“You said you wanted to know how I felt about you before you revealed your own desires. It seems you’d nursed atendrefor me.”
“No surprised there,” he said, and allowed his gaze to roam over her.
“You asked me if I would be opposed to a courtship, and when I said no, I wouldn’t be, you—”
“Sealed our agreement with a kiss,” he stated. Because that’s precisely what he would’ve done.
Heat blazed in her eyes.
This time, when she leaned toward him, he was ready. She pressed another of those sweet, lingering kisses to the opposite corner of his mouth, and when she went to straighten, he reached both his hands to cup her cheeks.
“No, wait, please,” he heard himself plead.
Her tiny gasp sent a shock of desire straight to his groin.
“Oh, Teddy, yes,” she all but moaned, twining her arms around his neck. She feathered kisses over his face, her fingers weaving into his hair to knead like a lusty kitten.
Dear God.The sweetness of her. The unabashed outpouring of thiswoman’s heart stole his breath. Made his chest ache with exquisite longing.
His arms went around her, pulling her close, anchoring her to him as he fell onto his back, legs hanging over the sofa’s edge.
Then his mouth took hers, savoring, tasting, nuzzling, nibbling as everything in him went hot and tight with need.
She tasted divine. Like nectar from heaven, and he did not think he could ever get enough of her lips under his.
And the feel of her. Her softness against his hardness. She was every man’s dream. Lush and supple and so inviting. His hands roamed her backside, squeezing, caressing, molding her to him. It wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.
With a groan he tore his mouth from hers and pressed his face into her neck. “Georgina, God help me, I want you. I always want you. I tried to stay away, for your sake, but—”
“For my sake?” she demanded, wriggling her way up to her elbows to peer down at him.
“Yes. You want an annulment. At first I thought it was because I’m no longer the man you thought you married—”
“No, Teddy, no,” she said with vehemence and cupped his face between her palms. Her eyes bored into his, fierce and determined. “Your condition is not your fault and anyone who would leave you over it doesn’t deserve you.”
“I said Ithoughtthat. I don’t any longer. Any fool can see you’re no shallow title seeker. So, I realize I must’ve done something. Something god-awful to cause you to turn from me.”
She choked on a laugh that was half sob. “No, Teddy. You mustn’t think that. It’s not true.”
“Then, why? I can see you want me, and Lord knows I burn for you like a man on fire. So why do you insist on keeping this terrible distance between us?”
She ducked her face into his shoulder.
“Please, Georgina. I have to know.”
“It’s because…you don’t remember.”
“I beg your pardon?”
She lifted her head and met his eyes. Misery burned in the silver depths of her eyes. “You don’t remember me and you don’t remember our ceremony, so it’s almost as if…as if we never married at all.”
“But we are.”
“But you don’t remember. And…I don’t know if your feelings are the same.”
He clenched his jaw to keep from cursing. “Are you saying you do, or do not, want an annulment?”
“I…don’t know.”
