Page 25 of A Sinful Viscount's Mistletoe Affair
“I would love to see your collection one day,” Isabella whispered, then raised a hand to her mouth with a little gasp as if she had just realized the significance of what she had just said.
Sebastian had no doubt, now, that she was attracted to him. Her wide eyes and parted lips told him she felt every bit as transfixed by him as he was by her. But he knew they must not get carried away. He stared at her, feeling a surge of longing course through him.
“Lady Isabella …” he said, unsure what he would say next but feeling a strong desire to say her name out loud.
She stared at him, those blue eyes wide with fascination.
This could not go on. “Lady Isabella,” he repeated. “We should go inside. It is so cold out here, and …”
She stepped backwards, moving a little away from him, and he saw, in that split second, that her foot was about to land on a patch of ice. She was going to fall into the snow! He lurched forward to catch her, his heart pounding.
***
As Isabella started to topple, her mind flew back to the moment in the library when she had almost fallen from the ladder. How foolish he must think her to keep stumbling like this!
And yet, as their eyes were locked together and he moved towards her, it did not seem that was what he was thinking. His gaze was fervent, and there was something in his eyes that she could scarcely fathom.
It was as if time were slowing down, and there was nothing else in the world except the two of them as she fell into the empty space behind her.
Instinctively, she reached out towards him, her hands desperately seeking a lifeline. If she fell back into the snow, she would get drenched, and she might even hit her head. Surely he would save her, somehow, yet again?
He darted closer and reached out to grab her hands, now numb with cold. She wondered, in an instant, why she had not thought to put gloves on, but a second later, she was glad of it, as the sensation of his strong grip holding onto her hands sent a pulse of excitement through her body.
But even as he held her hands tightly and stared at her with a mixture of disbelief and fear on his face, she felt them both falling backwards together. The momentum of her fall was too strong, and he was unable to hold them both up.
She felt herself crashing down onto the ground, the cold wetness of the snow sending shockwaves through her. The icy feeling made her body tense, but a split second later, everything changed as Sebastian fell towards her, landing rather awkwardly on top of her.
She stared up at him, feeling the heat of his body close to hers. Even through the layers of winter clothes they were both wearing, she was acutely aware of the hardness of his muscular chest pressed against her softer body. Her breath caught in her throat as their gaze remained locked.
She could feel his breathing quickening, too. Their faces now were only an inch apart. Without even thinking, she parted her lips, her eyes darting down to look at his mouth. She instantly remembered the moment in her dream when he had kissed her.
Would he, now …? She could scarcely control the sense of feverish anticipation coursing through her body. She felt a heat inside her that she had never experienced before and imagined what it would be like to lie beneath him without the barrier of all these clothes between them.
She pressed her shoulders back into the snow, feeling its coolness in sharp contrast to the heat burning between them. Would he surrender to the desire he so clearly felt for her? His dark eyes were burning with passion as he stared at her.
Their breaths came fast now, puffs of air visible in the cold winter atmosphere. Sebastian shifted slightly, moving his body slightly against hers, and she let out a gasp. The desire was so strong between them that she knew now without a doubt that he wanted her too. But would they surrender to their feelings out here in the cold? Or would he hold back? She knew she would let him kiss her if he moved even a fraction towards her.
There was almost no space between them now, and she felt an irresistible pull drawing her closer to him. It was as if the world around them had fallen away. Nothing else mattered except the two of them, locked together in this tense moment of unfulfilled passion.
Suddenly, though, there was a faint rustling sound on the other side of the garden. Startled, Isabella turned her head to look towards the sound. She could not see anything, though. Perhaps it was just some small creature or a bird moving around in the hedgerow. She turned back to face Sebastian, but he was not looking at her. He was moving away, rolling off her and getting to his feet.
He turned to her, then shook his head, the tiniest of movements, but she knew what he meant. If they were found together like this, alone in the garden, or if anyone had seen them lying together like that, there would be an immense scandal, which neither of them could risk. She nodded back, and he turned and ducked behind a nearby hedge.
She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself as she climbed to her feet and brushed the snow off her cloak. Her cheeks were flushed, and her heart was racing, but she shivered. Now that she did not have Sebastian’s body heat keeping her warm, she suddenly felt cold and rather desolate.
She made her way back towards the house, anxiously looking around as she went to check that no one had seen them. As she entered via a side door, she allowed herself a secret smile. The passion between them was undeniable now. She only wished that the situation was simple and she did not have to worry about the expectations of her family or the pressures of society.
***
Felicity was walking along the corridor towards the door that led to the garden when it flew open, and Isabella appeared flustered and wrapped in a cloak that seemed to be wet with snow.
Felicity narrowed her eyes. Everything was turning out just as she had planned. She had seen Sebastian and Isabella together in the garden from the window of her chamber; of course, as one of the lower-status guests at the house party, her room was right at the back of the house, overlooking the least-visited part of the garden. Isabella probably didn’t even know the room existed; the house was so vast and full of hidden corners.
She had seen her pretending to fall and then pulling Sebastian down on top of her. How had he not seen through her ploy? It made Felicity boil with anger that young gentlemen could be so impervious to the wiles of some young ladies. Isabella was obviously trying to entrap him in a scandal to force him into marrying her.
Felicity had not been quite sure what she intended to do when she pulled on her own cloak and gloves and rushed towards the door, but now, she allowed Isabella almost to collide with her in the corridor as she rushed inside.
“Oh!” Isabella exclaimed, looking at Felicity as if she could not quite believe she was there. “What are you doing here?”
