“Hey,” he said, placing a hand gently on her knee. “I’m sorry, Madelene. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
She shrugged, trying to hide her pain. “I know I’m not much to look at.”
“Is that what you think my laughter was about? It wasn’t. You are beautiful, Madelene.”
Was he teasing her? She looked into his eyes again, but there didn’t seem to be any jesting there now.
“It’s simply that you’re so quiet and reserved I have a hard time imagining you being bold enough to seduce someone.” He gave her an apologetic smile. “Will you tell me what happened?”
She shrugged. “He sat down beside me on the bench to show me the proper way to play the piece, and I asked if he would kiss me.”
“Your music teacher was a lucky man to have your affections.”
It was her turn to laugh. “He didn’t have my affections. I hardly know the man. It was my thirtieth birthday and I’d never been kissed, so I took my chance while I had it.”
“Well, was it a good kiss at least?”
“There was no kiss.” She shook her head, humiliated at the memory. “Unbeknownst to me, my father was standing in the doorway, and he heard me.”
“Are you telling me your father left you at that place because you asked for a kiss?”
She nodded. To hear him say it, it did seem like perhaps her father’s reaction was a bit extreme.
Simon looked into her eyes, and his features relaxed, his lips turning up in a slow, secret smile.
“I know it's no longer your birthday, but would you like me to kiss you, Madelene?”
Her heart skipped a beat at the words. There was no teasing in his blue-grey eyes. She’d never wanted anything more in her life, but was she brave enough to say yes?
Her nod was a bit jerky, but it was the best she could manage. He slid off the bench and knelt before her.
“If you want me to kiss you, you’re going to have to say so with words. I’ll not take your first kiss unless I’m absolutely certain it’s what you want.”
She swallowed down her nervousness and gazed into his eyes. “I want you to kiss me.”
Her whole being seemed to be filled with waiting as he slowly leaned forward. His lips were warm and soft as they pressed lightly against hers, and her eyes slid shut. His kiss was slow and gentle, but it sent a rush of excitement through her body, and she shivered. He started to pull back, but something possessed her, and she wrapped a hand around the back of his neck, pulling him closer. This might be the only kiss she would ever experience, and she wasn’t ready for it to end yet.
With his soft groan, everything changed. His mouth covered hers hungrily, his tongue sliding over her lips. The sensation breathed life into the need that was growing within her and she whimpered.
He ripped his lips away from hers and gasped in a breath. His eyes locked with hers and she knew he was looking to see if she was alright. She nodded and he smiled tenderly before climbing back onto the bench behind him. He blinked a few times then scooted over and pulled the curtain aside, blowing out a long breath which fogged the surface of the window as he looked out.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she touched them to her lips. They tingled, and she could still feel where his tongue had traced over them. That was not at all what she’d imagined a kiss would be. Her mind could never have conjured something so utterly intoxicating.
It was just a kiss, for God’s sake. He wasn’t a bloody schoolboy. And yet, he’d had to put distance between them to douse the lust that had suddenly overwhelmed him. The kiss wasn’t even for him. It was just supposed to give her the experience she’d obviously longed for. It was her first kiss and he’d meant it to be chaste and gentle, but when she’d wrapped her fingers around his neck, his control had shattered. Luckily, her soft whimper had made him remember himself.
“Thank you.” Her words were quiet, but at least she’d spoken. He must not have frightened her too badly. Simon pulled himself together and turned back to her.
“You’re welcome.” With golden skin and dark hair, eyes the color of coffee, and her cheeks flushed just a bit, she was perfection. Her full lips were reddened slightly and begged him to taste them again. He’d thought himself immune to those sorts of things. Not that he didn’t find women attractive, but he didn’t lose control.
The silence that fell was filled with tension and longing. He could feel her desire from across the carriage, and it was not making it easy to ignore his own. He’d never thought of himself as honorable or noble, but he wasn’t going to ravish her. She might be a thirty-year-old woman, but she was an innocent, and for the time being, she was in his care.
Unfortunately, he was also more drawn to her than any other woman he’d met.
What in God’s name had he gotten himself into?
“Would you mind if I ask you some questions?”
“Please do.” Relief flooded him. He’d answer anything if it gave him a distraction.
