a column in the shelter of the overhang and peered up and down the street.
At last, a quiet, husky voice spoke to her from the shadows. “You came.”
Alexandra turned to discover her love—yes, that’s what he was—standing behind the opposite column, dressed in a fur-trimmed double-breasted greatcoat, black boots polished to a fine sheen, and a stylish top hat. He held his leather gloves in his hands, and when he began to move toward her in that slow, sensual gait it was all she could do to keep from falling into his arms. She wanted him desperately, with unquenchable passion, despite what her sensible mind had to say about it.
“Yes,” she replied. “I shouldn’t be here, but I couldn’t bear another moment away from you.”
And there it was … surrender at last. Her true heart revealed.
Something flashed in his eyes. A look of relief. Or triumph, perhaps. He was pleased she had confessed such a thing.
Striding forward, he said, “Do not let yourself entertain any regrets about this, Alexandra. You are thrusting duty aside and choosing happiness instead. It pleases me to know you are here for no other reason but love.”
“Do not call it that,” she pleaded. “It is too much. I don’t know what this is. It may be a temporary infatuation. Rebellion perhaps. I admit, I am mystified.”
He stared at her for a long moment, then glanced away. “Come with me now. My coach is just over there.”
“My stepmother will notice my absence.”
“Five minutes is all I ask. Lift the hood of your cloak.”
Surrendering yet again to her natural impulses, she raised her hood and followed him up the street to that illustrious black vehicle parked at the corner. It gleamed brightly, washed clean by the driving rain, and was illuminated by a single beam of sunlight that had pierced through the clouds.
He handed her up into the dry, private confines of the coach while the rain roared like a beast on the roof.
“I apologize for the weather,” he said as he climbed in, shut the door, and joined her on the seat.
Oh, she was done for. While he removed his hat, whisked the water from the brim, and unbuttoned the top of his coat she was fascinated by his every move and couldn’t take her eyes off him. He smelled clean, like shaving soap. His hair was thick and wavy. She wanted to run her fingers through it. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen.
After setting his hat and gloves on the seat beside him, he reached out to lower the hood of her cloak and looked carefully into her eyes. He seemed to be admiring every detail of her face.
His hand rested on her knee. Her heart ignited with uncontrollable passion.
Next, without uttering a word, he slowly peeled off each of her gloves and set them on the seat behind him. He then touched the pad of his finger to the sensitive inside of her wrist and drew a little heart there.
Alex trembled.
“May I kiss you now?” he asked, leaning closer and touching his cheek lightly to hers.
“Yes…”
And just like that, all her dreams of the Petersbourg crown flew out the window and nothing mattered but the soft, warm touch of his lips.
Tilting his head to the side, he deepened the kiss and slid his hand around the nape of her neck. Her body grew warm with rapture. All her nerve endings sparked with fire as his tongue swept into her mouth.
Knowing it was not possible to block this desire, she tipped her head back to allow him greater access to her throat and ran her hands across the tops of his shoulders.
He let out a low groan of arousal that helped her to understand what it meant to be a woman, not a girl. She, too, sighed with pleasure and relaxed into his embrace.
He pressed his open mouth to hers again, and this time she was better equipped for the explosion of sensation and met the kiss with equal insistence. Light flashed suddenly in the window and a thunderous rumble shook the coach. Alex pulled back, startled and unsettled.
“I must go,” she said
At last, a quiet, husky voice spoke to her from the shadows. “You came.”
Alexandra turned to discover her love—yes, that’s what he was—standing behind the opposite column, dressed in a fur-trimmed double-breasted greatcoat, black boots polished to a fine sheen, and a stylish top hat. He held his leather gloves in his hands, and when he began to move toward her in that slow, sensual gait it was all she could do to keep from falling into his arms. She wanted him desperately, with unquenchable passion, despite what her sensible mind had to say about it.
“Yes,” she replied. “I shouldn’t be here, but I couldn’t bear another moment away from you.”
And there it was … surrender at last. Her true heart revealed.
Something flashed in his eyes. A look of relief. Or triumph, perhaps. He was pleased she had confessed such a thing.
Striding forward, he said, “Do not let yourself entertain any regrets about this, Alexandra. You are thrusting duty aside and choosing happiness instead. It pleases me to know you are here for no other reason but love.”
“Do not call it that,” she pleaded. “It is too much. I don’t know what this is. It may be a temporary infatuation. Rebellion perhaps. I admit, I am mystified.”
He stared at her for a long moment, then glanced away. “Come with me now. My coach is just over there.”
“My stepmother will notice my absence.”
“Five minutes is all I ask. Lift the hood of your cloak.”
Surrendering yet again to her natural impulses, she raised her hood and followed him up the street to that illustrious black vehicle parked at the corner. It gleamed brightly, washed clean by the driving rain, and was illuminated by a single beam of sunlight that had pierced through the clouds.
He handed her up into the dry, private confines of the coach while the rain roared like a beast on the roof.
“I apologize for the weather,” he said as he climbed in, shut the door, and joined her on the seat.
Oh, she was done for. While he removed his hat, whisked the water from the brim, and unbuttoned the top of his coat she was fascinated by his every move and couldn’t take her eyes off him. He smelled clean, like shaving soap. His hair was thick and wavy. She wanted to run her fingers through it. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen.
After setting his hat and gloves on the seat beside him, he reached out to lower the hood of her cloak and looked carefully into her eyes. He seemed to be admiring every detail of her face.
His hand rested on her knee. Her heart ignited with uncontrollable passion.
Next, without uttering a word, he slowly peeled off each of her gloves and set them on the seat behind him. He then touched the pad of his finger to the sensitive inside of her wrist and drew a little heart there.
Alex trembled.
“May I kiss you now?” he asked, leaning closer and touching his cheek lightly to hers.
“Yes…”
And just like that, all her dreams of the Petersbourg crown flew out the window and nothing mattered but the soft, warm touch of his lips.
Tilting his head to the side, he deepened the kiss and slid his hand around the nape of her neck. Her body grew warm with rapture. All her nerve endings sparked with fire as his tongue swept into her mouth.
Knowing it was not possible to block this desire, she tipped her head back to allow him greater access to her throat and ran her hands across the tops of his shoulders.
He let out a low groan of arousal that helped her to understand what it meant to be a woman, not a girl. She, too, sighed with pleasure and relaxed into his embrace.
He pressed his open mouth to hers again, and this time she was better equipped for the explosion of sensation and met the kiss with equal insistence. Light flashed suddenly in the window and a thunderous rumble shook the coach. Alex pulled back, startled and unsettled.
“I must go,” she said
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