he’d deepened the kiss, pulled her closer, pressed her body into his chest. Even now she could still taste him on her lips.
A moment later she was escorted from the study and then led out of the heavy front door by a footman. She’d told the man she could find her way home, but he’d insisted on accompanying her. Evidently, when the meeting with the inspector had run long, Alex had seen to it that Rachel returned home, and now he didn’t want Mia walking alone. So Mia walked silently to her cottage with only the sounds of their shoes treading across the grass.
Why had Alex been so angry? He’d apologized to her using gentle words, but his tone had not matched what he’d said. He’d most assuredly been angry. At her? What had she done? Certainly not anything so serious as to raise his ire to that degree. She might not have the most experience when it came to kissing, well, she had no experience at all, but certainly her kissing skills hadn’t been so lacking that he’d walk away in anger.
For her, the kiss had been oh so pleasant, completely washing away the ugliness from the evening. Waves of soft pleasure poured over her even still, prickling on her skin like warm sunshine despite the chill of the night. Perhaps she had missed something. Been so engulfed in the kiss itself that she’d missed someone else enter the room or a sound somewhere.
Whatever had angered Alex had abruptly ended their kiss. But despite how it had ended, the kiss was glorious and she would revel in that the rest of the night, and perhaps tomorrow as well. She entered the cottage smiling broadly.
“Why are you smiling so?” Rachel asked.
“He kissed me.”
***
Alex was fighting mad.
Furious with his foolhardy brother for being a complete ass. Annoyed as hell at Mia for being so damned tempting and vulnerable. But mostly he was angry with himself for not having even an ounce of control.
He’d never so much as kissed a woman’s hand when it came to ladies of good breeding. Yes, he’d had his share of tumbles, but with the right manner of woman, women who were designed for passion. Not a woman meant to be someone’s wife. And he certainly couldn’t marry her and couldn’t afford a scandal involving her.
So he’d sent her home, and then he’d stormed through the house and up the stairs. He’d sent Rachel back after the incident with Drew. No need to have him verbally assault any other women that day, at least not in the family home. He should have sent Mia home at the same time, arranged a different time for her to meet with Simon. Perhaps then Alex could have gotten himself under better control.
More than likely, he probably shouldn’t have walked out on her the way he did, but he’d needed distance from her immediately before he’d completely lost control. Needed to get her out of his reach so he didn’t do more than kiss her. She’d been so willing and pliant in his arms, he probably could have laid her back on that settee and ravished her. He sure as hell had wanted to, which frankly was a damned surprise. Yet he could not deny the pull between them.
But he would not do that to her. He was in no position to marry her himself, so he certainly couldn’t afford to damage her virtue.
He caught sight of his brother down the hall. “Drew,” he said. It was the first time Alex had seen the man in nearly a week and all he wanted to do was pound on him.
Drew turned and faced him. He leaned against the wood-paneled wall casually. “Alex,” he said. He didn’t look like he belonged in here. The demeanor was right, all arrogance and privilege, but the filthy clothes and breath that reeked of alcohol didn’t match the opulence of Danbridge Hall.
Alex tried to level his breathing, tried to control his urge to pummel his brother, but doing both of those left him little control for what he’d say. “What the devil do you think you were doing?” His tone held all the anger and disgust he felt.
“Walking to my
A moment later she was escorted from the study and then led out of the heavy front door by a footman. She’d told the man she could find her way home, but he’d insisted on accompanying her. Evidently, when the meeting with the inspector had run long, Alex had seen to it that Rachel returned home, and now he didn’t want Mia walking alone. So Mia walked silently to her cottage with only the sounds of their shoes treading across the grass.
Why had Alex been so angry? He’d apologized to her using gentle words, but his tone had not matched what he’d said. He’d most assuredly been angry. At her? What had she done? Certainly not anything so serious as to raise his ire to that degree. She might not have the most experience when it came to kissing, well, she had no experience at all, but certainly her kissing skills hadn’t been so lacking that he’d walk away in anger.
For her, the kiss had been oh so pleasant, completely washing away the ugliness from the evening. Waves of soft pleasure poured over her even still, prickling on her skin like warm sunshine despite the chill of the night. Perhaps she had missed something. Been so engulfed in the kiss itself that she’d missed someone else enter the room or a sound somewhere.
Whatever had angered Alex had abruptly ended their kiss. But despite how it had ended, the kiss was glorious and she would revel in that the rest of the night, and perhaps tomorrow as well. She entered the cottage smiling broadly.
“Why are you smiling so?” Rachel asked.
“He kissed me.”
***
Alex was fighting mad.
Furious with his foolhardy brother for being a complete ass. Annoyed as hell at Mia for being so damned tempting and vulnerable. But mostly he was angry with himself for not having even an ounce of control.
He’d never so much as kissed a woman’s hand when it came to ladies of good breeding. Yes, he’d had his share of tumbles, but with the right manner of woman, women who were designed for passion. Not a woman meant to be someone’s wife. And he certainly couldn’t marry her and couldn’t afford a scandal involving her.
So he’d sent her home, and then he’d stormed through the house and up the stairs. He’d sent Rachel back after the incident with Drew. No need to have him verbally assault any other women that day, at least not in the family home. He should have sent Mia home at the same time, arranged a different time for her to meet with Simon. Perhaps then Alex could have gotten himself under better control.
More than likely, he probably shouldn’t have walked out on her the way he did, but he’d needed distance from her immediately before he’d completely lost control. Needed to get her out of his reach so he didn’t do more than kiss her. She’d been so willing and pliant in his arms, he probably could have laid her back on that settee and ravished her. He sure as hell had wanted to, which frankly was a damned surprise. Yet he could not deny the pull between them.
But he would not do that to her. He was in no position to marry her himself, so he certainly couldn’t afford to damage her virtue.
He caught sight of his brother down the hall. “Drew,” he said. It was the first time Alex had seen the man in nearly a week and all he wanted to do was pound on him.
Drew turned and faced him. He leaned against the wood-paneled wall casually. “Alex,” he said. He didn’t look like he belonged in here. The demeanor was right, all arrogance and privilege, but the filthy clothes and breath that reeked of alcohol didn’t match the opulence of Danbridge Hall.
Alex tried to level his breathing, tried to control his urge to pummel his brother, but doing both of those left him little control for what he’d say. “What the devil do you think you were doing?” His tone held all the anger and disgust he felt.
“Walking to my
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