She reclined her head on her arm, carelessly lovely. “Surely, you must have slept with women before.”
“I don’t sleep with women.”
She frowned. “Do you mean you have a tumble with them and then vanish, leaving them in the bed? Or do you kick them out when you’re done?”
“No, that’s not what happens.” The conversation was exhausting, and he did a poor job of expressing himself. “I don’t lie with women.”
She twisted a curl of her hair around her finger. He felt the same way as that curl—wrapped around her finger. “I don’t see what being honest has to do with being rude.”
He released a breath through his teeth. “Not lie to, lie with. I mean, I don’t chase women. To be honest, I happened to have a lover a while ago, but…” Where was he going with that? “Enjoying a tumble is one thing. Committing to something serious is another. Sleeping next to someone is an act more intimate than a tumble. It’s a shared vulnerability, and I won’t do it unless I deeply care for that person.”
“Didn’t you have a sweetheart?” Maybe it was his imagination playing tricks on him, but he could swear he heard an interested note in her voice.
“No. I didn’t have time for distractions, and I didn’t find anyone I fell in love with.”
She tilted her head, and the candlelight kissed her cheek. “Never?”
“Never.” Because his heart was already taken.
“Not even when you travelled?” She rested her cheek on her palm, causing his heart to give a solid kick. It seemed everything she did was a cause of torment for him.
“I had to work hard to achieve what I wanted. A romantic liaison would be a distraction. Sir Howard helped me, and the title was a blessing, but people didn’t trust me. I had to earn their respect. Certainly, sleeping around wouldn’t have made me feel worthy.”
She nodded, causing her golden curls to bounce over her beautiful face.
“What about you?” he asked. “Should I worry about a jealous darling wanting to stab me because we’re sharing the bed?”
She smiled, but it didn’t last. “No. I didn’t have time for love either. Surviving was the priority, and it drained all my energy.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re right. Stupid question.”
“Not at all.” She stroked his shoulder again. “Do you feel better?”
No. “Yes.”
“What would make you feel better?”
A kiss. “Nothing. Don’t worry about me.”
“I have to worry. Unless you feel less restless, you’ll keep tossing and turning, and I won’t sleep either.” She touched him again with a finger. “And you’re lying.”
“I’m not. About what?”
“I don’t think you’re well at all. Your skin is feverish. The trip exhausted you more than you want to admit. I can fetch you a cup of tea.” She shoved the covers aside.
“No, please.” He closed his hand around her wrist. “I don’t want a cup of tea.”I want you.
Any trace of amusement disappeared from her face as she stared at him as she’d done earlier when he’d been caught ogling her. It was a stare that pierced his soul.
He was sure she could see every dark corner of his mind. He stroked her inner wrist with his thumb, trying not to show his eagerness to touch her too much. Her pulse kicked faster under his fingers. The temptation was too strong, and after all, the only way to get rid of a temptation was to yield to it. He drew slow circles over her silky skin, hesitant to take the next step. She took in a breath that pushed her breasts up and her neckline down. His gaze dipped to her lovely skin again, unapologetically this time.
“I can’t stop touching you.” His honest statement wasn’t original or even poetic, but he couldn’t find better words at that moment.
Her lips parted, and the tip of her tongue darted out a moment to lick her bottom lip.
“Keith.” She sounded breathless.
He couldn’t resist. He released her wrist to run the pad of his thumb over the curve of her bottom lip. It was softer than he imagined or remembered. When he pressed it lightly, her smallwhite teeth made an appearance, and he wondered how they would feel on his skin. He traced the curve of her jaw so delicate yet so devastatingly beautiful. Her lines must have been drawn by an angel.
