desire, half annoyance darkened his face. “No.”
“Did I hurt you when I fell on you?” She trailed her fingers along his jaw to his chin.
“No,” he repeated, but this time, his voice hitched.
“Hmm.” Her eyes stared at his sensuous mouth as she daringly brushed her thumb across his bottom lip, earning her a sharp inhalation of his breath. The ache inside her grew hotter, and all the blood in her body seemed to pool between her thighs. She was doing this to teach him a lesson, but if she wasn’t careful, she’d be schooled herself on the lessons of playing with fire. “Is it uncomfortable having me on your lap?”
“Very,” he bit out.
Laughing softly at that, she leaned against him to lightly brush her breasts against his chest, and when he shuddered, she thrilled with her newfound power over him. She knew she should stop, knew she was flirting with danger even now, but she’d wanted this moment too much, and for too many years, to stop now.
She pressed her lips to his neck, to that spot she’d longed to kiss since last night when he entered her sitting room with his shirt neck falling open, and rained soft kisses across his skin. He groaned, and she couldn’t help but wonder…who would win, the gentleman or the rake?
“If I’m making you uncomfortable,” she taunted against his neck in a sultry whisper as she yearned for his kiss, to be in his arms as his lips captured hers, “then perhaps you should do something about it.”
“All right.”
Without warning, he lifted her from his lap and set her down on the opposite bench with a teeth-jarring thud.
“There.” He sat back and folded his arms across his chest, glowering at her. “Now I’ve done something about it.”
Gaping in astonishment, Emily stared at him. She couldn’t believe he’d done that!
Then a bubble of laughter escaped her. Her hands flew over her mouth to keep it back. But she was unable to stop it, and soon her shoulders shook with uncontrolled mirth.
She laughed with abandon. It felt good, oh so very good! All the fear and worry of the past five months lifted from her chest. Her body seemed to float with the emotional release, and all the relief made her absolutely giddy. For the first time in two years, she felt happy and free, and she dared to let herself hope that perhaps, just perhaps, the future wouldn’t be so bleak after all.
“Brat,” he warned, his voice low and angry.
“I’m sorry—I didn’t mean—” she choked out between laughs.
Her life was in danger, her future uncertain, and the man she’d adored since she was sixteen just physically rejected her—their situation was so ridiculous, so ludicrous that she simply couldn’t help laughing! Even with Grey glaring at her from across the compartment.
“But you have to admit that we’re quite a pair, aren’t we?” She shook her head as her laughter faded into soft giggles. “You’re a rake who won’t touch me, while I’ve been longing to kiss you again since I was sixteen.”
“You’re not sixteen anymore,” he snapped out.
“And you’re not my brother. For God’s sake, Grey! I know you want to kiss me…so let yourself kiss me. No harm can come of that.” She pressed the back of her hand against her lips as the last of the laughter died away, and she admitted quietly, “And it would be nice.”
He leaned toward her across the space between the two benches, his elbows resting on his knees. “You think I want to kiss you?”
She froze at the dangerous tone in his voice and the intense flicker deep in his eyes. The little hairs along her arms stood up in warning. Heavens, she was certainly playing with fire now! Yet she so desperately wanted to lose herself in his heat.
She swallowed. Hard. “I know you do.”
It was his turn to laugh. “Oh, brat,” he drawled in a husky voice that rumbled darkly through her like thunder. “I want to do so much more than just kiss you.”
She stared at him in the blue-gray light, her
“Did I hurt you when I fell on you?” She trailed her fingers along his jaw to his chin.
“No,” he repeated, but this time, his voice hitched.
“Hmm.” Her eyes stared at his sensuous mouth as she daringly brushed her thumb across his bottom lip, earning her a sharp inhalation of his breath. The ache inside her grew hotter, and all the blood in her body seemed to pool between her thighs. She was doing this to teach him a lesson, but if she wasn’t careful, she’d be schooled herself on the lessons of playing with fire. “Is it uncomfortable having me on your lap?”
“Very,” he bit out.
Laughing softly at that, she leaned against him to lightly brush her breasts against his chest, and when he shuddered, she thrilled with her newfound power over him. She knew she should stop, knew she was flirting with danger even now, but she’d wanted this moment too much, and for too many years, to stop now.
She pressed her lips to his neck, to that spot she’d longed to kiss since last night when he entered her sitting room with his shirt neck falling open, and rained soft kisses across his skin. He groaned, and she couldn’t help but wonder…who would win, the gentleman or the rake?
“If I’m making you uncomfortable,” she taunted against his neck in a sultry whisper as she yearned for his kiss, to be in his arms as his lips captured hers, “then perhaps you should do something about it.”
“All right.”
Without warning, he lifted her from his lap and set her down on the opposite bench with a teeth-jarring thud.
“There.” He sat back and folded his arms across his chest, glowering at her. “Now I’ve done something about it.”
Gaping in astonishment, Emily stared at him. She couldn’t believe he’d done that!
Then a bubble of laughter escaped her. Her hands flew over her mouth to keep it back. But she was unable to stop it, and soon her shoulders shook with uncontrolled mirth.
She laughed with abandon. It felt good, oh so very good! All the fear and worry of the past five months lifted from her chest. Her body seemed to float with the emotional release, and all the relief made her absolutely giddy. For the first time in two years, she felt happy and free, and she dared to let herself hope that perhaps, just perhaps, the future wouldn’t be so bleak after all.
“Brat,” he warned, his voice low and angry.
“I’m sorry—I didn’t mean—” she choked out between laughs.
Her life was in danger, her future uncertain, and the man she’d adored since she was sixteen just physically rejected her—their situation was so ridiculous, so ludicrous that she simply couldn’t help laughing! Even with Grey glaring at her from across the compartment.
“But you have to admit that we’re quite a pair, aren’t we?” She shook her head as her laughter faded into soft giggles. “You’re a rake who won’t touch me, while I’ve been longing to kiss you again since I was sixteen.”
“You’re not sixteen anymore,” he snapped out.
“And you’re not my brother. For God’s sake, Grey! I know you want to kiss me…so let yourself kiss me. No harm can come of that.” She pressed the back of her hand against her lips as the last of the laughter died away, and she admitted quietly, “And it would be nice.”
He leaned toward her across the space between the two benches, his elbows resting on his knees. “You think I want to kiss you?”
She froze at the dangerous tone in his voice and the intense flicker deep in his eyes. The little hairs along her arms stood up in warning. Heavens, she was certainly playing with fire now! Yet she so desperately wanted to lose herself in his heat.
She swallowed. Hard. “I know you do.”
It was his turn to laugh. “Oh, brat,” he drawled in a husky voice that rumbled darkly through her like thunder. “I want to do so much more than just kiss you.”
She stared at him in the blue-gray light, her
Similar Books
