hand, but he made no move to help her down from the carriage. He exerted a pressure on her hand that held her in place. “I want to kiss you again before you go.”
“No.”
“Just a good-night kiss.”
“No.”
His free hand cupped her cheek. He hadn’t bothered to collect his gloves or hat before they left his house, and his bare fingers were hot against her skin. She couldn’t move, and she waited breathlessly for him to steal the kiss she had refused him.
He did, his lips moving in to fasten on hers for a kiss that was nothing like any kiss she’d had before. Warm and masterful, his lips tasted hers until she thought she would explode.
“Come on, before I forget myself,” he said roughly. Passion made his voice heavy.
Reggie was dazed as he helped her down from the carriage and led her toward her uncle’s townhouse. “You’d better not come with me,” she whispered. Lamps burned on each side of the door, and she could just picture the door opening and Tony facing Nicholas Eden with a gun in his hand. “It isn’t necessary for you to accompany me.”
“My dear, I may be many reprehensible things, but no one has ever said of me that I was not a gentleman, and a gentleman sees a lady to her door.”
“Stuff! You’re a gentleman only when it pleases you to be one, and now it pleases you to be obstinate.”
Nicholas chuckled at her anxiety. “Do you fear for my safety?”
“Yes, I do. Tony is an agreeable fellow most of the time, but there are occasions when he simply has no control over his temper. He mustn’t see you until I have been able to tell him that nothing untoward has happened.”
Nicholas stopped and turned her around to face him. “If he has such a violent temper, then I will not let you face him alone.”
He thought to protect her from Tony. She might have laughed, but she suppressed the urge. “You would have to understand how it is between Tony and me to know that I am the last person who needs to fear him. We are very close, you see, so close that he regularly turns his lifeupside down for me when I stay with him. He always has, even abstaining from most of his usual pursuits for months at a time. You should be able to appreciate what that means,” she finished dryly.
He led her forward again, grinning. “I concede your point. Nevertheless, there is a reason for everything I do, and I will see you to your door.”
She started to protest again, but they were already there. She tensed, praying they hadn’t been heard, that the door wouldn’t open. She turned to face Nicholas, whispering, “What possible reason could you—?”
But he interrupted roguishly, “You see, I now have an excuse to kiss you good night again.”
He folded her in his arms, his mouth coming down to sear hers. This was passion, hot, blistering passion that melted her into him. Nothing else mattered. In that moment, she was his.
Nicholas ended the kiss with passion riding him hard. He nearly shoved her away from him, though without releasing her, his fingers biting into her upper arms. He held her there at arm’s length, his breathing harsh, his eyes blazing.
“I want you, sweet Regina. Don’t make me wait too long before you admit you want me, too.”
It took Reggie a moment to realize that he had let her go and begun walking away. She had the wildest urge to run after him but steadied herself. It wasn’t easy. Her heart was racing and her legs were wobbly.
Get hold of yourself, goose , she scolded herself. You’ve been kissed before . But oh, never like that!
Reggie waited until she saw Nicholas step into his carriage before she reluctantly turned away, opened the door, and went inside. The entry and hall were brightly lit and, thankfully, empty. The door to Tony’s library-study was open and light spilled out of it. She moved toward it slowly, hoping Tony would be there and not out scouring London for her.
He was there, sitting at his desk with his head in his hands, the fingers
“No.”
“Just a good-night kiss.”
“No.”
His free hand cupped her cheek. He hadn’t bothered to collect his gloves or hat before they left his house, and his bare fingers were hot against her skin. She couldn’t move, and she waited breathlessly for him to steal the kiss she had refused him.
He did, his lips moving in to fasten on hers for a kiss that was nothing like any kiss she’d had before. Warm and masterful, his lips tasted hers until she thought she would explode.
“Come on, before I forget myself,” he said roughly. Passion made his voice heavy.
Reggie was dazed as he helped her down from the carriage and led her toward her uncle’s townhouse. “You’d better not come with me,” she whispered. Lamps burned on each side of the door, and she could just picture the door opening and Tony facing Nicholas Eden with a gun in his hand. “It isn’t necessary for you to accompany me.”
“My dear, I may be many reprehensible things, but no one has ever said of me that I was not a gentleman, and a gentleman sees a lady to her door.”
“Stuff! You’re a gentleman only when it pleases you to be one, and now it pleases you to be obstinate.”
Nicholas chuckled at her anxiety. “Do you fear for my safety?”
“Yes, I do. Tony is an agreeable fellow most of the time, but there are occasions when he simply has no control over his temper. He mustn’t see you until I have been able to tell him that nothing untoward has happened.”
Nicholas stopped and turned her around to face him. “If he has such a violent temper, then I will not let you face him alone.”
He thought to protect her from Tony. She might have laughed, but she suppressed the urge. “You would have to understand how it is between Tony and me to know that I am the last person who needs to fear him. We are very close, you see, so close that he regularly turns his lifeupside down for me when I stay with him. He always has, even abstaining from most of his usual pursuits for months at a time. You should be able to appreciate what that means,” she finished dryly.
He led her forward again, grinning. “I concede your point. Nevertheless, there is a reason for everything I do, and I will see you to your door.”
She started to protest again, but they were already there. She tensed, praying they hadn’t been heard, that the door wouldn’t open. She turned to face Nicholas, whispering, “What possible reason could you—?”
But he interrupted roguishly, “You see, I now have an excuse to kiss you good night again.”
He folded her in his arms, his mouth coming down to sear hers. This was passion, hot, blistering passion that melted her into him. Nothing else mattered. In that moment, she was his.
Nicholas ended the kiss with passion riding him hard. He nearly shoved her away from him, though without releasing her, his fingers biting into her upper arms. He held her there at arm’s length, his breathing harsh, his eyes blazing.
“I want you, sweet Regina. Don’t make me wait too long before you admit you want me, too.”
It took Reggie a moment to realize that he had let her go and begun walking away. She had the wildest urge to run after him but steadied herself. It wasn’t easy. Her heart was racing and her legs were wobbly.
Get hold of yourself, goose , she scolded herself. You’ve been kissed before . But oh, never like that!
Reggie waited until she saw Nicholas step into his carriage before she reluctantly turned away, opened the door, and went inside. The entry and hall were brightly lit and, thankfully, empty. The door to Tony’s library-study was open and light spilled out of it. She moved toward it slowly, hoping Tony would be there and not out scouring London for her.
He was there, sitting at his desk with his head in his hands, the fingers
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