her. She was fine-boned but sturdy. There was a resilient feminine strength about her that excited him. She was fiercely
alive
under his hands. He was close enough to smell the scent of herbs in her hair.
“You are wrong, madam.” His tongue felt thick in his mouth. “Witless passion is obviously the only force strongenough to make a man overcome good sense and sound reason.”
Before she could comprehend his intention, Hugh pulled her against his chest and covered her mouth with his own.
He acknowledged then, for the first time, that the desire to kiss her had been brewing within him since he had first seen her in the firelit hall.
She was a creature of shimmering magic
. He had never before touched a woman such as this one.
This was madness. No woman could be allowed to affect 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 andclung 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
alive
under his hands. He was close enough to smell the scent of herbs in her hair.
“You are wrong, madam.” His tongue felt thick in his mouth. “Witless passion is obviously the only force strongenough to make a man overcome good sense and sound reason.”
Before she could comprehend his intention, Hugh pulled her against his chest and covered her mouth with his own.
He acknowledged then, for the first time, that the desire to kiss her had been brewing within him since he had first seen her in the firelit hall.
She was a creature of shimmering magic
. He had never before touched a woman such as this one.
This was madness. No woman could be allowed to affect 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 andclung 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
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