“What was between us was powerful.”
“I know.”
“No. The pull, that need, whatever it was that overrode reason is gone. Is it for you?”
“Yes, it disappeared at midnight.”
He blew out a sigh. “Good.”
“Why is that good?”
“Because we need to know who we are without the spell.”
She swallowed against a tightening throat. “What are we?”
He took her hand in his. “Antonia, I wanted to court you in London, but you did not allow me to do so.”
“I explained.”
He placed a finger against her lips. “I do understand, now. I wish I would have then.”
All she could do was nod, but how was she to know that it wouldn’t have scared him away?
“It defied reason why I was drawn to you and continued to ask you to waltz and pursue you even when you were never home to me, would only grant a non-supper dance and then run away. The only time that we ever had any conversations was when I came across you in Hyde Park. Any other gentleman would have given up and dismissed any possibility that there could be a courtship, except me.”
“But you did,” she reminded him of that last night in the garden.
“I regretted that decision after I had returned home, but then you were gone.”
“We left London. I was tired of enduring it.”
“Do you know what all this tells me?”
“What?”
“That there was something there before.”
“There was,” she agreed. “There must be a reason why you are the only person I have ever met that could silence the noise. I looked forward to seeing you at each ball, and it wasn’t just for what you could do, but my heart also filled when you were near, and I couldn’t wait to be in your arms when we waltzed.” These were things she had been afraid to admit to herself.
“However, after what we have been through, I think we should let all that settle before we fully decide what we are.”
Her heart sank again. This is what she had feared. Had he reconsidered after sleeping with her again last night?
“I want to court you, as I had wanted to do in London.”
“But I am leaving in a few days.”
“Stay,” he said. “Or I will go with you.”
She looked up into his eyes, a warmth and longing filled her, much different than when they were under the spell. “I will stay.”
Philip nodded just before he brought his lips to hers.
It was so gentle and not what she had expected. Though in truth, Antonia had no idea what the experience would be like because she’d never been kissed before. However, the gentle press of his lips to hers before he pulled away did not explain why it would have been so dangerous had he kissed her last night.
“That was nice,” she said.
“Oh, Antonia. That was just the beginning.”
