Page 16 of The Rake I Wished For
No, her gaze said. She had no idea.
His whip-smart, clever, funny girl had no notion of what sort of trouble she was courting.
“If you mean to kiss a rake, you ought to kiss a man you trust.” The words were a low rumble and they came out of him before he even knew what he was saying.
His mind was at war, battling emotions as he slid an arm around her and moved in closer. He let his other hand settle at her small waist.
They were alone, and the knowledge thrilled him and terrified him all at once.
They were alone…and she wanted to be kissed.
The familiar scent of her filled his senses more thoroughly than all the flowers in the garden. The feel of her warm body in his arms was so distracting, logic didn’t stand a chance. He’d danced with Jocelyn often, but he’d never held her as close as this, and some part of him was overcome by the way she fit so perfectly, by the way it felt so right to hold her…
Even as a distant part of his mind cried out that it was wrong.
Her eyes went wider still. “W-what are you doing?”
“If you insist on pursuing this ridiculous idea, the least I can do is ensure your first kiss is with a man who won’t hurt you…”
This is a bad idea.
He knew it. She likely knew it too.
And yet, his brain was foggy with desire, and the thought of her kissing any other man was intolerable.
This is the only way to protect her.
Even as he thought it, he heard it for the lie that it was.
The excuse.
He wanted to kiss her. His whole body tensed with the unbearable, overwhelming ache of this want. Like a dam had burst, and every urge and wicked thought he’d ever tamped down when it came to Jocelyn came surging forward with uncontrollable force.
He moved closer still. So close he heard her breath hitch and could see her pupils dilate and her lips part…
“Is this what you want, Jocelyn?” He dipped his head down slightly, and he couldn’t say himself if he was trying to frighten some sense into her or if…
If he wanted her to go up on her toes and meet him halfway.
CHAPTERFIVE
Is this what you want?
The man Jocelyn had always known seemed like a stranger to her now as he moved in close, his eyes dark and heavy-lidded. Gone was the laughter and the teasing, and in its place was something far more dangerous.
Her heart tripped and fluttered, racing so quickly she forgot how to breathe.
Is this what you want? The words seemed to echo in her skull.
Yes.
No.
She shook her head. She had no idea.
The slight move seemed to jar him back to his senses, because he dropped his arms and fell back as if she’d pushed him.
He looked away, a muscle in his jaw working. “That’s what I thought,” he finally said.
