Andrew threw his head back laughing. He had been holding it for a while, and when he finally let the sound out, he found it difficult to stop himself.
"No, I like it," Lavinia managed to say. "It just...it was initially overwhelming. But I like it."
"Your face says you don't, Lavinia," he teased, swirling the whiskey in his own glass. "Oh, you should see yourself. It was like you swallowed fire."
Lavinia straightened her shoulders. "I'm serious. I do like it."
"You do not," Andrew insisted, still amused by the flush of her cheeks.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You don't believe me?"
"Not in the slightest."
"Then pour me more," she said, motioning toward the decanter. "Come on."
"No." Andrew shook his head. "I can get the staff to fetch you a glass of sherry or wine instead."
Lavinia shook her head. "Come on, Andrew."
Andrew chuckled. "Why do you want to keep torturing yourself, Lavinia?"
"Because you like it," she answered instinctively. "Sometimes..."
Andrew's chuckle faded, replaced by a curious tilt of his head. "So?" he asked. His voice was quieter now.
Lavinia hesitated for a moment. "You like it," she repeated, softer this time, as if admitting something to herself. "I suppose I...want to understand why. I want to like what you like."
Andrew froze at her words, the glass of whiskey in his hand hovering mid-air. Her words hung in the air. His smile waned slowly, until it completely disappeared from his face. Her simple declaration had flustered him so much that he was at loss for words.
For a man who had spent years mastering his charm, wielding it like a weapon, he now found himself completely disarmed. She made it impossible for him to stay detached, to keep the promise he had sworn to uphold. The lines he had drawn were starting to blur, and he wasn't certain how he really felt about that.
He said nothing. Couldn't. Instead, he stared at her, his gaze lingering on the faint flush on her cheeks. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't seem to tear his eyes from her. She wasall at once too much and not enough...too much temptation, and not enough reason to resist.
A moment passed. Then, without a word, Lavinia reached for the decanter. Without thinking, his hand moved too.
He covered her hand with his, his palm cold against her warm skin. Her movements stilled the moment his fingers wrapped around hers.
"I'll pour it for you," he said, his voice steady despite the storm raging within him.
For a brief moment, he couldn't bring himself to let go. It felt good. It was a comfort that he wasn't used to. He wanted to say something more, to explain away the tension he felt, but he had no idea how to describe the feeling in the first place, let alone, explain it away. Instead, his thumb grazed the back of her hand, slowly and in a repeated motion. He stared at it, unable to meet her eyes.
Realizing he had lingered too long, Andrew withdrew his hand, forcing himself to break the connection. He could tell that her eyes followed his every movement, questioning but silent.
He stood from where he sat, reaching for the decanter again and taking it from underneath her grasp with a composure he did not feel within. Pouring more than he should have into her glass, he watched as the liquid filled the tumbler. He had wanted to pour just enough, but the motion had gone too far, and now the glass was fuller than it should have been.
When he set the decanter down, he stepped away quickly, needing distance before he said or did something he couldn't take back.
Andrew crossed the room to the fireplace, resting his arm on the mantel. The heat from the flames was nothing compared to the firestorm in his chest. He gripped the edge of the mantel tightly, his knuckles whitening.
He glanced sideways at her, catching her lifting the glass to her lips. For a split second, he thought she might hesitate, but she didn't. he tilted the glass back, drinking it all in one go. His breath hitched, and instinctively, his hand shot out, reaching for her arm as if he could stop her. But before he could make contact, she set the empty glass down with a soft thud.
"Lavinia!" he said in shock and chuckled, completely stunned. "You shouldn't have drunk it all at once. It's not wine."
She stood up then, meeting his gaze. "I think I'm getting used to it."
Andrew's concentration snapped back to Lavinia as she staggered slightly, trying to regain her balance but failing. Instinct kicked in before he could fully process it. He reached out, his hands quick, just in time to catch her as her body leaned into his.
His hands were firm, one sliding around her waist, pulling her against him as the warmth of her body seemed to sink into his. Her breath caught, and for a heartbeat, neither of them moved.His fingers pressed against the softness of her curves, feeling the steady rise and fall of her chest against his as she tried to regain her balance.
