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So he stood to the side and watched her: her cascading hair, her focused brown eyes, the way her perfect lips twisted from side to side as she stretched as far as she could go. The way she seemed to get more and more annoyed at the fact that her fingers would only barely brush the windowsill.
It’s taking everything in me not to take her in my arms.
Forget the window, forget the fact that he shouldn’t do such a thing. He wanted to feel her skin next to his again, to hear that breathless little gasp she made whenever she was surprised.
He hadn’t missed the fact that she was dressed differently as well, and silently admired the way the pretty dress clung to her. And when he saw her lean over, her heavy cleavage threatening to fall out the top of the dress, he had to force himself to look away. Any longer and he would have to leave with his pants much tighter than before.
“Hannah, I don’t think—”
“Yes!” she exclaimed when she finally managed to grab a hold of the windowsill. She shot him a victorious grin before she reached out with her other hand and pushed it open, her fingers bending it far enough back that it would be difficult to shut again.
“All right,” Stephen said, coming closer. He peered down at her, keeping his eyes on hers and not on the soft flesh of her breasts. “And how do you plan to get back up?”
“It’s simple.” Hannah tried pushing herself back up and failed. She frowned, tried again, failed. Stephen didn’t bother holding back her smile. “I don’t think I thought this one through,” she said after a few more bad attempts.
“Here,” he said, offering his hand.
Hannah looked down at it. She hesitated for a few moments before she gave in and placed her hand in his. He ignored the way his stomach tightened at the touch, holding her firmly as she once again, tried to push herself to a stand.
On the third attempt, she finally managed to do it. Hannah let out a happy laugh as she came to a full stand, then her smile slipped when the momentum of her push had her toppling back over.
Stephen moved in quickly, wrapping his arm around her back. His other arm banded around the front of her midsection and he pulled her close to his chest, knocking the breath from her lungs.
Her eyes are almost green up close.
He could see tiny flecks in them now, as if the shock of their sudden embrace had them brightening as a result. She seemed to be holding her breath, her lips parted slightly, and when she finally released it, the rush of air tickled his beard.
Her body felt so perfect pressed up against his, melded to his body as if they were meant to fit together. He couldn’t help himself, wouldn’t have been able to no matter how hard he tried. The lure of her lips, the feel of her body, the intense need rushing through him, led him to lean closer, his lips a hairsbreadth from hers.
“Hannah?” The door began to open, and Hannah jerked away from him. Stephen kept a good hold of her, attempting to lower her to the bed as if that was what they were doing all along.
Miss Julia came to a stop, frowning. “What’s wrong? Why are you standing?”
“I was trying to open the window,” Hannah said to her. Her face was turned away from Julia, hidden partially behind Stephen’s shoulder. He didn’t blame her. He too wanted to hide the blush of his cheeks.
“Why in heaven’s name would you do something like that?”
“It was foolish, I know.” Stephen finally got her settled back onto the bed and was both surprised and amazed that she managed to get herself together so quickly.
Did it not affect her as much as it did me?
“Foolish is one way to put it,” Miss Julia said, venturing closer. Her eyes darted back and forth between Stephen and Hannah. “Completely mad is another way. You could have gotten yourself even more hurt.”
“Well, luckily, Stephen was here to help me.”
“Yes,” Julia’s glittering eyes finally came to rest on him, “perhaps. Well, I only came up here to tell you that Father will be returning home soon and so we’ll be having supper when he does. Will you be joining us, Mr. Norton?”
“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to. Perhaps another time.”
Miss Julia nodded. She smiled brightly, so bright in fact that Stephen would have thought she was completely clueless to what she had walked in on. But he knew better than to assume that.
He watched her leave the room before releasing a silent breath.
If she’d only been a few seconds later…
“Norton is your family name?” Hannah asked, cutting into the silence.
Stephen saw that her eyes were on him, her cheeks no longer tinged pink, looking completely at ease and unaffected. Quite unlike the bundle of nervous energy thrumming through him. “Yes, it is.”
