Page 25 of An Enchanting Kiss (Captivating Kisses #5)

R upert rose after a sleepless night. He poured water into the basin and then plunged his face into it, hoping the cold water would act to jolt him.

Not just physically—but emotionally.

He had done something extremely careless yesterday.

Acted upon an impulse. He prided himself on being a disciplined man, a gentleman who would never take advantage of anyone, much less an inexperienced young miss such as Lady Lia Worthington.

Yet that is exactly what he had done. Given in to his base desires.

He had kissed her in a most ungentlemanly manner.

It was obvious she had never been kissed.

The way she held her mouth. Her body. And oh, what a body it was.

She was petite, just a couple of inches over five feet, but her bosom was more than ample.

As it pressed against his chest, he wanted to tear his mouth from hers and greedily suck hard upon her breasts until she cried out his name.

He had only meant to kiss her for a moment.

But one moment turned into several. One kiss had become many.

And Lady Lia was a quick learner when it came to kissing.

Before he knew it, she was kissing him back, stoking the fires buried deep inside him, causing him to want her more than he thought wanting a woman was possible.

Then he had dipped into the nectar of her mouth.

The sweetness of her. The goodness. It was as tangible a taste as he had ever sampled.

And now having tasted her, it only made him hunger for more.

Her tongue had been like velvet, first as he grazed against it, then even more so as she glided it across his own.

The little vixen had caught on to kissing so quickly, she almost began dominating the kiss.

That was when he’d had to end things between them.

Before he took things even further. Before she took it further.

If left to her own devices, Rupert wasn’t sure what Lady Lia might have done.

Just the thought of her slowly lowering her gown, releasing her breasts from their stays, had him almost panting.

Or she might have raised her skirts, allowing him to view trim ankles and sleek calves.

“Stop!” he commanded harshly. “You cannot think of her as some wanton.”

He scooped up water into his hands and splashed it against his face, letting it run down his neck and bare chest. He’d had to remove his trousers in the middle of the night, recalling guiltily how he had taken his cock in hand, all the while thinking of Lady Lia.

This was insanity. She was not for him. Lady Lia Worthington was the daughter of a duke and the sister to another one.

Having already met her mother, he knew Her Grace would set her sights high for both her daughters, wishing for them to wed wealthy men with lofty titles who came from some of the most important families in all of England.

He was but a lowly viscount from the northern regions.

Wealthy, yes, but possessing no social connections.

His only family was his niece, a by-blow who would not be accepted into Polite Society if they learned of her origins.

Lady Lia had given Rupert several good pieces of advice, but the best was for him to keep Celia’s illegitimacy to himself.

Perceval, the only one who knew the whole truth, was dead.

While a few servants knew about Celia’s background, they were buried in the country with him and would remain loyal—and quiet—if they wished to maintain their positions in his household.

By the time Celia made her come-out more than a dozen years from now, she would be accepted as his niece and be able to wed a gentleman. She would have had years of grooming and would know everything from how to curtsey and address those titles to everything involved in the womanly arts.

Rupert collapsed into a chair, his thoughts turning back to Lady Lia.

He didn’t know how he was going to face her again.

He wondered if Lady Traywick suspected anything had passed between them before they had entered the schoolroom.

The countess had looked at him oddly. He hoped she had not pressed her niece.

He was going to have to forget that the incident ever occurred.

Never speak of it again. If he apologized, Lady Lia might be embarrassed.

He also feared if he brought it up, she might assign more importance to the kiss than it should hold.

In the grand scheme of things, it had merely been a kiss.

A powerful, all-consuming kiss, but a kiss, all the same.

No one had witnessed it, which protected her reputation.

Neither he nor Lady Lia should be obligated to make a commitment to one another, based upon a single kiss.

Not only was he not an ideal candidate which the dowager duchess would consider for her daughter, he was not in love with Lady Lia.

That alone should keep her from thinking of him as her future husband.

Telling himself that he had satisfied his curiosity by kissing her, he thrust all thoughts of her—and the kiss—from his mind.

That lasted all of five seconds.

“Bollocks!” he proclaimed.

The kiss had been the best of his life. That still did not mean anything needed to come from it.

He had satisfied his curiosity. Lady Lia was physically appealing to him.

In a way, he was a bit proud to have given her the first kiss of her life.

Now, she would have a barometer in which to compare other kisses she received as next Season unfolded.

Then why did the thought of another man kissing her seem to drive him to the point of madness?

“Bloody hell,” he muttered, ringing for Damsley.

His valet arrived several minutes later, carrying hot water.

Rupert sat still as Damsley shaved him, his thoughts drifting again and again to the kiss.

This time, he allowed them to do so. He told himself there was no harm in thinking about it.

It was a very pleasant memory, not something to be banished.

He simply could not, at any future time and under any circumstances, act upon impulse and kiss her again.

It would be wrong to do so. It would convince her he was interested in her.

It might even cause him to offer for her, which was the last thing he might intend.

No. She was a friend, if men and women could be friends, that is. Lady Lia was doing him a favor. Helping him care for Celia while he awaited the arrival of a London governess. He would keep their conversations light. Only speak of his niece or something as inane as the weather.

Damsley assisted him in dressing, and Rupert went to Celia’s bedchamber. She still lay sleeping, Lally held close. In sleep, his niece looked much younger than her five years. He leaned over, kissing her brow. She stretched, slowly opening her eyes.

“Good morning, my little love.”

Immediately, she asked, “Is Lady Lia here?”

Even hearing the name caused his heart to shrivel. “No, not yet. You must rise and dress and be ready for her when she comes to spend today with you.”

He helped her to get ready for the day, braiding her hair carefully, wanting Celia to look perfect for Lady Lia.

They went down to breakfast together. His appetite, usually robust, seemed to vanish.

Then a footman came in the breakfast room, whispering to Prater. His butler immediately came to him.

“Lady Lia Worthington has arrived, my lord.”

She was early.

His heart racing, Rupert said, “Please show her to the breakfast room, Prater.”

Moments later, Lady Lia appeared. Celia scrambled from his lap, running across the room to greet her.

“Come see Lally, Lady Lia. She’s my doll. Uncle Rupert got her for me.”

With a glint of mischief in her eyes, Lady Lia said, “I will wager Lally will become your best friend, Celia.”

She came to the table, Celia holding her hand. He rose. “Have a seat, my lady. Would you care for a cup of tea?”

“No, thank you.” She glanced at the table. “Celia, you must finish your breakfast before we are off.”

“Where?” his niece asked.

“Oh, we have lots of things we will do today while your uncle works about his estate.”

He seated himself again, picking up Celia and returning her to his lap. “Eat, little love.”

“I hope you do not mind that I am a bit early,” Lady Lia said. “I thought the sooner I arrived, the sooner you could get started on what you needed to do for the day.”

“I am meeting with a few tenants who say they need new roofs,” he told her. “Fortunately, with the loan of Ajax, I can reach them sooner.”

“I will have Celia in the drawing room at half-past three today and every day after that, my lord. At least the days I will be here. Are you still willing to have her come to Traywick Manor on the other days?”

“Yes. I will either bring her myself or have Mrs. Prater ride with her in my carriage and deliver her to Traywick Manor.”

“That would be inconvenient for you. Why don’t you allow me to fetch her? I have quite taken to Orion in my cousin’s stables. The horse would not mind the addition of another rider who is so light.”

“That would be going out of your way, my lady.”

“Nonsense,” she said, waving her hand in the air. “I shall come for Celia at the same time each day and then bring her back to Crestbrook on the days she visits with us at Traywick Manor. ”

He finally allowed his gaze to meet hers. “If you are certain.”

“I am, my lord.”

Rupert suddenly wondered why she wasn’t mentioning the kiss. Then again, they were in a room with his butler, two footmen, and a five-year-old. Besides, he had already decided to act as if it had not occurred. Apparently, Lady Lia had come to the same conclusion.

“I’m through,” announced Lia, climbing from his lap. She reached for Lally, who had been sitting on the table.

Lady Lia rose. Holding out her hand, she said, “The first place we will go will be the gardens. I love the smell of fresh flowers in a garden, especially early in the day.”