Page 50 of How to Seduce a Duke this Autumn
His eyes crinkled with humor, and he stepped closer. “Or perhaps you’re too clever for the others.”
“Tell me, though,” he said softly. “Why do you think this odd mix of powders is so celebrated?”
Charlene tried to ignore how close he was. “Because they’re harmless here, I suppose. Pretty in the sky. Predictable, tidy explosions. Nothing unpredictable. Except,” she paused, eyeing him, “perhaps when men are involved.”
“Are we still talking about gunpowder?” Adam’s grin widened. “And here I thought you’d credit the salts.”
“The salts?”
“Yes,” he said, leaning even closer, his voice dropping slightly. “They’re what give those pretty, tidy explosions their color. Without them, all you’d have is dull flashes of white and gray.” His fingers idly brushed the desk’s edge. “A pinch of strontium makes red, barium makes green, sodium makes yellow. Simple, when you think about it.”
“And you know this why?” Charlene retorted.
Adam smirked. “Because I was a boy once. Science was… useful for mischief. And such knowledge is always useful in foreign lands.”
“I would never have guessed,” Charlene said, her tone dry.
“About the mischief? I rather think you enjoy my mischief,” he said, his voice teasing now, edging farther into her space. His words hung in the charged air between them. She could feel the faintest warmth from him, and her breath caught as his eyes flicked to hers.
Another burst of light filled the room—green this time—and the duke smiled again, softer this time, as if he were just as aware of how close they were.
“Why are you standing so close?” she asked, her voice quieter, though firm, refusing to back down even as her pulse clawed for attention.
“Because,” he said, his tone low, “you haven’t asked me to leave. Neither have you run.”
His eyes bored into hers, and she couldn’t look away—she didn’t want to. Lord, her heart pounded so furiously in her chest that she half-worried he might hear it.
“I thought you lost interest in teaching me to dance,” Charlene muttered.
“I’d never lose interest in you. And even though I’d love to dance, this moment calls for something else, Lady Charlene.”
“Just Charlene. We’re alone, Adam. Just call me—”
“Charlene.”
“You were away for a long time. Without a word.”
He tilted his head. “What?”
Her eyes locked with his.
And there, he saw something other than reproach. That glimmer of magic he’d seen in her eyes before.
Oh, she should really run.
Before Charlene could consider doing so—she wouldn’t—Adam closed the inches between them. His lips caught hers, his tongue sweeping into her mouth. Every thought slipped from her mind—words, logic, all of it vanished.
Oh dear!
*
A protest shouldhave formed, some logical rebuttal against this madness, but none came. Instead, she wound her arms around his neck to steady herself. Or was it to lean into the kiss? Both, perhaps. Both, most certainly. His hands found her waist, pulling her close, and she took that as an invitation to lean into him. He tasted of something unmistakably, maddeningly him even though they had never kissed before. She tasted him in a way she hadn’t expected—a faint trace of mint, the undercurrent of some type of brandy—rich and warm. It was strange but intoxicating, and her head felt light.
Charlene trembled as his mouth moved against hers, unhurried but purposeful. The friction, soft but steady, sent ripples up her spine. And behind her, somewhere, the fireworks blasted into the air as if they tried to shine as brightly as the feeling blooming in her chest.
She didn’t know if she was doing it right. The kiss was a language she had never spoken, but she wanted to learn, wanted to understand every word, so she mirrored as best she could. The sensation deepened even more, if that were at all possible.A spark ignited—sharp and startling—and a soft gasp broke free, though she wasn’t sure if it came from her or him.
Adam’s hands shifted slightly. One moved from her waist to her lower back, while the other hand brushed the curve of her jaw. His thumb made the lightest pass over her cheek, and she leaned into the touch without thinking, feeling her breath quicken. His hand on her back pressed slightly, holding her as if he feared she might slip away.
