“I did. But in my defense, I was only four or so. My experiences at the time were somewhat limited, so I was a bit naive.”
She was smiling and it transformed her face into the loveliest he’d ever seen. “Ironic. Your mother lying about lies.”
“Indeed. I often tease her about it.”
“You get along with her then?”
He hoped his answer wouldn’t cause her any sadness because his mother was very different from hers. “I do. We’ve always been close. I think...” He shook his head.
“You think what?”
Why did he want to tell her the deep, dark facts regarding his parents, their pasts, and how they’d influenced him? Because if her mother believed he was the sort she should marry, Miss Garrison needed to know the truth regarding his scandalous family? How they’d shaped him into the man he was? But they were notthe sort of words that should be uttered in a ballroom where the light from the massive crystal chandeliers glinted off strands of her hair as they circled the floor. Therefore, a change of topic was warranted.
“You never did share with me if I was any good at kissing.”
Her eyes warmed slightly, and a corner of that luscious mouth hitched up. “I was rather foxed that night. I might not have been in the best state to judge. After all, I thought we’d finished, and you claim we didn’t.”
“Then I’d say it’s high time we got on with it and brought it to its rightful conclusion.”
Chapter 7
Leonora very much wished that they had finished their dance, the orchestra had finished playing, and the ball had finished completely. The last thing she wanted was to bring that kiss to an end because she wasn’t certain what waited on the other side of it. Based on the manner in which his gaze captured and held hers, the way the brown of his eyes darkened, and the intensity with which he studied her, she suspected the kiss was merely a prelude to something far more enjoyable... and wicked. More alluring than the green fairy, more prone to leaving devastation and quite possibly regret in its wake.
Something illicit. Something a proper lady avoided. Something that tested the boundaries of propriety.
Because in his study of her, she also read a challenge and a vow.Dare to follow me and I’ll take you on a journey where you’ll learn the perils of pleasure. For which you’ll thank me afterward. Facing those dangers can be addictive and you’ll gain a stronger desire to experience them again.
She swallowed, licked the top center of her upper lip. He watched her movements with eyes that beganto smolder, and she was hit with the wild and heady awareness that she held some power over him.
“I noticed you conversing with a few ladies. I didn’t think to ask the other night if you were courting someone.” She didn’t know why the words caused a sharp pain in her chest.
“If I was, I would have never kissed you or suggested I do so again.”
“You’re loyal then.”
“Extremely.”
Unlike his father who had numerous bastards. She was grateful to know in that regard he would not be like his sire. Not that it truly mattered. Once their kiss was completed, they’d be done with each other. She didn’t know why the thought saddened her.
“I’ve been deliberating returning to the Elysium,” she admitted.
“As I’ve told you, I don’t work there.”
“Perhaps... you could arrange something with your brother so the kissing room was available, and you could meet me there.”
“That’s too involved and delays matters. I had something else in mind. Here. Now. Tonight.”
Her eyes flared slightly. “This moment? While we’re dancing?”
His smile was devastatingly beautiful and filled with compassion at her naivety. He might even be inwardly chuckling as he appeared somewhat amused. “Hardly. Such a display would lead us both to the altar.”
So he wasn’t considering her for marriage. That was good to know as she had no wish to wed. Or so she told herself. She never had before. It was all Mama’s harping planting seeds of... possibilities... in her mind.
“In the hallway where I tended to your foot”—her face warmed at the reminder—“if you carry on to your right, you’ll reach a fork. Take the corridor to the left. At its end, you’ll spot a recess where a statue of a snarling wolf sits on a tall pedestal. If you ease around it, you’ll find yourself in a tiny alcove of shadows. I’ll be waiting for you there.”
“My dance card is full.”
“Then I suppose someone will be disappointed.”
