Page 172 of Rogue of My Heart

Albina shrugged and hugged his arm. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m rather content today.”

He stopped and turned to her. His brown eyes were searching as they rested on her face. “Are you? Truly?”

“Yes,” she answered honestly.

She saw his throat work, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, as if he were trying to conceal some deeper, thicker emotion. “I’m glad to hear it.”

He bent down and likely intended to give her a slight peck on the lips, a gesture of his own complacency, but the moment his mouth touched hers; her eyes slid shut with the promise of something more. She waited a heartbeat of time and then nearly rejoiced when his lips began to move.

She slid her hands up his chest and grasped the lapels of his greatcoat, urging him to continue, perhaps never to stop.

It had been so long since she’d had such intimate human contact that she craved it as much as someone wandering in the desert craved water.

She feared he might pull away when he tensed as if he might do so, but then his arms came around her and he pressed her against his body.

She sighed, for she loved it when he held her.

He seemed to take that as encouragement to deepen the embrace, running the tip of his tongue against the seam of her lips. She opened to him, and her heart fluttered at the sound of his groan. The kiss grew and flourished like a flower exposed to the sun.

Albina clutched him as if he were the only thing keeping her on this earth, afraid that if she let go that this moment would disappear as well.

She had loved this man since the moment he bowed before her at her debut ball, and she knew that she would love him for the rest of her life.

She hadn’t been brought up to believe in fairy tales, or that there was a soul mate out there for everyone. It was only because of Chael that she’d dreamed of the promise of happily ever after. Because of his love, he had made her believe.

He pulled away from her and she nearly cried out at the loss. “I should get back to work.” He started to turn away.

“Michael, wait…”

He paused, but didn’t fully face her. “Yes?”

I love you. “I’ll… see you at dinner?”

* * *

He nodded curtly.

She watched him depart, but it wasn’t with sadness, but joy. At long last, they had finally shared a kiss, a heart-stopping embrace that made her want to hug herself.

But tonight…

Tonight she intended for it all to come together.

And she knew just what dress to wear.

Seven

A lady must always observe the proprieties…

Lady A’s Advice Column

* * *

Albina had sent down word that she would be a little late to dine that evening, so Michael had asked Mrs. Dryler to hold the meal a bit longer, although he decided to partake of some port at the table while he waited for his wife to appear.

It had taken him all afternoon to put some rather lascivious thoughts of Albina out of his mind, but he felt confident that he was in firm control of his emotions, enough so that he might make it through dinner without making a fool of himself and pouncing on her like some sort of lecherous lad who had seen his first woman.

He was calm and collected as he lifted his wineglass to his lips.