Page 57 of Scandal’s Daughter

“Ah, yes,” he said, amusement pulling at the corners of that sensual mouth, a mouth made for kissing and decadent pleasures, she thought, and then scolded herself for thinking it at all. He smirked, as though aware of her train of thought, before carrying on. “It must take a lot of thought I suppose, the question of whom to marry.”

“Well of course it does,” she replied, tutting at him. “Though what on earth makes you believe I was thinking about who I’m going to marry?”

“A wild guess,” he replied, his tone dry.

She looked across the water, glittering in the spring sunshine as more people took to the boats and wandered up and down the banks of the river.

“Oh look!” she exclaimed, as the huge blue and gold striped balloon began to ascend into the azure skies.

They watched for a while as the balloon rose higher and higher.

“What a marvellous view they must have from up there,” she said, shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand. She looked away, blinking, as Beau grimaced.

“I’d rather keep my feet on the ground,” he muttered.

“Oh?” she replied, laughing at him. “Are you not very adventurous? How disappointing.”

He raised one eyebrow at her, a look in his blue eyes that made her skin prickle with awareness.

“Oh, but I am extremely adventurous, darling, more than you can possibly imagine,” he replied, his voice all silk sheets and candlelight as a slow smile curved over his mouth.

She blushed, only too aware of what he was referring to and then gasped as small trailing branches dragged past the sides of the boat and they disappeared behind the curtain of a willow tree.

“Beau!” she exclaimed. “Take us back out immediately, people will think ...”

“People will think I’m taking advantage of the moment to kiss you,” he supplied for her, settling the oars in the rowlocks. “And they’d be quite right.”

He shifted and she squealed as the boat dipped violently to one side before he settled beside her on the narrow seat and put his arms around her.

“Beau!” she said again, a warning in her voice as she pushed him back, both hands pressed against the flat of his chest. The crisp clean scent of starched linen and a warm, very male body drifted to her as she looked up at him. “Was Sebastian right? Are you hoping to spoil my chances with anyone else?”

He laughed, a warm, caressing sound that seemed to glide over her skin.

“I’d be a fool if I didn’t, darling Eve,” he replied. “But you’re not considering anyone else except Sebastian, and he’s not offered for you, has he?”

She looked away from him, her heart in turmoil. No, he hadn’t, though she’d not given him much of an opportunity. But from his words earlier it sounded unlikely that he would. It sounded like he thought loving her was a kind of madness, the kind his father had suffered when he had met her mother.

“He can’t, Georgiana,” Beau said, and though his words were harsh they were spoken gently, as though he knew it would hurt and was sorry for it. “After everything his family suffered, and I’m blaming neither party,” he added before she could take offence.

“From all I’ve heard about it the two of them were madly in love, and if she was anything as lovely as you, darling, I can hardly wonder at it.” She swallowed and refused to look up at him but waited for him to carry on.

“But the whole affair destroyed his mother. She was always a nervous sort from what I understand, prone to hysterics and the like. But since then she’s been a recluse and she uses her ill health to manipulate her son. If she had the slightest inkling he was interested in you, the shock would likely kill her.”

She did look up then, as her hopes, slim as they’d been, came crashing to the ground.

Beau was watching her with sympathy in his eyes.

“Come, Georgiana,” he said, reaching out a hand and stroking her cheek. “I know you don’t love me. But we are friends. We like each other’s company and more than that ... I think you desire me.”

She opened her mouth in shock, though whether to deny it was true she wasn’t sure. But he just chuckled, amused by her discomfort.

“Were you going to contradict me?” he demanded, his voice soft with amusement, and then slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her closer, his lips pressing against hers.

She began to push him away, but his lips were soft and warm and very tender and her heart was in turmoil. She knew he was telling the truth, trusting him in that. Sebastian would never be able to offer her marriage. The most he would ever want from her was to make her his mistress, and that she would never do. But Beau was here, he was handsome and clever, funny and unexpectedly kind and yes, he was right, she did desire him.

There was no denying that as his kiss became more insistent, searching and she opened her mouth to him.

The expression, give him an inch and he’ll take a mile, came forcefully to mind as he possessed her mouth with a soul stealing kiss that made her tremble with alarm. Good God, she thought as his hands slid over her body, his arms pulling her tighter against him. How could she feel this way for a man she didn’t love?