but it is true. It is almost impossible to believe you are the same passionate creature I held in my arms but a few hours ago.”
“You are trying to seduce me with words again to sweet-talk me into marrying you,” she stated flatly.
“Ah, if it were only that easy, my dear Pru; but, alas, it is not, and I will not even try. Unless, that is, it’s working; in which case, I might reconsider.” He waggled his brows at her, his eyes twinkled, his lips parted in one of his well practiced, heart melting smiles.
Oooh! He didn’t play fair. “No, I agree. It would be too easy for you if I did, and I wouldn’t believe you in any case.”
His eyes rounded in mock horror and he placed a hand over his heart. “You wound me, my lady.” His face took on a more serious, dissecting expression. “You really don’t realize how beautiful you are, do you, Pru?”
Prudence gave an unladylike snort. “If that were truly the case, I would not have remained a wallflower my entire season and the seven years since. Why do you insist that I am attractive when we both know I am not?”
“And why do you insist on hiding your beauty behind drab dresses, a hideous hairstyle, and spectacles?”
“I don’t hide,” she sputtered. “Loose dresses hide my less than favorable curves, my hairstyle is easy to care for, and if I do not wear my spectacles I can never remember where I left them last.” Well it was mostly true, but she didn’t want to dig deeper into the implications of the thought.
“Your dresses only serve to make you appear fat, your serviceable hairstyle makes your features look harsh, and you could find a way to keep track of your spectacles if you truly desired. No,” he said, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, “you are hiding from something. It makes me curious to know why.”
“I believe, my lord, that curiosity is known to have killed the cat,” she quipped primly. “I have nothing to hide, or to hide from.”
“Yes, and cats have nine lives. Satisfying their curiosity always brings them back. The fact is, whether intentional or not, you have been doing your best to play down how attractive you are and I, for one, believe you should stop.”
“Another dictate for me to follow blindly, my lord?” she challenged.
“No, just common sense, m’dear. After all, how many sane people take a rose and bury it in the sand? An intelligent person would put it on display for all to admire.” He cupped her chin, brushing her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb.
“Hmph. More pretty words,” she grumbled.
He sighed. “I see it is going to be my job to convince you of the truth. I believe,” he continued, flashing another devastating smile, the mischievous twinkle back in his eye, “I will start with showing you how desirable you are.” He lowered his head and claimed her lips with his.
Prudence wanted to push him away – she really did – but, as she seemed to do every time he kissed her, she melted into a puddle of liquid desire the moment his lips touched hers. She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body to his, drinking in the sensation of his naked flesh against hers.
Kolton slid his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss while pressing his stiff erection against her belly.
“Can you deny I want you?” he demanded softly, moving his hips against her suggestively as his mouth left hers to nibble at her neck.
“Well, it would be difficult to deny you obviously want sex,” she stated dryly.
“Damn it, Pru,” he ground out, looking her in the eye with an annoyed expression. “I want you . Do you think I could be this hard with so little effort if I were not attracted to you?”
Prudence looked at him and blinked. “I don’t know. Could you?”
***
The woman was going to drive him to an early grave! “No, I couldn’t. Well,” he amended rolling his eyes skyward, “I might be able
“You are trying to seduce me with words again to sweet-talk me into marrying you,” she stated flatly.
“Ah, if it were only that easy, my dear Pru; but, alas, it is not, and I will not even try. Unless, that is, it’s working; in which case, I might reconsider.” He waggled his brows at her, his eyes twinkled, his lips parted in one of his well practiced, heart melting smiles.
Oooh! He didn’t play fair. “No, I agree. It would be too easy for you if I did, and I wouldn’t believe you in any case.”
His eyes rounded in mock horror and he placed a hand over his heart. “You wound me, my lady.” His face took on a more serious, dissecting expression. “You really don’t realize how beautiful you are, do you, Pru?”
Prudence gave an unladylike snort. “If that were truly the case, I would not have remained a wallflower my entire season and the seven years since. Why do you insist that I am attractive when we both know I am not?”
“And why do you insist on hiding your beauty behind drab dresses, a hideous hairstyle, and spectacles?”
“I don’t hide,” she sputtered. “Loose dresses hide my less than favorable curves, my hairstyle is easy to care for, and if I do not wear my spectacles I can never remember where I left them last.” Well it was mostly true, but she didn’t want to dig deeper into the implications of the thought.
“Your dresses only serve to make you appear fat, your serviceable hairstyle makes your features look harsh, and you could find a way to keep track of your spectacles if you truly desired. No,” he said, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, “you are hiding from something. It makes me curious to know why.”
“I believe, my lord, that curiosity is known to have killed the cat,” she quipped primly. “I have nothing to hide, or to hide from.”
“Yes, and cats have nine lives. Satisfying their curiosity always brings them back. The fact is, whether intentional or not, you have been doing your best to play down how attractive you are and I, for one, believe you should stop.”
“Another dictate for me to follow blindly, my lord?” she challenged.
“No, just common sense, m’dear. After all, how many sane people take a rose and bury it in the sand? An intelligent person would put it on display for all to admire.” He cupped her chin, brushing her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb.
“Hmph. More pretty words,” she grumbled.
He sighed. “I see it is going to be my job to convince you of the truth. I believe,” he continued, flashing another devastating smile, the mischievous twinkle back in his eye, “I will start with showing you how desirable you are.” He lowered his head and claimed her lips with his.
Prudence wanted to push him away – she really did – but, as she seemed to do every time he kissed her, she melted into a puddle of liquid desire the moment his lips touched hers. She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body to his, drinking in the sensation of his naked flesh against hers.
Kolton slid his arms around her and pulled her tightly against him. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss while pressing his stiff erection against her belly.
“Can you deny I want you?” he demanded softly, moving his hips against her suggestively as his mouth left hers to nibble at her neck.
“Well, it would be difficult to deny you obviously want sex,” she stated dryly.
“Damn it, Pru,” he ground out, looking her in the eye with an annoyed expression. “I want you . Do you think I could be this hard with so little effort if I were not attracted to you?”
Prudence looked at him and blinked. “I don’t know. Could you?”
***
The woman was going to drive him to an early grave! “No, I couldn’t. Well,” he amended rolling his eyes skyward, “I might be able
Similar Books
