despised it was someone who was so arrogant they did not give a thought to another’s wellbeing over their own. Prince Alexander, though he may look sweet and acted friendly, was nothing different than he always had been. She had known him long enough to realize he was never going to change either.
Her jaw tightened and she raised her chin. “Please leave as soon as possible.”
His mouth opened and an expression of hurt flashed across his features. “Why? What have I done?”
She would not be taken in by his false sincerity. “Nothing more than I have come to expect.”
He stood, his eyes scanning her face and reached for her hands again, but she turned her back on him. “Why won’t you tell me?”
Crossing her arms, she could not face him. “Because it does not matter.”
He looked around the empty room, hopeless on how to reach her. It was there his eyes rested on the bouquet of tulips he’d brought from the hothouse garden; its pretty pink ribbon dangling off the ornamental table placed next to the high-backed chair he’d been sitting upon.
Collecting the joyful flowers, he stepped forward and gingerly placed a hand on her left shoulder while his arm reached around the right and presented them to her. “It may not matter to you, but it most certainly matters to me. Nothing has ever mattered more to me. If you could but see what I truly feel for you, I promise I would love you forever.”
The deep voice near her ear, the hand gently squeezing her shoulder, the smell of the sweet flowers, and the sensation of him so near her nearly had her forgetting for a moment how horrid the situation was. For a few seconds she closed her eyes and imagined what it would be like to truly be cared for by such a man. He gave such a distinct impression of security and strength and kindness as to undo all of her senses completely. She had forgotten how to breathe, how to think, how to care about the consequences of acceptance of such actions.
In fact, Miss Cecelia Hammerstein-Smythe, for just a few moments, allowed all the imaginings of such glorious and happy thoughts to enter her mind, she’d forgotten completely that she was fraternizing with the enemy.
But, oh, what splendid thoughts they were! If he were truly to be trusted! If a man, as he professed to be, actually existed there would be no doubt as to where her affection would lie. None at all.
No, it would be him who would have to run from her, because she would never ever let a man like what Prince Alexander pretended to be escape.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
TEARS FORMED IN CECELIA’S eyes as she turned fully in his strong arms—arms that immediately wrapped all the way around her. There was gentleness in her tone as she glanced up and whispered, “Please, leave, please.”
She was obviously distraught; he took note of the wetness of her gaze as well as the wobble in her voice. Silently sighing, he gave in. He could not deny her anything when she was in such a state. “If you wish it, I will leave you.”
Alexander watched as she closed her eyes briefly and allowed her head to fold into his shoulder, her glorious hair tickling his nose as she did so. He held her for a few moments before she mumbled into his coat, “I believe it would be best.”
“Perhaps.” His chin rubbed along the black silky curls beneath it. He would have to press her as the wolf and find out what it was she wouldn’t tell him.
She snuggled in closer, her other hand playing with the smooth fabric of his tied cravat. “You are simply the most horrid man in the world. I cannot stand the sight of you.”
“I know.” He nodded and placed a kiss at the top of her head.
“Despicable human being, I never want to see you again,” she mumbled into his coat.
Alexander’s right hand clutching the bouquet shifted to allow his left to begin trailing slowly over her back. “I will leave immediately,” he agreed, not moving one inch.
She melted into him at the warmth of his caress.
Her jaw tightened and she raised her chin. “Please leave as soon as possible.”
His mouth opened and an expression of hurt flashed across his features. “Why? What have I done?”
She would not be taken in by his false sincerity. “Nothing more than I have come to expect.”
He stood, his eyes scanning her face and reached for her hands again, but she turned her back on him. “Why won’t you tell me?”
Crossing her arms, she could not face him. “Because it does not matter.”
He looked around the empty room, hopeless on how to reach her. It was there his eyes rested on the bouquet of tulips he’d brought from the hothouse garden; its pretty pink ribbon dangling off the ornamental table placed next to the high-backed chair he’d been sitting upon.
Collecting the joyful flowers, he stepped forward and gingerly placed a hand on her left shoulder while his arm reached around the right and presented them to her. “It may not matter to you, but it most certainly matters to me. Nothing has ever mattered more to me. If you could but see what I truly feel for you, I promise I would love you forever.”
The deep voice near her ear, the hand gently squeezing her shoulder, the smell of the sweet flowers, and the sensation of him so near her nearly had her forgetting for a moment how horrid the situation was. For a few seconds she closed her eyes and imagined what it would be like to truly be cared for by such a man. He gave such a distinct impression of security and strength and kindness as to undo all of her senses completely. She had forgotten how to breathe, how to think, how to care about the consequences of acceptance of such actions.
In fact, Miss Cecelia Hammerstein-Smythe, for just a few moments, allowed all the imaginings of such glorious and happy thoughts to enter her mind, she’d forgotten completely that she was fraternizing with the enemy.
But, oh, what splendid thoughts they were! If he were truly to be trusted! If a man, as he professed to be, actually existed there would be no doubt as to where her affection would lie. None at all.
No, it would be him who would have to run from her, because she would never ever let a man like what Prince Alexander pretended to be escape.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
TEARS FORMED IN CECELIA’S eyes as she turned fully in his strong arms—arms that immediately wrapped all the way around her. There was gentleness in her tone as she glanced up and whispered, “Please, leave, please.”
She was obviously distraught; he took note of the wetness of her gaze as well as the wobble in her voice. Silently sighing, he gave in. He could not deny her anything when she was in such a state. “If you wish it, I will leave you.”
Alexander watched as she closed her eyes briefly and allowed her head to fold into his shoulder, her glorious hair tickling his nose as she did so. He held her for a few moments before she mumbled into his coat, “I believe it would be best.”
“Perhaps.” His chin rubbed along the black silky curls beneath it. He would have to press her as the wolf and find out what it was she wouldn’t tell him.
She snuggled in closer, her other hand playing with the smooth fabric of his tied cravat. “You are simply the most horrid man in the world. I cannot stand the sight of you.”
“I know.” He nodded and placed a kiss at the top of her head.
“Despicable human being, I never want to see you again,” she mumbled into his coat.
Alexander’s right hand clutching the bouquet shifted to allow his left to begin trailing slowly over her back. “I will leave immediately,” he agreed, not moving one inch.
She melted into him at the warmth of his caress.
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