Page 72 of The Trouble with Anna

He could feel her slight shiver, even from across the room. How eternally unfair it was to be so attuned to her, as if her body sent out signal flares, lighting his path toward her.

Julian remained planted in place.

This is a rescue mission, not a seduction.

She glanced up at him, bit her lip, and glanced away again.

Oh Christ, was that her pulse low at the base of her throat, beating harder at his nearness?

She’s not your fiancée. She’s made it clear she doesn’t want you.

Damn Maltraver and damn his study. Julian could swear Anna felt the charge in the room, that she was leaning toward him just as he felt himself leaning toward her. He’d bet his whole fortune that the smooth stretch of her neck had begun to ache for the scrape of his teeth, that her lips were starting to pout at the thought of his kiss.

His hands clenched into fists.

Even if she wants you, she doesn’t want toacton it.

Anna looked at him. The air felt so thick he thought he could eat it. Against all good sense, Julian began to hope. Surely she couldn’t resist the pull any more than he could?

“Julian?” Her small voice was alarmingly loud in the quiet room.

“Yes?”

She licked her lips, leaving them glistening. “As long as we’re alone up here, I have a question I wanted to ask you.”

“Yes?” he said again.

“It’s just that… I’ve never understood why—” She stopped abruptly. “Never mind.”

In the faint light, he could see her face burn. He wanted to feel the heat of her cheeks, wanted everything about her.

“What?”

“It’s only… before, when you—” She stopped again, as if the words wouldn’t quite form.

“Yes?”

“I… I can never see the reason that you keptkissingme.”

He frowned. “Why the hell do you think I kissed you?”

“I don’t know! A kiss on the cheek to mark our engagement, maybe. But how could you kiss methatway, when you don’t feel—”

Two strides was all it took to reach her. “What don’t I feel?”

“Never mind!” she cried.

They were close, too close for his composure and yet not nearlyclose enough. He was aware of her every contour and slight curve, but he was not allowed to touch.

“I kissed you for one reason, the only reason to kiss someone—because I couldn’t stand not to. I want to kiss you now. It’s all I can think of when you’re near. Never say I don’t feel, Anna. I feel too damned much.”

She didn’t answer, only stared up at him, her eyes pools of black, her tart mouth falling open. Everything he’d lost, standing right before him.

“Do you want me to kiss you now?” he demanded.

She made a small, unconscious sound and his blood stopped pumping.

“Do you want me to kiss you?”

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