Page 59 of Irresistible
“What’s that?”
“That you never had occasion to kiss me on the mouth.” Her eyes met his, and the blue had never looked more vivid or intoxicating.
Dougal sucked in a breath, every nerve ending in his body instantly becoming completely and wonderfully aware. Setting his glass down, he slowly stood and moved to her chair. “Would you like me to do that right now?”
“No. I mean, there’s no reason to.” She dropped her gaze to the floor. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
For the first time, he suspected she might reciprocate his feelings of attraction, that she may be open to an…overture. “I would kiss you,” he offered, hoping she would say yes. If she refused him, he would be crushed, and not because his body was raging with lust. It was more than that. She had questions, and he wanted to give her answers. He wanted to be the one to show her that sometimes it was good not to be left alone. Sometimes, it was vital to make a connection and fulfill desires—even if she wasn’t sure what they were. Yet.
Her lips parted as she lifted her gaze to his once more. “Even without the purpose of our charade?”
“Yes. Indeed, I’ve wanted to for some time, but as you said, there was no reason to. Aside from my persistent and overwhelming desire for you.”
She stared at him. “All this time, I thought we were playing our roles, that everything that passed between us was pretend.” She shook her head gently. “No, that isn’t true. I’ve found it far too easy to pretend to be your wife. Sometimes, it didn’t feel fabricated at all,” she added in a tentative whisper.
“Then we are the same, because it’s been a long while since I could separate my act from reality. Since before we came to Dorset, even.” He held out his hand. “May I kiss you now?”
She took his hand, and he pulled her gently to stand. Her eyes glittered with heat and anticipation. “I should like that very much.”
He hadn’t been pretending. At least not entirely. The attraction she felt for him was returned. “Have you really struggled?” she asked, not believing this could be true.
“More than I would care to admit. I am supposed to be a professional.”
And she was supposed to be a confirmed spinster. His words made her giddy, and the knowledge that he wanted her as much as she wanted him filled her with joy as well as an unexpected sense of power and purpose.
She’d never imagined feeling this kind of attraction for someone, this incessant, undeniable pull. Seven years ago, she thought she’d been in love with Asa, but now she realized that had been a silly infatuation. He’d been handsome, charming, and from a faraway land. He’d represented excitement and the unknown. Her parents had also disliked him from the start, and perhaps that had made him all the more enticing.
What she felt toward Dougal was entirely different. They shared a familiarity with each other, an intimacy, that made it feel as if something were missing. It was as if they were married without one of the best parts of being married.
Dougal kept hold of her hand as he curled his other arm around her waist, drawing her close. His gaze fixed on hers, dark and seductive, eliciting a wonder of sensations within her. Inexplicably, she felt both heavy and light, eager and tentative.
Releasing her hand, he brought his hand up to her chin, his thumb tracing over her flesh, then moving to her lower lip. “If you only knew how many times I looked at your mouth and wondered how it would feel against mine,” he whispered.
He skimmed the pad of his thumb over her lip, and her breaths began to grow more rapid.
“I wondered that too,” she managed. Her hands were trapped between them. She turned her palms flat against his coat.
Tipping his head to the side, he kissed her temple, his lips soft and lingering against her. Jess closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips into him. He kissed her check next. Her heart fluttered faster, as if they were the wings of a hummingbird, as the world shrank to just the two of them and this moment.
Without lifting his lips, he kissed over her flesh, his nose gently nuzzling hers just before his mouth finally reached its destination. The moment his lips met hers, she felt a surge of passion. It was like climbing a hill and finally seeing the spectacular view.Thiswas what she’d been anticipating. What she’d longed for.
Jess slid her hands up to his neck and held him, her fingers splaying against his nape. The kiss, soft and sweet at first, began to change. He angled his head, pressing his mouth against hers. She opened for him, inviting his tongue to mate with hers.
He moved with expert precision, his hand cupping her head as he deepened the kiss so they could taste one another. His arm clasped her firmly, his palm against her lower back, holding her against him. She felt his body in the most delicious places—pressed to her breast, her thighs, and of course the joining of their mouths in an increasingly arousing kiss.
The hand on her face moved back slightly and began to pull pins from her head, loosening the wig. She tried to keep count to know when he was finished, but failed utterly. The pins fell to the floor, one grazing her shoulder, and a moment later, he eased the wig from her head, all while continuing to kiss her, his lips and tongue learning every aspect of hers.
Next came the pins from her tightly coiled hair. This would be more difficult. She gasped softly as one scratched her scalp.
Dougal pulled back. “Did I hurt you?”
“No. Just…I can do it more quickly.”
He lowered his hand, caressing her nape. “Do you want to? I’ve kissed you on the mouth, and we didn’t discuss anything further.” He didn’t give her an explicit question, but it was there—or so she thought—dangling between them like an overripe fruit. The scent was intoxicating, and she couldn’t deny she wanted to taste it entirely.
She curled her hands around the collar of his coat, ready to push it off him. “I do. If you are inclined.”
A slow smile spread his lips, causing a spasm of lust low in her belly. “Inclined is an insufficient word. I am…inspired. Driven. Positivelydesperate, if I dare say so.” With each word, his voice lowered and intensified. She imagined she felt each syllable deep in her being.
