“Yes, thank you, Jack,” he said roughly, his voice deep with some emotion she didn’t recognize.
“Well, it is the natural conclusion, is it not,” she defended. “To the kiss that you gave me?”
“Yes, it is the natural conclusion,” he agreed, his sensual lips parting ever so slightly as his gaze dropped to her mouth. “But we cannot be concluding thus.”
“Of course not,” she agreed.
They stared at each other for a long moment, as if both of them were contemplating it.
“Right,” he said, clapping his hands together as if he could suddenly change the mood and direction of their lesson. “Let’s begin. Go over to the fireplace. Stand as relaxed as you may. Take a deep breath. Turn to me, and then lock gazes with me.”
She looked at him, completely puzzled, but he was the expert in charming a room. So, she turned to the fireplace, strode toward it, and turned back to face him as instructed. She leaned against the mantle, crossed her arms over her chest, and locked gazes with him.
And that moment stole her breath away. She could not look away.
That look he gave her burned with the most delicious fire. If she thought she’d been warm before, she fairly vibrated with the feeling of his gaze locked with hers now.
It was as if he was offering her a whole world that she had not ever known existed—just in that look.
It was wrong. It wasn’t fair.
And she did her very best to mirror it, to offer him some promise of herself that was far more exciting than she had ever known. She did not look away. And as she held his gaze, she found that her lips parted ever so slightly.
As if anticipating the pleasure they could share.
She drew in a slow take of air, tasting lavender and lilac from the garden outside, the scents of which were wafting toward his room.
There was also that heady scent ofhim.
There was no escaping it.
There was no escapinghim. And she did not wish to escape.
He dominated the room, yet she did not feel small.
With every moment that their gazes held, she felt more alive, more powerful, more purposeful. She did not shrink. No, she grew.
And at last, it was he who looked away.
“Well done. Well done, Jack,” he said quickly, as he drove a hand through his dark hair. “That was very good.”
“Thank you,” she said, her body fairly tingling, hungry for something. “It felt…”
He shoved his hair back from his face. “Yes?”
“Well, it felt empowering,” she breathed.
He arched a brow, studying her before he replied, “Youarepowerful, Jack, and you should never second-guess it.”
“Ladies are not supposed to have power in our society, James,” she protested, flinging her hands up in frustration. “We’re supposed to wait for a man to take us. It’s bloody unfair.”
“It seems to be the role that women have been forced to,” he agreed. “I am sorry for it.”
“Sorry?” She blew out a breath. “Doyouwish to be taken?”
“What an extremely absurd thing to say,” he said, straightening.
“Is it?” she demanded.