Nicholas’ snarl. “Before this gets out of hand, I think I’ll just—”
Anthony didn’t let her finish. “An excellent idea. While they squabble to their heart’s content, you and I shall see what’s blooming in the conservatory.”
Without giving her a chance to refuse, Anthony took her arm and began escorting her from the room. They moved no more than five feet before she tried to draw away from him. He wasn’t letting go.
“Sir Anthony—”
“You’re not going to turn coward on me, are you?” His voice sounded near her ear.
Roslynn bristled that he should make it a challenge. “I simply don’t want to leave the room with you.”
“But you will.”
She stopped walking, forcing him to either drag her behind him or stop as well. He stopped, and the tiniest hint of a grin appeared as he bent his head to hers.
“Let me put it this way, sweetheart. Either I kiss you in the conservatory or I kiss you right here, right now. Whichever way, I am going to take you in my arms and—”
“The devil you are!” Roslynn got out before she noticed how many people were suddenly watching them. “Very well,” she amended in a quiet hiss. “I would like to see the conservatory, but there’ll be no kissing, you scoundrel, and I’ll have your promise first.”
His grin was wide and bold now. “Come along, then.”
And he continued to escort her, stopping here and there to have a few words with people he knew, as if they were only strolling through the rooms. Roslynn caught Frances’ eye along the way, and her friend’s expression was quite disapproving and rightly so. But Roslynn didn’t want to press her luck by trying again to extricate herself from this situation. Whether Anthony really would have kissed her in front of everyone was a moot point. She simply couldn’t take the chance.
But she should have sealed the bargain. His “Come along, then” was not a promise by any means, which she found out not long after they entered the large conservatory.
“This is really lovely,” Roslynn said uneasily as his arm slipped around her waist and he began to guide her along the plant-strewn walkway that circled the room.
“I couldn’t agree more,” he replied, only he was looking at her.
She kept her eyes averted, gazing intently at the statues along the walk, at the myriad flowers in full bloom, at the fountain that was on a lower level in the center of the room. Foremost in her mind was that hand resting on her hip, burning through the thin material of her high-waisted gown.
“I—I really should take you to task, Sir Anthony.” Her voice was thin, shaky, and she had to clear her throat before continuing with more force. “That was devilish unfair of you to leave me no choice back there.”
“I know.”
“Was it necessary to be so high-handed?”
He stopped, turning her toward him, his eyes moving slowly over her face as he considered her question. In alarm, Roslynn realized that he had maneuvered them to the far side of the room, that thick branches from one of the trees growing below spread out at their level and effectively concealed them from the doorway. In actuality, they were quite alone for the moment, the sound of the party drowned out by the flow of the fountain.
“Yes, it was necessary,” he finally answered huskily. “When all I’ve been able to think about since I first laid eyes on you is this.”
To save her soul, Roslynn couldn’t find the will to protest as his arm drew her closer. His other hand slid along her neck, the thumb tilting her chin up, and for the breath of a moment her eyes locked with his. Then she felt his lips, warm, beguiling, pressing ever so gently on her own, and her lids closed, accepting the inevitable. She had had to know, and now she did. And for the moment, nothing mattered but the taste of him, the feel of him pressed along her length.
Anthony didn’t frighten her with his passion but kept it tightly leashed, even though he felt like an
Anthony didn’t let her finish. “An excellent idea. While they squabble to their heart’s content, you and I shall see what’s blooming in the conservatory.”
Without giving her a chance to refuse, Anthony took her arm and began escorting her from the room. They moved no more than five feet before she tried to draw away from him. He wasn’t letting go.
“Sir Anthony—”
“You’re not going to turn coward on me, are you?” His voice sounded near her ear.
Roslynn bristled that he should make it a challenge. “I simply don’t want to leave the room with you.”
“But you will.”
She stopped walking, forcing him to either drag her behind him or stop as well. He stopped, and the tiniest hint of a grin appeared as he bent his head to hers.
“Let me put it this way, sweetheart. Either I kiss you in the conservatory or I kiss you right here, right now. Whichever way, I am going to take you in my arms and—”
“The devil you are!” Roslynn got out before she noticed how many people were suddenly watching them. “Very well,” she amended in a quiet hiss. “I would like to see the conservatory, but there’ll be no kissing, you scoundrel, and I’ll have your promise first.”
His grin was wide and bold now. “Come along, then.”
And he continued to escort her, stopping here and there to have a few words with people he knew, as if they were only strolling through the rooms. Roslynn caught Frances’ eye along the way, and her friend’s expression was quite disapproving and rightly so. But Roslynn didn’t want to press her luck by trying again to extricate herself from this situation. Whether Anthony really would have kissed her in front of everyone was a moot point. She simply couldn’t take the chance.
But she should have sealed the bargain. His “Come along, then” was not a promise by any means, which she found out not long after they entered the large conservatory.
“This is really lovely,” Roslynn said uneasily as his arm slipped around her waist and he began to guide her along the plant-strewn walkway that circled the room.
“I couldn’t agree more,” he replied, only he was looking at her.
She kept her eyes averted, gazing intently at the statues along the walk, at the myriad flowers in full bloom, at the fountain that was on a lower level in the center of the room. Foremost in her mind was that hand resting on her hip, burning through the thin material of her high-waisted gown.
“I—I really should take you to task, Sir Anthony.” Her voice was thin, shaky, and she had to clear her throat before continuing with more force. “That was devilish unfair of you to leave me no choice back there.”
“I know.”
“Was it necessary to be so high-handed?”
He stopped, turning her toward him, his eyes moving slowly over her face as he considered her question. In alarm, Roslynn realized that he had maneuvered them to the far side of the room, that thick branches from one of the trees growing below spread out at their level and effectively concealed them from the doorway. In actuality, they were quite alone for the moment, the sound of the party drowned out by the flow of the fountain.
“Yes, it was necessary,” he finally answered huskily. “When all I’ve been able to think about since I first laid eyes on you is this.”
To save her soul, Roslynn couldn’t find the will to protest as his arm drew her closer. His other hand slid along her neck, the thumb tilting her chin up, and for the breath of a moment her eyes locked with his. Then she felt his lips, warm, beguiling, pressing ever so gently on her own, and her lids closed, accepting the inevitable. She had had to know, and now she did. And for the moment, nothing mattered but the taste of him, the feel of him pressed along her length.
Anthony didn’t frighten her with his passion but kept it tightly leashed, even though he felt like an
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