Page 48 of Lord of Fortune
His fingers pressed into her back, and she responded by clutching his neck, her fingers delving into the hair edging his nape. He pulled back for a moment, and her eyes fluttered open in confusion. She’d rather hoped it would go on longer.
And then it did. He dipped his head once more and kissed her with a deeper hunger, his mouth opening against hers and his tongue licking along her lower lip. She gasped softly and allowed her tongue to meet his. His hold grew tighter, the desire in her veins more intense. This was more than she’d imagined, more than she ought to indulge. What happened to keeping their relationship professional?
She eased her hands from his neck, sliding them down to his chest. He ended the kiss, pulling away slightly.
“So much for being professional,” she murmured.
His lips spread into a lazy, seductive smile that did nothing to douse her passion. “That was professionally outstanding.”
She cocked her head to the side. “What are you saying?”
His eyes widened. “Not that you’re a professional atthat. Good God, no.” Color rose in his cheeks, and she had to smile at his reaction. “My apologies. I was attempting a jest. A very poor one.”
“Are you trying to compliment me?”
“Yes.With every fiber of my being. You are extraordinary.”
She pulled her hands from his chest and took a step back. “And you like to flatter me.”
“Only with the truth. Wait here while I get the heart.”
So she could touch it as he’d promised her that afternoon. “It’s not necessary. We should probably return to your house since we’re leaving early in the morning.”
“It’s absolutely necessary. We’re taking it with us.”
“We are?”
“I think we must. We may need it. I’ll leave a note for Burgess that I’m borrowing it. That will satisfy him.” He handed her his key. “Lock the door behind me. I’ll be right back.”
He was gone just a few minutes, during which she tried looking at the collection of artifacts on his table but was instead consumed with thoughts of his kiss. Everything would be different now.
Or would it?
Their attraction to each other had been simmering practically since they’d met. Did acting upon it change anything or simply embrace it?
A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts before she could answer, which she wasn’t sure she could. She went to the door and whispered, “Penn?”
“Yes.”
She unlocked the door and let him back inside. He was smiling a rather silly smile. “You called me Penn.”
Damn, she had. “It seemed…appropriate now. And yes, you may call Amelia when we’re alone.”
“Excellent. I shall hope we are alone quite often.” He leaned forward and pressed a swift kiss to her lips before depositing a heavy object—though not nearly as heavy as the sword—into her palm.
She looked down at the heart cradled in her hand and imagined her grandfather’s joy at finding it. Moving to the lantern, she studied it, seeing where the paint was chipped. “How can you tell it isn’t tourmaline?”
“I can’t for certain, but it isn’t the same color as the illustration in de Valery’s manuscript.” He picked up the sword. “Which was written using the sixth-century poem my parents found.”
“Does tourmaline come in many colors?” she asked.
“At least a few. I’ve seen pink, which is the color in the illustration, and green.”
If this were the real heart, she should be able to use it to make someone—Penn even—fall in love with her.Ifshe was a descendant, which she wasn’t since Dyrnwyn was so heavy. “You said you tried it on someone, and it didn’t work. Isn’t that because you aren’t a descendant? What if we gave this to Kersey and he tested it?”
“Another excellent reason to find him as soon as possible.” He looked at her shrewdly. “You’re quite good at this.”
Pride swelled her chest. “Thank you. I am a member of the Ladies’ Antiquary Society after all.” At least she thought she was.
“Indeed you are,” he said with admiration. “Come, lady antiquary, let us be on our way.”
He extinguished the lantern, plunging them into darkness once more, and a moment later, they were outside his office as he locked the door.
“Ready?” he asked.
She clutched the heart tightly in her fist. “Never more.”
