“Where would you like your hands to be?” he continued.
“Your…” her voice stopped. She took a deep breath, drawing in the scent of
cologne and aroused man, and tried again. “Your neck.”
“Do it then.”
She looked at him for a long moment. Then, hesitantly, she slid her arms around him.
“There. Is that just right?” he asked.
“Yes.”
Beneath her barely audible reply, Christopher could feel Katerina's heart
pounding against his chest.
“Look up at me.” Brown eyes met gray, and another of those unforgettable magnetic shocks rocketed through him. “Close your eyes, little one, and feel your first kiss.”
Her lids dropped. He lowered his head and laid his lips gently on hers. It was
a kiss straight out of a dream. Her innocent mouth felt like heaven. Her lips yielded softly, but he applied no pressure, just lingered against her mouth for a
long moment. When he lifted his head, she opened her eyes.
“Was that nice?” he asked.
“Yes, very,” she breathed, her voice suffused with pleasure.
“Would you like another?”
“Yes.”
His mouth brushed hers again. He released her lips, keeping his arms around
her and sharing the warmth of his body. “Please let me talk to your father,” he
urged. “It's for the best. I think we're going to be seen together often. Wouldn't it be better for him to be consulted right from the first? We have nothing to hide.
You're eligible. I'm eligible. I want to be your suitor, see if whatever this is between us stays powerful over time. Don't you want to, Katerina?”
Passion shattered in her eyes, revealing terror that streamed from her like a
torrent. “I do. Believe me, I feel it too. I just… You mustn't try to talk to him. It would be terrible. Promise me.” Suddenly she sounded panicky, nearly
hysterical. “Promise, Christopher. Don't seek him out. Don't ask him to be my suitor. You can't imagine… no. You mustn't!” She wrenched herself out of his grip and fled into the house. A moment later, before he could even gather his wits, she appeared outside. Summoning a carriage, she disappeared into the night.
Startled, Christopher left the icy balcony and stepped into the welcome
shelter of the house. From the music room, he could still hear the sounds of the
bored contralto, the lively harpsichord, the passionless flute. The whole
conversation had taken less than half an hour.
Still wondering what the hell had just happened, he slowly descended the
stairs and summoned a hansom for himself, this one pulled by a shining black horse that pranced uncomfortably in the chilly air.
Instead of going to his bachelor apartment at the hotel, however, he headed
to his parents' home. As the vehicle clattered through the slippery street, he relived the conversation and the kisses he had shared with Katerina.
Perhaps she became panicked because she allowed the liberty at our second
meeting. It's very fast to be talking of suitors, and I certainly won't ask for herhand. Not yet. We've barely met, and I plan to take my time wooing her. As for
that kiss, it was an impulsive move, and too soon, but she was so sweet, so eager.
Now I know one thing for certain. Katerina, despite her shyness, has passionhidden inside her, and that's an excellent quality for… someday.
He arrived at the home where he had spent his childhood. For all their
wealth, the Bennetts lived modestly, in a middle-class neighborhood in a
comfortable, spacious home, which was in good repair, but in no way resembled
the showy mansions in Mayfair.
