Mistletoe and Mayhem - Cheryl Bolen Page 0,344

asked, adjusting his hold on her.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“My apologies. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said. “But when I saw you up on that chair, it startled me. What on earth were you doing?”

Her cheeks heated as she looked up at the hook then at the ball she still held. “I wanted to move this.” She refused to call it a kissing bough when Hugh held her. “It was in the wrong place.”

He raised a brow. “You were putting it in the right place?”

“Well,” she realized too late how silly she sounded. “I didn’t care for it to hang directly over the settee.”

“I see.” He studied the two positions, never mind that he still held her. “Perhaps I could be of assistance.”

“That would be kind of you.” She licked her lips, all too aware of the feel of his arms around her, along with the fact that she liked it. Her heart pounded and warmth curled through her. Somewhere in the conversation, she’d placed her hand around his neck while the other clutched the kissing bough as if her life depended on it.

At long last, he slowly bent to set her on her feet, his hands moving along her body before settling on her waist to steady her. “I missed you this evening.”

Her heart pounded even harder at his quiet words. “My aunt wasn’t feeling well, so I kept her company.”

“You are a devoted niece. And I think you have the patience of a saint.”

“I try.” She frowned, feeling guilty for her earlier uncharitable thoughts. “Though I must admit that sometimes it’s more difficult than others.”

“I can’t imagine.” His eyes held on hers and her awareness of him only increased. “I hope your aunt appreciates your efforts.”

“I’m sure she does.” Each breath she took filled her senses with his presence, and it was intoxicating. That lovely mix of forest and musk that she would forever recognize as his.

He lifted his hand, the pad of his thumb brushing her cheek, sending shivers along her flesh. “I hesitate to bring it to your notice, but I believe that is mistletoe you’re holding.”

She glanced at the bough, having nearly forgotten she still held it. “Yes.” She wanted nothing more than to kiss Hugh. “A tradition is a tradition, you know.”

“Yes.” His gaze dropped to her lips.

“Not meant to be broken.”

“No.” He leaned closer.

“It’s only a kiss.” She hadn’t meant to say the words out loud. She’d meant to say them to herself, a reminder that kisses were something people shared every day. It didn’t have to mean anything. Surely her inexperience had made their first kiss more impactful. A second one might not be nearly as exciting.

“Only a kiss,” he repeated, easing even nearer until their breath mingled.

She rose to press her lips to his, both thrilled and terrified when an explosion of sensations erupted inside her.

He moaned as he drew her against him, deepening the kiss, his tongue seeking hers as his hands roamed over her body.

She’d been wrong, she realized too late. This was far more than a kiss. It was an assault on the walls that defended her heart. Hugh represented the outside world that she’d avoided for so long, that she wasn’t certain she wanted. The one she was too frightened to reach for.

“Lucy,” Hugh whispered when he drew back to press kisses along her jaw then down her neck. “You are impossible to resist.”

Did that mean he wanted to resist her? A muddled part of her brain latched onto the concern even as her fingers twined in the hair along his collar, bumping the kissing bough on his back.

His hand shifted upward from her waist, near the swell of her breast, and all thought stopped. Her entire being ached with longing and liquid heat. Yes, touch me there. The tip of her breast tightened in anticipation.

His fingers found her nipple then he reached for the full weight of her breast, kneading it gently.

A wave of desire weakened her limbs as a delicious lethargy filled her. She’d had no idea a touch could make her feel so hot and weak. Why had she hesitated when his touch felt as if it freed her, loosening the tight rein she’d held on her emotions until now.

He released her breast only to cup her bottom instead, lifting her against the firmness of his body. Surprise speared through her as she realized just what particular part of his body she felt. The rigid staff shocked her, much like a cold splash of