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She took another step. His hand touched her elbow at once, firm and sure.

“Gently. The sofa is behind you.”

Amelia stopped, her heart tripping. He released her as soon as she steadied herself, leaving no doubt that he'd offered the help for her comfort. She stood still for a moment, listening to the fire’s crackle. Then she smiled, slow and certain. “I believe I have discovered your weakness.”

“Have you?” he asked.

“You are protective...”

“It reflects poorly upon my hospitality if I were to allow harm to come to you,” he said

“Then I must exploit your good manners.” She moved toward his voice, more confidently. Dominic retreated, but she heard his shoe upon the edge of the carpet. She followed the faint scuff. When he laughed again, she reached out quickly, her hand darting. Her fingers caught his waistcoat. This time she held on, gripping the fabric tightly as triumph surged through her.

“Amelia.”

She brought her other hand to his chest, spreading her fingers wide. He was warm beneath the fabric, his heartbeat stronger than she expected against her palm. “Caught you,” she said, breathless.

“Indeed, you have...”

She remained still, savoring the certainty of him beneath her hands. Without sight, she felt his chest rise as he breathed, the faint movement of muscle as he lifted his arm, and the brush of his fingers at her wrist. The darkness hummed around them, intimate and close.

She had begun the evening delighting in making him uncertain. Now she found she enjoyed being certain of him, and the discovery settled in her heart like a quiet, steady flame. “Will you take this off?” she asked, tugging at the ribbon.

He untied the ribbon carefully, his knuckles grazing her hair. Candlelight returned, soft and golden, and she blinked up at him, momentarily dazzled.

His expression held none of the laughter she had expected. His eyes were dark and soft, and something tender and unguarded lingered in the set of his mouth. “You look very pleased,” he said.

“I won.” She shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I be?’

“You did win,” he agreed. “The forfeit is yours.”

“And I have decided where we shall sit.” He flicked his gaze to the sofa, then back to her, and one corner of his mouth lifted. Amelia smiled. “You appear to have anticipated me.”

“The options were limited,” he admitted. “I had all the other furniture removed.” He followed as she took his hand, her fingers curled warm and strong around his. At the sofa, she turned to face him and rested her palms against his waistcoat, feeling the steady thud of his heart beneath the embroidered silk.

“Sit,” she commanded.

Dominic obeyed, lowering himself onto the cushions without taking his eyes from her face. She had enjoyed giving that instruction while collecting his cravat. She enjoyed it even more now, with no table between them and his coat abandoned nearby. Heat pooled low in her body, and her breath quickened.

For a moment she considered taking the place beside him. Then she remembered that she had come to be scandalous. Amelia gathered her skirts and settled sideways upon his lap.

His breath caught, a soft, startled sound. He lifted his hands to steady her, one at her waist and the other beneath her arm. He spread his fingers against her. He did not pull her closer. He looked at her as though she had just made the entire evening worth every inconvenient preparation. His eyes were wide and dark, his lips parted.

“Will this do?” she asked, her voice not quite steady.

“Remarkably well,” he said gruffly.

Her cheeks warmed, but she refused to retreat into embarrassment. She had chosen this. His welcome was plain enough to make any apology ridiculous. She adjusted her skirts, smoothing the green silk over her knees, and then rested her hand against the open collar of his shirt.

“You must remain precisely where you are,” she told him.

“Believe me,” he said. “I have no intention of moving.”

Amelia looked at the pulse beating at the base of his throat, quick and strong. She had wanted to kiss him there since drawing away his cravat, though she had kept the desire to herself. Like a secret desire she could not share. She no longer had to keep it. Leaning closer, she pressed her lips to the warm hollow above his collarbone.

Dominic’s hand tightened at her waist, his fingers flexing against the silk. She felt his uneven, deep breath beneath her cheek, and the faint salt-sweet taste of his skin lingered on her lips. She paused long enough to realize how much she liked being the cause. The shiver that ran through him, the quiet sound he swallowed... When she lifted her head, he looked far less composed than when she arrived. His hair was tumbled, his eyes dark, and his chest rose and fell rapidly.

That pleased her beyond reason, a fierce, glad joy blooming in her chest. “One kiss,” she reminded him, a smile tugging at her mouth.