Page 68 of Every Rake Has A Silver Lining

She tore her gaze from his, her cheeks reddened. “When are we leaving for your hovel?”

He practically choked on the trifle. “Myhovel? What on earth are you expecting, Charlotte? A one-room hut?”

“No.” Her dark eyes bored into his with icy seriousness. “No doubt it has two rooms.”

He scraped the last of the sweet deliciousness onto his spoon. “You’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you? But I’d like to leave before ten.”

“Then I should prepare for bed.” She rose, and he followed suit.

“Before I go, I have a question.”

She rolled her eyes. “Another one? Hasn’t your brain been overtaxed enough for one day?”

Lord, she tried his patience—which admittedly was poor to begin with. “Well, it’s more of a statement, so I think I can manage through it. You promised you would give us a chance.”

“We’ve established that. What is your point?”

“My point is, what in your opinion does that entail? To continue keeping me at arm’s length? I promised I wouldn’t force you, but I hoped you could rein in your dislike of me long enough to give me an heir before I die.”

Her gaze jerked away from him, moving momentarily toward the bed. “And you promised . . .”

He nodded. “I did. But I suggest we start small. Work our way up tothat.”

“How?”

“We never did discuss the kiss after our wedding yesterday. Don’t deny you felt something. You may not like it, but I have enough experience to know when a woman responds to me.”

She huffed and turned aside. “Arrogant fool.”

“Truthful. Not arrogant. If anyone is deceiving themselves, it’s you.”

“What do you propose?”

“Why don’t we start with a goodnight kiss?”

Like a marble statue, her whole body stiffened. “Fine. Make it quick.” She closed her eyes, her brow scrunched up and her lips puckered as if she were going to kiss the devil himself.

He withheld his laugh, but he stepped closer, stopping within a hair’s breadth from her. “Open your eyes, Charlotte. If we’re going to do this—and really have a chance—we’re going to do this my way.”

Perhaps he should have allowed her to keep her eyes shut. The contempt within them chilled him. “You can close them in a moment but look at me first. I’m going to slip my arm around your waist.”

“You didn’t say anything about touching.”

“Kissing requires touching, but I promise I won’t do anythingextra.” He slid his arm around her, remembering how much he loved the new gowns with their lower, trim waistlines. “For support when your knees buckle.”

“Ha!”

He silenced her first by cupping her cheek with his free hand. Then, when her lips parted the tiniest amount from surprise, he lowered his head, capturing them with his own. Gently at first, a slight brush of flesh upon flesh, he teased her into submission.

Her eyelids fluttered shut, those long lashes creating little half-moons upon her cheeks.Lovely. When she exhaled a soft sighinto his mouth, his own eyes closed. Tense muscles under his hand at her waist softened, and her shoulders relaxed as he deepened the kiss.

And oh, what a glorious kiss it was. Better than the one at the church. And although he had prepared himself, his quickening pulse and the hitch of his breath still took him by surprise.

With difficulty, he refrained from delving his tongue inside her mouth. That would wait for another day—another kiss. But he increased the pressure gradually, a little more each time she responded.

Slowly counting to ten, he tore himself away, satisfaction blooming in his chest when her lips chased his. “That’s enough for one evening. Wouldn’t want to spoil you.” A half-truth, he admitted. He needed to go slow—to make her want to want him.

The glazed look in her eyes told him he’d accomplished his task. He turned quickly, preventing her from seeing hisridiculousgrin and the similar look in his own eyes, and strode toward the door. “Goodnight, Charlotte. May you have beautiful dreams.”

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