To Kiss a Highland Rose (Kiss the Wallflower #6) - Tamara Gill Page 0,18

waist, crushing her to him. Her breasts grazed against his waistcoat, sensitized and heavier than they normally were.

His mouth moved, teased her to open for him. Elizabeth copied his movements, hoping she was doing the right thing and not making a fool of herself.

"That's it, open for me, darling." He kissed her hard, and then the world on which she stood tilted, threatened to tip her off.

His tongue slid into her mouth, tangling with hers. She moaned, kissing him back with as much need, as much desire as that which coursed through her blood like an elixir.

The kiss went on and on, both of them taking from the other. His hands slid over her back, sometimes lower than what was acceptable in a dance. She wanted him to dip his hand lower still, knead her flesh. On second thought, she wanted his hand elsewhere too. Her breasts ached, her nipples tingled. Liquid heat pooled at her core, and she tightened her thighs, wanting to sate the throbbing there.

Elizabeth fisted his hair into her hands, holding his nape, and slipped her tongue against his. The sensation was odd but delicious. He moaned, and if there ever was a sound she wanted to hear, again and again, it was that one.

She pulled back, meeting his dark, hooded gaze. "Do you like my kiss, my lord?" she said, sipping from his lips yet again.

He swallowed, a small smile quirking his mouth. "I think you need to kiss me again." He closed the space to do exactly that, and Elizabeth stepped away, holding him back with her hand.

"If I kiss ye again now, ye may have your fill, and I cannot have that." She grinned as understanding dawned on his face. He smiled, bowing.

"Good evening, then, Lady Elizabeth."

"Good evening, my lord." Elizabeth turned, biting her lip to stop the squeal of delight from passing through. How delicious it was to be in his arms, to have his kisses bestowed on her. However was she to ensure she received more of them? No man would kiss a woman like Lord Hastings kissed her unless their interest was piqued. Hope blossomed through her. Did this mean that finally she would receive an offer, be courted, flirted with, and kissed for her Season in Scotland?

She smiled, crossing the lawn and stepping back up onto the terrace before heading indoors. Perhaps this year she would be her own good-luck charm and not anyone else's.

Lucky Lizzie indeed.

Chapter 8

They returned to Edinburgh two days later to commence their Season in town. Elizabeth greeted the butler at Georgina's townhouse, handing a nearby footman her gloves and hat. They were all tired after their journey and hectic few days in the country, but Elizabeth couldn't help but feel energized and excited over the weeks to come.

She had watched Lord Hastings leave the country estate the day after the masked ball. Only hours after their kiss in the gardens. He had looked back at the estate before climbing up into the equipage, and she could not help but wonder, hope, that he had been looking for her. Glancing back to see if she were watching him go.

Of course she was watching. She had not stopped thinking of him since the moment he kissed her. Oh, and what a glorious kiss it had been.

He would already be back in Edinburgh, and she hoped he would be at the ball they were attending in a few short hours. Elizabeth strode into the front parlor, going over to the silver salver to see what other events they had been invited to since leaving town.

She shuffled through them all, absently listening to Georgina and Julia discuss their wrinkled traveling gowns before Georgina ordered tea and refreshments in the front drawing room.

"Oh, I'm so happy to be back in town, but what a wonderful masked ball ye threw, Georgina. I'm sure everyone is talking about it," Julia said, slumping down on a nearby chair.

"Of course they are, but I just received word," Elizabeth said, holding up a missive and waving it about, "that Marianne Roxdale is holding an outdoor ball. She states here in her letter that it's to be a reproduction of a night at Covent Gardens in London."

Georgina huffed out an annoyed breath. "She does this to make her event the event of the Season. How dare she compete in such a way and so soon after my own entertainment? It's because I secured Lord Dalton's affections, and she did not. Not that it helped me