He sucked in a breath, his arm tightening around her. “Honora-”
There was a warning in the low tone of his voice, a primal rumble that she felt under the palm of her hand where it pressed to his chest.
But, he hadn’t pushed her away, so she did it again. Moving her mouth higher this time, skimming the angle of his jaw.
His hand moved, sliding down the length of her arm until it rested on the curve of her waist.
“Honora…” The sound of her name was rough but soft. A question hovering there.
“Silas,” she breathed, pressing her breasts against him, feeling that sinful heat blossom between her thighs as he groaned softly.
She raised herself slightly, pressing her lips to the corner of his mouth.
Practicallybegginghim to kiss her.
The moment dragged out, an eternity between one breath and the next, and then finally he shifted, turning his head towards her, brushing his mouth against hers.
She melted.
She burst into flames.
Whatever this feeling was, if it could be like this with just a touch of his lips, then she wanted more.
She wanted it all.
She threaded her fingers into his hair, biting down softly on his lip, pressing her thighs together against the ache that flared.
Silas rolled towards her, nipping at her mouth in return, sucking her lower lip between his teeth and then soothing the sting with a slow, open-mouthed kiss as he raised himself on one arm above her.
The taste of him as he coaxed her into a deep, drugging kiss was exhilarating. Her heart fit to pound out of her chest as she gasped with the pleasure of his touch.
With a sigh, he pulled back, pressing his forehead to hers.
“Honora, I can’t. I shouldn’t.”
She dug her fingers into his arms, refusing to allow him to pull away.
“Why not, Silas? I want you to kiss me.”
“You are my responsibility, my best friend’s sister. My honour forbids it-”
Honora leaned up and kissed his jaw, opening her mouth and flicking his skin with her tongue as he shuddered in her arms.
“Please, sweetheart, I am only a man… Don’t tempt me like this.”
“Yes, you are a man,” she whispered, pressing another kiss to his throat, “and I am a woman. Let us pretend, just for tonight, that that is all we are.”
She ran her hands up his back, feeling the power of his body under her palms.
He leaned back, examining her face in the dim light, searching her eyes as he caressed the curve of her cheek with the back of his hand.
With nothing to lose, Honora pressed on. This was Silas, he would never harm her in any way.
“We are alone. Imagine we are somewhere else, someone else. Nobody has to know, we will return home and pretend this night never happened.”
Silas shook his head. “That is the problem, I don’t want to pretend. I want this to be very, very real.”
“Silas,” she sighed, as the meaning behind the words penetrated the fog of desire clouding her thoughts. “I want you.”
