Wetting her lips, she struggled through a breath. In his face, she saw everything he only ever teased her with. Intelligence. Cunning. And a need so deep it would all but consume her.
A need she wanted for her own.
As one, they lunged at the other. Pulling on his lapel with one hand, she ignored the twinge of pain as she plunged her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. His tangled in the strands piled atop her head as his tongue swept her lips and she opened eagerly, his taste exploding in her mouth, as full of fire as the whiskey she’d teased him with. Goddamn, she had wanted to do this. She had wanted his hands on her, his mouth on her, his hair in her hands and his taste in her mouth. Now she had what she wanted, his hand tightening in her hair, his body hard and delicious against hers, and she wanted more.
Backing her against the wall, he braced his arms behind her to protect her from the rough wood. Lips traced her eyebrow, her cheek, the cord of her neck. Arching for him, she melted, moulded, became whatever he needed so he wouldn’t stop. His mouth returned to hers, and she kissed him, for hours, for days, until she was a seethe of want and lust and she wantedhim, dear God, how she wanted him.
From somewhere, sometime, a horse whinnied.
Reality returned in a rush. At the alley’s entrance, pedestrians passed, any one of whom could glance their way. Cuss words filled the air, and the sound of working men brought her back to their situation quicker than anything else could.
Reluctant though she was to do so, she pushed herself from him. Anyone might have seen. Anyone. Goddamn it, she knew better than this. She didn’t have the luxury of public affection. She was already mostly a pariah in Ironwood. To be caught lip-locked with a man would only ruin the reputation she’d bought with black gowns and a steely demeanour.
Raising her hand to her hair, she attempted to fix the damage he had caused. He watched her as she did so, no trace of the fool in his regard. Instead, she saw the man he truly was, and damn it all to hell, she wanted that man something fierce.
Eventually, she knew she had to say something. “Mr Llewellyn, I—”
At the sound of her voice, a change came over him. His posture loosened, his eyes dimmed, and he again wore his idiot’s mask. “Mrs Reynolds, I must offer my sincerest apologies. Why, the liberties I have taken shock me. My mother would roll in her grave were she to know. I beg you, accept my heartfelt apology.”
Dismay filled her, and her words failed. She shouldn’t feel disappointment. It was a useless emotion, and besides which, he was determined to be thought the fool for reasons of his own. She had no cause to be…to behurtthat he apparently wanted her to think the same as all the rest. Even if they had just shared a kiss that had knocked her from her socks, stockings—and if it had continued a minute or so more—probably her drawers.
Squaring her shoulders, she smiled coolly. “Don’t trouble yourself. I was as responsible as you. We’ll pretend it never happened, and all will be as before.”
His eyes flickered. “Mrs Reynolds—”
She fancied she heard regret in his tone, but it was probably just fancy. “Good day.”
Turning on her heel, she left him with his lies and his deception. She was better than this. She deserved more. If he couldn’t put aside his act in the face of the power of their kiss, she didn’t count him worth knowing.
If only the ache in her chest would listen to such a thing.
