She knew she shouldn’t have said anything. Leave it to King to ruin the moment.
He took a step forward, and Violet realized she had nowhere to escape. The window was behind her, and she was out of options for running.
“You’re in trouble now. Not only am I a fallen marquess, I’m a cursed one with a reckless plan to take on a notorious crime lord.” He put one hand on the wall by her head. “Are you certain you want to throw your lot in with the likes of me?”
“I didn’t say I want to throw my lot in with you.”
“Then what are you saying?” He bent down and looked her directly in the eyes. “That you have feelings for me? That youcareabout me?” He slid a hand under her chin and held her gently. “You can admit it, you know.”
Violet glared at him, hating how much she enjoyed his closeness and the feel of his skin on hers. She would swallow hot coals before she admitted she cared for him. “I do want to say something,” she said, whispering so King leaned closer. “Shut up and kiss me.”
Chapter Eighteen
King didn’t haveto be asked twice. Violet put her arms about him, and he sank into the lushness of her lips. He’d been wanting to kiss her since they came up to the flat. The fog had finally cleared, and the sun was setting—the orange light flickered over her dark hair, making it look fiery. She was always beautiful, but the warm glow on her skin made her look more alive than he’d ever seen her.
She sank her fingers into his hair, pulling him closer to her heat and her life. She was strong and feisty and made of steel and velvet.
“I’ve never met anyone like you,” he said, pulling back to tug her toward the closet with her small bed. It would be another hour before Joshua returned, but King didn’t relish taking Violet on the floor. He pushed the door open and sat on the bed, settling her between his legs. “You’re so alive. I think a part of me was dead inside before I met you.”
“Stop talking.” She took his mouth again as though to force him to comply. But even as she stripped him of his coat and his shirt, she couldn’t strip away his thoughts. She was scared of what she was feeling, scared that he was putting it into words. King understood that very well. She’d lost the people she loved, the people she’d counted on to protect her. She was afraid to believe she might ever find someone who might love and protect her again.
King was shocked to realize that he was strongly considering the role. He wanted to be part of Violet’s life. He couldn’t imagine how he’d survived thirty years without her frowns and glares and narrow looks. He’d take them all for one of her smiles or the sound she made when he put his hands on her.
And that was exactly what he had in mind.
She rid him of his shirt and dropped it on the floor, and King began to undress her. She pushed his hands away and lifted her skirts, prepared to take him that way, but he shook his head. “Oh, no. I have been imagining you naked since—er, for some time now.”
She gave him one of those famous narrow looks. “Some time? Such as since the first time you met me?”
King shrugged. He couldn’t deny it. “I’m a scoundrel, but I’m not beyond reform. Before I finalize my reformation, let me see you.” He rose and kissed her. “I promise I’ll make it worth the effort.”
Violet lowered her hands and allowed him to continue his work. He unfastened tapes and pulled out pins. Since she had to be able to dress and undress herself, her bodice and skirt were relatively easy to remove.
“You are far too good at that,” she said when he had her stripped down to her shift. “I don’t even want to know where you acquired those skills.”
King’s mouth was dry as his gaze roved over her bare shoulders and arms. Her shift dipped low, exposing her cleavage, and her rosy nipples tented the fabric. Then he looked lower. Her shift fell to just above her knees, and he licked his lips at her rounded calves and trim ankles. “I can’t remember any other woman but you.”
She made a sound of disbelief, but it turned to a gasp when he went to his knees and leaned forward to kiss her belly.
“We should close the door,” she said as he ruched up her shift.
“We’ll hear Joshua if he comes back. And I need the light to see you.” The shift moved higher, exposing her thighs. And then his hand landed on her arse, and he licked his lips. “Now this is my favorite part of you,” he said.
“King!”
He turned her around and put both hands on her plump bottom. She had a narrow waist, and he loved the way it flared out at her hips and rounded into perfect spheres that gave him more than a handful to enjoy. He kissed her there, and she laughed. “What are you doing?”
“I’d have thought you would have enjoyed seeing me on my knees, kissing your arse.”
“How the mighty have fallen,” she said.
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” He slid one hand down and between her legs, feeling her jump when he brushed over her sex. “We’ll see just who falls first.”
He slid his fingers over her and into her, and she inhaled sharply as he gave her a light nip on her rump. Then he stood and divested her of the shift altogether, turning her so her full breasts brushed against his chest.
“Better than I imagined,” he said.
“And don’t I get to have a look at you?” she asked. Her hands went to the waistband of his trousers.
