Wildfire Kiss by Claudy Conn

named
George as he began to reach and shook her head. “ Not a good
idea, George. You see, if you were tempted to put one finger on me
or my cousin, I should have not the slightest regret in putting a
hole through that silly smile of yours. It would not, of course,
ruin my evening, but I rather think it would ruin yours!”
    “Ah …” George said, looking just a bit wary. He
turned to his friend. “Whot ye want to bother with gentry morts
fer? Lookee there, in the red gown …” He was already pulling
his friend off.
    The third fellow without uttering a word chased
after them, and Corry turned to her cousin and declared, “Babs, you
are the most complete hand! Never say you brought your little
pistol with you?”
    “As a matter of fact,” Babs answered a bit
sheepishly, “I meant to, but I forgot it.”
    As Babs giggled, Corry raised her hazel eyes
heavenward and severely requested, “Give me strength enough to keep
my hands off her neck.” She looked back at her cousin. “You mean
you …”
    “Bluffed them. ’Tis done all the time in poker,”
Lady Babs supplied happily.
    “But,” a masculine and familiar voice at Babs’ back
said, “you executed it beautifully.”
    The power of his voice sent her spinning around, and
she almost landed in his arms. He wore a black domino and a mask,
but even so she knew him, saw his glittering blue eyes in the
glaring light of the many torches. For a moment the world receded
and she was alone with him.
    She was vaguely aware of Sir Frederick, who quietly
comforted Corry as he led her to a bench a short distance away. It
was as though she and Wildfire were sharing a breath. What was he
doing? He was taking her gloved hand. She should speak, she had to
speak, but nothing came to her mind or lips. Finally, she heard
herself say, “Your grace.”
    “And so, dark eyes, you do indeed know me. When you
didn’t speak, I thought perhaps you were confused for the
moment?”
    “I would know you anywhere,” she answered as she got
control of herself and flirted in her usual fashion. “There is that
something in your mien that gives you away.”
    He regarded her intently. “And what is that in my
mien?”
    “Your own unique sense of self,” she said and then
giggled at his expression.
    “Am I to take that as flattery or—”
    “In your case, flattery, yes,” she said, cutting him
off.
    He pulled her arm through his and led her away as he
said, “As it happens, I too, would know you anywhere.”
    He had her down a maze of evergreens created for
entertainment and moments like these, and he pulled her to him.
Babs was alive with anticipation. He was going to kiss her. And she
was right, quite right.
    He took her into his arms and cursed softly, “Damn
me for a cad, I should tell you to run from me … run far away
and never look back …” And so saying, his lips brushed gently,
lightly against her own as he made a viable effort to stop himself
and pull away.
    She felt it the moment he got control and thought, Oh no , I have waited for this too long …
    The next thing she did was to fling her arms up and
around him as best she could while she stood on her toes to make
that kiss more than a touch.
    She found his lips parting for hers; her tongue was
met by his velvet tongue, and it entwined with hers in a way she
had never experienced before. Heat rushed through her body as his
hand went under her cloak and cupped her breast through the soft
silk of her gown. Faith ! She was behaving like a tart …
and it was with him, with this big handsome man … absolutely
thrillingly perfect!
    ***
    He had just been about to pick up the strength to
pull away from her. He was a demon to do this to an innocent young
woman, but hell and fire, he wanted her, wanted her so damn much
that his stomach clenched, his dick danced in his breeches, and
he …
    What was she doing? She was reaching up, she was on
her toes, she was pressing her delicious lips to his, and Nick,
Duke of Barrington,