Page 63 of The Ice Queen
When their lips touched for a second time, the shyness between them evaporated. Taking Caroline’s face in his hands, Julian placed ever-deepening kisses on her lips. She groaned with pleasure. This was the tender, loving kiss she had so longed for from a man. A kiss that sought to discover all the secrets of her heart.
She exalted when he finally threw all caution to the wind and took her mouth fully. His tongue swept past her lips and into her mouth where she tasted the spice of the apple they had shared.
Their tongues danced together as gracefully as she had danced on the ice. A natural ebb and flow existed between them. The give and take of destined lovers.
When they finally, reluctantly, broke the kiss, she looked up and saw the glaze of passion in his eyes. He was as fully invested in the moment as she had been. The kiss sealed the promise of their hearts being given up to one another.
“So beautiful, oh, Caroline,” he whispered.
As Julian spoke the words, Caroline froze. The image of Harry Menzies, as he spoke the very same words to her, appeared before her eyes. Of how he had held her in his cruel grip and tried to claim her as his prize. Of his hard, cold lips on her skin.
Julian reached out to hold her once more, but she slid back onto the ice out of his reach. He stood on the edge of the pond, concern etched in the worry lines on his brow.
“Did I overstep the mark? Forgive me if I read the moment wrong,” he said.
She saw the pained look of confusion on his face. How could she explain her reaction to his words? That for the first time in her life, she hated being told she was beautiful.
They walked back to the castle, neither saying a word. Julian watched Caroline out of the corner of his eye. She seemed lost, deep in thought. He prayed she was not having regrets about the kiss. He tried to console himself by recalling that she had said yes, but it did little to calm his worried mind.
He hadn’t sought her out with the intention of kissing her. He had simply wanted to offer her an apology for his behavior the previous night. But when she stood close to him and looked into his eyes, his heart took control of the moment.
Walking alongside her, he still couldn’t believe that he had just kissed Caroline Saunders. This was the woman who, only a matter of days ago, had been the last woman on earth he would ever have wanted to kiss. The woman he had made certain not to invite to Newhall Castle.
Midas raced ahead of them, tail wagging. It was obvious he thought he had done his job and brought the two of them together. But one kiss did not make a spring. She had let her guard down just enough to give him hope, but Julian sensed he was still a long way from the finish line.
Her reaction to being told she was beautiful had taken him by surprise. It was as if the words had caused her pain. The moment after he had spoken, a chill wind had blown across the pond. And for the second time in a matter of days Caroline had turn to ice before his eyes.
He cursed himself for his bold move. He had offered to protect her by allowing her to stay at Newhall Castle. But he was now left wondering if instead of being her protector, he had turned hunter. If so, then he was no better than Harry Menzies or Timothy Walters.
You fool. You pushed too far. Now you will have to work to gain her trust all over again.
Lost in thought, he tripped over a fallen branch, only managing to save himself from sprawling onto his face by taking several large ungainly steps and stumbling into a half-run. Caroline, head cast down, did not look up. Even Midas kept hurrying toward the castle front door.
As Julian settled back into his normal stride, he cursed the sky. The gods, it would appear, had spoken their disfavor of him.
Every step he took from this moment on would have to be well-thought-out and calculated.
The kiss that he and Caroline had shared was enough to finally seal the deal on his heart. He was in love with her, and now he desired the greatest prize of all.
But he would take all the lessons from those who had tried and failed before him and use them to his advantage. Because no matter what it took, he was not going to become yet another fallen soldier in the battle for Caroline’s heart.
He was going to succeed in winning the love of the Ice Queen.
