Excerpt from His Perfect Lady
“Was that
intimate enough for you?” Jonathan didn’t try to hide the desire in his voice.
Her chest heaved as she remained quiet. He silently prayed she would insist it wasn’t enough. Unfortunately, he knew her too well to believe she would respond as such. Her hesitation, however, offered him more pleasure than he’d expected.
“Actually, Lord Linwood, I found your actions much too intimate.”
“Ah, Catherine, if you believe that, then you have no idea what other joys exist out there.”
“I don’t recall giving you leave to address me by my Christian name.” Although her voice held outrage, the passion clouding her words made it hard for him to believe.
“Accept my apology for my lack of manners. Apparently I haven’t made you feel close enough to me. Allow me to fix such an egregious error.”
He began to move forward, but she held her hand out as if the slight movement would protect her.
“That’s all right. I’d be honored if you would call me Catherine.”
The fear in her face made him want to laugh and scream in frustration at the same time. He’d never forced a woman into a situation she felt uncomfortable with. The fact she believed he’d act otherwise, bothered him.
“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it, Catherine?”
Before she could answer, he grabbed her hand and drew it to his lips. As he gently kissed her palm, he wished she didn’t have the protection of the glove. Repressing the urge to remove the offending material, he rubbed her fingers across his mouth. Her lips parted, but she didn’t move.
Her rapid heartbeat echoed in the small space. Hearing her body’s reaction to him while she stood so close only served to feed his desire. The room grew stuffy in the silence, filling him with longing and want. He couldn’t take the torture any longer. She had to leave, or he’d be tempted to take things further than she was prepared to go.
Her chest heaved as she remained quiet. He silently prayed she would insist it wasn’t enough. Unfortunately, he knew her too well to believe she would respond as such. Her hesitation, however, offered him more pleasure than he’d expected.
“Actually, Lord Linwood, I found your actions much too intimate.”
“Ah, Catherine, if you believe that, then you have no idea what other joys exist out there.”
“I don’t recall giving you leave to address me by my Christian name.” Although her voice held outrage, the passion clouding her words made it hard for him to believe.
“Accept my apology for my lack of manners. Apparently I haven’t made you feel close enough to me. Allow me to fix such an egregious error.”
He began to move forward, but she held her hand out as if the slight movement would protect her.
“That’s all right. I’d be honored if you would call me Catherine.”
The fear in her face made him want to laugh and scream in frustration at the same time. He’d never forced a woman into a situation she felt uncomfortable with. The fact she believed he’d act otherwise, bothered him.
“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it, Catherine?”
Before she could answer, he grabbed her hand and drew it to his lips. As he gently kissed her palm, he wished she didn’t have the protection of the glove. Repressing the urge to remove the offending material, he rubbed her fingers across his mouth. Her lips parted, but she didn’t move.
Her rapid heartbeat echoed in the small space. Hearing her body’s reaction to him while she stood so close only served to feed his desire. The room grew stuffy in the silence, filling him with longing and want. He couldn’t take the torture any longer. She had to leave, or he’d be tempted to take things further than she was prepared to go.