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Chapter Eleven
Amelia gasped and clamped a hand to her mouth, tears threatening to pour out of her eyes if she didn’t leave the room. She hurriedly gathered up her skirts and ran past William into the darkened hallway.
William and Jamie stared after her fleeing form for a few moments, and then William turned with a big grin on his face. “Well, well, well, Kinnaird. What have we here? A possible tryst in the library? A potential man kissing a woman? Could that be it, lad?” William crossed his arms in front of his broad chest, grinning from ear to ear with smug pleasure.
Jamie grumbled at his friend and said, “Not exactly. And what are ye still doing here? Have ye not a place of yer own, lad?”
William ignored Jamie’s grumblings. “Well, why don’t ye tell me what happened here?” He motioned to the spot where he and Amelia had been standing, breathless.
Jamie went to sit by the fire, and William joined him, still smiling. But he was met with a scowl from Jamie.
“Naething has happened, lad. So don’t ye worry yer red head about it.” Jamie filled his wine glass again and took a big gulp.
“Now, as I’m an expert in the matter, I know when two people have been kissin’. Ye both looked as if ye could bloody eat each other. I felt a fire in here more than the one in the hearth.” He chuckled.
Jamie leaned forward, his eyes staring into the flames, and he furrowed his brow. “She kissed me.” He whispered, not looking at his friend.
Shock shone on William’s face for a moment, and then he broke into loud laughter, his hand on his chest to contain his glee. “Yer jokin’, lad! That lass, who just ran out of here like she couldnae get away fast enough, who’s been sad since she arrived since her fiance threw her off in London, kissedye?”
Jamie’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “She was engaged?”
“Aye. Tae a viscount or some fop. She said something changed in her situation, and he sent her a note tae cancel the engagement.”
Jamie leaned back in his chair and rubbed his short beard in contemplation. His brow was still furrowed, and he looked at William.Who would throw off such a lovely creature?“Well, I’m not joking. I’m just as surprised as ye are.”
William poured himself a cup of wine and stared back at Jamie. “Aye, and now ye think ye’ve won the bet, don’t ye? Ye’ve been concentratin’ all yer efforts on this little game, ye’ve even rejected Alana the other night.”
Jamie waved a hand in frustration. “Och, Alana. Always comin’ round and begging me. I wasnae interested.” William watched Jamie’s reaction closely.
Then, Jamie smiled. “Well, donnae I win? The lass did kiss me after all. I’m just a helpless victim tae a passion-filled crime. And ye’ve been trying tae get in the way.” He threw his friend another brief scowl.
Jamie’s casual demeanor returned and he leaned back at ease.
William tapped his finger to his chin. “Well the way I see it, all’s fair in bets, aye?” He laughed. “And, donnae fash yerself the winner just yet. If the lass had kissed ye, and ye pulled away, then yes, ye’ve won the bet. But, since there’s nae way ye did that, and ye told her she was beautiful, I think I’ll be winning the bet, me friend.” He flashed Jamie a satisfied smile.
Jamie let his cocky facade falter for a moment. “When did ye find that out?”
William replied. “I just did.”
* * *
Amelia ran, her cheeks burning with humiliation as she fumbled through the corridors, hurrying down the steps to the second floor to find her chamber. It was difficult in the dark, and she tripped a number of times, but she was guided by the dim sconces on the wall.
She made it to her room, shut the door, and put her back against it, trying to catch her breath. She closed her eyes, and she covered her face with her hands, feeling the warmth of her shame.
She remained like this for a few moments before sitting in front of her vanity mirror to look at herself.
Her face was pink, and her hair was falling loose from its pins after her mad dash down the hallway.
She saw her lips, reddened and swollen and she touched them with her fingertips.His kiss. The kiss that I started.“Amelia, you fool!” She looked at herself angrily. “How could you have done something so bold, so brazen?! You’ve been spending all your time here trying to convince him you’re not a painted tart and look what you’ve done! You have gone and done just what a tart would do!”
She shuddered at the idea of Marianne or Fiona finding out what she’d done. “I’ve just kissed a man against the shelf in the library. No, first, I watched a man half naked without his knowledge, and then I kissed him in the library.”
She sat in silent shock for a moment at her behavior. But a frisson of pleasure tingled through her after a while. She, Amelia Parker, wasn’t controlled by men, she controlled her own actions and destiny. She took power into her own hands. She’d wanted to taste Jamie once she saw him in his room, and so she’d tasted him. And how delicious he had been.
This brawny, Scottish man had heated something in her she didn’t recognize, but she’d loved it. She’d let it make her into this brazen woman she could almost respect. Amelia let her mind wander to when he’d grabbed her from behind and pulled her to him, feeling his hard shaft between them. And their kiss had filled a need of hers, she didn’t know she’d had. It made her feel full, but something still wanted. What was it?
A wicked thought came to her mind and she pushed it down. “Kiss him again? Certainly not! I refuse to give him the satisfaction.Thatcan never happen again. And I should probably avoid wine as well.” And she nodded to herself in the mirror, as if encouraging her resolution.
