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Chapter14
It was impossible not to get carried away.He’d only meant to give her a light kiss, hoping it would be enough to satisfy Mary’s curiosity.But when his mouth touched hers, she let out a soft sound that ignited his desire.In that moment, nothing could have stopped him from deepening the kiss.
He deserved a medal for going so slowly.When she’d caught him staring earlier, he’d been wondering what her mouth would feel like under his, and now he had the answer.He hadn’t exaggerated when he told her that her mouth was made for sin.But what shocked him now was how much her lips tasted like heaven.Soft, plump, and more pliable than he had imagined.
And since he was only human, he’d imagined it quite often of late.
He swallowed her soft sound of contentment as he brushed his mouth over hers.When he traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, she opened for him with a sigh.
He wouldn’t ask who it was that had attempted to steal a kiss from her in the past.He was only grateful she’d found the entire affair distasteful enough to swear off other men.It was the height of selfishness, but no one had ever accused him of being a saint.And the way Mary returned his kiss told him she was enjoying this as much as him.
He’d planned to have just a small taste of her.Enough to satisfy the curiosity of them both.But without even realizing it, he’d drawn her into his arms.No one would describe this kiss as light or innocent.
When he started to raise his head, she made a soft sound of protest before her tongue swept into his mouth just as his had done moments before.
Just like that he was lost.Lost to desire, lost to Mary.
He pulled her closer until their bodies were flush against one another and couldn’t hold back a groan.Mary wasn’t a slight woman, and the way her curves pressed against him had his thoughts leaping forward to whatcouldhappen next.
Ruthlessly, knowing that this was neither the time nor the place to go any further, he called upon every ounce of discipline he’d developed during his years in the army and raised his head.
It took him a little longer to take a step back.They were still too close, and his hands were still cupping her face, but in that moment, he was powerless to move away.
Mary stared up at him, her breath coming in light pants and her eyes filled with wonder.If a man could grow taller from such admiration, it would have happened to him.He’d been with more women than he cared to remember, but the only person who mattered to him was Mary.He wanted to be worthy of the appreciation he saw reflected in her eyes, and he realized he might have miscalculated when starting this pretend courtship.
If he wasn’t careful, he would find himself well and truly lost.
He lowered his hands, ignoring the pang of regret that slammed through him, and took another step back.
“I apologize—”
“You were correct—”
They both spoke at once and then stopped at the same time.Playing the role of gentleman that he was far from feeling, Ashford indicated that Mary should continue.
She shook her head.“I don’t know why that felt so different than the last man who kissed me, but you were correct.It was… pleasant.”
He felt a slight sting to his pride.“Pleasant?”
Mary’s mouth firmed, and she raised one shoulder.“I suppose you have a great deal of experience in kissing.”
She started to turn away, but Ashford took hold of one of her hands to keep her from hiding.“I do have some experience, yes.”Her shoulders stiffened, and he couldn’t let her believe that this was like all those other times.“But I can assure you that what we shared just now was no ordinary kiss.”
She took a step closer, and so did he.“It wasn’t?”
“No.Which is why we need to rejoin our hosts.”
“Why?”
“Because, Miss Trenton, you are tempting me to distraction.”
Her free hand rose to her mouth, and he wanted to groan again when he realized her lips were swollen from the kiss they’d shared.He closed his eyes, attempting to gather his scattered wits.
The sound of Amelia’s laughter told him they were about to have company.He wasn’t sure whether to curse Lowenbrock and his wife or thank them for the reminder that anyone could come upon them.
He released Mary’s hand and offered her his arm.She took a deep breath, and he was powerless to keep his eyes from flitting to her décolletage, appreciating the way her breasts strained at the neckline of her dress.Good Lord, he needed to pull himself together.
She took his arm, and together they stepped out onto the path, just in time to see their friends come into view.No one said a word about what had just happened, and Amelia proceeded to talk about the plans Lowenbrock’s sister had for improving the gardens.
He found it impossible to concentrate on her words, and he realized he had miscalculated.Was it possible that their pretend courtship was, in fact, real?
