will dance.”
“No,” she gasped. “I might fall on my face.”
“We’ll dance the waltz, and I will lead you.”
“James…”
To her utter shock, he stepped closer, placed his hand on her waist and tugged her into his embrace. Poppy barely heard him as he instructed her on where to hold him in return, and then he swept her off her feet. The sounds in the ballroom were muffled but floated on the evening air like night jasmine scent.
A dance. An instructional one and not as if a real beau courted her. Yet it was a magical moment as she breathed in the sweet aroma of spicy sandalwood overlaying the earl’s natural masculine musk. Her head swam a little at the proximity to James’ more muscular form.
Poppy could hear her own heartbeat and the sounds of the night. The glow of streetlights in the distance lit up the silhouettes of trees and the outlines of darkened buildings. The moon and stars sparkled in the velvet sky, and Poppy felt as if she were in some gothic romance where the wicked villain would carry her away to distant climes. They spun and swirled to a music of their own. When they finally came to a halt, she was breathing hard, and her throat felt tight. Poppy remained silent, not wanting to spoil the feeling and fearing she would make a fool of herself if she dared to utter a single word.
Then she laughed, releasing the tight tension inside her body. The earl chuckled too, as if he understood the delight coursing through her veins at having done something so simple yet so naughty and fun. For a wild moment, she hadn’t been an observer but a participant. Dancing was simply perfectly splendid.
“Your laugh, it is lovely.”
And unexpectedly that made Poppy laugh a little bit more before she said warmly, “I believe I can get used to flattery.”
“Ah, that was not a stroke to your vanity. It is a simple truth.”
Poppy made no reply but dipped her head in an elegant acknowledgment of the compliment. “And how was that dancing?” he asked huskily. “You moved beautifully.”
She shook her head wordlessly, still feeling the sensation of his hand on her body.
“I am the Earl of Kingsley. Should I dance with you tonight, you will be the name on everyone’s lips tomorrow. Society is fickle, but we can rely on that fickleness for your success. My noticing you will also make other gentlemen interested in you. For the remainder of the season, you will have the influence and connections of my family behind you.”
A fierce swell of emotions tore through Poppy, and with great impetuosity, she stepped forward, tipped onto her toes, and pressed a kiss along his jaw. He faltered into profound stillness, and with a soft sigh, she stepped back, but not before she inhaled his masculine scent of sandalwood and oak moss deep into her lungs, as if she would make it a part of her. “Thank you, James. Somehow I shall repay your kindness.”
“I will be deserving of your slap, withhold it.”
Poppy frowned. “James, what do you mean by—”
His head swooped down, and he took her mouth with his. Poppy almost fainted from the shock of feeling warm sensual lips pressed to her. His tongue stroked against her lower lip. Oh, God! A terribly weak-kneed feeling assailed Poppy. He did it again, and with a small whimper, she parted her lips. He kissed her deeper, startling her by cupping her cheeks in his hands and sliding his tongue against her. Pleasure rushed through Poppy’s veins in a fiery burn, and with a ragged cry against his mouth, she sagged into his embrace, gripping the lapels of his evening jacket in a fierce clasp, awkwardly returning his ravishing kiss.
Chapter 4
James was lost in Miss Poppy Ashford’s taste and the wanton moans of startled pleasure she made, as if with each kiss he pressed against her sensual mouth, she discovered something wonderful and exciting. Stop. Bloody hell, stop! He cursed himself silently.
He could not stop. Unexpected yearning made him dizzy and greedy. He was painfully, shockingly aroused and should her eyes lower, the proof of it would be evident, and surely her sensibilities would be mortified. James tasted the innocence in her mouth—sweet, carnal innocence that he had wanted to take and corrupt with raw passion. He’d never kissed a lady with such a desperate, burning hunger before, and it was that knowledge that allowed him the strength to lower his hands and pull away