amazing tenderness she had awakened in him. He tightened his fist around the smallscrap of linen he had removed from her hair. In that moment he made a decision he had never before even considered with any other woman.
He would marry Grace Ackerly.
Already a thread of possessive pride coursed through him. He held her imperceptibly closer, a smile of profound wonder stealing across his face at the passionate way she had responded to him. She was a natural temptress, unconsciously seductive and incredibly alluring. He could only hope she would never discover the power she held over him. Almost as soon as the thought occurred to him, he corrected himself. She
should
know, he thought, so that she could take pride in the way she made him feel, for he knew in his heart that if she ever loved him, she would never use that power against him.
While Trevor pleasantly contemplated their future, Grace grew more and more uncomfortable in his embrace, deeply unsettled by the way he had made her feel. Somehow this handsome stranger had entered her life and upset the carefully balanced existence that had defined her world, and she found that she did not like it—at all. Every instinct she possessed warned her that this man threatened her precious freedom, that she had to get away from him before she no longer could.
Her ear still pressed against his chest, Grace heard his preparatory intake of breath, and realized with horror that he intended to speak. Suddenly afraid of what he might say, she pushed with all her strength against his torso and stumbled back away from him, tripping on an exposed tree root and landing sprawled on her backside in the grass.
Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she looked up at him and saw that he was preparing to speak. Quickly, she blurted, “I won’t marry
you
, either!”
Trevor closed his mouth in surprise, looking at the defiant beauty below him, her chest heaving with turbulentemotion, causing her mostly exposed breasts to quiver enticingly. With an effort, he looked away from the fetching sight to find her eyes shooting blue sparks at him. He raised an amused eyebrow as she fumbled with her buttons and extended a hand to help her up. “I don’t remember asking you,” he said calmly. He tilted his head and gave her a thoughtful, assessing look. “Have you had a great many requests?”
Sublime humiliation washed acidly through her, causing her ill humor to once again intensify. “No!” she snapped irritably, then closed her treacherous mouth before it could utter any more embarrassing statements.
“Perhaps, then, it’s the customary thing to do around here after sharing a kiss,” he mused, tapping an index finger on his upper lip. He gave her a reproving look. “If that’s the case, my dear, you really should have informed me of the danger I faced before you returned my kiss.”
“Returned your . . . I did no such thing,” she said indignantly, knowing she lied even as the words left her mouth.
Trevor smirked.
Grace’s hands clenched convulsively into tight little fists as she stared, speechless, at the infuriating man in front of her. Finally finding her voice, she took a calming breath and attempted to explain. “I don’t intend ever to marry, you see, and I just wanted to disabuse you of the notion that our . . . our . . .” She gestured impatiently, searching for the proper word as she scrambled to her feet, pointedly ignoring his proffered hand.
“Our kiss?” Trevor supplied helpfully.
“Our
mistake,
” she amended with emphasis, “that our mistake did not in any way indicate that I welcomed future . . . ah . . .”
“Mistakes,” he reminded her.
“Future
incidents
from you,” she finished severely, with an impressive glower. She tossed her head and marchedresolutely across the wildflower-strewn glade to Firefly. She gathered the reins, stepped purposefully on the stump to mount, landed in the saddle, and spun away.
Trevor stared thoughtfully after her as she
He would marry Grace Ackerly.
Already a thread of possessive pride coursed through him. He held her imperceptibly closer, a smile of profound wonder stealing across his face at the passionate way she had responded to him. She was a natural temptress, unconsciously seductive and incredibly alluring. He could only hope she would never discover the power she held over him. Almost as soon as the thought occurred to him, he corrected himself. She
should
know, he thought, so that she could take pride in the way she made him feel, for he knew in his heart that if she ever loved him, she would never use that power against him.
While Trevor pleasantly contemplated their future, Grace grew more and more uncomfortable in his embrace, deeply unsettled by the way he had made her feel. Somehow this handsome stranger had entered her life and upset the carefully balanced existence that had defined her world, and she found that she did not like it—at all. Every instinct she possessed warned her that this man threatened her precious freedom, that she had to get away from him before she no longer could.
Her ear still pressed against his chest, Grace heard his preparatory intake of breath, and realized with horror that he intended to speak. Suddenly afraid of what he might say, she pushed with all her strength against his torso and stumbled back away from him, tripping on an exposed tree root and landing sprawled on her backside in the grass.
Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she looked up at him and saw that he was preparing to speak. Quickly, she blurted, “I won’t marry
you
, either!”
Trevor closed his mouth in surprise, looking at the defiant beauty below him, her chest heaving with turbulentemotion, causing her mostly exposed breasts to quiver enticingly. With an effort, he looked away from the fetching sight to find her eyes shooting blue sparks at him. He raised an amused eyebrow as she fumbled with her buttons and extended a hand to help her up. “I don’t remember asking you,” he said calmly. He tilted his head and gave her a thoughtful, assessing look. “Have you had a great many requests?”
Sublime humiliation washed acidly through her, causing her ill humor to once again intensify. “No!” she snapped irritably, then closed her treacherous mouth before it could utter any more embarrassing statements.
“Perhaps, then, it’s the customary thing to do around here after sharing a kiss,” he mused, tapping an index finger on his upper lip. He gave her a reproving look. “If that’s the case, my dear, you really should have informed me of the danger I faced before you returned my kiss.”
“Returned your . . . I did no such thing,” she said indignantly, knowing she lied even as the words left her mouth.
Trevor smirked.
Grace’s hands clenched convulsively into tight little fists as she stared, speechless, at the infuriating man in front of her. Finally finding her voice, she took a calming breath and attempted to explain. “I don’t intend ever to marry, you see, and I just wanted to disabuse you of the notion that our . . . our . . .” She gestured impatiently, searching for the proper word as she scrambled to her feet, pointedly ignoring his proffered hand.
“Our kiss?” Trevor supplied helpfully.
“Our
mistake,
” she amended with emphasis, “that our mistake did not in any way indicate that I welcomed future . . . ah . . .”
“Mistakes,” he reminded her.
“Future
incidents
from you,” she finished severely, with an impressive glower. She tossed her head and marchedresolutely across the wildflower-strewn glade to Firefly. She gathered the reins, stepped purposefully on the stump to mount, landed in the saddle, and spun away.
Trevor stared thoughtfully after her as she
Similar Books
