it—at least when it came to Alexander. “Please, Alexander,” she said softly. “Play it for me.”
He turned and stared at her a long moment before letting out a sigh and putting down his brush and pallet. “One song,” he said firmly. “As it is, this mural may not be completed for your birthday.”
“You can catch up the next few days when I am gone.” She moved off the bench and allowed him the seat. “Have you ever played this?”
“Not well.”
“But better than I?”
He gave her one of his half smiles. “Perhaps.” He did play the piece nicely, but Elsie could tell he needed practice.
“Bah,” he said when he’d finished. “This piece is beyond my skills.”
“I expect perfection when I return.”
“How long will you be gone?” he asked with what seemed to her like forced nonchalance. He stared at the piano keys, lightly running his fingers over them so that they produced nothing more than muted thumps instead of notes.
“Three days. And I’ll miss you, too,” she said, teasingly.
His answer was a frown.
“You wound me, sir.”
He gave her a quick, angry look. “Please stop, Miss Elsie. I am not one of the boys you flirt with at balls. I think you do not know how cruel you are.”
Elsie felt her cheeks burn in mortification. “No, no,” she said, rejecting his conclusion. “I’m sorry. I... I’m awful at flirting. I’ve had little practice, you see, and I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“You shouldn’t even speak to me. And certainly you should not flirt. To do so is ...”
“Is what?”
His nostrils flared slightly and she could tell he was angry. “It’s beneath you. There have been other women who wanted me. Who had me. I know I’m a novelty of sorts. I know this. And I haven’t been above taking what they freely offered. I’m not a fool. I know what you are doing.”
Elsie let out a sad laugh. “Then could you please tell me because I don’t know. I only know that I cannot stop thinking about you, that the only thing I look forward to is nighttime so that I be with you.”
He looked at her, searching her face for mendacity, then apparently finding none, let out a weary sigh. “Go to your party, Elsie. And when you come back, leave me alone.”
“Why?”
“Because you tempt me beyond reason,” he said harshly. “Surely you know that. You cannot be so innocent. You are not a child.”
She looked ridiculously pleased, and Alexander let out a groan of frustration. “You want to kiss me,” she said, rather too happily.
“Yes, I want to kiss you. I’m a man and you are a beautiful girl sitting next to me night after night in her bedclothes.” He ended on an exasperated note.
“I give you permission.”
He pressed his fingers to his temples and muttered a prayer. “Have you not heard a single word I’ve said, girl?”
“You said you wanted to kiss me.” She sat on the bench and smiled up at him.
“What are you doing to me?” he asked, looking at her almost beseechingly. As she watched, desire and something like resignation flickered in his gaze. And then in one quick, desperate motion, he grabbed her upper arms and brought her against him, their lips only a breath away. “This is a mistake. A mistake,” he said fiercely, giving her a small shake.
“No. It’s not.” And she pulled him to her, until their lips touched and she thought she’d die of pure happiness. She was kissing him, Alexander, and it was wonderful and freeing. At first, he resisted, even as his lips pressed against hers, even as she let out a sigh. Then, as if something broke or snapped, he moaned and moved his mouth against hers in a way that was so incredibly carnal and unexpected, she nearly swooned. It was as if this kiss turned her entire body to a strange liquid that pooled high between her legs in a delicious sensation that was purely wonderful. Never would she have dreamed that a single kiss could make her feel so. It was stunning.
He pulled away,
He turned and stared at her a long moment before letting out a sigh and putting down his brush and pallet. “One song,” he said firmly. “As it is, this mural may not be completed for your birthday.”
“You can catch up the next few days when I am gone.” She moved off the bench and allowed him the seat. “Have you ever played this?”
“Not well.”
“But better than I?”
He gave her one of his half smiles. “Perhaps.” He did play the piece nicely, but Elsie could tell he needed practice.
“Bah,” he said when he’d finished. “This piece is beyond my skills.”
“I expect perfection when I return.”
“How long will you be gone?” he asked with what seemed to her like forced nonchalance. He stared at the piano keys, lightly running his fingers over them so that they produced nothing more than muted thumps instead of notes.
“Three days. And I’ll miss you, too,” she said, teasingly.
His answer was a frown.
“You wound me, sir.”
He gave her a quick, angry look. “Please stop, Miss Elsie. I am not one of the boys you flirt with at balls. I think you do not know how cruel you are.”
Elsie felt her cheeks burn in mortification. “No, no,” she said, rejecting his conclusion. “I’m sorry. I... I’m awful at flirting. I’ve had little practice, you see, and I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“You shouldn’t even speak to me. And certainly you should not flirt. To do so is ...”
“Is what?”
His nostrils flared slightly and she could tell he was angry. “It’s beneath you. There have been other women who wanted me. Who had me. I know I’m a novelty of sorts. I know this. And I haven’t been above taking what they freely offered. I’m not a fool. I know what you are doing.”
Elsie let out a sad laugh. “Then could you please tell me because I don’t know. I only know that I cannot stop thinking about you, that the only thing I look forward to is nighttime so that I be with you.”
He looked at her, searching her face for mendacity, then apparently finding none, let out a weary sigh. “Go to your party, Elsie. And when you come back, leave me alone.”
“Why?”
“Because you tempt me beyond reason,” he said harshly. “Surely you know that. You cannot be so innocent. You are not a child.”
She looked ridiculously pleased, and Alexander let out a groan of frustration. “You want to kiss me,” she said, rather too happily.
“Yes, I want to kiss you. I’m a man and you are a beautiful girl sitting next to me night after night in her bedclothes.” He ended on an exasperated note.
“I give you permission.”
He pressed his fingers to his temples and muttered a prayer. “Have you not heard a single word I’ve said, girl?”
“You said you wanted to kiss me.” She sat on the bench and smiled up at him.
“What are you doing to me?” he asked, looking at her almost beseechingly. As she watched, desire and something like resignation flickered in his gaze. And then in one quick, desperate motion, he grabbed her upper arms and brought her against him, their lips only a breath away. “This is a mistake. A mistake,” he said fiercely, giving her a small shake.
“No. It’s not.” And she pulled him to her, until their lips touched and she thought she’d die of pure happiness. She was kissing him, Alexander, and it was wonderful and freeing. At first, he resisted, even as his lips pressed against hers, even as she let out a sigh. Then, as if something broke or snapped, he moaned and moved his mouth against hers in a way that was so incredibly carnal and unexpected, she nearly swooned. It was as if this kiss turned her entire body to a strange liquid that pooled high between her legs in a delicious sensation that was purely wonderful. Never would she have dreamed that a single kiss could make her feel so. It was stunning.
He pulled away,
Similar Books
