sigh. “Do
you have family now?” she asked quietly.
“Only my brother and my father. We’re not close.” That was a
subject Nicholas was most definitely not willing to discuss. “You? Do you have
brothers and sisters?” he deflected the question. He already knew the answer.
“No. I am a solitary child. I know no other life, but I
think it must be better to have more than one.”
Nicholas empathized. “As long as the brood gets on with each
other.”
“But wouldn’t they if their parents got on? Is it such a
naive notion to think that if a man and a woman love each other their children would
be happy and convivial?”
It was something Nicholas simply had no knowledge of. “Perhaps
that would be the case. I suppose you’ll discover the answer when you fall in
love.”
Helena shifted her weight from one foot to the other and
back again. “What’s it like?”
“What’s what like?”
“Falling in love.”
A spine-tingling shiver shot through him. How the devil was
he supposed to answer that? It’s like what I’m feeling right now for you? Well, at least he imagined that was what falling in love felt like. “It’s a
sensation of just wanting to be with someone, no matter how mundane the
situation. I think magazines and novels will tell you it’s all flowers and
carriage rides but really it’s feeling comfortable and elated all at once. I
think you’ll know when you’ve fallen in love.”
“And how will I know if he loves me back?”
That was something Nicholas could not answer. He hoped
Helena felt something for him, thought she might, but short of outright asking,
he really didn’t know. “He might tell you.”
“Then what do I do if he does love me?” she said timidly.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what if he wants to kiss me? I’ve never been kissed
before. I wouldn’t know what to do.”
The shiver stirred inside, swirling around his heart. “Never?
You’ve never kissed a man?” Why on earth no one had ever tried was beyond his
comprehension.
“Never.”
She stepped closer to the elm, to the crook of a large low
branch. Nicholas joined her, moving until he could see her face illuminated by
the tiniest sliver of pale moonlight. A stubborn root raised above the earth
meant he had to be very close to her to get the view. Very close. The warmth of
her flesh, her delicate perfume enlivened his senses.
“Is it nice?” she asked eagerly.
Nicholas felt his burgeoning arousal grow more insistent. “Is
what nice?” he said, stalling.
“When you kiss Lady Foxley-Graham.” She shifted again, ever
so slightly, but enough that her hand touched his. Her bare, ungloved hand.
Every nerve in Nicholas’ body came alive at the contact. “It
is very nice,” he choked out.
Her fingers, delicate and soft, threaded through his. “Will
you…will you tell me what it’s like?” Her eyes widened at the prospect of
merely listening to him tell her about kissing.
Nicholas swallowed hard. “When two people kiss you don’t
just feel it on the lips.”
“No?” she asked ingenuously.
“No. You feel it…other places.” As if on cue, his cock
twitched to full stand.
“Like where?”
His body ached from self-restraint until he could bear it no
longer. He bent his head and brushed his lips against hers, his heart thrilling
at how wonderfully soft and warm she was.
Helena flinched a little in surprise, a reaction that only
encouraged him, his determination to explore emboldening her. Nicholas pecked
gently at her upper lip, then the lower, then repeated the motion more
languidly. She placed her hands tentatively on his shoulders, holding herself
steady before sliding her hands around his neck, drawing herself more closely
to him. An eager pupil, she mimicked his tasting of her by eagerly tasting him
back, her sighs of desire natural, instinctive. When he tantalized her with his
tongue, she opened her mouth for him, letting him plumb her depths, letting him
take his pleasure
you have family now?” she asked quietly.
“Only my brother and my father. We’re not close.” That was a
subject Nicholas was most definitely not willing to discuss. “You? Do you have
brothers and sisters?” he deflected the question. He already knew the answer.
“No. I am a solitary child. I know no other life, but I
think it must be better to have more than one.”
Nicholas empathized. “As long as the brood gets on with each
other.”
“But wouldn’t they if their parents got on? Is it such a
naive notion to think that if a man and a woman love each other their children would
be happy and convivial?”
It was something Nicholas simply had no knowledge of. “Perhaps
that would be the case. I suppose you’ll discover the answer when you fall in
love.”
Helena shifted her weight from one foot to the other and
back again. “What’s it like?”
“What’s what like?”
“Falling in love.”
A spine-tingling shiver shot through him. How the devil was
he supposed to answer that? It’s like what I’m feeling right now for you? Well, at least he imagined that was what falling in love felt like. “It’s a
sensation of just wanting to be with someone, no matter how mundane the
situation. I think magazines and novels will tell you it’s all flowers and
carriage rides but really it’s feeling comfortable and elated all at once. I
think you’ll know when you’ve fallen in love.”
“And how will I know if he loves me back?”
That was something Nicholas could not answer. He hoped
Helena felt something for him, thought she might, but short of outright asking,
he really didn’t know. “He might tell you.”
“Then what do I do if he does love me?” she said timidly.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what if he wants to kiss me? I’ve never been kissed
before. I wouldn’t know what to do.”
The shiver stirred inside, swirling around his heart. “Never?
You’ve never kissed a man?” Why on earth no one had ever tried was beyond his
comprehension.
“Never.”
She stepped closer to the elm, to the crook of a large low
branch. Nicholas joined her, moving until he could see her face illuminated by
the tiniest sliver of pale moonlight. A stubborn root raised above the earth
meant he had to be very close to her to get the view. Very close. The warmth of
her flesh, her delicate perfume enlivened his senses.
“Is it nice?” she asked eagerly.
Nicholas felt his burgeoning arousal grow more insistent. “Is
what nice?” he said, stalling.
“When you kiss Lady Foxley-Graham.” She shifted again, ever
so slightly, but enough that her hand touched his. Her bare, ungloved hand.
Every nerve in Nicholas’ body came alive at the contact. “It
is very nice,” he choked out.
Her fingers, delicate and soft, threaded through his. “Will
you…will you tell me what it’s like?” Her eyes widened at the prospect of
merely listening to him tell her about kissing.
Nicholas swallowed hard. “When two people kiss you don’t
just feel it on the lips.”
“No?” she asked ingenuously.
“No. You feel it…other places.” As if on cue, his cock
twitched to full stand.
“Like where?”
His body ached from self-restraint until he could bear it no
longer. He bent his head and brushed his lips against hers, his heart thrilling
at how wonderfully soft and warm she was.
Helena flinched a little in surprise, a reaction that only
encouraged him, his determination to explore emboldening her. Nicholas pecked
gently at her upper lip, then the lower, then repeated the motion more
languidly. She placed her hands tentatively on his shoulders, holding herself
steady before sliding her hands around his neck, drawing herself more closely
to him. An eager pupil, she mimicked his tasting of her by eagerly tasting him
back, her sighs of desire natural, instinctive. When he tantalized her with his
tongue, she opened her mouth for him, letting him plumb her depths, letting him
take his pleasure
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