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He chuckled. “You don’t want me to look at you?”

“Yes, I would prefer it if you closed your eyes.”

“As you wish, my darling.” William closed his eyes and held his breath, waiting for the kiss.

There was a long pause, and William wondered if she’d ever comply. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the bed dipped, and she moved closer. Another eternity later, her warm breath caressed his cheek.

And then there it was. A light, warm peck against his lips. A soft press of her lips against his. A pause. A sweet smacking sound before she disengaged her lips.

A small ball of warmth unfurled inside William’s stomach and slowly spread wider. A tickle low in his belly and the small of his back preceded the pooling of the blood to his sensitive male organ.

William opened his eyes and stared right at Victoria. She hadn’t moved away yet. Her face was only inches away from his as she stared right back.

His cock stirred and pressed against his breeches, and he was suddenly very excited about the idea of a nightshirt that wouldn’t squash his manhood every time he got hard, which he expected to be quite often if he were to sleep with Victoria every night. If he was to endure her sensual kisses every night.

She licked her lips, and his gaze dropped to her mouth.

It took everything within him not to put his hands on her shoulders and drag her toward him. Not to press his lips against hers and drink from her mouth like a thirsty beast after years without water.

It took everything within him to simply whisper, “Good night,” and turn away.

Three long beats of silence followed, and Victoria finally whispered back, “Good night.”

The bed dipped and creaked under her delicate weight as she turned away from him as well, and William expelled a breath.

Pressing the back of his fingers to his lips, he allowed himself to revel in the memory of her lips pressed against his.

This was the first kiss she had willingly bestowed on him in years. And the warm feeling she brought with it? He would cherish it until tomorrow. Until they could do it again.

* * *

That little kiss haunted Victoria the entire night and late into the afternoon of the next day.

It was a brief peck. A press of her lips against his for less than three seconds, she was certain, although it had felt like an eternity. And she hadn’t wanted to stop. Her heart had raced wildly in her chest, and her fingers had itched to grab him by the neck and pull him closer, while her spine arched instinctively, seeking more contact.

She had to force herself to break the kiss and lay there in a stupor, unable to move away, too stubborn to move forward. What in the devil was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to keep kissing him every night and then lie there next to him until morning?

This was an exquisite torture of her own making. Yes, her own. Because she could have said no. She could have resisted. She could have laughed in his face. But she didn’t. Because the idea of experiencing his kisses again was way too tempting.

Sure, she could have lied to herself, telling herself that the reason she agreed to the kisses was because he had manipulated her into it. Because he had muddled her mind with his games, his tricks, because she didn’t know up from down as he confused her with his naked form.

But the quickening of her heart and the warmth low in her belly didn’t lie. She wanted to kiss him. The same way she didn’t want to stop kissing him the night before. The same way that she wished she could wrap her body around him and let him do anything he wanted to do to her and more.

Thankfully, William had left their home for whatever business he had, leaving her to her own devices for most of the day. If he were at home, she didn’t know how she would deal with her overwhelming feelings. Perhaps she would lose control over her actions and kiss him again.

Oh, God, she was an idiot. It had only been a bit more than a fortnight! Sixteen days, and the walls of ice she’d built around her heart were already crumbling. What would happen in two months? How was she to resist his charm and her own urges for this long? She needed help. She needed lots and lots of help.

As the carriage pulled up to the door at the designated hour, she decided she would seek solace in her family. She climbed into the carriage, opened the little window that separated her and Matthew, as she always did during long drives, and directed him to drive her to the Roth townhouse.

He nodded, and they started the journey.

She sat in silence for a while, sifting through her thoughts, but then turned to Matthew. “Matthew, how long have you worked for William?”

Matthew turned his head slightly, acknowledging that he had heard her words over the noise of the carriage and the sound of hoofbeats.

“Since forever, Your Highness.”

“Do you know where he goes when he leaves for business every day?”