Page 25 of Pawns of Fate
Rose wasn’t sure he did.
“I mean,” he added, “That makes sense. Circumstance dealt you an extraordinary hand. I like to think that my family is welcoming, but it doesn’t change the fact that we’re using you in the same way your uncle did.” He let out a breath of air that carried the weight of the world. The firefly sparks that he’d summoned earlier disappeared. “Still, you’ve handled everything so well. I’ve been nothing but impressed by you since the moment we met. I wish our situation were different, but I’m glad you’re to be my wife and that our families havebrought us together.”
“Oh,” Rose said, taken aback by the tenderness of his confession.
“May I kiss you?” Nicholas asked.
She felt her heart pounding so hard that she wondered if it might burst out of her chest. Butterflies danced out of her stomach and into her head, making her dizzy with happiness. For a brief moment, her emotions took over, and she lost control of her aura.
“You’re pink,” Nicholas exclaimed.
She snapped apart the connection between her senses and the aural plane, realizing she wanted Nicholas to kiss her. Shevery muchwanted it.
Her head nodded in consent; she closed her eyes and turned her face toward his.
Nicholas gently wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her close. The other he placed at the nape of her neck, guiding her head close to his face. He started the kiss gently, lightly placing his soft lips against hers, then slowly deepened it, wrapping his fingers in her hair.
Rose thought she might melt under his sweet touch. She opened her mouth to his tongue, glad for its soft invasion. His hands wandered to her waist, then pulled her into his lap, hugging her tightly. Waves of pleasant tension shot to her core, and she felt light-headed as Nicholas continued to deepen the kiss, trailing one of his hands to cup her face tenderly.
She’d never had a first kiss that was so… electric. Perhaps Nicholas was more skilled with his lightning magic than he thought.
Nicholas reluctantly pulled away, trailing a few kisses down her neck, but stopping before going any lower. Rose’s anticipation as his mouth hovered above her collarbone was almost unbearable.
“Shall we go inside?” he asked, peeking at her through silvery lashes.
“That would probably be wise,” Rose replied softly.
He kissed her one more time and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
They walked back to Rose’s room together in comfortable silence. They held hands, which was good because Rose worried she might float away from how light and airy the kiss made her feel. She couldn’t get her head down from the clouds.
At the door to her room, Nicholas put his hands on Rose’s waist and lowered his head so their foreheads gently touched.
“Did you enjoy yourself tonight?” he whispered, mouth hovering deliciously close to Rose’s ear. A pleasant shudder went down her back. The thought of inviting Nicholas into her room played in the back of her mind.
Rose was about to answer him when the bedroom door opened, revealing a very tired Betty. The poor maid had been waiting to help Rose with her hair and gown.
“My Lord! My Lady! I didn’t mean to interrupt! So sorry!” She slammed the door back into place, still shutting herself inside Rose’s room.
Nicholas laughed, and Rose felt the tension of the moment ease.
“Good night, Nicholas,” she leaned up, giving him a soft kiss on the lips.
“Good night, my Rose.”
Chapter 8
ROSE
Rose spent the whole morning replaying last night’s kiss in her mind. The memory still caused her heart to leap into her throat, which made it impossible for her to keep her guard where Nicholas was concerned.
Should she have turned him down? That seemed pointless. They would do far more on their wedding night, and when the time came for her to give Nicholas an heir. Rose was no virgin. She shouldn’t be losing control of her heart over a mere kiss. Well, kisses.
“Lady Rose?” Betty asked, apparently having calledher name a few times.
“You seem distracted,” Lyla said, barely disguising a smirk.
Had Betty told Lyla about her late-night rendezvous? It made Rose feel a little indignant. It wasn’t like she and Nicholas had been doing anything out of the norm for a newly engaged couple.
