She rolled her eyes. “The servants?”
He all but goggled at her. “Are you suggesting that your father set his servants to spy on us?”
“You think not? That’s how he runs his companies.”
“Diantha, I will not be spied upon! Not by your father or anyone! Is that understood?” His tone sharpened, but not to the proportions of his earlier rage.
“Be sure to tell him that. It’s a long stroll back to New York.” She smiled sweetly. “But as a member of the aristocracy, you can walk on water, can’t you!”
He scowled at her. “You, my girl, are an irreligious termagant. And if you thought the servants sent it, why did you wait till now to say so?”
She stared at his patterned vest of deep blue. “Because you aren’t yelling at me now.” Her parents would have scolded her now for sounding like a pettish child. Kieran sighed and took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.
“I should have kept a tighter rein on my temper. I swear to you I would never raise a hand against a woman.” Lacing his fingers with hers, he pressed a kiss onto the taut skin of her knuckle, his gaze never leaving her face. Startled by the unexpected action, she tried to remove it from his grasp, but he did not let go.
Mesmerized by the handsome face so close to hers, she could barely speak. “I cannot entirelyblame you for your anger. If I had been in your place, I would very likely have done the same.”
A twinkle entered the wide eyes so close to hers. “Truly? Pounding the table and shouting?”
“It’s possible.” She bit her lip. “I have quite a dreadful temper myself.”
He gave her a half smile. “Even after months of being engaged, we don’t know each other well at all, do we?”
She supposed she should deny it, but she could not bring herself to do so. “It’s not as if we had any chance to. My parents forbade me to speak of my interests, and it would never occur to them to ask about yours.”
“Perhaps it’s time to remedy that.” At his husky whisper, her knees went weak for the second time in half an hour, but for an entirely different reason. He slid his arms around her.
“Perhaps it is.” Her heart thudded as she watched his mouth descend to hers. At the touch of his full lips on hers, she inhaled and opened to him, inviting him to explore her mouth as he had before. He complied, bending her back a little to gain better access, tasting her fully.
Her arms twined around his neck. One hand clutched at the broadcloth stretched across his muscular back while the other caressed his nape. She buried her fingers in his thick black locks, reveling in the feel of the soft waves.
His mouth moved from hers to kiss her cheeks and chin, even her eyelids. She became aware of a throbbing sensation in her most secret place, and of a hardened length on Kieran’s body that pressed against it, increasing the heat she felt.
“Oh God, Diantha.” His breath puffed hot in her ear just before his teeth closed gently on the soft lobe.
She gave a strangled cry at the soft-sharp caress and he lifted his head, panting. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“You didn’t.” She felt giddy, gasping for breath. She feared her tightly corseted lungs would burst. “You just startled me. I liked it.”
He straightened, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Did you?”
She followed his movement, not wanting to break contact. At his question, she nodded. “You don’t mind?”
He went utterly still before lifting a hand to caress her cheek with his knuckles. “Diantha, listen to me.” His manner became serious. “I do not mind in the least that you enjoy my touch. Your pleasure in our physical relations is as important as mine. Do you understand?” She did not entirely, but she nodded anyway. “Conversely, if I do something in bed you dislike, I want you to tell me that too.”
She nodded, her brow puckering. “I will, but we’re not in bed.”
A chuckle shook him. “Not yet. Remember, I only gave you three days’ grace.”
“But that was for conjugal duties. We’re not engaged in those right now.” Her eyes widened. “Are we?”
He smiled down at her tenderly. “Let’s just say we’re engaged in the preliminaries.”
“Really?” She blinked. “Eliza was right, they are delightful. Are we going to keep doing this until dinner?”
He struggled to keep a straight face and lost. Laughing, he hugged her closer. “I fear if we did, we would scandalize everyone else on board.” He bent to whisper against her lips. “But we could continue a while longer.”
She did not know how she could feel so warm and yet shiver as he kissed her again. She sagged against him, lips parted as he licked and nibbled the sensitive skin of her neck. “Kieran, oh yes, that feels very good.” Blood pounded in her ears until it resolved into a sharp rapping on the door.
