pulled the sheet up to cover herself more fully and clenched her jaw. She had to remain strong.
“Edward, I asked you not to come in my note. I do not—” She broke off as he pushed away from his seat at her windowsill and slowly came around the bed. He perched himself on the edge, too close. So close. “I-I do not want to see you.”
He smiled at her stammering. “Don’t you? Is that why your eyes dilate with desire? Why you keep looking at my lips?”
She folded her arms. “If my eyes dilate, it is to adjust to the low light in the room.”
He tilted his head. “Don’t be foolish, Mary.”
“I’m not being foolish. I have said what I want to say and now I’m asking you to leave.” She hoped her voice sounded stronger to him than it did to her.
“No.” He said the one word slowly and succinctly, and she stared.
“No?”
“No,” he repeated.
She scooted to the other side of the bed and put her feet on the floor. God, her nightgown felt revealing now. Especially with the moonlight behind her.
“If you won’t leave because I asked, then I will call for the servants and they will put you out.” She edged around the bed to her door as she said the words, watching him with every step.
He lifted both eyebrows. “I don’t think you will.”
She gasped. “How utterly ungentlemanly of you, Woodley! I have said I will do this, don’t pretend as though I am a liar.”
He stood up and took a long step toward her. “You are a liar.”
Her lips parted, but still she didn’t reach for the bell pull. It was like she couldn't.
“I am not,” she whispered.
“You are, because you said you don’t want me and I can see from your face and your trembling body that you do.” He reached out and caught a lock of her hair that bounced around her shoulders. He coiled it around his fingers. “You are a liar and I came here to find out why.”
She could hardly think when he was so close. She could smell his skin, for God’s sake, and it was like heaven. But she couldn’t let her physical needs, nor her deep feelings, keep her from her course. All this was to protect him, even if he didn’t understand that.
“I told you in the letter,” she said as she snatched her hair back. “I do not think we suit.”
“We suited just fine when I made you come at the ball last night,” he snapped. His nostrils flared and she caught her breath.
“I shouldn’t have let that happen,” she whispered, but she didn’t feel it. She was glad he had done it, because once she had convinced him to go away, she was going to cling to that memory for all her life.
“Why did you say you didn’t want to marry me?” he pressed. Now he moved forward, backing her against the door. He caught her hand in one smooth movement and surprised her by lifting it up and pressing it to the bell pull she refused to tug. As he leaned into her, letting her feel his heat, his hardness, he said, “Tell me, Mary. Or ring the damn bell.”
Her hands were shaking as she stared up at him. She wanted to pull the cord. She needed to do it. But she didn’t. And he smiled as he ducked his head and pressed his mouth to hers.
This kiss wasn’t gentle like all the others had been. It was hard and heavy, filled with anger and desperation, and she dropped her hand away from the pull and wrapped her arms around his neck with a needy moan.
“You don’t want me?” he growled as he pressed her harder. She felt the ridge of her arousal against her belly, and she gasped at how her body clenched in response.
“N-no,” she lied, but she could hear how weak her refusal was.
“Then push me away,” he taunted her. “Don’t let me turn you…” He did so, maneuvering her away from the door. “Don’t let me take you to your bed…” He backed her across the room, kneading her backside none too gently, making her gasp and shiver in response. Her legs hit the bed and she fell back, his body covering her.
“Don’t let me claim you,” he
“Edward, I asked you not to come in my note. I do not—” She broke off as he pushed away from his seat at her windowsill and slowly came around the bed. He perched himself on the edge, too close. So close. “I-I do not want to see you.”
He smiled at her stammering. “Don’t you? Is that why your eyes dilate with desire? Why you keep looking at my lips?”
She folded her arms. “If my eyes dilate, it is to adjust to the low light in the room.”
He tilted his head. “Don’t be foolish, Mary.”
“I’m not being foolish. I have said what I want to say and now I’m asking you to leave.” She hoped her voice sounded stronger to him than it did to her.
“No.” He said the one word slowly and succinctly, and she stared.
“No?”
“No,” he repeated.
She scooted to the other side of the bed and put her feet on the floor. God, her nightgown felt revealing now. Especially with the moonlight behind her.
“If you won’t leave because I asked, then I will call for the servants and they will put you out.” She edged around the bed to her door as she said the words, watching him with every step.
He lifted both eyebrows. “I don’t think you will.”
She gasped. “How utterly ungentlemanly of you, Woodley! I have said I will do this, don’t pretend as though I am a liar.”
He stood up and took a long step toward her. “You are a liar.”
Her lips parted, but still she didn’t reach for the bell pull. It was like she couldn't.
“I am not,” she whispered.
“You are, because you said you don’t want me and I can see from your face and your trembling body that you do.” He reached out and caught a lock of her hair that bounced around her shoulders. He coiled it around his fingers. “You are a liar and I came here to find out why.”
She could hardly think when he was so close. She could smell his skin, for God’s sake, and it was like heaven. But she couldn’t let her physical needs, nor her deep feelings, keep her from her course. All this was to protect him, even if he didn’t understand that.
“I told you in the letter,” she said as she snatched her hair back. “I do not think we suit.”
“We suited just fine when I made you come at the ball last night,” he snapped. His nostrils flared and she caught her breath.
“I shouldn’t have let that happen,” she whispered, but she didn’t feel it. She was glad he had done it, because once she had convinced him to go away, she was going to cling to that memory for all her life.
“Why did you say you didn’t want to marry me?” he pressed. Now he moved forward, backing her against the door. He caught her hand in one smooth movement and surprised her by lifting it up and pressing it to the bell pull she refused to tug. As he leaned into her, letting her feel his heat, his hardness, he said, “Tell me, Mary. Or ring the damn bell.”
Her hands were shaking as she stared up at him. She wanted to pull the cord. She needed to do it. But she didn’t. And he smiled as he ducked his head and pressed his mouth to hers.
This kiss wasn’t gentle like all the others had been. It was hard and heavy, filled with anger and desperation, and she dropped her hand away from the pull and wrapped her arms around his neck with a needy moan.
“You don’t want me?” he growled as he pressed her harder. She felt the ridge of her arousal against her belly, and she gasped at how her body clenched in response.
“N-no,” she lied, but she could hear how weak her refusal was.
“Then push me away,” he taunted her. “Don’t let me turn you…” He did so, maneuvering her away from the door. “Don’t let me take you to your bed…” He backed her across the room, kneading her backside none too gently, making her gasp and shiver in response. Her legs hit the bed and she fell back, his body covering her.
“Don’t let me claim you,” he
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