Page 28 of The Scent of Intuition
“Then the prince will get the best bride in all of England,” Alfie said heavily. “He would not be able to stay away.”
“What do you mean?”
Where to begin?
“He will want to kiss, woo, and marry you. I don’t know in which order, though I can suspect.”
“Out of that order would be improper.” She blushed an adorable shade of pink. “Although…”
Her eyes moved as if she remembered something, but she remained silent. As much as he knew it was inappropriate to ask, that he was risking everything, he couldn’t stop himself from asking the thought that weighed on his every thought. “Bea, pardon my directness, but have you ever been—”
“Kissed?” She cut him off with vigor as if the word had exploded between them. Then she narrowed her gaze. “Did Pippa tell you about my reputation?”
“No.” Only you are the belle of every ball; your dance card is always filled, and suitors trip over each other in the mornings when they bring you flowers. She didn’t have to tell me the rest; you’re the sweetest, loneliest, and most intelligent woman I’ve ever met.
She cocked her head in disbelief. “I’ve been to many balls and danced with every eligible bachelor of the past three seasons.”
“Until the ball at the Langleys.”
“Indeed.” She said the word as if tasting something sour. “So if this works, if the prince wishes to kiss me, I’ll do what my mother taught me, and it will go by soon enough.”
Now, it was Alfie’s turn to blink incredulously. “It will ‘go by’ soon enough?”
“Yes, you know: Keep your lips pressed shut, count to twenty, and then push him away.”
“Whatisthat exactly?”
“Well, it’s how to kiss. I thought you ought to know.”
“In fact I do. Know how to kiss. And what you have described is something else, something dreadfully awkward.”
“Kisses are intimate contacts with another person’s mouth; they are supposed to be dreadfully awkward.”
“But that is not… you see… it’s just that is not at all how it works.” Alfie was stunned to say the least.
She shifted her weight to the other leg and put a hand on her hip. “Are you jesting?”
It was too good to be true, wasn’t it?
Except, what if she’d recognized him from India? Was this a test?
He shook his head, trying hard not to stare at her lips. “Most certainly not. I can show you if you’d like,” Alfie said.
Loudmouth.It didn’t help to chastise himself, the words had been uttered.
“Are you suggesting that none of the peers of the realm who have kissed me did it correctly?”
“If it was how you described, they did rather poorly indeed.” He quirked a brow.
“And you are certain you can do better?”
“Yes.” Alfie’s heart was pounding, and he couldn’t catch his breath.What was he thinking?
She narrowed her eyes and gave him a once-over. “That’s very magnanimous of you.”
He shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.
“Prove it,” she said.
