A smile tickled his lips. “No.” A moment of silence stretched between them. “This is harder than I had expected,” he eventually said.
She scrunched her nose. “What is?”
He paused a moment before saying, “When I invited you to join me here tonight, I thought it would be just as before—that we would enjoy each other’s company and perhaps share a kiss or two.”
“And so we are.” She seemed to study his face as if she hoped to find his innermost thoughts written upon it.
“And so we are,” he agreed.
“Except it is not the same as before.” She took a step in his direction. “Is it?”
“No. It is not.”
“We are betrothed now.” She bit her lower lip, completely unaware it seemed, of the effect that she was having on him.
Shifting slightly, he coughed, hoping to mask his discomfort. “So we are.” It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to think about anything else, not to mention the fact that she was here with him, alone and far away from anyone who might happen to find them in each other’s company. She took a step closer still and he held up his hand, halting her progress. “I thought that I would be able to exhibit better self-control,” he said by way of explanation, “but now that we are to be married... Forgive me, Mary, but I fear that I may do something regrettable if you come any closer.” Squeezing his eyes shut for a second, he did what the gentleman in him insisted he do and reluctantly said, “Which is why I think it might be best if we return upstairs and retire.”
She gave a pensive nod. “If what you say is true, then that would probably be the correct thing to do.” She turned her face away, but not before he caught a glimpse of the joyless smile tracing her lips.
Unable to bear it, he caught her by the wrist and gently pulled her back toward him. “Tell me what you are thinking.”
She refused to look at him. “I cannot possibly do so.”
“Please?”
Silence was her only response. It stretched between them, altering his perception of time until he no longer knew how long they’d stood there. Just when he thought she would never give him an answer, she raised her chin and met his gaze, her brown eyes shimmering like a lake dressed in moonlight. “How do you do it?”
“Do what?” The words were softly spoken, just as hers had been—a mere exhalation.
Raising her hand, she drew the tips of her fingers across his cheek, her lips trembling as she quietly whispered, “One look from you, and my insides melt, the slightest touch, and I can scarcely breathe let alone think. You torture me with the most delectable kisses until my soul begins to burn.” Pausing, she slid her gaze toward his mouth, quickening his pulse. “You have seduced me in every conceivable way.”
“Mary.” Her name was rough upon his lips, like waves breaking against the shore.
“I do not understand it. Indeed, I have never felt like this before.”
“I should certainly hope not,” he muttered in an effort to dampen the effect of her words. The storm of emotions raging inside him was threatening to ruin his sanity.
“Are you saying that what I am feeling is wrong?” Her eyes widened, her face flushing with uncertainty.
“No.” The word drifted through the air as he drew her closer. “Between you and me, it will never be wrong.”
Her lips parted ever so slightly, the wonder in her eyes compelling him to surrender. So he did, freeing his heart and his soul to accept the beauty that she offered, his mind no longer filled with concern, but with her and only her. “You are all that I have ever wanted.” Pulling her into his arms, he ran his palm across her cheek, savoring the warmth of her skin as she leaned against the caress. “And now you are mine.”
“I have always been yours.” A hushed murmur of words that almost brought him to his knees, weakening his resolve until he was left with no other choice but to kiss her again. The pull was simply too great—too impossible to resist. So he gave up control and captured her lips until the simmering heat between them erupted like claps of thunder, tossing him headfirst into the awaiting storm. It tore apart the pain, the broken dreams, and the anger, scattering them until all that remained was Mary, clinging to him as he clung to her.
He drew a shuddering breath, loving the feel of her tremulous touch against the edge of his jaw. Dear God, it was all too much. “You will stop me if I go too far,” he heard himself say, aware that he needed to slow his pace before the fire in his veins consumed them both completely.
Dark lashes fluttered against her cheek. “Of course,” she replied, her trusting eyes imploring him to guide her.
So he raised his hand to a stray lock of hair that had somehow managed to escape her coiffure, savoring the silky texture as it slipped between his fingers. “Incredible.” His gaze dropped to the softness of her lips and a ragged breath escaped him, torn from somewhere deep within—a rush of emotion that could not be put into words.
Relishing the moment, Richard carefully lowered his mouth over hers more slowly than before. A gentle gasp transformed into a mutual breath, allowing him to deepen the kiss and partake of the sweetness she offered.
Moments later, his hand found the curve of her back, his fingers spreading against the fragile fabric of her gown as he held her steady. Against his chest, he could feel the rapid beat of her heart, more so when he placed his lips upon her neck—a sensuous string of kisses caressing her pulse.
“Richard,” his name was but a murmur—a benediction of sorts—the moment his lips touched her shoulder. Her skin was smooth like cream, glowing in the dim light. She was so inviting that he could easily imagine falling against her embrace and remaining there forever. Instead, he whispered her name, his breath ghosting across her skin until she arched against him, offering him all that she was and all that she ever would be.
Humbled by her essence, he kissed his way across her chest, tenderly conveying what was in his heart. “So lovely,” he whispered as his hands moved over her, hesitantly exploring every aspect of her being while silently imparting his complete and utter adoration.
