throat, measuring his words. “What I want is not a factor. You are assuming the risk. You must make the decision.”
“Do you trust me to make my own decisions?”
“Of course.”
“Havers, Julius Everly.” She captured his wrist, her fingers cool against his feverish skin. She drew his arm with the candle toward her puckered lips. She blew. A single puff extinguished the flame. “Do you have any idea how irresistible you are right now?” she asked in that sultry voice that made him instantly hard.
The woman knew how to set him aflame. He took a deep breath to slow the searing blood flowing through his veins. “Bess, what is it you want? I will abide by your wishes.”
“I want us to be partners.” A flicker of a frown touched her lips. “But it is your decision, too.”
Damnation! Were they discussing business or love? She had him twisted up inside, tense and vibrating with anticipation. He slid the unlit candlestick into an empty nook between books and raked his fingers through his hair. “My answer is yes. Yes to everything.”
“My answer is yes to everything. Now that we’ve reached an agreement…” Her green eyes appeared black in the dim light. Creases appeared at the corners of her eyes when she smiled and raised a twig of mistletoe above his head. She’d been hiding it behind her back. “It appears I must kiss you, to be polite, of course.”
He cradled her face, a chuckle rumbling deep in his chest. At every opportunity, she caught him by surprise. Was it any wonder he was smitten with this beautiful, maddening woman? “Not if I kiss you first."
When their mouths met, it was like the lightening strike that had brought her into his life. It shook him to the bones. She clutched his shoulders, her soft body pressing against him. Their tongues greedily explored one another. The kiss was hot, sensual, and bold. When she cupped him through his trousers, he ripped his mouth free as a moan slipped past his lips. She tore at the buttons to release the front fall. Bess loved with every ounce of her being. No hesitation, no wavering confidence. She took and gave with enthusiasm equal to his own. She was his partner in every sense of the word.
He spun her so her back was to him. They stumbled into the bookshelf. A book fell on its side with a bang. Laughing, she twisted halfway in his arms. Her mouth sought his. He splayed his fingers on her jawline and chin. Her chocolate laced kisses were addictive.
Grabbing a handful of her skirts, he raised them high on her hips.
“Yes,” she sighed when he touched her. Lovingly, intimately, he stroked her until she grew restless. “Yes, yes.” Her breath was thready, her body tense.
He kissed her neck, nipped her ear. She climaxed, arching her back and gripping the shelf while making the most arousing noises. As the echoes of her cries faded, he wrapped his arms around her waist. She sagged against him. The sprig of mistletoe was still clutched between her fingers. He placed a kiss to her temple, closing his eyes and breathing in her scent. He wanted to memorize everything about her—about this moment when he no longer questioned his heart. She was the one.
“That arousing little sound you make?” He nuzzled her ear. “I must have been really foxed not to remember.”
She gasped and spun in his embrace. “Julius, I told you I lied about that night. Nothing happened.”
“Is that what you meant?” He laughed. “I thought you’d lied about the marriage proposal.”
“But you believed we made love?”
He shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I?"
She cast her eyes upward. “Did you hear him? He thinks he is heaven’s gift to women.”
“Your words, not mine.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Did you like your um…gift?”
“I’d not refuse it if you wanted to give it to me again sometime.” She aimed a mischievous smile at him and pecked a kiss to his lips. “And again, and again…”
“The work of a generous man is never done.”
Chapter Ten
Bess caught a glimpse of Julius from the corner of her eye as he returned from retrieving two glasses of mulled wine. An overwhelming wave of relief and cheer swept over her. A longer than expected jaunt to the refreshment table was the only time he’d left her side all evening. The strength of her wistful longing during his absence was embarrassing, and yet, completely out of her control.
“For you, my lady.”
“Thank you.” Bess accepted