Page 13 of A Rogue for Christmas
It took him a moment to realize she’d actually spoken aloud and that his mind hadn’t conjured this moment out of his frustrations. He hesitated another moment as he considered asking her whether he’d heard her correctly, but he hated that it would make him appear the callow youth.
He compromised by closing the space between them, making sure to move slowly so that she had ample opportunity to put a stop to what was about to happen. Because one thing was certain. If Iris wanted him to kiss her, he most definitely wasn’t going to convince her that it wasn’t a wise idea.
He was still operating under the assumption that his fixation on this woman rested in the unknown. Spending time in her presence hadn’t convinced him that she was just like many other women. To the contrary, his curiosity about her had only increased.
But his recent attempts to forget her with other women had led to an ennui with the fairer sex that had frustrated him. Kissing Iris Rowland might end similarly—with him feeling a cold indifference.
He stopped when mere inches separated them. She tilted her face up to him, and he couldn’t deny that a powerful sense of anticipation was already thrumming through his veins.
He reached for her chin at the same moment she placed her palms on his chest and leaned into him. She was shorter than him, and he bent to kiss her.
The first touch of his mouth on hers was light, so the zing that sped through him was unexpected. Her soft sigh followed by a small sound at the back of her throat set fire to his senses. He was powerless to stop himself from dragging her fully into his arms, but she came willingly, her arms wrapping around his neck as though she wanted to keep him with her forever.
Their kiss deepened, tongues warring with one another. Her movements were awkward at first, making it clear that she’d never kissed anyone before. He’d wondered, of course, if there had been any other men after he’d thwarted her meeting with Miller. It would be the height of hypocrisy to ask her, nor would he censure her if there had been another. But one thing was clear, Iris hadn’t expected to enjoy their embrace quite so much.
He forced himself to break the kiss, but he couldn’t let her go. He gazed down at her upturned face. Her eyes were closed, her cheeks flushed, and a sense of possessiveness swept through him. He’d never felt this way before.
Shaken, he continued to stare at Iris as her mouth curled into a satisfied smile. Her eyes were unfocused when she finally opened them, and he swore he could see daydreams and fantasies flittering behind them.
“I’m no hero,” he said, surprised at the rough timbre of his voice after only one kiss.
Her eyes sharpened, and they seemed to pierce through him as she studied his expression. Finally, she pulled away, and he dropped his arms with great reluctance.
“No, of course not. I would never confuse you for the hero of a fairy tale. So if that’s what you’re thinking, you can rest easy knowing that I have no illusions about you.”
Her statement shouldn’t have surprised him, and he had to laugh at himself. Did he really think he could fell this woman with just one kiss?
He locked his hands behind his back so he wouldn’t drag her into his arms again. Because in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to do just that.
“Did anything precipitate this request?”
She looked away, and he didn’t think she was going to reply. Finally, she sighed and clasped her hands at her waist. He wanted to believe it was to keep from reaching for him again.
“Last night, after retiring, I had difficulty falling asleep.”
They had that in common. Thoughts of going to Iris’s room had plagued him for hours. “Thinking of me?”
Her exasperated sigh had him wanting to laugh. “Not at first, no. I was thinking of my brother-in-law. And Celia’s husband.”
He frowned. That was not what he wanted to hear. “What about them?”
“Watching the way they behaved with their wives. The two of them were so devoted. And the way they would hold hands, stand a little too close…”
Yes, he’d seen it as well. “They couldn’t wait for the evening to end so they could make love.”
Heat rose to her cheeks. “And then there was you.”
He stilled, forcing himself to wait for her to continue. He couldn’t risk scaring her away, not when they might not have another moment alone. It was a miracle someone hadn’t already walked into the library.
“I find it difficult to believe you’re here because you wanted to see me again.”
He shouldn’t be surprised she still had doubts. “I did.”
She was examining him closely, weighing the truth of his words. “I thought Celia and Lily were daft for even thinking such a thing was possible, but then…”
Unable to hold back any longer, he reached for one of her hands and brought it up to his mouth. “But then…?” he prompted with a kiss to her palm.
“I saw that same look on your face whenever I glanced your way.”
