Page 19 of Sweet Siren
A ravenous sound escaped her and she kissed him with all the need he inspired in her. She held him tightly, fighting to encompass the massive strength that denoted his personality and his power. She brokeaway.
But he dragged her back and she kissed him with hunger. His tongue invaded her mouth and she allowed the heady claim. Bending her over his arm, he groaned and took the lead to kiss her once and then again. She managed a hand around his nape, his thick satin hair clutched in her fingers. His kisses grew demanding, wild. Her responses raw andneedy.
He broke away with a start and she nestled her face into the wealth of his heavy wool cape. She heard him swallow hard and gasp forair.
This kind of affection was so new to her, so foreign. This was the stuff of a young girl's dreams. Or romances such as Camille wrote. About a man's kisses and embraces, the yearning for more, never to end. Naive, baseless fantasies. None of themrealistic.
He put his lips to her forehead. "I'd like to kiss you again, but I doubt I'd live beyond themoment."
She pressed against him, words escaping her. What madness was this to want her arch-enemy with such ardor? She'd lived nearly half her life decrying who he was, how he lived, what he did and here she stood, in his fast embrace, caring only that he kiss her again and give her more ofhimself?
He stepped backward, his hands cupping her shoulders steadying her. On his face stood compassion like she'd never known. Desire like she'd neverseen.
That too was unbelievable. A childish dream. Not meant for a woman of thirty-seven.
He glanced at the sky and bent to sweep her up into hisarms.
She laughed, one arm around his shoulders. "Hanniford, you are ascoundrel."
He kissed her cheek. "But you likeme."
God forgive me."Ido."
"Now," he said as he made his way along thequaitoward his coach, "I call that a good day'swork."
