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him so intensely.
He knew that the easiest way to rid himself of the dangerous sensual curiosity that plagued
him was to surrender to the impulse. But now, as he felt the small shiver that coursed through
Alice, he wondered if he had unleashed a force that would be far more difficult to control
than he had anticipated.
She stood very still beneath his hands, as though uncertain how to react.
Hugh took advantage of her confusion to indulge himself in the taste of her.
Her mouth was as warm and moist as figs drenched in honey and fresh ginger.
He could not get enough of the taste.
Kissing Alice was more intoxicating than walking into a storehouse full of rare spices. She
was everything the dark imaginings of the night had promised. Sweet, soft, and fragrant.
There was heat in her, the sort of fire that inflamed all of a man's senses.
Hugh deepened the kiss, searching for a response.
Alice made a tiny, muffled sound. It was neither a protest nor a cry of fear. It seemed to Hugh
to be a choked exclamation of pure astonishment.
He eased her more tightly against his body until he could feel the thrust of her soft breasts
beneath her gown. Her hips pressed against his thighs. His shaft stirred hungrily.
Alice moaned softly. Then, as though she had been freed of a spell that had bound her in
place, she abruptly gripped the sleeves of his tunic. She rose on tiptoe and clung to him,
straining against him. Hugh felt her pulse quicken.
And then, to his great satisfaction, Alice parted her lips beneath his. He seized the
opportunity to plunder the lusciousness that had been opened to him. He was suddenly mad
with a desire to possess all of her, as if she were a seasoning that had no name, exotic beyond
description.
Hugh was well aware of the effects the unique spices of women had upon the male senses. He
had long ago learned to control and moderate his taste for them. He knew that a man who was
not the master of his own appetites was doomed to be mastered by them.
But it was suddenly very difficult to recall his own rules. Alice was a heady mix. The taste
and scent of her beckoned him as he had not been beckoned in a very long time. Mayhap in
his entire life.
He wanted more. Much more.
"Sir Hugh," Alice finally gasped. She freed her mouth and looked up at him with wide,
stunned eyes.
For a moment Hugh could think of nothing else except retaking her mouth. He started to
lower his head once more.
Alice put her fingertips on his lips. Her brows snapped together in a quelling expression. "A
moment, if you please, sir."
Hugh forced himself to take a deep, steadying breath. The realization of how close he had
come to sacrificing the iron self-mastery that had served him so well all of his life struck him
with bruising force.
He shook off the disturbing suspicion that Alice might be able to exert a woman's power over
him. It was simply not possible. He had not been vulnerable to feminine wiles since the
earliest days of his youth. He certainly had no intention of allowing this particular woman to
work her way past the armor of his control.
Every move he made was calculated, he reminded himself. Kissing Alice had merely been
one more such maneuver. To judge by the rosy flush on her cheeks, the stratagem had
worked. The lady was not immune to passion. That fact would no doubt prove useful.
"As I said," Hugh muttered, "I believe I can convince your uncle that I have been swept away
by passion."
"Aye, well, I shall leave the matter in your hands, my lord." Alice's cheeks were very pink.
She turned away, not meeting his eyes. "You appear to know what you are about."
"Rest assured that I do." Hugh took a deep breath and went toward the door. "See to your
travel preparations and those of your brother. I wish to be on the road by noon."
"Aye, my lord." She glanced at him. Satisfaction and a womanly pleasure gleamed in her
vivid eyes.
"There is just one more small detail that must be dealt with before
He knew that the easiest way to rid himself of the dangerous sensual curiosity that plagued
him was to surrender to the impulse. But now, as he felt the small shiver that coursed through
Alice, he wondered if he had unleashed a force that would be far more difficult to control
than he had anticipated.
She stood very still beneath his hands, as though uncertain how to react.
Hugh took advantage of her confusion to indulge himself in the taste of her.
Her mouth was as warm and moist as figs drenched in honey and fresh ginger.
He could not get enough of the taste.
Kissing Alice was more intoxicating than walking into a storehouse full of rare spices. She
was everything the dark imaginings of the night had promised. Sweet, soft, and fragrant.
There was heat in her, the sort of fire that inflamed all of a man's senses.
Hugh deepened the kiss, searching for a response.
Alice made a tiny, muffled sound. It was neither a protest nor a cry of fear. It seemed to Hugh
to be a choked exclamation of pure astonishment.
He eased her more tightly against his body until he could feel the thrust of her soft breasts
beneath her gown. Her hips pressed against his thighs. His shaft stirred hungrily.
Alice moaned softly. Then, as though she had been freed of a spell that had bound her in
place, she abruptly gripped the sleeves of his tunic. She rose on tiptoe and clung to him,
straining against him. Hugh felt her pulse quicken.
And then, to his great satisfaction, Alice parted her lips beneath his. He seized the
opportunity to plunder the lusciousness that had been opened to him. He was suddenly mad
with a desire to possess all of her, as if she were a seasoning that had no name, exotic beyond
description.
Hugh was well aware of the effects the unique spices of women had upon the male senses. He
had long ago learned to control and moderate his taste for them. He knew that a man who was
not the master of his own appetites was doomed to be mastered by them.
But it was suddenly very difficult to recall his own rules. Alice was a heady mix. The taste
and scent of her beckoned him as he had not been beckoned in a very long time. Mayhap in
his entire life.
He wanted more. Much more.
"Sir Hugh," Alice finally gasped. She freed her mouth and looked up at him with wide,
stunned eyes.
For a moment Hugh could think of nothing else except retaking her mouth. He started to
lower his head once more.
Alice put her fingertips on his lips. Her brows snapped together in a quelling expression. "A
moment, if you please, sir."
Hugh forced himself to take a deep, steadying breath. The realization of how close he had
come to sacrificing the iron self-mastery that had served him so well all of his life struck him
with bruising force.
He shook off the disturbing suspicion that Alice might be able to exert a woman's power over
him. It was simply not possible. He had not been vulnerable to feminine wiles since the
earliest days of his youth. He certainly had no intention of allowing this particular woman to
work her way past the armor of his control.
Every move he made was calculated, he reminded himself. Kissing Alice had merely been
one more such maneuver. To judge by the rosy flush on her cheeks, the stratagem had
worked. The lady was not immune to passion. That fact would no doubt prove useful.
"As I said," Hugh muttered, "I believe I can convince your uncle that I have been swept away
by passion."
"Aye, well, I shall leave the matter in your hands, my lord." Alice's cheeks were very pink.
She turned away, not meeting his eyes. "You appear to know what you are about."
"Rest assured that I do." Hugh took a deep breath and went toward the door. "See to your
travel preparations and those of your brother. I wish to be on the road by noon."
"Aye, my lord." She glanced at him. Satisfaction and a womanly pleasure gleamed in her
vivid eyes.
"There is just one more small detail that must be dealt with before
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