She kept her eyes closed but a soft gasp left her lips as he continued to taunt her skin. He smiled at her reaction. He enjoyed teasing her. He valued each and every response to his caresses. He was determined to make this the best almost-kiss of her life.
He smiled as he drew his finger lightly down the length of each of hers, until he could hear and see the effect he had on Jessica’s breathing.
He studied her face for each precious change in her mood, catching her biting her bottom lip to hold in her response. He drew a little closer as he began to draw circles on her sensitive palm. A tiny whimper escaped her control, and he grinned widely. He had never imagined seeing Jessica warm to any seduction of his…but she was enjoying this.
He tapped the center of her palm and then closed her fingers into a fist. He held her clenched fist a moment before drawing back from her.
Jessica’s eyes flashed open. Her lips were parted, and a shuddering sigh left her lips.
He took another step back, pleased with her reaction. He pulled his glove from his pocket and tugged it back on.
Jessica drew closer, fist clenched around her own glove. “You cheated me out of a proper kiss.”
He hid a smile. “Perhaps, but that should be enough to help you fool Miss Hawthorne.”
“Miss Hawthorne?”
He glanced at her face. Her cheeks had reddened, and her lower lip was plump and pink from biting it. Had he completely muddled her with just his touch? Remarkable. “You said you needed Miss Hawthorne to believe you’d been kissed before? That is what it feels like. Mostly.”
She stared at him, and then her eyes widened. “Truly?”
“Would I lie to you about something so important?”
“I hope not but…”
“Think of how it felt…not knowing what would happen, the disappointment when I stopped. A good kiss should always leave you wanting more.”
Her brows furrowed. “Do you?”
“Of course not.”
He returned inside without looking back, trusting Jessica to return indoors in her own good time.
Chapter 7
Jessica was glad of the peace and tranquility of her home, a much-needed reprieve from her last months in London.
As she restyled her hair for the afternoon into a simple bun with a few pins, she thanked the stars for Gideon. She felt calmer now; confident in a way she’d never been in London. For months, she’d despaired of her new situation as a woman in search of a husband. Despite all the advice offered, it wasn’t until she’d experienced her first taste of intimacy with Gideon that she understood why anyone would want to marry.
His touch, a cunning pretense of kissing her, on Sunday night had bolstered her confidence with barely any effort. “My first kiss was lovely. Everything you said it should be and more,” she promised Natalia, who had called that afternoon. Given the sweetness of the moments she’d spent alone with Gideon, she was now happy to talk about her experience in glowing terms.
Natalia laughed softly then leaned close. “Isn’t it strange that having a man’s tongue in your mouth can actually feel lovely.”
Jessica murmured her agreement, although she hadn’t a clue tongues could be involved. Gideon hadn’t said anything about that. Maybe the next time they met, he could be persuaded to further her education a little more. She still yearned for a real kiss.
Natalia helped herself to a second cup of tea. “So it seems your Giddy and Mrs. Beck are still causing tongues to wag in the village today.”
Jessica stared at Natalia in shock. “What?”
Natalia wrinkled her nose. “Mrs. Napier called on Mother this morning and all but announced a wedding.”
“No.” Jessica couldn’t believe her ears. “Giddy swore he wasn’t pursuing Mrs. Beck.”
“I saw them, too, standing outside that little cottage you’ve inherited.” Natalia’s eyebrows rose high. “Did you really ask him if he was courting her?”
“Well. Yes.” She fidgeted, and then clenched her fingers together to control her agitation. “He said he was being kind, helping Mrs. Beck feel at home in new surroundings.” Jessica made no mention of Gideon wanting Mrs. Beck to run a school from her own property. She couldn’t fathom why they had been looking at her cottage when she’d been very clear she wouldn’t lease it to the woman.
“That is not how Mrs. Napier puts it. I definitely heard the words ‘smitten’ and ‘inseparable’.” Natalia leaned forward. “Do you think he is hiding his interest in her from you?”