He could bear it no longer. “My Lady,” he said huskily and jumped up from his seat. Before he had even really thought about what he was about to do, he moved around to her side of the table and leant over her, placing one arm around her back and pulling her in close to him. He pushed his mouth against her lips, feeling her gasp as she gave way to his kiss.
Chapter 16
Once the initial shock had passed, Isabella succumbed to Sebastian’s kiss entirely. His mouth felt soft and warm against hers, and instinctively, she parted her lips a little. At that moment, she felt as if she would let him do almost anything he wanted.
He knelt in front of her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer towards him. The feeling of his chest pressed against hers made her let out a sharp breath of excitement. She had never known anything like it, this feeling of desire. It felt like her whole body was alight, and all she wanted was more of him.
The tiny voice in the back of her mind telling her to stop was quietened only by his passionate embrace. She knew she should resist, that it was not proper for them to be here alone, but she could not hold back.
She placed her hands on his shoulders, feeling the hardness of his muscles. She caught the scent of him as they continued to kiss, and his muskiness made her feel a sensation that she could only describe as being like an insatiable hunger.
She kissed him back with ardour, and he slipped his tongue into her mouth, exploring and teasing. She felt his hands beginning to move from her waist towards her breasts, and the anticipation sent a surge of excitement through her body.
Her nightdress was so thin it was almost as if he was touching her skin. His hands moved upwards to the neckline of her nightdress, and his fingers caressed her skin, sending bolts of electricity through her. He pulled away from her lips and began to kiss her neck, gently at first, then with more and more passion. She let out a moan.
The feeling of his hands on her body was like nothing she had ever experienced before. It was as if everything else in the world had fallen away, and only the two of them were left on the planet, alone together, lost in their desire for one another.
He pushed down the front of her nightdress, revealing her naked breasts. She gasped, realizing how much she wanted to feel his hands on her. He cupped her breast with his hand and caressed it gently, then drew his mouth down to her nipple and began to circle his tongue around it. Isabella had never felt such a pleasurable sensation, and she leaned back and gave herself away entirely to it.
All too soon, though, the moment ended. A distant echo of voices outside the library caused them to jump apart. Sebastian got to his feet and took a step backwards. This distance between them felt like miles rather than just a few feet.
Isabella stared at him, eyes wide in panic. She pulled her nightshirt back up, covering her body. Her heart was pounding. If someone came into the room and found them like this, there would be a scandal she had never known before. Neither she nor her family would ever recover.
He shook his head, a tiny movement that was scarcely perceptible. He was warning her not to move, not to make a sound. The passion had not left his eyes, and she could see his chest rising and falling as his breath came fast and hard.
They both stayed stock still for a few moments, waiting to see if someone came in. Isabella wondered if they should have looked for somewhere to hide, but as she glanced around the room, she realized there was nowhere. If anyone entered the library, they would be doomed. Who could it even be, walking up and down the corridor at this time of night?
When no one came in, Sebastian’s shoulders dropped a little, and he gave her a wry smile. “Lady Isabella, I think we should probably both retire to our rooms; what do you think?”
She nodded. “Yes, My Lord.” The memory of his hands on her body and his lips against hers was still strong in her mind, and she wanted nothing more than for him to kiss her again and to feel his fingers caressing her skin, but she knew he was right. The risk of being caught was too high, even though she wanted more.
She turned away from him, finding it almost unbearably hard to walk towards the doorway, leaving him behind. But she knew that she must. She glanced back to see him watching her, his eyes still burning with passionate intensity.
She smiled at him, then left the library and padded quickly back to her room, hoping against hope that she would not be discovered.
Once back in her chamber, she threw herself down on her bed and allowed herself to relive the moments she had just experienced. She felt a slight flurry of guilt at what she had just done – she should not have permitted it, she knew, but the feelings were just too strong to resist. She could still smell Sebastian’s amazing scent, still taste his lips.
She knew that there was far more to discover between a man and a woman – things that should wait until after a wedding had taken place, she knew full well – but that kiss, and the touch of his hand on her bare skin, was the most exciting moment of her life, up until now, and she wanted nothing more than to repeat it, even though she knew it was wrong.
Her eyes fell onto her cameo broach, resting on her dressing table. She rose from her bed, crossed the room, and picked it up, holding it delicately in her fingers. The stories of the gods and goddesses were all about fate and destiny.
Could Sebastian really be her fated love? It seemed that there were many obstacles in their path, but as Isabella stared at the broach, remembering everything that had just taken place between her and Sebastian, she wondered if they were really meant to be together. Could it be true? She could scarcely believe it, but the thought of it made her heart swell with happiness.
***
Sebastian knew they could not risk being seen leaving the library together, so he made sure that he had allowed enough time for Isabella to get back to her room before returning to his own chamber.
It would be pointless trying to sleep. Instead, he sat in the window seat and watched the sunrise on the tree-lined horizon, casting pink and orange light across the sky.
He knew he should not have kissed her. It was most improper to have given way to his feelings like that. But as she sat there, a smile of triumph on her face after beating him so decidedly in their chess game, with the candlelight casting shadows on her body and showing off her curvaceous shape so enticingly, he had not been able to resist.
He should not have gone further, he knew, especially with the danger of discovery being so apparent. But the urge to cup her breasts and feel their softness had been strong and her nipple had hardened under the touch of his tongue. He had felt her body respond to him, and the urges within him were strong.
But he knew he was in dangerous territory. He was losing focus. His purpose in coming here was to seek revenge. To gain retribution for what had happened to his father all those years ago. And he was letting his desire for Isabella distract him.
The older gentlemen had gone off to the library that evening to discuss something secret; he was sure of it. He needed to focus all his effort on discovering that secret, rather than allowing himself to get swept up in his desire for Isabella.
But even the thought of her made something stir inside him. He did not know if it was even possible for him to forget about his burgeoning feelings for her. She was simply too irresistible for him to ignore. And it was not just her enticing beauty that was drawing him in.
