Page 28 of The Season for Loving
He cradled her cheek, giving her a smile so warm and tender that it stole her breath. “I know. And trust me when I tell you that no woman has ever offered to court me before. I will forever cherish that moment.”
She winced. “It actually came out rather muddled.”
“It was perfect.”
“Then I didn’t disgust you last night?” she asked in a hopeful voice.
He huffed out a laugh, then leaned down and brushed a soft, tantalizing kiss across her mouth. He teased her for a few seconds, nuzzling her, then flicking his tongue between her lips. But when she moaned and started to part for him, Fergus drew back.
“Does that answer your question?” he asked, his brogue deep and rough.
“Yes, but then why are you stopping? Don’t you want to court me?”
His chest expanded on a huge breath. “More than anything, but it’s simply not possible.”
Argh.He was the most frustrating man she’d ever known. “Somethingisholding you back. Can’t you tell me what it is?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at his feet, as if to close himself off from her.
“Fergus?” she prompted.
He finally looked up. “I once challenged my cousin to a duel.” The tone of his voice suggested that he expected her to shriek and faint dead away.
“Yes, I already know that.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Who told you? Wait, it doesn’t matter and that’s not really the important part. Doesn’t it bother you that I did something so unforgiveable?”
“It is rather puzzling, since I thought you quite liked your cousin. But I understand your reasons.”
“You do?”
“Yes, you were defending your sister’s honor.” She frowned. “But there’s one thing I don’t understand. Your sister wanted to join a convent, correct?”
He nodded.
“Then why did you challenge your cousin if your sister didn’t want to marry him in the first place?” she asked.
“Because I didn’t know she didn’t want to marry him. Well, I did, except I wasn’t really paying attention to that part. Or to Alec, either. He kept trying to tell me, but I wouldn’t listen.” He let out a disgusted snort. “Oh, confound it. It all sounds completely ridiculous, doesn’t it? And I suppose it was.”
“Just a bit confusing. You didn’t actually go through with the duel, did you?”
“No, thank God. Lady Reese put a stop to it.”
“Oh, I wish I could have seen that,” Georgie said. The more she knew about Lady Reese, the more she liked her.
Fergus let out a reluctant laugh. “She came roaring onto the field like a fire-breathing dragon. I thought she was going to murder us.”
“You probably deserved it.”
“We did. We were both acting like idiots.”
“But you and your cousin made it up, didn’t you?”
“We did. Alec is a good man,” he said, sounding a little gruff.
Georgie patted his chest. “Then it sounds like everything worked out fine. I understand what brothers are like, Fergus, so you needn’t be embarrassed on my account. And if that’s the only thing that’s holding you back—”
She stopped, startled by the change in his expression.
