yours?”
“None!” Paul advanced on her, causing her to back up against the wall.
Her heart began to race. “Paul, you can’t…”
He braced his arms on either side of her and pressed against her. “Yes, I can.”
He kissed her and she melted against him, rubbing her tongue against his. This was what she’d wanted, needed, since he’d first spoken to her tonight. If she was a wanton, she was his.
He moaned and cupped her face in his hands, deepening the kiss. Suddenly the sound of voices reached them. Paul stepped away from her and raked his fingers through his hair as Michelle slumped against the wall trying to slow her racing pulse.
“I shall speak to your mother,” Paul said, his voice rough.
The censure in his voice was clear.
“Why do I make you so angry?” she asked. “Do you have only disgust for me?”
She buried her face in her hands and began to cry.
“I know what I must do.”
She raised her eyes to find him staring at her. “What?”
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Michelle.”
She sniffled and shook her head, unable to look at him again.
He gently grasped her chin and lifted her face to his.
She gazed into his eyes, seeing all the emotion she felt for him reflected there. “Yes, Paul?”
“Marry me?”
She blinked at him. “Such tenderness…”
“I want you, Michelle,” he added, his voice low. “I… care for you. Please say you’ll be my wife.”
He wanted her? He cared for her?
She threw her arms around his neck and Paul hugged her to him. “I take it this is your answer?”
She nodded against his chest. “Yes.”
He laughed. “Let me seal my promise, love.” He kissed her.
Paul saw her home that evening when Chester gallantly offered to see to his sisters. He couldn’t tell them of their engagement, not until he had spoken to her mother. But from the expression on Chester’s face, Paul’s friend no doubt guessed the truth of it.
She sighed and leaned up against him in his carriage. “I must say you took me by surprise, Lord Leed.”
“None of that, love. From now on, you must only call me ‘Paul.’”
“All right,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Paul.”
He kissed her tenderly, pulling back afterwards to run his gaze over her face. She suddenly giggled and he arched a brow at her in question.
“Now I know what to do whenever you scowl at me,” she explained with a half-smile. “I’ll simply say your name and you’ll melt.”
“Melt?”
“Yes,” she breathed, placing her mouth on his. “Melt.”
He growled softly and took control, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her breathless. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted as she took in shallow breaths. He chuckled softly, causing her eyes to flutter open.
“I daresay, love,” he said, “you do a fair amount of melting yourself.”
“Oh, yes,” she breathed, nodding her head.
He held her close as the carriage rolled on. When it stopped in front of her home, she looked up at him.
“At what time will you call on us, Paul?”
“I wish to speak with my father first,” he said. “Would it be all right if I call around tea time?”
She nodded.
He opened the door and stepped out, extending his hand to escort her to the door. He didn’t kiss her, but Lord he wanted to. “Until tomorrow, love.”
He settled back in his carriage. He wanted Michelle, more than he’d ever wanted any other woman. She vexed him, made him laugh, and was never simpering or artificial. And that kiss in the carriage. When she’d gazed up at him, gold flecks in her eyes, he’d been tempted to tell the driver to take them twice around the park.
But what of his finances? He’d speak with his father in the morning and get to the bottom of the family’s money problems.
* * * *
Michelle closed the front door and leaned against it as her heart soared. Paul wanted her. He cared for her. He called her ‘love.’ And the way his beautiful eyes had glittered at her.
“None!” Paul advanced on her, causing her to back up against the wall.
Her heart began to race. “Paul, you can’t…”
He braced his arms on either side of her and pressed against her. “Yes, I can.”
He kissed her and she melted against him, rubbing her tongue against his. This was what she’d wanted, needed, since he’d first spoken to her tonight. If she was a wanton, she was his.
He moaned and cupped her face in his hands, deepening the kiss. Suddenly the sound of voices reached them. Paul stepped away from her and raked his fingers through his hair as Michelle slumped against the wall trying to slow her racing pulse.
“I shall speak to your mother,” Paul said, his voice rough.
The censure in his voice was clear.
“Why do I make you so angry?” she asked. “Do you have only disgust for me?”
She buried her face in her hands and began to cry.
“I know what I must do.”
She raised her eyes to find him staring at her. “What?”
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Michelle.”
She sniffled and shook her head, unable to look at him again.
He gently grasped her chin and lifted her face to his.
She gazed into his eyes, seeing all the emotion she felt for him reflected there. “Yes, Paul?”
“Marry me?”
She blinked at him. “Such tenderness…”
“I want you, Michelle,” he added, his voice low. “I… care for you. Please say you’ll be my wife.”
He wanted her? He cared for her?
She threw her arms around his neck and Paul hugged her to him. “I take it this is your answer?”
She nodded against his chest. “Yes.”
He laughed. “Let me seal my promise, love.” He kissed her.
Paul saw her home that evening when Chester gallantly offered to see to his sisters. He couldn’t tell them of their engagement, not until he had spoken to her mother. But from the expression on Chester’s face, Paul’s friend no doubt guessed the truth of it.
She sighed and leaned up against him in his carriage. “I must say you took me by surprise, Lord Leed.”
“None of that, love. From now on, you must only call me ‘Paul.’”
“All right,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Paul.”
He kissed her tenderly, pulling back afterwards to run his gaze over her face. She suddenly giggled and he arched a brow at her in question.
“Now I know what to do whenever you scowl at me,” she explained with a half-smile. “I’ll simply say your name and you’ll melt.”
“Melt?”
“Yes,” she breathed, placing her mouth on his. “Melt.”
He growled softly and took control, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her breathless. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted as she took in shallow breaths. He chuckled softly, causing her eyes to flutter open.
“I daresay, love,” he said, “you do a fair amount of melting yourself.”
“Oh, yes,” she breathed, nodding her head.
He held her close as the carriage rolled on. When it stopped in front of her home, she looked up at him.
“At what time will you call on us, Paul?”
“I wish to speak with my father first,” he said. “Would it be all right if I call around tea time?”
She nodded.
He opened the door and stepped out, extending his hand to escort her to the door. He didn’t kiss her, but Lord he wanted to. “Until tomorrow, love.”
He settled back in his carriage. He wanted Michelle, more than he’d ever wanted any other woman. She vexed him, made him laugh, and was never simpering or artificial. And that kiss in the carriage. When she’d gazed up at him, gold flecks in her eyes, he’d been tempted to tell the driver to take them twice around the park.
But what of his finances? He’d speak with his father in the morning and get to the bottom of the family’s money problems.
* * * *
Michelle closed the front door and leaned against it as her heart soared. Paul wanted her. He cared for her. He called her ‘love.’ And the way his beautiful eyes had glittered at her.
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