“And that’s enough reason?”
“No.” He nudged her with a shake of his head. His hands moved. One slid up her side, the other swept round to her back, holding her steady. “There’s also this.”
Before she could draw a breath or question his intentions, his mouth captured hers, reminding her of why she’d let him into her room and why doing so might have been a mistake.
14
He kissedher with all that he was, pouring each moment he’d spent in her absence into each swipe of his lips. God, how he’d missed her—the soft press of her breasts against his harder chest, the flare of her hip right beneath where his palm rested, and the carefree abandon with which she drove her fingers up into his hair.
Their attraction to each other and the passion they shared was sensational. Griffin had never known anything like it before her, and instinct told him he’d never find it again if he let her go. So he held on tight, pulling her closer and reveling in her soft sighs of pleasure.
You came here to talk, you scoundrel, not to seduce.
Just a little bit more.
He just had to feel some skin, had to sate his curiosity and quench the thirst she subjected him to. So he took a liberty he knew he shouldn’t, tugging on her nightgown and easing it upward. The fabric bunched in his fist to reveal the supple perfection of her thigh.
Griffin pressed his hand into its softness and allowed imagination to grip him. His body responded with a burst of desire that stoked his arousal until the most urgent thought in his head was getting her naked and into his bed.
“Griffin?” His name brought primal need to a halt. He froze, his thoughtless intention compounded by the sudden awareness that her leg was now bared all the way to her hip.
“Christ.” He lowered her nightgown and took a step back. “I’m sorry.”
“Really?”
No.
Maybe.
He stepped back further, ran his fingers roughly through his hair. “I got distracted.” He sighed. “You…have that effect on me, Emily.”
She chuckled. “I must confess you do the same to me.”
He stared at her, the tips of his fingers tingling once again with the urge to touch her. Instead, he forced himself to keep some distance between them. He had to in order to gather his thoughts.
“How can I convince you that marriage would be the right thing for us, Emily?” When she shook her head, he pressed stubbornly on, determined to conquer whatever concerns she might have. “Just consider the life we would share, both as friends and as lovers.” He didn’t need perfect lighting to know she was blushing. He could tell by the way her breath started to quiver. “Based on how well we got on at Clearview and the fierce desire we have for each other, I dare say our marriage would be rewarding.”
“It’s a huge decision, Griffin. And a permanent one as well.”
Concern began nipping at his shoulders. She was not as easily convinced as he had expected. “We can live in a countryside manor where daffodils bloom in the spring and peonies in the summer. We’ll cook together. I’ll purchase a cocker spaniel for you, and we’ll have the three children you wish for.” When she didn’t respond, keeping silent so long it unnerved him, he added, “And we can visit Clearview as often as you like.” God. He was starting to sound desperate, but he really didn’t care. “Cassandra and the children can come visit us as well. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”
“Why?”
“Well because…” He wasn’t sure how to express it exactly. All he knew was that he wanted Emily by his side and that he would give her the world if that was what it would take. “I’ve never liked a woman as well as I like you. You’re the first one with whom I think marriage could work.”
She turned her face away on that statement, concealing her expression in darkness. And then she shifted, sliding away from the wall and moving past him. Griffin followed her movements with his gaze. He wasn’t sure why a sudden anxiety pulled at his gut or why it now felt as though a ravine existed between them. Not until she spoke.
“After our last kiss, I made a decision. It’s the reason why I opened the door to you this evening, the reason you’re standing here now in my bedchamber when you ought to be in your own.” She set the candle on her bedside table. “I gave up on marriage long ago when…” Her words trailed off, and then, as if catching herself, she shook her head swiftly. “It doesn’t matter. But I am curious to know what I might be missing. And so, I thought that perhaps you might be willing to show me.”
Griffin gaped at her. She might be six and twenty with more life experience than a debutante, but she was still an innocent. The last thing he expected her to suggest was an illicit affair. Uncomfortable, he shifted. Was that all she truly wanted? To use him for an experience? Had he misread her so poorly?
He cleared his throat, wary of how to proceed. “As enticing as such an arrangement may be, I could never in good conscience accept.” She stared at him, compelling him to add, “You deserve better than that.”
A choked sob escaped her. “And you believe that would be for me to tie myself permanently to a man for whom the very idea of marriage was loathsome just a few weeks ago?”
Had he really said that? “A lot has changed since then, Emily.”
“Yes, but not enough.”
