Kitty: Bride of Hawaii (American Mail-Order Bride 50) by Janelle Daniels Page B

discuss, and what other option did she have?
    “Shall we?” Warren offered his arm.
    She accepted the gesture, gasping at the contact when she touched him.
    Heated eyes met hers. It was the first time they’d touched since the day of the storm. And oh, how she wanted to touch him more. How her body craved to feel him, how her lips begged to taste him.
    Hot color flooded her cheeks, and she looked away.
    She was a bad person. She’d just learned that her fiancé was dead, and she continued to lust after another man. Why couldn’t she stop?
    If she was to be a guest at his house, even for a night, she needed to get herself under control. Nothing could ever come of her feelings, and she only hurt herself by relishing the rush of being around him.
    She’d show her gratitude to Warren for all he’d done for her and then leave him to live his life with someone who wouldn’t bring him down. Someone who was his equal.
    And no matter how much she wished it, that woman would never be her.

Chapter Seven
    T aking Kitty to his home gutted Warren. In the days since the storm, he’d started to believe some of his own lies. That she wasn’t as desirable as he’d originally thought, that the connection they shared was nonexistent and only seemed like one because of their close quarters.
    Utter falsehoods.
    “Thank you for offering me accommodations tonight.” Kitty shifted in her seat in the cart to view him more easily.
    He cleared any hint of longing from his throat. Having her suspect his thoughts was the last thing he wanted. “Of course. It’s the least I can do. The house is massive with plenty of space. My mother is in residence, so the arrangement is perfectly respectable,” he added, doubting anyone had mentioned it to her.
    While his mother’s nearness was a constant thorn in his side, he praised it now. It lent an air of decency to this arrangement. For once, his mother would be useful; her mere presence acted as a chaperone instead of an emotional drain.
    The unkind thoughts left a bitter taste in his mouth. While younger, he’d forgiven her selfishness, justified it, and only hurt more in the end when he realized his own mother didn’t love him. In truth, she resented him.
    But one didn’t turn their back on family. His bane in life would be to care for the woman until her passing.
    He shook off the thoughts, refusing to allow his mother to sour the moment.
    “I’m assuming Mr. Pratt brought you down the main drive earlier?”
    “Yes. He was kind enough to point out several points of interest.”
    “So, you’ve seen the house?”
    Her lips curved. “Yes. Impressive. I hadn’t expected anything so grand.”
    Warren chuckled. Other plantation homes on the island were much smaller than Castle House, but his father had wanted the grandeur of it. “Most houses aren’t. It was important to my father, and he had it constructed before he married my mother.”
    As they pulled up to the towering structure, Kitty’s eyes took in the details. The thick stone steps, the hundreds of gleaming windowpanes, the lush flowers that seemed to grow wild around the property.
    The house had always been a part of his life. He was grateful for it, but he’d never been more proud of it than in this moment. He dragged in heady island air as his chest puffed up, looking over all he possessed.
    He rounded the wagon and lifted his arms to help her down.
    His skin tingled when his hands grasped her tiny, corseted waist, the soft silk of her dress tantalizing him. She weighed nothing compared to the sacks of sugar he’d hauled in his youth.
    Damn, it felt good to hold her again.
    He wanted to keep his hands around her waist, needed to bring her body against his. But it wasn’t his right. He was nothing more than a friend to her. And with the cheerful sound of workers going about their business around them, this wasn’t the place.
    He placed her on the ground softly and tactfully removed his hands.
    Another blush crept to her