“Sorry,” he muttered. “I just…oh dear. Are you all right?”
She was shaking so much he feared she was crying until she produced an unladylike snort. This was instantly followed by laughter. “You seem to have a talent for giving me head injuries.”
He chuckled and apologized once again while adjusting his body to hers. Having her in his arms comforted him in a way nothing else ever could. They belonged together. Nothing was as perfect as holding her close, of having her fragrance envelope his senses, of finally knowing her heart was aligned with his.
“I believe I’m starting to grasp the concept of romance,” he murmured while pressing his cheek to the top of her head. “It’s this. Isn’t it, Ada?”
“And all the moments that brought us here combined.” She sighed as she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back without reserve.
He shifted, allowed his mouth to brush over her temple, then pressed his forehead to hers. His fingers splayed firmly across the back of her waist, holding her to him while each of his breaths washed over her skin. She shuddered slightly and arched just enough to suggest a desire for more.
Moving slowly, with every intention of letting her choose just how much she wanted to share in this moment, he grazed the bridge of her nose with his mouth, angled his head, and then paused for a second. His muscles flexed in response to the rigid restraint he willed himself to heed. She sighed, a small puff of air that caressed his lips.
“Ada?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
He cradled her gently and considered the way her hands wound round his neck, how her body swayed closer, and the tell-tale tilt of her chin as she angled her face toward his. Resisting was futile. He wanted this – wanted her. Hell, wasn’t this why he’d sought a private location? For this precise reason?
The distance between them vanished and he was lost – lost in the softness of her, the scent of peonies wafting around her, the feel of her body pressed against his. And the taste. He’d try to find the words to describe it later, but for now, perfection would do.
She made a deliciously throaty sound in response to his kiss, and he tightened his hold, gripping her slightly harder while moving his mouth against hers. Nibbling gently, he drew her lower lip between his own. Her gasp of surprise was all he needed to deepen the sweet caress, but the way she stiffened suggested she might not be ready for things to progress quite so quickly.
He drew back and kissed the edge of her mouth. “Forgive me. That was perhaps too bold.”
“No. Well yes. I mean…you caught me by surprise, that’s all.”
“So you don’t mind?”
She dipped her chin. “I’m sorry. I must seem terribly ignorant to you.”
“Not at all.” He placed his fingers beneath her chin and gave it an upward nudge. A lock of hair had come loose so he tucked it behind her ear, taking great care to keep his movements slow and gentle. “It simply means you’ve never been kissed before, and frankly, I love that about you. I love knowing I am the first, Ada.”
“I suppose it’s a good thing the same can’t be said about you,” she said with a nervous laugh, “or we’d never get past just pressing our mouths together.”
He grinned. “It’s true that I’ve some experience, though I dare say it’s not as extensive as you might imagine. In fact, you’re the first woman I’ve kissed in nearly a year. And while that may not seem impressive to you just yet, I hope the time will come where you will appreciate just how meaningful that is for a man my age.”
She tilted her head as though studying him even though he knew the darkness prevented her from discerning his expression. “I wonder if we might try again?”
God, yes!
“I’d love to.” He lowered his head. “With your permission?”
“Of course.”
While he still chose to take the kiss slow, this time was different because she knew what to expect. Not only that, she proved a willingness to match his movements, permitting herself to taste him with equal fervor until they were both rendered breathless.
This time, it was he who gasped as she speared his hair with her fingers and nipped at his lips with her teeth. Good lord, the woman was a quick study, heating his blood and making him want a hell of a lot more than kissing.
He grabbed her hips and drew her flush up against him while struggling to catch his breath. “We should stop before this gets out of hand.”
Before he found himself beyond the point of no return and did things he’d surely regret. It was imperative he put her first. Heaven have mercy, he’d promised her she’d be safe with him, yet here she was, about to be ravished if he weren’t careful.
Lips parted, she panted slightly while staring at him. “I know you’re right and yet there’s the most profound urge inside me compelling me to continue. It’s strange – something new I’ve not felt before. I’m not sure whether it’s good or bad or what exactly.”
“It can be both,” he informed her, easing her away from his body. Her arms came loose from around his neck. She dropped them to her sides and while he mourned the loss of having her so incredibly near, he knew it was for the best. “I suppose it depends on the situation. For an unmarried couple, the feeling you just described can lead to disaster.”
“Of course. I should have realized.”
