him.”
Elsie tilted her head. “Is he so very powerful then?”
“In some circles, yes.”
“In my circle?”
“Enough, Miss. I shall not tell you more lest you discover my great secret.”
“Who you truly are is not important, I suppose. You would still be my friend if you were a butcher’s son or a prince, would you not?”
“I would.”
She smiled, and he let out a small groan. “What is wrong?”
“Must you be so beautiful?” he asked, sounding flabbergasted. “It would be so much easier not to kiss you if you were homely.”
She lifted her nose in mock affront. “I had no idea you were so shallow.”
“I suppose I’m as shallow as any other man who is standing in front of a beautiful woman he wants to kiss.”
“Well,” she said, putting her hands behind her back and pacing in front of him, furiously trying to hide a smile. “It just so happens I may have discovered a bit of a loophole in our kissing ban.”
“Oh?”
Elsie looked up into the misshapen tree and giggled. “It just so happens, sir, that we are standing beneath a rather large cluster of mistletoe.”
Alexander looked up at the large bush-like growth sprouting so incongruously from the tree. “Mistletoe,” he said slowly. “Have you lured me out here, Mademoiselle, under false pretenses?”
“Absolutely, I have.”
“How very naughty of you, Miss Elsie.”
“I do have one rule, however,” she said with mock sternness, looking so utterly adorable he had to stop himself from sweeping her into his arms. “You must put both hands behind your back.”
“Like this?” he said, putting his hands immediately behind him.
“Just so,” she said with a satisfied nod. “And I should do the same.”
Alexander’s mouth went dry when she thrust her own hands behind her back, which only served to accentuate her lithe body and its wonderful curves.
“Now we may kiss.”
They leaned toward one another, each grinning like a fool, so that when they did kiss, their teeth touched, making them laugh. “That will never do,” Alexander said softly, his smile fading as he stared down at her upturned face in the moonlight.
He leaned forward again, this time his lips touching her soft, pliant mouth, breathing in on her exhale. He clutched his own wrist so tightly, it was nearly painful, but it was either that or pull her to him. He moved his mouth expertly over hers, taking her bottom lip and sucking gently. Her tongue darted out to taste him and that was nearly his undoing. He was painfully aroused, his body screaming for him to take her into his arms, to press against her. Instead, with a low groan, he pushed his tongue into her mouth, exploring the sweetness there. His knees nearly collapsed when her tongue began to meet his, matching his rhythm, one so erotic he wondered if she was aware what she was doing.
He was losing the battle with his self control, and he let go of his wrist, only to fist his hands by his sides, still not touching her with anything but his mouth, his tongue.
With a small sound, she stepped back, her breathing shaky. “It is not fair,” she said, her voice low and trembling. “It should not be like this. I should not have to suffer this.”
Alexander stiffened. “I don’t understand.”
“It is not fair that I should be forced into...” She stopped abruptly. “It is best left unsaid.” She swallowed, and he could see her throat moving as if she were trying not to cry.
He put his hands upon her upper arms. “Tell me.”
“It is best left unsaid,” she whispered, looking up at him as if her heart were breaking.
“Very well.” His tone was cool, his expression stony.
She just shook her head. “We shouldn’t have kissed. I shouldn’t have allowed it. But you are all I can think of from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep. This is wrong and I should not be here.”
“Elsie,” he said, giving her a little shake when she refused to look at him. “It is the same for me.
Elsie tilted her head. “Is he so very powerful then?”
“In some circles, yes.”
“In my circle?”
“Enough, Miss. I shall not tell you more lest you discover my great secret.”
“Who you truly are is not important, I suppose. You would still be my friend if you were a butcher’s son or a prince, would you not?”
“I would.”
She smiled, and he let out a small groan. “What is wrong?”
“Must you be so beautiful?” he asked, sounding flabbergasted. “It would be so much easier not to kiss you if you were homely.”
She lifted her nose in mock affront. “I had no idea you were so shallow.”
“I suppose I’m as shallow as any other man who is standing in front of a beautiful woman he wants to kiss.”
“Well,” she said, putting her hands behind her back and pacing in front of him, furiously trying to hide a smile. “It just so happens I may have discovered a bit of a loophole in our kissing ban.”
“Oh?”
Elsie looked up into the misshapen tree and giggled. “It just so happens, sir, that we are standing beneath a rather large cluster of mistletoe.”
Alexander looked up at the large bush-like growth sprouting so incongruously from the tree. “Mistletoe,” he said slowly. “Have you lured me out here, Mademoiselle, under false pretenses?”
“Absolutely, I have.”
“How very naughty of you, Miss Elsie.”
“I do have one rule, however,” she said with mock sternness, looking so utterly adorable he had to stop himself from sweeping her into his arms. “You must put both hands behind your back.”
“Like this?” he said, putting his hands immediately behind him.
“Just so,” she said with a satisfied nod. “And I should do the same.”
Alexander’s mouth went dry when she thrust her own hands behind her back, which only served to accentuate her lithe body and its wonderful curves.
“Now we may kiss.”
They leaned toward one another, each grinning like a fool, so that when they did kiss, their teeth touched, making them laugh. “That will never do,” Alexander said softly, his smile fading as he stared down at her upturned face in the moonlight.
He leaned forward again, this time his lips touching her soft, pliant mouth, breathing in on her exhale. He clutched his own wrist so tightly, it was nearly painful, but it was either that or pull her to him. He moved his mouth expertly over hers, taking her bottom lip and sucking gently. Her tongue darted out to taste him and that was nearly his undoing. He was painfully aroused, his body screaming for him to take her into his arms, to press against her. Instead, with a low groan, he pushed his tongue into her mouth, exploring the sweetness there. His knees nearly collapsed when her tongue began to meet his, matching his rhythm, one so erotic he wondered if she was aware what she was doing.
He was losing the battle with his self control, and he let go of his wrist, only to fist his hands by his sides, still not touching her with anything but his mouth, his tongue.
With a small sound, she stepped back, her breathing shaky. “It is not fair,” she said, her voice low and trembling. “It should not be like this. I should not have to suffer this.”
Alexander stiffened. “I don’t understand.”
“It is not fair that I should be forced into...” She stopped abruptly. “It is best left unsaid.” She swallowed, and he could see her throat moving as if she were trying not to cry.
He put his hands upon her upper arms. “Tell me.”
“It is best left unsaid,” she whispered, looking up at him as if her heart were breaking.
“Very well.” His tone was cool, his expression stony.
She just shook her head. “We shouldn’t have kissed. I shouldn’t have allowed it. But you are all I can think of from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep. This is wrong and I should not be here.”
“Elsie,” he said, giving her a little shake when she refused to look at him. “It is the same for me.
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