Page 22 of Venus in Disguise

His finger traced the line of her jaw, making her shiver. “That’s because they were just words before, spoken by foolish men who don’t know the true value of what they behold. They want to own you, to buy you and keep you for themselves, like setting a pretty piece of porcelain on a mantelpiece. They do not see the woman behind the façade. It makes their words meaningless, for such declarations need truth behind them before they can touch your heart.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek, the place where the tear had fallen. “I cannot bear to see you cry,” he whispered.

“Then you had best stop being so sweet to me,” she said shakily, entirely undone by the tender way he spoke to her, the gentle touch of his hand, the brush of his lips against her cheek.

“I fear I cannot,” he murmured, nuzzling her cheek. “You’ve caught my attention, something few women can do. Worse than that, you have made me think of you, and now I cannot stop.”

She gasped as lips pressed against the sensitive spot beneath her ear. “Jasmine,” he said, his breath warm against her neck. “Jasmine and something else, something delicious.”

Narcissa closed her eyes, holding her breath as the pleasure of his touch sent little darts of electricity shivering over her skin. He was still holding her hand, but the other had settled on her waist. She felt the heat of it through the layers of her gown and her corset and chemise and could not help but wonder how it would feel if there were no layers beneath his palm and her skin. The thought was so very shocking heat surged through her, but still, she did not pull away.

His lips moved over her skin, trailing a path to the curve of her shoulder.

“Ah, vanilla,” he said, and she felt the words as they shaped themselves against her skin. “Good enough to eat,” he murmured as his lips moved over her cheek to her mouth.

She sighed as he kissed her, as though she had been waiting her whole life for the touch of his mouth against hers and only now could she breathe easy. Though she hardly knew how she dared, she raised a tentative hand and stroked his hair. He captured the hand and turned into it, pressing a kiss to her palm before returning to her mouth and kissing her again, her hand still trapped in his, pressed against his chest.

Narcissa was lost, her senses swimming in a sea of which she had no experience. Though she knew it was dangerous, she trusted him to guide her, to see her to safety, though there was a part of her that knew it was foolish to do so. This man was adept at seduction, everyone said so, and surely that was what this was. He was seducing her with sweet words and soft touches so that she would give herself over to him. But she wanted to give herself over to him, could think of no pleasure sweeter, no greater happiness than spending however much time he would grant her in his arms. For if she was to marry an old man, could she not have this moment for herself, was that too much to ask?

His hand moved up her side and cupped her breast and she sucked in a breath, shocked both by the fact he had done it, and by the jolt of pleasure that had darted through her, tugging at a place even more intimate than the one he caressed. “M-Mr Anson,” she said hesitantly, wondering if they were truly as safe here as he supposed.

“Ash,” he murmured, capturing her mouth again.

Narcissa sighed, forgetting what it was she had been worried about as his tongue traced her lower lip and then slid into her mouth. Startled at first, she did not know what to do, but he teased her, touching her tongue and inviting her to do likewise. It seemed to be a delicate form of fencing, advance and counter-parry and riposte, but the deeper the kiss, the more lost she became in the intimate encounter.

He pulled her closer, raising their still entwined hands and settling her arms about his neck, pressing her gently but inexorably down against the sofa cushions. The weight and breadth of him so close to her made her dizzy with an unsettling combination of longing and fear. Was this just a game to him, the game he had warned her that she dares not play?

A sound outside made her stiffen, and he reacted too. Ash raised his head, alert and listening. Whatever it was, it seemed to be nothing to worry about, however, and she lifted her face to his, expecting him to kiss her again, but he stared down at her as though he had woken from a dream.

“Devil take you!” he exclaimed, surging to his feet and putting distance between them. “Were you ever going to stop me?”

Narcissa blushed, staring at him indignantly. “Stop you? Why should I? Why is it my job to stop you?”

“B-Because,” he stammered, and then shook his head. “No. No, you are quite right, this is on me. I ought never… Good God, woman, what you do to me. I think I may have lost my mind.”

Hurt and humiliated by his sharp words, Narcissa stumbled to her feet, her legs not entirely steady. “I beg your pardon,” she said, trying her utmost to keep her composure. She would not cry in front of him again. “I did not mean to—to cause you such trouble.”

Aware she was about to break down despite her best efforts, and determined to spare herself that much humiliation, she fled towards the door.

“Narcissa!” He moved as she did, catching her before she could grasp the door handle. “No, you little fool, I didn’t mean—”

She struggled in his arms, pushing him away and he let her go, but held a handout, standing between her and the door.

“Don’t go, not like this, not when you don’t understand. I meant no insult, I swear it. That… Damnation, Narcissa, that was the sweetest kiss I ever tasted in my life and I… I lost my head. I ought never to have allowed things to go so far, but you are so delicious I forgot myself. I forgot my manners and the fact I was a gentleman… or something resembling one, at any rate,” he added wryly.

Narcissa looked at him doubtfully, uncertain of whether to believe him.

“I was chastising myself, not you,” he told her, his voice gentler now. “You did nothing wrong, though you will end up losing your innocence if you don’t learn to tell me no. The truth is, you make me stupid, recklessly stupid, and so I need you to keep your wits about you or we shall both end in the basket.”

Narcissa stared at him, mollified by the frank explanation. Slowly, her lips quirked, as she discovered she was not entirely displeased by the idea this sophisticated, experienced man had lost his head over her, albeit it momentarily.

“I’m sorry, Narcissa, I behaved badly. Do you forgive me?” he asked, a wary look in his eyes now.

She smiled at that. “I didn’t want to tell you no,” she admitted.

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t say that,” he pleaded. “We’re in enough trouble as it is.”

“We are?” she asked him softly, for she had been aware of the danger she was courting, not only the possibility he might ruin her for fun, or that they might be discovered, but the growing awareness of the way her heart was cleaving to him, wanting him above all others. The idea he might feel the same way made hope blaze to life in her heart.

“I think so,” he admitted, holding out his hand to her. She stepped closer, taking it as he looked down at her. “I’m not sure this is one of my brighter ideas, and I’ve had a few really bad ones in my time.”