I became tough and dangerous.”
His boasts had her laughing. “Each and every one of them yearned to be kissed?”
“Yes, and you’re not so very different from all the rest.”
“You’re wrong about that. I’m totally different from anyone you’ve ever encountered.”
“I plan to eventually discover exactly what that means.”
He kissed her again, his chest crushed to hers, his body pressing her into the bench. His lips were soft and warm, and he felt so good and smelled so good. She was overwhelmed by him, by the night, by the reckless energy that had been surging through her all evening.
There was no predicting what she might have allowed, but apparently he had better sense than she did. He stroked his palms up her arms, over her shoulders and neck, then he wrenched away, almost as if he had to force himself to stop.
“Let’s get you inside so you can speak with Valois.”
“I’m scheduled to talk with him, aren’t I?” But she didn’t move, didn’t ease him away. “My head is spinning, Bryce. You have me completely discombobulated.”
“Of course I have. I just kissed you twice. It’s difficult to proceed rationally after such an exciting event has occurred.”
She laughed again, which seemed to be her regular condition when she was in his presence. He was vain and funny and charming, and she was so lucky to have met him. Her angels had definitely been guiding her when she’d been tossed into his path.
Her fondness couldn’t lead anywhere though. Yet must it lead somewhere? Couldn’t she simply welcome his friendship? Couldn’t she lean on him during this period when she was so weary and troubled? Where was the harm in that? It wasn’t as if a room of Parthenian chaperones was watching her every second.
She was a twenty-five-year-old independent female who’d recently lived through the most trying of times. Why shouldn’t she seize a bit of joy? Why shouldn’t Bryce Blair grow as close as he liked? She knew all the appropriate boundaries and would never permit him to cross them.
He stood and helped her to her feet, and she was stunned to find that she was sad at having their amorous rendezvous conclude. If he hadn’t insisted they return to the villa, she’d have been happy to dawdle all evening.
She’d been kissed in the moonlight! By a handsome, dynamic hero and champion. By an actor! She’d understood that strange incidents would be possible in Egypt, but clearly she’d had no idea.
He bent down and whispered, “I’m going to kiss you again before the night is over.”
“Only if I let you,” she saucily retorted. My goodness, but she was flirting! She hadn’t thought she knew how.
“You’ll let me. You won’t be able to resist.”
She clutched the front of his shirt and rose on tiptoe to place her own kiss on his lovely lips. “You might be correct, Mr. Blair. Perhaps I shall never be the same.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“Hello, Mr. Hubbard.”
Pippa smiled at Chase Hubbard, and as he smiled back, she decided he was the handsomest fellow to stroll down her road in ages.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, tan and fit. His hair was dark, his eyes blue, and his face was clean shaven, which delighted her. In Parthenia, most men wore beards, partly for fashion and partly to ward off the cold weather. But she always appreciated a man who regularly used his razor.
They were out on Valois’s verandah, with the other guests inside chatting, playing cards, or listening to a trio of musicians in the music room.
She’d come out to see where Kat had gone and had arrived to observe her walking into the garden with Mr. Blair. To Pippa’s amazement, they shared an attraction that had been so evident it had been blatantly noticeable.
She’d been Kat’s best friend for twenty years, and in all that time, Kat had never been smitten. In light of her rank, dalliances weren’t possible, so she likely had no idea that she and Mr. Blair were so compatible, and Pippa wouldn’t inform
His boasts had her laughing. “Each and every one of them yearned to be kissed?”
“Yes, and you’re not so very different from all the rest.”
“You’re wrong about that. I’m totally different from anyone you’ve ever encountered.”
“I plan to eventually discover exactly what that means.”
He kissed her again, his chest crushed to hers, his body pressing her into the bench. His lips were soft and warm, and he felt so good and smelled so good. She was overwhelmed by him, by the night, by the reckless energy that had been surging through her all evening.
There was no predicting what she might have allowed, but apparently he had better sense than she did. He stroked his palms up her arms, over her shoulders and neck, then he wrenched away, almost as if he had to force himself to stop.
“Let’s get you inside so you can speak with Valois.”
“I’m scheduled to talk with him, aren’t I?” But she didn’t move, didn’t ease him away. “My head is spinning, Bryce. You have me completely discombobulated.”
“Of course I have. I just kissed you twice. It’s difficult to proceed rationally after such an exciting event has occurred.”
She laughed again, which seemed to be her regular condition when she was in his presence. He was vain and funny and charming, and she was so lucky to have met him. Her angels had definitely been guiding her when she’d been tossed into his path.
Her fondness couldn’t lead anywhere though. Yet must it lead somewhere? Couldn’t she simply welcome his friendship? Couldn’t she lean on him during this period when she was so weary and troubled? Where was the harm in that? It wasn’t as if a room of Parthenian chaperones was watching her every second.
She was a twenty-five-year-old independent female who’d recently lived through the most trying of times. Why shouldn’t she seize a bit of joy? Why shouldn’t Bryce Blair grow as close as he liked? She knew all the appropriate boundaries and would never permit him to cross them.
He stood and helped her to her feet, and she was stunned to find that she was sad at having their amorous rendezvous conclude. If he hadn’t insisted they return to the villa, she’d have been happy to dawdle all evening.
She’d been kissed in the moonlight! By a handsome, dynamic hero and champion. By an actor! She’d understood that strange incidents would be possible in Egypt, but clearly she’d had no idea.
He bent down and whispered, “I’m going to kiss you again before the night is over.”
“Only if I let you,” she saucily retorted. My goodness, but she was flirting! She hadn’t thought she knew how.
“You’ll let me. You won’t be able to resist.”
She clutched the front of his shirt and rose on tiptoe to place her own kiss on his lovely lips. “You might be correct, Mr. Blair. Perhaps I shall never be the same.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“Hello, Mr. Hubbard.”
Pippa smiled at Chase Hubbard, and as he smiled back, she decided he was the handsomest fellow to stroll down her road in ages.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, tan and fit. His hair was dark, his eyes blue, and his face was clean shaven, which delighted her. In Parthenia, most men wore beards, partly for fashion and partly to ward off the cold weather. But she always appreciated a man who regularly used his razor.
They were out on Valois’s verandah, with the other guests inside chatting, playing cards, or listening to a trio of musicians in the music room.
She’d come out to see where Kat had gone and had arrived to observe her walking into the garden with Mr. Blair. To Pippa’s amazement, they shared an attraction that had been so evident it had been blatantly noticeable.
She’d been Kat’s best friend for twenty years, and in all that time, Kat had never been smitten. In light of her rank, dalliances weren’t possible, so she likely had no idea that she and Mr. Blair were so compatible, and Pippa wouldn’t inform
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