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He gave a mock wince. “Does that mean I’m dull?”
She laughed. “Not at all. I find it fascinating. Please, continue.”
He grinned in return and began to extoll the virtues of everything from the stone stairs to the roof. “This particular structure has been repaired in recent years with further restorations in progress. For years, it was used as everything from a prison to tenant housing. It had fallen into terrible disrepair, but when something has been standing for centuries, it is only a matter of time before a certain amount of work is required for it to remain standing. I think this one shall withstand the test of time, when so many others have been left to ruin, because it is the heart of this city. The New Castle on Tyne.”
Isadora trailed a hand along the cool stone, imagining how many others had done the same before her. “I agree that, while changes must be made in order to keep the country running more efficiently, it is just as important to preserve our history. There is little else to compare to the structure of these castles, and I doubt there will be anything like them in the future.”
“You are undoubtedly right,” he murmured, as he glanced around at the various broken, wood beams and chipped stone, the areas of the keep that still needed attention. “I should hate to think that we have to trade history for progress, but I fear that is what is coming. We are already starting to rely on machines, like locomotives, for an easier way of life, and yet, what will happen to the men who are proud to showcase their trade? With new factories appearing every day, the demand for more will cause those gifted with a certain craft to eventually fade to make way for progress.”
Isadora studied him. “You are a man of honor, Lord Osgood. I don’t doubt that you will ensure not everything is forgotten or destroyed.”
He crossed his arms and gave a snort. “That may be true when it comes to industry, but I can guarantee that there is nothing honorable when it comes to the way I’m thinking of you right now.”
Chapter Eight
He had made a mistake.Again. He’d known it the moment the words had fallen from his lips, but he couldn’t allow Lady Isadora to believe he was some sort of paragon, out to save the world while making it better, when he was imagining lying her down in some corner of this keep and slowly peeling the clothes away from her delectable body.
Rem shoved a hand through his hair. “Forgive me. That came out wrong. Unfortunately, I have this terrible tendency to speak boldly without thinking things completely through.”
She frowned lightly, and he could tell she was disconcerted, although she said nothing, merely continued to meander about the interior of the castle. After a time, she spoke, but it was so quiet he wasn’t sure if he had heard her correctly or not.
“Pardon?”
She faced him and said more directly, “What if I wasn’t offended at all, but rather… captivated by your bold way of speaking?”
He froze. There was no mistaking the slight interest in her tone. “What do you think we might do about that, my lady?”
She hugged herself, and he saw it for it what it was, a defensemechanism to protect her emotions. But when she continued, he realized how wrong he was. “I can’t say. There are things that you don’t know about me. About my past. They will always keep me from marrying anyone. But there is just… something about you that I find remarkably intriguing.”
“Do you?” His voice had become husky, and when he dared to move closer, she didn’t move away. “What, exactly, is that? My charm?” He offered his most dazzling smile, the one that made ladies practically swoon at his feet. However, it didn’t seem to faze Lady Isadora.
“I will admit that you have a certain amount of wit and character, but it’s your willingness to accept me as I am that I find the most alluring.”
He lifted a brow at that. “I’malluringnow, am I? This just gets better and better.” He paused in front of her—and waited. He knew the lady well enough to know that she wouldn’t appreciate being browbeat into a kiss. He might want to act accordingly, to show her the passion he felt, but she would have to be the one to make the first move.
As the silence stretched between them, the air became charged with something raw, something magnetic. He didn’t know if it was the history of this place, the lovers that had passed through ages before them that were urging them on, but there was definitely a strong pull shifting in the air.
Her gaze lifted. “I don’t want you to think poorly of me.”
He frowned, confused. “Why should I do that?”
She swallowed visibly, the single outward appearance that she was unnerved. “If I asked you to kiss me.”
“God, no.” He shook his head. “I should thank the stars above for allowing me to do so, when I’ve wanted to for quite some time now.” He was thoughtful for a moment. “In fact, I should say I’ve wanted to feel you against me since the first night we met.”
Her gray eyes widened slightly. “At the reading in London?”
“Indeed.” He kept focus with her. “It was all I could thinkabout then.” He yearned to reach out and touch her face, her hand, any part of her, but he refrained. Although he admitted softly, “It has been all I’ve thought of since.”
“I should say no,” she murmured, although she took a slight step forward. “But I admit there is something propelling me toward you. Perhaps it’s the threat of danger, like when one hurls themselves off a cliff to their death.”
He lifted a brow. “That’s not a very complimentary comparison. I hope that I am a more favorable alternative to such a dark fate.”
“I’m not sure you are,” she mumbled, now just a breath away from him. “Heartbreak can be a sentence worse than the hangman’s noose.” She stared at him with that same, direct look. “Have you ever been in love before, Lord Osgood?”
He could feel his blood starting to pump stronger in his veins, his breathing deepening. “I can’t say that I have.”
“Then you are very fortunate,” she said on a sigh, and then rose onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his.
