Page 25 of The Earl's Secret
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
But it wasn’t so much the ache that was bothering him – it was Cassandra’s body on top of his. It seemed that her touch was enough to cut through any pain that might be otherwise affecting him.
“Are yousureyou are fine?” she asked, and he nodded, looking up into her face.
“Why, Cassandra, is that genuine concern for me that I see on your face?”
“Well, of course,” she said, quickly masking her emotion. “I could never allow anything to happen to you. Gideon would never forgive me. It was why I pushed you out of the way.”
“I was trying to keepyouout of the way!” he exclaimed. “I am the one that should be taking care of you.”
“Why?” she challenged him. “Because you are a man?”
“Well…” He knew this wasn’t going to be the right answer, but he wasn’t sure what else to say. “Yes.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“How so?” he countered. “Even if that wasn’t the norm, Gideon asked me to look after you.”
“And I am telling you that I can look after myself,” she said. “It is not always about what Gideon wants.”
She pushed herself up off him now, but he reached up and caught her around the upper arms.
“It’s not just what Gideon asked,” he said roughly. “I cannot allow anything to happen to you.”
“Because Gideon would never speak to you again?” she said somewhat mockingly, but he ignored her tone as he shook his head.
“No,” he said roughly. “BecauseIwould be destroyed if anything ever did.”
And at that declaration, he did what he had been wanting to do since he had walked into the parlor but a few weeks ago, what he knew he still shouldn’t do yet he couldn’t prevent himself from following through with any longer.
He leaned up and took her lips with his.
She stilled for a moment, and he wondered if she was going to pull back away from him. Knowing her, he was just as likely to end up with a slap to the face as he was with her affections. But he waited patiently, and after but another moment he was rewarded.
For not only did she allow him to kiss her, but she kissed him back with as much ferocity as she put into anything. She allowed her weight to fall down upon him as she held herself up with her elbows framing his head around his ears. Devon had wondered if her desire for him was anything like his was for her, but if this kiss was any indication, it was equally matched.
She drank him in as if she had been parched for him, and he gave back as well as he could from his prone position on the ground. Part of him wished that he was above her, that he could be the one to drive this kiss, but he was also enjoying her attack.
For no matter what she said, she could no longer deny that she was affected by him.
CHAPTER10
Cassandra knew that if there was anything in this world she should not be doing, it was kissing Devon Addison. Lord Covington. The man who had tormented her through childhood, who had been her first kiss, her first everything, who had then left her to face a myriad of consequences while he had continued on with his very privileged life until he had inherited his title.
Yet she had enjoyed his company over the last couple of days, and, despite all of her efforts otherwise, had never rid herself of her wish to see him again, to be with him again, to know him again in more ways than she already did.
Then his lips had touched hers and she lost every bit of rational thought she still possessed.
She knew she should stop, that this was how she had gotten herself into trouble before – by allowing her desire for him to take over everything else. But she seemed to be addicted to the feel of his lips under hers, the softness of his hair around her fingers, the groans of pleasure he made as she kissed him back.
She felt as though her body was made for his, and she wanted to take all that she could from him, and, interestingly enough, give what she could in turn.
Cassandra had no idea what would have happened had the loud crack of thunder not cut through the sky. She had nearly forgotten her surroundings, and she flinched so hard she was sure she had likely hurt him once more, but instead of jumping off him, she found herself gripping him even tighter.
“Is there a storm?” she asked, hearing the raggedness of her breathing, pretending to herself it was due to her fear but knowing it was for another reason entirely.
