Heat colored her cheeks while she brought the fabric of her nightdress back over her shoulders to cover herself again.Then, with a confidence she was far from feeling, she placed her hand on his backside.
His reaction was instant.He stiffened before turning to face her again, making sure to step back far enough so she couldn’t touch him.But she could clearly see that he was still hard, which meant he didn’t want to stop.
She took a deep breath, noticing the way his eyes traveled down to her now-covered breasts, and stood.His eyes, when they met hers again, were filled with heat.
She licked her lips, and he actually groaned.“We don’t need to stop—”
“I will not take your innocence in a garden.”
“But—”
“We were fortunate no one came upon us.”
“Amelia assured me it would be safe.She and her husband have…” She couldn’t actually say it.It was bad enough she knew what her friend and her husband had done out here.And now she’d told Ashford.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.“I’ll pretend I don’t know that.”
“What we’ve done tonight… I know there’s more.I want to share that with you.Now more than ever.”
His stare bored into her and she met it, refusing to look away.She wouldn’t be embarrassed.What had happened between them was more special than she could have imagined.When this season was over, she was going to retire to the country.She wouldn’t apologize for wanting a taste of the pleasure that could be found between a man and a woman.Because one thing was now abundantly clear to her.She could never share such intimacies with another man.
He reached for her hand, taking it between his.There was something in his gaze that had her heart soaring.
“I’ve been thinking that perhaps it is time to end our pretense.”
And just like that, her foolish hopes came crashing back to earth.He didn’t want her in that way.She’d been a disappointment to him.
She tugged her hand from his grasp and took a step back.Ashford waited patiently for her response.
“I understand, and I apologize for imposing on you in this manner.”
His brows drew together.“What do you mean?”
She waved a hand toward the bench where he had shown her a glimpse of the pleasure that would never again be hers.
“I apologize for being selfish.I will let Amelia know that our courtship is over.I’ll also tell your sister that the decision was mine the next time we meet.That I changed my mind.It is, after all, a woman’s prerogative.”
She started to turn away, hoping to flee back to the house before tears of hurt and humiliation could fall.His hand on her arm halted her progress.
He turned her to face him, his eyes roaming over her face.“I have made a mess of this.I wasn’t saying that we should end our courtship.Just the pretense.”
It took several seconds for the meaning of his words to sink in.His expression was so serious that she thought she might have heard him wrong.
“I don’t understand.You’re saying…”
One corner of his mouth lifted, and with that a portion of her heart began to lighten.“That what is happening between us is more than just pretend.”
She shook her head, unable to believe she’d heard him correctly.“I think I might be dreaming.I am in bed right now, imagining that I came down to the garden to meet you.”
He chuckled.“Oh, you definitely came down to meet me, and you tempted me beyond words.So much so that you’ve convinced me the only person I was fooling with this pretend courtship was myself.”
This wasn’t actually happening.Ashford wanted to court her?Did he have feelings for her?Did she have feelings for him?Was her earlier disappointment due to more than just embarrassment?
“You mean to say…” She wouldn’t act the coward now, but she had to take a deep breath before continuing.“You want to court me in earnest?”
“Would that be so hard to believe?”
“Frankly, yes.There are far more suitable women than me.”