Page 89 of How the Belle Stole Christmas

Will’s thoughts scattered like snowflakes in the wind.

Catriona was…

Through some miracle, he’d found…

He couldn’t believe…

And she even liked him, too!

It wasn’t Will’s first kiss, although he had so little experience, it might as well have been.

He’d been kissed precisely twice before, once by a tavern maid who had clearly been hoping for a tip.

As if Will had been in possession of enough money back then to expend it on such a thing.

The second time, he’d been coming around the corner of a stable when he was seized by a milkmaid and kissed firmly on the mouth.

It had quickly become apparent that she had been expecting her sweetheart, a groom with whom she had arranged an assignation.

At the time, that one had been embarrassing.

But it had helped him to glean a few points of crucial information, including that it was acceptable to open his mouth and make use of his tongue. After the bold act of claiming his lips, Catriona promptly froze. Will took it that she didn’t have much more experience than he did.

He brought his hands up to frame her face, heedless of the rush of cold air around his back as the blanket fell slack.

He was breathing hard and his pulse skipped erratically, but his lips remained gentle, because to him, this kiss was precious.

This moment was precious. Catriona was precious.

She was the miraculous creature who enjoyed his company, who had laughed at that terrible pun he’d once made about Gaius Fannius.

She actually seemed to like him not because he was a wealthy viscount, but because he was Will Marley, history enthusiast and quiz extraordinaire.

So, he kissed her tenderly until the tension melted from her body. Then, slowly, patiently, he opened his mouth and stroked her lips with his tongue.

She opened for him at once, her tongue twining with his. And who would have imagined that would feel so good when you did that with someone you cared about?

Smiling, he pressed a kiss against her forehead. “I can’t believe it. You’re my favorite person.”

She kissed his cheek. “Ye’re my favorite person.”

He framed her face with one hand. “Why did you not tell me that you were the one to find the artifacts?”

She sighed. “My parents insisted I keep it a secret. They’re convinced that if it became known that I spend my days wandering the moors, digging in the dirt, men would find me unmarriageable.”

Will snorted. “What rot.” After all, the fact that Catriona was Nabonidus was the most appealing quality in the world, as far as he was concerned.

She laughed. “That’s what I tried to tell them—that I was already hopelessly unmarriageable, and the fact that I found the hoard would hardly make a difference.”

Will opened his mouth to explain that this was not what he had meant, but Catriona had other plans, because she kissed him again.

Then, she distracted him further by crawling onto his lap.

Will’s whole body jolted, because that brought the delightful softness of her outer thigh into contact with his cock, which, needless to say, had sprung to attention.

He had no hope of tamping down his reaction to her.

He was utterly unused to being in close proximity to a beautiful woman.

“I’m sorry,” he gasped. “Ignore my, er…”

“Yer cock?” Catriona nipped his bottom lip, which only made the offending part of his anatomy leap.

“Yes,” Will said, panting as if he’d been running. “That. I didn’t mean to… you know. But I’m unaccustomed to coming within twenty feet of a beautiful woman, much less—”

She kissed his jaw. “Ye think I’m beautiful?”

It was difficult to think clearly. “I… yes. Of course, I think you’re beautiful. You are beautiful. How is it possible that you don’t know that?”

She shook her head. “My sister, Meaghan—she’s the beautiful one.”

“Your sister?” He frowned, considering. “I… don’t mean to insult her. I suppose she’s pretty enough, if one likes that sort of thing.”

Catriona laughed incredulously. “Every man likes ‘that sort of thing,’ whatever ‘that sort of thing’ is.”

“I mean that she looks… almost like a doll. It’s difficult to imagine tramping across the moors with her, or that she would want to accompany me somewhere like Pompeii.” He shrugged. “I can’t be the only man who prefers a more romantic, windswept look.”

He thought, but didn’t say, that Meaghan had wrinkled her nose at his well-worn boots and the plain knot in his cravat. That her gaze had been assessing. That he could almost see her mind whirring, calculating his income down to the ha’penny.

Catriona, on the other hand? Catriona smiled at him.

Was there anything more beautiful than a woman who smiled at you and meant it?

She pressed a kiss against his temple, causing him to swallow. “What a diplomatic way to put it. But as to yer earlier comment, we willnae be ignoring yer cock.”

His breath came shallow in the cold night air. “We won’t?”

Her lips reached his ear, and he shuddered. “Nae. ’Tis a good thing, what’s going on beneath the placket of yer trousers.” Her voice was husky as she whispered, “It means ye feel the same way I do.”

Will’s lips claimed hers with a strangled sound. When he slid his trembling hands up from her waist, she made no move to stop him. In fact, when his thumb grazed the underside of her full breast, she gave a hum of anticipation.

And when he cupped her, filling his big hands with her soft, warm breasts, they both gasped.

“C-Catriona,” Will stuttered. He had never touched a woman like this before. He’d dreamed of it thousands… maybe millions of times.

But Catriona McCallister in his arms was better than any of his imaginings.

She pressed herself into his hands, squirming in his lap. “Will!” she gasped. “Feels… so good!”

“For me, too,” he panted. He could feel her nipples, as hard as almonds beneath her dress. His hands were shaking and felt hopelessly clumsy, but every time his thumbs blundered across her nipples, she made a strangled sound that he suspected was a good thing.

Suddenly, she yanked her skirts up and swung a leg around to straddle him. This had the effect of bringing parts of Catriona that were soft and delightful into close contact with his straining cock.

Seizing his lips, she started rocking against him, and Will knew with a terrible certainty that he was seconds away from spilling in his trousers.

“Bed,” he gasped. “Hurry. Let’s go inside and find a—”

A metallic creak interrupted him, stark in the crisp night air. Coming quickly on its heels was the groan of wood bending.

They both froze, listening. It sounded almost like… a crowbar.

A crowbar, being wedged into the castle’s main doors to force them open.

“The thieves!” Will hissed.

Catriona looked up at him with wide eyes. “They’re here.”