to some distant realm where his only thoughts were of Thora, her curves molded against him and her sensuous mouth on his. A guttural moan sounded at the back of his throat and his kiss grew deeper and more passionate. He could stay forever this way.
Garren’s unexpected kiss stunned Thora. “What are you—?” Her words were stifled when his lips covered hers and he began to kiss her as if it was the last kiss he’d ever place on a woman’s lips. Huntscliff, who she remembered as a steady, calm, reserved lad was suddenly out of control. His unexpected actions had her in a quandary. How could she push him away when yesterday she had dreamed of his kiss? But he had taken her off guard and it slowed her reason. It wasn’t as if she were a schoolgirl who had never been kissed. She had felt a man’s lips on hers before. Viscount Simon-North for one, but with him it had been a skill that she was certain one so handsome had developed into a well-practiced talent.
With Huntscliff it was different. His kiss was filled with an unnerving hunger, an unleashed raw desire that seeped from his body into hers, stirring a need that fired her most intimate places and demanded her response. Locked in his embrace, with their bodies crushed together, mouth-on-mouth, her resistance melted like snow in bright sunlight. The fire he had started spread through her, and she answered his kiss with equal ardor. Instead of pushing him away, her hands clung to his wide shoulders as if she was drowning and he was her only hope of staying afloat. His tongue prodded her lips apart and she took it into her mouth with a want that both excited and frightened her.
A sudden noise from outside the storage room shook them from their frenzy, and they parted as if they’d both gripped a hot poker. From between the slots in the door’s wooden boards they saw it was Mason Greenstreet and gave a sigh of relief.
Looking up at Huntscliff, Thora whispered, “Why did you kiss me?”
Garren swallowed hard. Thinking he had overstepped his bounds, he tried to contemplate a coherent reply, but with the taste of her mouth still lingering on his lips, his brain had turned into soup. Frowning, he said the first thing that popped into his head. “My apologies, Thora. I was afraid that you were about to say something before Lady Cecilia took her leave, and I thought it the quickest way to stop you.”
“Oh,” Thora said. So he only kissed me to quiet me. How stupid of me to imagine it might be something else. “I’m getting out of this horrid room,” she said, curtly pushing the door open with such force that it swung wide and slammed against the wall.
“Well now, there you are, Miss Mannington!” Mason said with a start. “Your brother sent me out looking for you. He was worried at not finding you at the manor,” Mason said as his eyes widened at the sight of Garren following her out of the storage room.
What was wrong with the man? Thora wondered peevishly. Hadn’t he ever seen someone leave a hiding place before? “Thank you, Mr. Greenstreet. I’ll be getting back to the manor now. Will you please escort me, Lord Huntscliff?”
Mason eyes moved from Thora to Garren. Lady Thora’s cheeks were a bright pink and Huntscliff looking like he was fevered. Their behavior had him grinning until Garren flashed him a dark, threatening scowl.
“Of course, Thora,” Garren answered.
He led her out of the boathouse with Mason trailing behind them. When they were out of the man’s earshot, Garren leaned down to whisper in Thora’s ear, “Since we are working together, don’t you think you should call me Garren?”
Still piqued at the reason he gave for kissing her, Thora gave him a harsh glare. “I would rather keep our association on a professional level, Lord Huntscliff,” she snapped.
“As you wish, Lady Thora,” Garren replied, slightly disheartened.
They walked the rest of the way in silence.
Chapter 5
After receiving a tongue-lashing from
Garren’s unexpected kiss stunned Thora. “What are you—?” Her words were stifled when his lips covered hers and he began to kiss her as if it was the last kiss he’d ever place on a woman’s lips. Huntscliff, who she remembered as a steady, calm, reserved lad was suddenly out of control. His unexpected actions had her in a quandary. How could she push him away when yesterday she had dreamed of his kiss? But he had taken her off guard and it slowed her reason. It wasn’t as if she were a schoolgirl who had never been kissed. She had felt a man’s lips on hers before. Viscount Simon-North for one, but with him it had been a skill that she was certain one so handsome had developed into a well-practiced talent.
With Huntscliff it was different. His kiss was filled with an unnerving hunger, an unleashed raw desire that seeped from his body into hers, stirring a need that fired her most intimate places and demanded her response. Locked in his embrace, with their bodies crushed together, mouth-on-mouth, her resistance melted like snow in bright sunlight. The fire he had started spread through her, and she answered his kiss with equal ardor. Instead of pushing him away, her hands clung to his wide shoulders as if she was drowning and he was her only hope of staying afloat. His tongue prodded her lips apart and she took it into her mouth with a want that both excited and frightened her.
A sudden noise from outside the storage room shook them from their frenzy, and they parted as if they’d both gripped a hot poker. From between the slots in the door’s wooden boards they saw it was Mason Greenstreet and gave a sigh of relief.
Looking up at Huntscliff, Thora whispered, “Why did you kiss me?”
Garren swallowed hard. Thinking he had overstepped his bounds, he tried to contemplate a coherent reply, but with the taste of her mouth still lingering on his lips, his brain had turned into soup. Frowning, he said the first thing that popped into his head. “My apologies, Thora. I was afraid that you were about to say something before Lady Cecilia took her leave, and I thought it the quickest way to stop you.”
“Oh,” Thora said. So he only kissed me to quiet me. How stupid of me to imagine it might be something else. “I’m getting out of this horrid room,” she said, curtly pushing the door open with such force that it swung wide and slammed against the wall.
“Well now, there you are, Miss Mannington!” Mason said with a start. “Your brother sent me out looking for you. He was worried at not finding you at the manor,” Mason said as his eyes widened at the sight of Garren following her out of the storage room.
What was wrong with the man? Thora wondered peevishly. Hadn’t he ever seen someone leave a hiding place before? “Thank you, Mr. Greenstreet. I’ll be getting back to the manor now. Will you please escort me, Lord Huntscliff?”
Mason eyes moved from Thora to Garren. Lady Thora’s cheeks were a bright pink and Huntscliff looking like he was fevered. Their behavior had him grinning until Garren flashed him a dark, threatening scowl.
“Of course, Thora,” Garren answered.
He led her out of the boathouse with Mason trailing behind them. When they were out of the man’s earshot, Garren leaned down to whisper in Thora’s ear, “Since we are working together, don’t you think you should call me Garren?”
Still piqued at the reason he gave for kissing her, Thora gave him a harsh glare. “I would rather keep our association on a professional level, Lord Huntscliff,” she snapped.
“As you wish, Lady Thora,” Garren replied, slightly disheartened.
They walked the rest of the way in silence.
Chapter 5
After receiving a tongue-lashing from
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