde had told her the mechanics. Sometimes at night, she heard the reality, soft sounds of pleasure that drifted down from Gray’s chamber. It had all felt abstract in those terms. Odd.
But now she found herself staring at Aiden and saw the proof of his desire for her. An erection that was outlined along the tight front of his trousers. She caught her breath at the sight. This was need, this was want,thiswas an instrument of pleasure.
“Yes, I see,” she breathed. Her hand fluttered at her side as she fought the urge to reach out to touch him, trace him in the most inappropriate ways.
He made a soft groan deep in his throat. “You are testing me again, Celia.”
She smiled up at him, thinking of the first time he had claimed she was a test. When he kissed her a second time and woke desires in her that pulsed beneath the surface now.
“Do I want you to pass the test or fail it?” she asked.
His eyes went wide and he bent toward her. He caught her cheeks with both hands and kissed her again, hard and fast, driven and passionate. She covered his hands with her own and kissed him back with just as much desire.
He pulled away, gray eyes glittering in the fading light as he drew her to her feet. “We should go inside before I do something your brother-in-law will kill me for. Or perhaps it is your sister I need fear more.”
She took his arm with a laugh. Her whole body tingled, but it was more than a mere physical reaction that brought her to life. She actually felt excited about the prospects of her future. This man had gifted her with that.
And no one could take that hope away. No one.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Clairemont lifted his gaze from his half-finished supper and looked down the table at his hosts. It felt like he was walking on a tightrope now and any wrong move could send him tumbling into oblivion.
