AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Thirteen
Hermione was lost in the Duke’s kiss. It was tender, gentle even, far from being like their first kiss. His lips were moving against hers and pushing the boundaries just slightly. His hands came up to her, resting on her waist and pulling her body to rest against his. The brush ignited a heat.
It was that heat that made her eyes shoot open in realization of what she had just done. She had wanted to kiss the Duke. So enthralled and touched by him, she had felt drawn to him. As though there were some sort of force pulling her in, a force that would only be satisfied by a kiss. Now, she realized just what she had done. She had played with him, the way her father had told her to. If anyone had seen them, the Duke would be trapped.
She made a sound into their kiss as she backed away from him, stumbling away across the beach. The moment she was away, she could see his shocked expression entirely, but she turned from him regardless, looking across the beach. The maid and the footman hadn’t seen a thing, far too absorbed in their own conversation with their backs turned this way. She sighed out of relief. The Duke was safe! He would not be forced into marrying her.
“Well, that was interesting,” the Duke’s chuckle prompted her to turn back to him. She was breathing heavily, struggling to control her pulse that was racing from his kiss.
“Interesting?” she said in outrage, hurt by the description of their kiss.
“No, do not be offended,” he said quickly. “The kiss, believe me, that was…” he paused, before casting his eyes up to the sky. “Something else entirely. I meant it was interesting that you were the one to kiss me and are now backing away from me like I have trodden on your favorite puppy.”
“Oh, I should not have done that.” She walked away from him, traipsing across the rocks as quickly as she could. She placed her hands on the stones when she stumbled, trying to stand straight in her effort to be further away from him. It didn’t work; he merely followed.
“Why not?” he asked, chuckling. “I am already thinking of what the next kiss will be like.”
“What? No! No more kisses,” she said quickly, whipping around to face him, walking backward. Not looking where she was going, she tripped on a stone. She was about to keel over when his arm came up around her waist, catching her and holding her up to him. Her words were silenced as she grew distracted, looking at him.
I like you, Your Grace. More than I can say. That is why I cannot do this!
She was tempted to say the words aloud and only just managed to keep them in.
“Why no more kisses?” he asked, so close to her that they could kiss again. She pushed away from him, parting their bodies and walking back to the stone where they had left their fossils. She stood on the other side of the giant stone where he had been sitting, using it to separate the two of them.
“You know why! It is wrong.”
“That certainly didn’t feel wrong,” he said, gesturing to his own lips, making her cast her eyes down to them again. “Did it feel wrong to you?”
“Of course not,” she said quickly, “but it is wrong.” She wanted to tell him it was because of her guilt. That if she continued to kiss him, sooner or later they would be seen, and he would be trapped in a marriage with a woman who had a ruined reputation. It hardly mattered that she had loved every part of that kiss, nor that she wanted to do it again.
It is too cruel to you.
“You are worried about your reputation,” he said, summarizing an answer before she could give one.
“Exactly,” she said, hoping that would be enough to convince him.
“Ah, I cannot argue with that,” he said, grimacing. “It is a shame though. Those two kisses we’ve shared…” he trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief. “They were quite something.”
“Oh, do not torment me so!” She turned away from him, covering her face. She wanted nothing more than to kiss him another time, even though her mind was telling her of the danger of it. “We cannot do that anymore.” She came up with a plan, turning back around to him and dropping her hands from her face. “Promise me that.”
“Promise you what?” He seemed confused; he came to a stop on the other side of the rock, opposite her.
“Promise me there will be no more kisses between us,” she pleaded with him, clasping her hands together.
“You started that kiss,” he said, laughing at her.
“I know I did, but I promise not to again,” she said hurriedly. “Please, Your Grace. Please promise me you will not kiss me either.”
“Kiss you where?” he asked.
“On the lips!” she said insistently, angered by his infuriating want to tease her.
“So, I can kiss you elsewhere?” he said, smirking and lifting just one eyebrow. Realizing what he meant, she let out a growl of exasperation.
“No, nowhere at all.” She waved her hands frantically in the air. “Please, promise me, Your Grace.”
“Well, it is a promise I really do not want to give,” he sighed with the words, “but seeing how much that kiss has made you panic, how could I defy you? I give you my word.” He bowed to her with the statement, emphasizing it further.
