her to allow him to make it up to her.
Later, she’d certainly regret giving into his charade, but he sounded sincere.
“I want to see your horse farm,” she told him.
“That’s all you require of me?” he asked her, disbelief shown in his eyes.
“Maybe. Maybe not.” She shrugged. “I have been pining to go on a real run on a fast horse ever since I arrived in England. There isn’t a single acceptable one to be hired here in town. You show me your famous horses, and I’ll consider being your friend again.”
He exhaled and gave her a stunning grin. “I thought for sure you’d come up with something awful.”
Now that idea was intriguing. “Oh. I despise an opportunity lost. What would you have demanded in my place?”
Without hesitation he blurted out, “I’d have demanded another kiss.”
Thea was much too put out by the evening’s events to even entertain that idea. “I think not.”
“I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t at least ask.” His cheeky smile remained, flashing white teeth and, damn it all, a boyish charm that was not at all off-putting.
Thea made every attempt to keep the sarcasm level high. “I think I’ll stick with my original requirement.”
“Tomorrow. I’ll take you tomorrow,” he promised, right hand over his heart.
“Are you sure you’ll be in any condition to ride tomorrow?” Thea was skeptical. The man was foxed, although to be fair, the minute he launched into his apology he seemed to sober immensely.
“Thea, I’m willing to ride to the moon on the back of a borrowed mule if it would insure you’d forgive my egregious behavior.”
“Instead, I’ll just visit the farm.”
Christian stood opposite her in the shadowy hall, the seriousness of moments ago gone, replaced by that lethal grin. Suddenly, he seemed a bit pogy again.
“What?” she asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“You look like Aphrodite personified.” His gaze drifted lower, hovered around her breasts, dipped lower and slid slowly across her hips then down to her toes.
Thea clucked her tongue and turned her face away for an instant before returning to meet his gaze. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she told him. “I’m more inclined to accept your apology if you don’t insult me with outrageous compliments you don’t really mean.”
Thea wished she could believe the flattering words he told her. She wished even more that he would believe them, too, but that was unrealistic. She reminded herself men like Christian and her father had silver tongues and a whole coterie of broken hearts won over by pretty words. A smart woman didn’t take those words to heart. Slippery slope, her mother’s voice intoned.
“I mean them,” he promised. Then he kissed her like he wanted to prove it.
She kissed him back like she wanted proof.
It was stupid. She’d even specifically said no kissing. Well not specifically, actually. Come to think of it she may have never said the word no at all. The voice in her head screamed at her to throw him out and go back to bed. Alone. But she really didn’t want to. Throw him out, that is. She couldn’t think about that other thing right now.
Christian withdrew his lips from hers and rested his forehead against hers. “Thea,” he whispered. His breath fluttered past her ear. “Don’t be angry at me.”
She didn’t answer. She should be angry.
“Please,” he kissed her neck under her ear.
“I should, you know.” Oh Thea. Her mother’s disappointed voice resonated in her head.
“I’ll make it up to you,” he promised, then his lips covered hers again.
The man was an excellent kisser. His arms held her strong against his chest and it seemed only right her arms should find their way to twine about his neck. Masterful, that was the word to describe his kissing. Thea didn’t want to think about all the things she should be doing and thinking. No, she wanted to melt into the kiss and let it take her away from her responsibilities, duties, and promises.
Later, she’d certainly regret giving into his charade, but he sounded sincere.
“I want to see your horse farm,” she told him.
“That’s all you require of me?” he asked her, disbelief shown in his eyes.
“Maybe. Maybe not.” She shrugged. “I have been pining to go on a real run on a fast horse ever since I arrived in England. There isn’t a single acceptable one to be hired here in town. You show me your famous horses, and I’ll consider being your friend again.”
He exhaled and gave her a stunning grin. “I thought for sure you’d come up with something awful.”
Now that idea was intriguing. “Oh. I despise an opportunity lost. What would you have demanded in my place?”
Without hesitation he blurted out, “I’d have demanded another kiss.”
Thea was much too put out by the evening’s events to even entertain that idea. “I think not.”
“I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t at least ask.” His cheeky smile remained, flashing white teeth and, damn it all, a boyish charm that was not at all off-putting.
Thea made every attempt to keep the sarcasm level high. “I think I’ll stick with my original requirement.”
“Tomorrow. I’ll take you tomorrow,” he promised, right hand over his heart.
“Are you sure you’ll be in any condition to ride tomorrow?” Thea was skeptical. The man was foxed, although to be fair, the minute he launched into his apology he seemed to sober immensely.
“Thea, I’m willing to ride to the moon on the back of a borrowed mule if it would insure you’d forgive my egregious behavior.”
“Instead, I’ll just visit the farm.”
Christian stood opposite her in the shadowy hall, the seriousness of moments ago gone, replaced by that lethal grin. Suddenly, he seemed a bit pogy again.
“What?” she asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“You look like Aphrodite personified.” His gaze drifted lower, hovered around her breasts, dipped lower and slid slowly across her hips then down to her toes.
Thea clucked her tongue and turned her face away for an instant before returning to meet his gaze. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she told him. “I’m more inclined to accept your apology if you don’t insult me with outrageous compliments you don’t really mean.”
Thea wished she could believe the flattering words he told her. She wished even more that he would believe them, too, but that was unrealistic. She reminded herself men like Christian and her father had silver tongues and a whole coterie of broken hearts won over by pretty words. A smart woman didn’t take those words to heart. Slippery slope, her mother’s voice intoned.
“I mean them,” he promised. Then he kissed her like he wanted to prove it.
She kissed him back like she wanted proof.
It was stupid. She’d even specifically said no kissing. Well not specifically, actually. Come to think of it she may have never said the word no at all. The voice in her head screamed at her to throw him out and go back to bed. Alone. But she really didn’t want to. Throw him out, that is. She couldn’t think about that other thing right now.
Christian withdrew his lips from hers and rested his forehead against hers. “Thea,” he whispered. His breath fluttered past her ear. “Don’t be angry at me.”
She didn’t answer. She should be angry.
“Please,” he kissed her neck under her ear.
“I should, you know.” Oh Thea. Her mother’s disappointed voice resonated in her head.
“I’ll make it up to you,” he promised, then his lips covered hers again.
The man was an excellent kisser. His arms held her strong against his chest and it seemed only right her arms should find their way to twine about his neck. Masterful, that was the word to describe his kissing. Thea didn’t want to think about all the things she should be doing and thinking. No, she wanted to melt into the kiss and let it take her away from her responsibilities, duties, and promises.
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