Page 87 of When a Lady Kisses a Scot
“Adventure, is it? I’d say you’ve already achieved that, to a point.”
“Quite so. But there’s more. As I’ve told you, I want to venture away from England. I do so envy your explorations—the sights you’ve seen, the aromas you’ve smelled in exotic bazaars. What I wouldn’t give for the chance to experience something beyond the comfort of tea and scones and a warm fire in the hearth.”
His eyes turned stormy again. “Knowing you, Sophie, you will find that opportunity. And you will seize it when it presents itself.”
Something in his expression made her stomach do a little flip. She pulled in a slow breath and took another sip of wine. She needed to change the subject, if only to ease the sense that he contemplated her words far too intently.
“Right, then,” she said. “Well, it’s my turn again.”
He tipped his tumbler to his lips. “Fire at will.”
“How is it that some marriage-minded miss hasn’t snagged you? Despite your efforts to act the scoundrel, I’ve no doubt you’re considered quite the catch.”
“That’s an easy one.” He set the glass on a side table and came to his feet. For a long moment, he stared into the blaze of red and gold and amber in the fireplace. “None of those women were you.”
…
Hell and damnation, he was a fool. Gavin met Sophie’s rounded eyes, seeing the shock she could not hide. He’d blurted out the truth. He couldn’t even blame it on the whiskey. He’d been careful to keep a tight rein on his imbibing tonight. Damned shame he hadn’t kept as tight a rein on his mouth.
He’d wanted to learn her secrets, but he hadn’t anticipated her confessions would make him want her all the more. Her scandalousincidentwas tame by his standards, but the aftermath had wounded her. That much was clear. And her desire to expand her horizons beyond the familiarity of London intrigued him with its possibilities. What would it be like to have Sophie at his side as he embarked on some new exploration? To awaken beneath the Egyptian sun with her in his arms? To love her under skies where the stars had not been blurred by smoke and the ever-oppressive fog?
In the fireplace, flames licked at the logs, casting a warm, soft light over the hearth. Would Sophie believe him a cad if he took her in his arms and peeled the proper white blouse from her body? The firelight would glow like gold against her creamy skin, over the delectable curves he longed to touch, longed to adore.
Since his fiancée had cast him aside for a husband with far better prospects, a chap who had not been dubbed the spare, Gavin had never desired a woman to share his life for any longer than the hours when she warmed his bed. He’d never craved quiet moments devoted to sharing hopes and dreams and fears, to recounting pivotal moments that had indelibly marked their lives.
Until he’d looked into Sophie’s warm brown eyes.
He’d give her the world on a platter, if that would bring her happiness. Somehow, he knew that wouldn’t be enough. A woman like Sophie did not cravethings. She did not seek wealth, or power, or flamboyant jewels. No, she’d demand a far more elusive prize. One he could not offer. After all, one could not give what one did not possess.
Love.One syllable, four letters. A simple word a child entering the schoolroom could read. And yet, it held the power to cut him to the bone. He could not tolerate such weakness. Not this time.
As a younger man, he’d given love a go, hadn’t he? And where had that gotten him? He’d been cast aside, all in the name of securing a more beneficial match.
He’d learned his lesson a decade before he’d first laid eyes on Sophie. One could cherish a woman. He might treasure her company and value the challenge in her debate. He’d make love to her through the night, if she wanted him. But he could never allow himself to cast aside his shields.
Opening his heart to a woman was a fool’s game.
Especially, if the woman in question was Sophie. She was magnificent. And mysterious. Her secrets intrigued him. He would protect her to his dying breath.
But he knew better than to trust her.
He took her hands in his. She watched him. Silent. Waiting. A glimmer of anticipation in those gorgeous eyes.
“I want to kiss you. You know that, don’t you?”
She gave a sly nod. “I suspected as much.”
“Would you like that?”
“Yes. Very much.”
Lowering himself to one knee, he framed her face between his hands. Allowing himself a few breaths to simply take in her loveliness, he brushed his thumb over her plump bottom lip, tracing the soft curve. She was a beauty. Incomparable. The temptation of her mouth beckoned him. God above, he wanted this. Wanted her.
He kissed her, feeling a surge of triumph as she responded to his caress. Parting her lips, she moaned softly as her arms curled around his neck, and he deepened his possession.
So damned delicious.He’d never tire of the taste of her. A subtle whiff of roses filled his senses, and he drank it in.
“I want you, Sophie. In my arms. In my bed.”
