“A kiss nonetheless. And tonight I find you wrapped in the arms of a man. What am I to think?”
“It is your fault, Lord Stonehurst.”
He frowned deeply and tensed again. “Mine?” he asked ruefully.
She wouldn’t back down. “Yes.”
“This is because I’ve been gone longer than what you deemed proper? Longer than you’d hoped?”
“I dared not hope you would return,” she said, her own anger rising again. “I overheard you tell my father you would not return until you were old and gray. Congratulations, sir, you almost made it.”
“You were eavesdropping?”
She ignored his accusation and allowed him to add it to his ever growing list of her faults. She was guilty of far worse.
“After my first Season passed and you didn’t return, I assumed I’d been put on the shelf. If you’d been here three years ago, or two months ago or even last week, I wouldn’t have been kissed by another man. Therefore it is your fault.”
“Your courage is extraordinary.”
Mirabella’s voice grew softer. “I speak the truth. I resigned myself to never being a bride, Lord Stonehurst. Must I go through life without a kiss, too?”
His eyes narrowed. His expression softened, but only for a flash.
“A kiss is all you wanted?” His voice lowered. His eyes grew fierce. Fury radiated from him. “Very well, Miss Whittingham.”
Camden grasped her upper arms and pulled her to him. His lips covered hers quickly, hard and hungry, completely scorching her with his strength, his heat, and his desire. Blood rushed to her ears. Her breasts pressed against his chest. Breath swooshed out of her lungs. She felt his power, his anger, his punishment in the way his hands held her arms and his lips moved over hers.
As suddenly as he had grabbed her, he let her go and stepped away unapologetically.
Gooseflesh rose on her skin.
Mirabella was astonished, frightened, exhilarated. Lord Stonehurst’s kiss was nothing like the flat pressing together of dry lips that she had endured from fumbling gentlemen all week. There was nothing awkward or hesitating in the viscount’s kiss. It was hot, searing, and passionate.
“You should have waited until I returned.” His words spilled from a ragged breath.
Behind an unexpected broken gasp she whispered, “If only I had known you would. Right now, I feel as if I haven’t ever been kissed before you.”
He looked stunned, caught off guard by her honesty, but quickly recovered and said, “What’s done can’t be undone. I will not be made a fool of twice. The engagement must be broken.”
Mirabella felt as if a knife had pierced her heart. His rejection of her was complete. “Of course, I understand that.”
She kept her composure, if not her dignity. For reasons she couldn’t fathom, she was wounded down to her inner soul by this intriguing man.
“I’ll call on your father tomorrow and settle the final arrangements with him.”
“All right, but I would like the opportunity to speak with him first, if you don’t mind. He hasn’t been well recently, and I think this will be easier for him to accept coming from me. Would you please not come until early in the evening, or perhaps even the day after tomorrow?”
He nodded and looked away from her and she wondered if it was that he could no longer tolerate the sight of her.
Mirabella managed to walk past him toward her uncle with her head held high. She wouldn’t think about Lord Stonehurst or what might have been.
She had begun her search for Sarah’s seducer knowing it would ruin her reputation. She had set a course that now she couldn’t stop, but she had never dreamed her fiancé would return and catch her in the arms of another man.
What a cruel hand fate had dealt her. Her fiancé was the only man she had kissed because she wanted to, and the only man whose kiss she had enjoyed. And the only man she couldn’t have.
Five
Viscount Stonehurst Returns
If you missed the ball at the Worsters’ last evening you
“It is your fault, Lord Stonehurst.”
He frowned deeply and tensed again. “Mine?” he asked ruefully.
She wouldn’t back down. “Yes.”
“This is because I’ve been gone longer than what you deemed proper? Longer than you’d hoped?”
“I dared not hope you would return,” she said, her own anger rising again. “I overheard you tell my father you would not return until you were old and gray. Congratulations, sir, you almost made it.”
“You were eavesdropping?”
She ignored his accusation and allowed him to add it to his ever growing list of her faults. She was guilty of far worse.
“After my first Season passed and you didn’t return, I assumed I’d been put on the shelf. If you’d been here three years ago, or two months ago or even last week, I wouldn’t have been kissed by another man. Therefore it is your fault.”
“Your courage is extraordinary.”
Mirabella’s voice grew softer. “I speak the truth. I resigned myself to never being a bride, Lord Stonehurst. Must I go through life without a kiss, too?”
His eyes narrowed. His expression softened, but only for a flash.
“A kiss is all you wanted?” His voice lowered. His eyes grew fierce. Fury radiated from him. “Very well, Miss Whittingham.”
Camden grasped her upper arms and pulled her to him. His lips covered hers quickly, hard and hungry, completely scorching her with his strength, his heat, and his desire. Blood rushed to her ears. Her breasts pressed against his chest. Breath swooshed out of her lungs. She felt his power, his anger, his punishment in the way his hands held her arms and his lips moved over hers.
As suddenly as he had grabbed her, he let her go and stepped away unapologetically.
Gooseflesh rose on her skin.
Mirabella was astonished, frightened, exhilarated. Lord Stonehurst’s kiss was nothing like the flat pressing together of dry lips that she had endured from fumbling gentlemen all week. There was nothing awkward or hesitating in the viscount’s kiss. It was hot, searing, and passionate.
“You should have waited until I returned.” His words spilled from a ragged breath.
Behind an unexpected broken gasp she whispered, “If only I had known you would. Right now, I feel as if I haven’t ever been kissed before you.”
He looked stunned, caught off guard by her honesty, but quickly recovered and said, “What’s done can’t be undone. I will not be made a fool of twice. The engagement must be broken.”
Mirabella felt as if a knife had pierced her heart. His rejection of her was complete. “Of course, I understand that.”
She kept her composure, if not her dignity. For reasons she couldn’t fathom, she was wounded down to her inner soul by this intriguing man.
“I’ll call on your father tomorrow and settle the final arrangements with him.”
“All right, but I would like the opportunity to speak with him first, if you don’t mind. He hasn’t been well recently, and I think this will be easier for him to accept coming from me. Would you please not come until early in the evening, or perhaps even the day after tomorrow?”
He nodded and looked away from her and she wondered if it was that he could no longer tolerate the sight of her.
Mirabella managed to walk past him toward her uncle with her head held high. She wouldn’t think about Lord Stonehurst or what might have been.
She had begun her search for Sarah’s seducer knowing it would ruin her reputation. She had set a course that now she couldn’t stop, but she had never dreamed her fiancé would return and catch her in the arms of another man.
What a cruel hand fate had dealt her. Her fiancé was the only man she had kissed because she wanted to, and the only man whose kiss she had enjoyed. And the only man she couldn’t have.
Five
Viscount Stonehurst Returns
If you missed the ball at the Worsters’ last evening you
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