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“I don’t have a suitor, and I’m certain most gentlemen wouldn’t even think of doing that.” She sighed heavily and walked to one of the pictures on the wall, pretending to study it. Her mind fought to make sense of the confusion filling her head, growing cloudier by the minute. She gingerly ran her finger across the bottom of the picture frame. “Wayne? Suppose we were indeed poisoned. Are you certain it wouldn’t kill us?”
“If we were given enough to bring death, someone would be digging our graves by now.”
That made her feel slightly more relieved. “How long would the concoction stay in our bodies?”
Through the glass on the frame, she saw him move away from the counter and stop behind her. “Why do you ask?”
She hesitated in facing him because he was so close, but she couldn’t very well talk to him this way. She turned and leaned back against the wall. “Because, if by chance we were poisoned and it is still in our bodies, would we be able to feel it?”
His expression relaxed when a grin touched his tempting mouth. “You know, Reggie, I have the same thoughts. It was around this time last evening when I started feeling off.”
“And how do you feel now?” she wondered.
“My head isn’t foggy, and my memory of what is happening now is very clear. Yet...” He shrugged. “I do believe part of the poison is still inside me.”
“Why?” she asked, feeling intoxicated by his nearness.
“Because I experience this vulnerability when I’m around you, which is something I haven’t experienced before.”
She inhaled sharply as her heart raced. This was exactly how she felt right now, too. Did she dare mention it to him? After all, she didn’t want to give him the wrong impression. She also didn’t want to do something this evening that she would regret, and talking about her feelings might push her in the wrong direction.
His gaze moved slowly over her face, hair, then down the front of her dress. The heated look of desire in his expression ignited burning deep inside her soul, making her legs weak. Once again, she cursed her body for responding to him this way.
He took a lock of her hair in his fingers, and her body shivered. She should push him away and tell him to stay at least six feet apart. Yet, she couldn’t deny the warmth filling her whenever he was so near.
“Regina? I feel I should apologize for last night. I wasn’t in my right mind, and neither were you. However, I pray that I didn’t force unwanted attention on you or hurt you in any way.”
She shook her head. “I don’t remember much, but I know you didn’t force me.” She chuckled. “In fact, from what I recall about our moments in the coach, I believe I was the one taking advantage of you.”
“Why do you say that?”
Her throat turned dry, and she tried her best to swallow. “I made the mistake of climbing into your coach, thinking it was my father’s. We had argued for several minutes. I knew I should leave, but my headache and the dizziness accompanying it made me want to stay.” She paused briefly. “You were charming and seducing with your words. Once you had taken me in your arms, I should have pushed you away, but I didn’t. I was weak, and I allowed your attention. Being with you was something I had never done before, yet I hadn’t thought of the consequences until later after we had awoken. So, perhaps I should be the one to apologize. It’s as you suggested – neither of us were in our right minds.”
His breathing had increased, which only made hers match the speed faster. Oh, heavens! Why was she saying these things? She was only making things worse. What happened to her taking control of the moment and staying away from him? Obviously, it wasn’t working.
Chapter 8
