She turned back to look at him, and he caught her gaze and held it. “Who would have thought there was a place in this sprawling castle where we could be totally undisturbed.”
“Will.” She spoke in a warning tone as he moved to stand in front of her.
“I seek only one small favor, Your Grace.”
She looked warily at him. “And that is?”
He let the silence hang in the air between them for a moment as his eyes caressed her cheeks, her jaw. He enjoyed her look of nervous anticipation.
“A secret kiss in this secret place.”
“I don’t think so,” she laughed.
“Why not?” He pressed her.
“I thought you wanted to see the keep.”
“I have seen it. Now I want to kiss you.”
“You have brought me up here under false pretenses, Mr. Browning.”
“Not entirely.”
“Do you think that such an action would be wise? In the circumstances?” Rose asked.
“Wise, no,” Will agreed, softening his voice as he reached out and touched a tendril of her hair hanging down the side of her face. He caressed it between his thumb and forefinger. “But if not wise, extremely desired.”
“Why do I always have the feeling you are playing with me?” She asked him, head cocked to one side. “You arrive here pretending you have come to see Ernest and not me, but then you dally with me and press your suit on me, knowing full well nothing can come of it.”
“Maybe I just want to relive some of the past while we still can.”
“You have had plenty of opportunity these last couple of days to steal a kiss. Indeed you have—almost. Was that not enough?”
“Is enough ever enough?” he answered her cryptically, noting that she neither acquiesced nor denied him, nor did she move away.
“Do you not like me playing with you?” He asked, as his hand slid around the back of her head into her hair, his fingertips stroking the nape of her neck.
“I don't see the point of it,” she said with a raised chin, but it was obvious his words and his ministrations were having an effect on her as her shoulders sagged slightly at his touch. “I am happy to talk with you and dine with you and even take you on a historical tour, but perhaps it would be easier on each other if we avoided physical contact,” she said.
Listen to her Will; everything inside of him was screaming. But there was a greater need beginning to scream inside of him too.
“That’s an interesting suggestion. Easier?” He toyed with the word. “Let’s see, shall we?” Holding her just by the back of her neck, he drew her slowly, inexorably, closer to him. He drank in her porcelain-like complexion and her full, pink lips. Her mouth was slightly open, her eyes a picture of confusion, but she did not resist him. He pulled her right up to his chest so her breasts just brushed the front of his jacket, and as he moved his fingers again at the nape of her neck, he felt her move against them. He was enjoying the drawn-out anticipation of touching her, tasting her.
“I am going to kiss you now,” he warned her.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
If she was going to pull away from him, she would have done so already, but she gave an almost imperceptible nod. With that, Will closed the final inch between their mouths, pressing his lips against hers and his hand harder against the back of her neck to bring her fully up tohim. He kept his kiss light and teasing, running his tongue along the inside of her lips as he gently slakedhis across hers. He could feel her go limp beneath his grasp. His nerve endings were on fire, and as she groaned, he knew hers were as well.
“Rose,” he whispered against her mouth as he increased the pressure of his lips and his hand still further, trying to satisfy the hunger rising in his chest. He longed to run his hand down her body and seize her to him, squash her perfectly-formed breasts against his clattering heart, and fit his hips to hers, but he didn’t.
He only brought his other hand up to slide through the hair at the nape of her neck, so he could hold her in place with both hands, push his lips against hers twice as hard, and feel her silken tresses cascade over the backs of both hands. His only deliberate point of contact with her was with his hands and his lips, and it was torture.
She began to move her lips against his. He felt her tongue begin to explore his own, and then she was licking at the softest part of his inner lips. Now it was his turn to groan. He felt her bring her arms up to grab his shoulders, trying to pull him closer. With every fiber of his being, he resisted, setting his body like stone and allowing himself only the pleasure of her mouth and the touch of his fingertips against her skin, but he felt himself hardening, yearning.
He moved his hands from behind her neck and slid them down her arms. He held her by her elbows and lifted his mouth from hers to look straight into her eyes.
“Do you still not see the point of it, my Rose?” He asked, but he didn’t need her to answer as it was obvious she had no will remaining to fight him. Her lips were swollen and her eyes hooded, and she was breathing quickly just looking at him.