A Matter of Sin by Jess Michaels Page B

about what exactly was happening to her.
    But then Seth’s lips shifted ever so slightly, his tongue traced the crease of her mouth, and that subtle movement changed everything.
    Isabel melted. She’d heard others describe a kiss that melted them before, but this was the first time she’d ever experienced it personally. It was as if her bones liquefied, her blood burned, her muscles vanished and all that was left was feeling. Pleasure washed over her so intensely that it overrode anything else in her mind.
    Without meaning to, Isabel lifted her hands, tightening her fingers around Seth’s upper arms and leaning into him to get more. More of this feeling, more of his taste and his scent as their bodies brushed against each other.
    There was nothing demanding in the kiss, no claiming, and Isabel realized she could end it whenever she desired. Only she felt no such need. She opened her lips fully and Seth’s tongue merged with hers in a sweet tangle of desire that made her cling to him all the more tightly.
    God, she hadn’t felt this way in so long. Actually, she wasn’t certain she had ever felt so hot and needy. Not with an elderly husband to look after and her sisters to manage and marry off.
    That thought pierced her mind and Isabel froze. Her sisters. Her sister to be more precise. Serena’s well-being depended upon her having a respected chaperone. If Isabel gave in to this desire that had suddenly reared its head within her, she risked stealing her sister’s future in the process.
    With a start, she extracted herself from Seth’s arms and backed away. Her heart was throbbing, beating so hard against her chest that it physically hurt with every pulse. She stared at him with wide eyes. He looked as disheveled and stunned as she felt.
    “I—” she said, but realized she had no words to finish the sentence she had begun. So instead of speaking, she caught her skirt in her fist and hurried from the room.

Chapter Five
    “Sometimes we are under the illusion of control.” —The Ladies Book of Pleasures
    Seth sat at his desk, absently toying with a quill. Jason stood, looking out the window across the wide expanse of the grounds beyond the house.
    “You have been distracted beyond measure all morning,” Jason finally said as he turned on his heel. “Since you intended to wait out our thief last night, I must deduce you have discovered who took your copy of The Ladies Book of Pleasures . I have suffered in silence long enough. You must tell me, who was it?”
    Seth shut his eyes briefly, flashing back, as he had been all morning, to the searing, powerful kiss he had shared with Isabel. It had never been his intention to do such a thing, but great God, what a kiss it had been. Soft, sensual, her responsiveness wild and wanton in a way that set him on his heels and made his body ache every time he recalled it.
    “Lyndham?” Jason asked. “Are you alive in there?”
    Seth looked at his friend. There was no way he was going to talk to Jason about that stolen moment. His friend would only tease and cajole him mercilessly about it.
    “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I think it may have only been a maid after all. I actually found the book on a shelf last night. Perhaps it was never stolen at all, but only put away by my staff,” he lied.
    “Ah,” Jason sighed, his disappointment clear on his face. “That is too bad. I was so hoping it would turn out to be the lovely Widow Avenbury, or even her delightful younger sister. It was my last prospect at making this party bearable.”
    Seth glared at his friend. Jason liked women too much. If he thought one interesting, he might pursue her just for fun and Seth didn’t like the idea of him doing that to Isabel. Or worse, that she might like it.
    “Lady Avenbury isn’t your type,” he said, a bit more sharply than he had intended. “And her sister isn’t looking to be ruined in one of my gardens; she is seeking a marriage.”
    Jason pursed his lips at Seth’s