Page 33 of Forgery, Love, and Other Lies
“Willyoukissme?” She smooshed all the words together and said them so fast, they barely made sense.
“Pardon?”
No surprise he’d not understood. She took a steadying breath. “I was wondering—and you may say no, mind you—if you would kiss me?”
His mouth opened, then his teeth closed, but his lips didn’t, creating a very clear picture of…no. That expression meant no. “You see, Miss Frampton, you’re very pretty, but there’s this girl. I’ve barely said a word to her but—”
“Daniel, is this lady real?”
His eyes widened.
“You do not have to create a lady love in order to get out of kissing me. I am not offended, and I said you could refuse.”
His entire body drooped with relief.
“I asked because I’ve only been kissed once, and I’m not certain I’m doing it quite right. And… there’s a fellow I’d like to kiss. With more skill this time. But… I’m afraid I’ll embarrass myself with my ignorance. Again.”
“But ladies aren’t supposed to know how to kiss, Miss Frampton. Your innocence is part of the pleasure for us fellows.”
“Pishposh.” Zander had not seemed overjoyed by her ignorance. He’d turned from her. “Viewing a painting by an incompetent artist isn’t pleasurable because the fellow has no idea what he’s doing. But you’re correct in that women aren’t supposed to have prior knowledge of it. A disappointment, that.”
His eyebrows slanted together, forming a quite serious V above his nose. “If it’s important to you, I’ll kiss you. A small one, mind. Because you’re my friend. But you’re also my employer’s daughter, so don’t tell your father!”
She brightened, straightened. “You will? How wonderful.” She scurried forward. “And father will never hear a thing. Now, how do I do it?”
He held his hand up, palms toward one another, arms bent at the elbow as if he meant to grasp her upper arms. But he floundered, seemed unable to let those hands land anywhere on her.
“Hands are not necessary,” she reassured him.
“Actually, they are. Most of the time. If you’re doing it right.”
“Really? Fascinating. And where do you put them?”
Daniel groaned. “That’s something a bit beyond kissing, Miss F. It’s kissing adjacent, and I’ll not help you with that.”
She shrugged. “Fair. I only asked you for help with the one thing.” Besides, surely she did not need to do anythingkissing adjacentwith Lord Lysander. The kiss would be enough.
He eyed her. “Just… close your eyes.”
She did. Leaned forward, too, and puckered her lips. It was not what it had been like at all with Lord Lysander that lonely London night, but that had happened quite naturally, quite magically, and could not be recreated here. With Daniel. Thewhoseemed to be an important component of kissing. She began to see what Posey had spoken of—kissing differed from man to man.
Daniel chuckled. “Not the other stuff, Miss F.”
She straightened and let her lips go loose, fighting back mortification. “Please do not laugh.”
“Apologies. That’s better. Now… just… hold still.”
The sounds of shuffling, the feeling of human warmth so near but not touching.
Then there was touching, the light, barely there touch of his lips to hers. He puckered, ever so slightly, and she parted her lips on a breath to see what happened.
But nothing happened except that he leaned away from her.
She opened her eyes. He stood before her, hands on hips, peering quizzically into her face.
“There then,” he said. “Done. How was it?” He grinned, a peacock sort of look as he stroked his hair away from his face.
“Underwhelming.” The kiss had contained none of the heart-stopping anticipation, none of the curling desire for fruition that had consumed her, terrified her, the night Lord Lysander had held her in his arms.
