Percy kept the kiss chaste and tender, unlike the previous time he had kissed her with growing passion. It would not do to return her to the ballroom and allow others to guess what they had been up to. Still, his lips lingered on her mouth, his fingers kneading her shoulders.
Breaking the kiss, he gazed down upon her, seeing her cheeks flushed with color.
“Might I call upon you tomorrow afternoon, Miss Nicholls?”
“Yes,” she said breathlessly.
“And would you also take a drive with me through Hyde Park?”
She smiled radiantly. “I would like that very much, my lord.”
“So would I.”
He couldn’t help himself. He bent and kissed her again, hard and fast, yearning for the taste of her but wise enough to break the kiss quickly.
“Let me return you to the ballroom,” he said.
Leading her back up the stairs, they entered the doors and he delivered her into Adalyn’s care.
Taking her hand, he brought it to his lips and kissed it. “Until tomorrow.”