Page 28 of My Wicked Earl
“Hmm.” He could see the flecks of gold in her eyes.
“You didn’t know it was me or you never would have done so. Kiss me, I mean.”
“Possibly.” That was partially true. He would have taken greater care and not pounced on her like a madman, but Colin thought he still would have kissed her. The attraction to her was like nothing he’d ever felt in his life.
“You likely thought I was an…” she struggled to find the right word and her forehead wrinkled, “anassociateof Nick’s.”
“That’s a rather polite way of putting things.” He leaned in, inhaling deeply of the lavender and honey smell that wafted off her skin. “Nick did mention he was going to introduce me to a nice widow.”
Miranda’s face fell. “I knew it. You would have never-” Her hands waved, and she looked at him, unable to say what she wished. The color of her cheeks deepened to dark rose.
“Kissed you.” God, she was adorable. All flustered and pink. Reading books on how to create a mummy and torturing her harridan of a mother with tales of flesh-eating beetles. The night of the Dunbar Ball he was sure he could not have wanted her more. He’d been wrong about that.
Very wrong.
“Yes, how horrified you must have been,” she said, biting her lip again. “Fat little Miranda, who you had to steal raisin cakes for because her mother wouldn’t allow her dessert.”
“I wasn’t horrified. You were chubby.”
“Irritating and annoying.”
“Persistent.” Did she still think of herself in such a way? Looking at the regret in her lovely face, he thought she did.
“You are no longer that little girl,” he said quietly. “Do not think of yourself as such. Yes, you were a bit,”he gave her a soft smile, “annoying. But only because you were so intelligent. You still are. Intelligent, I mean. You cannot allow your mother to dictate who you are. I know that better than anyone.”
She lay her hand on his and the touch of her skin warmed him as nothing else ever had.
“That is something we have in common, I think.”
Light filled in the hollow places of Colin’s soul at her touch, like the sunlight that streamed through the tree branches above their heads. Her words sent ripples of pleasure through his body.
“You were so kind to me when I was a child.” A wry smile crossed her lips. “I think I may have even made you a paper crown because you were my prince. Demanded that you marry me.” Shaking her head and waving her hands she said, “I should be apologizing to you. I’m so sorry I tricked you into kissing me.”
“Tricked me?” He curled his hand around so that that their fingers touched.
Miranda’s eyes darkened a shade, “I should have introduced myself immediately. I let you think I was someone else. It’s just that you looked at me as if I were . . .” She shook her head in agitation.
“As if you were what?”
The sun flickered across her features, and her voice lowered, “You will find me ridiculous and forward I’m sure, but…Iwantedyouto kiss me, Colin. I can apologize but I am not sorry. I know that you probably regret the entire episode.”
Miranda was so adorably luscious, pattering on, her fingers keeping up with her words as if she were conducting an orchestra. Surely, no man had been tempted so much. Leaning over, he brushed his lips against hers, in a brief caress, reveling in the softness of her mouth.
And to stop her chattering.
A small, blissful gasp left her lips. Her hands floated up to flatten against his chest as she bent towards him until he could feel the press of her breasts.
“Colin.” It was an invitation.
He truly kissed her then, slanting his mouth over hers. He braced his hands on either side of her, afraid that if he touched Miranda he would combust. Urging her to respond, Colin teased her lower lip, imploring her to surrender to him, to open her mouth.
She tasted of tea and honey with just a bit of tart lemon.
Miranda moaned into his mouth as his tongue touched hers. Her fingers closed over the lapels of his coat, pulling him towards her as she fell back against the blanket.
Colin fell against her, adjusting so that his body was adjacent to hers, the generous curves of her body fitting into the hardness of his.
“Ouch.” Miranda giggled against his mouth.
