Page 17

Ailis did not look pleased, but she was not going to change his mind about this. She would have to accept remaining another day at Langford Hall.

Conversation done. Decision affirmed…or so he thought.

“So, you will reconsider if the birds come out?” she asked, still negotiating with him.

He sighed. “If they come out today, then I will consider taking you back to the vicarage first thing tomorrow . Are you going to stare out the window all day, looking for birds?”

She turned to him, her laughter light as she said, “It had crossed my mind. I do not wish to sound ungrateful, for I owe you more than I can say. You have been so kind and generous to me, but my uncle needs me and there is so much I must do for—”

“For the charity ball, I know,” he said, trying not to sound impatient.

She had made her concerns clear. But had he not also made it clear she was in no fit condition to exert any effort whatsoever?

“As for your uncle, your return will only be an added burden for him and your housekeeper. I will send you back to him very soon, Ailis. I promise. And you shall also have one of my maids and a footman for extra help these next few weeks. But I am not sending them out in these dangerous conditions just to accommodate you.”

“I do apologize. You are right, of course. It is just that I am not used to being idle.”

“Nor am I, but it is foolish to ignore the obvious.” He turned to Martha and asked her to have breakfast sent up for him and Ailis before she went off duty.

Knowing Martha, she had stayed awake all night to watch over Ailis and not slept a wink.

The less reliable, younger maids would have dozed through the night.

They were fine for daytime duties. But he trusted no one other than Martha or Mrs. Fitch for the nighttime hours.

“Send Jane or Ruby up here to serve as chaperone for Miss Temple.”

“At once, Your Grace.”

He sighed again and raked a hand through his hair while watching her scurry off. This gave him a few minutes alone with Ailis. “I’ve written out drafts for another two hundred pounds.”

“Does this mean I am to get two more kisses today?”

He nodded. “If you want them. They will not be a repeat of kiss number three.”

Gad, her beautiful eyes widened to emerald pools as she stared back at him.

“How will they be different?” She blushed as she asked the question.

“They’ll be softer.”

She glanced toward the door. “May we try one now?”

He would gladly give her a dozen. “Yes, Ailis. Close your eyes.”

He caressed her cheek when she did so, and kept her sweet face cupped in the palm of his hand while he leaned forward, their breaths mingling, and pressed a whisper-soft kiss to her lips.

When he heard her sigh, he sank his mouth deeper onto hers because kissing her softly did not mean that he was to give her a weak or tepid kiss. She needed to feel the pressure of his lips on hers and their reassuring warmth.

What he dared not repeat was the heat of that incendiary third kiss, for the ardor between them still bubbled just beneath the surface like a hidden pool of lava, silent and waiting to scorch them both upon the slightest misstep.

It was up to him to control their dangerous desires because he understood the consequences.

Ailis was inexperienced and would follow his lead. She trusted him to guide her and would follow no matter where he took this kiss because she was too curious for her own good. There was now an undeniable attraction between them that neither of them had ever wanted or expected.

He chose not to take her in his arms and merely cradled her lovely face in his hands.

He dropped his hands to his sides when he ended the kiss.

What he did not count on were her tears.

“Ailis?” He ran his thumbs along the slender trails upon her cheeks to dry them. “Why are you crying?”

“Because kiss number four was so wonderful.”

“And this made you sad?” Why could she not stop feeling everything and just have fun? Was it so difficult to treat this adventure as a lark and stop putting her heart into each kiss?

“Yes…no. It is hard to explain. Your kisses make me happy. But a little sad, too.”

He sighed, for he understood the feeling. “We are doing this to give you an enjoyable experience, not to hurt you.”

“I am not hurt by it at all,” she insisted.

“But your tears, Ailis. This is no longer a harmless game.”

“Are you suggesting it must end?” She looked as though he had just plunged a sword through her heart.

“Should we not end it? I may be arrogant and often insufferable, but I refuse to be cruel to you.”

“I would never consider you cruel,” she said, tipping her chin up because she was going to be stubborn about this.

“I have no illusions or delusions about what will happen afterward. You mustn’t blame yourself because of my foolish feelings.

Frankly, what business is it of yours how I choose to absorb your kisses? ”

“Are you serious?” He laughed. “It is completely my business.”

“Actually, it isn’t. You have clearly set forth the rules. Kisses only. Ten of them. And I expect you to do a decent job with each one.”

He laughed again. She was a bossy little thing.

“Then we shall each go our merry way,” she continued.

“So why deprive me of the pleasure of your expertise? I want each kiss to be splendid and memorable. In truth, they probably will be magnificent no matter how much you try to undermine them. But the entire point of our bargain is to have me experience the wonder of this relatively innocent intimacy. So, are you going to keep them splendid or will you sabotage them?”

Did she not realize that she was the one making them splendid? They were exactly that because of all the heart Ailis put into them.

This was also what made them so dangerous to him as well. He had not helped the situation, being too prideful to ever give her a bad kiss.

“I am not sabotaging anything. You are getting caught up in the idea of a duke’s kiss and making too much of it. I expect it is my reputation—that Silver Duke business—that is adding to the excitement and making you think they are more splendid than they really are.”

“What utter rot.” She cast him an impudent frown. “You dislike being referred to as one of those dukes, don’t you?”

“Yes, immensely. But this is who the ton believes I am, a thoughtless rake with a dash of silver in his hair, one who knows how to seduce women and does not care if he leaves behind a trail of broken hearts.”

“I know this is not you,” she said, putting a hand lightly over his heart.

It rested there only a moment before she drew it away and took a step back with a heavy sigh.

“Why do you think I agreed to these kisses from you and no one else before you? It has nothing to do with the fact you are a duke,” she said, sounding quite indignant.

“It doesn’t?” Ailis was fooling herself if she denied that this was part of his allure. They would never be having this conversation if he were the local blacksmith. “Enlighten me.”

“This is not about your wealth or title, but all about the good man you are.” She smiled up at him. “Although you sometimes need to be coaxed and prodded to do the right thing. I do not enjoy being the one to have to drag you by the ear to—”

“Ailis, you have gone off the topic.”

She sighed. “I know you are the opposite of a rake. In truth, you are the most honorable man I know. Yes, you are also handsome, and I will not deny that was also a factor. But you could be as handsome as Adonis and I still would not want to kiss you if you had the morals of a toad.”

He chuckled.

“I want these kisses from you because I know you will never intentionally hurt me or ever take advantage of me. I trust you to protect my good name because this idea is rather foolish and dangerous. But I am the one putting myself at risk here. Yet how dull my life would be if I never put a toe out of line. In the scheme of things, are these kisses really so daring?”

He gave her cheek a light caress. “They could be to you.”

“But never to you,” she said, casting him a wry smile. “I am sure you consider me rather meek and pathetic.”

“No, Ailis. Never that.” Her words surprised him, for how could she ever think of herself as anything less than lovely?

Lacking in romantic experience in no way detracted from her allure.

In truth, her innocence enhanced the attraction for him, because men were apes at heart and did not want to share what they considered theirs.

And was not Ailis his, even if only for the span of ten kisses?

But she would never understand how special they were for him as well, because Society shunted spinsters aside as useless and forgettable, and she believed he would do the same.

These made-up rules and conventions were utter codswallop.

“Despite the risk, I also need to be who I am,” she said, once again tipping her chin up in defiance. “I want to know how it feels to be kissed by someone wonderful, someone I can trust and respect.”

“Ah, you think me wonderful?”

“In your own cantankerous way, yes.” She smiled up at him. “I always liked you, even if you were incredibly irritating at times.”

“Careful, Temple. You’ll have me in a swoon with all your compliments.” But was this not precisely the reason he liked her? She was no one’s toady.

“You must admit that you often give me a difficult time.” Although she did not appear offended and was still smiling at him.

Ailis always had the sweetest smile. One felt its warmth and sincerity.

“Perhaps, but that is because you are so easy to tease. Childish of me, I know. But you are not like the others who come knocking at my door. I enjoy the way you challenge me. You are not afraid to stand your ground whenever we disagree. It is refreshing to be spoken to with candor. It is also refreshing to see you fight with passion because you sincerely believe in your causes. However, you are also very sentimental, and that is a concern to me.”

“But this is entirely the point of my wanting these ten kisses with you and no one else. I can respond genuinely and know I will always be safe with you. Might I suggest we strike a bargain?”

He arched an eyebrow. “Another bargain beyond these ten kisses?”

“A modification to that bargain. I will not turn weepy again…and you need not pour your full heart into them again as you did with number three.”

“Only part of my heart will do? Or none of it, so long as I can fake the ardor?” He frowned. “Ailis, I’m not sure I can have my kisses reflect nothing at all. What is the point of giving you the experience if I must hold back more than I already do?”

She regarded him thoughtfully. “Did you hold back even with that third kiss?”

“Yes, I had to. More would have happened between us otherwise. But not every kiss needs to be the same. Whether they are soft or steamy, or fiery to the point of volcanic, they are all a necessary part of the experience. They each have value.”

“Are the fiery ones the most valuable?”

“That is entirely up to you to decide. Who is to say what you will or will not like? Just do not start ranking them from best to worst. The point is for you to enjoy the experience, not make a test out of it.”

“But shouldn’t some have more value than others? Let me assure you, they have all been excellent so far.”

He laughed. “I know. You needn’t flatter me.”

“It wasn’t meant as flattery. I thought you would like my honest thoughts.”

He gave her cheek another light caress. “I do like your honesty. Did I not just admit it?”

“What are your thoughts about my responses to your kisses? This is something important for me to know. If I am wrong about my future and actually do find someone to marry, should I not know whether or not I am putting him off?”

Jonas could not imagine any man resisting Ailis.

Nor could he imagine her married to anyone but him .

However, that was absurd. He had no plans to marry. And even if he did, how could it possibly work out between him and a vicar’s overly sentimental niece?

Of course, this assumed he was of a mind to marry and upset the natural order of his existence…his barren existence, as these past few days having Ailis in his home had shown.

He was relieved when Jane, one of the younger maids in the household, wheeled in the breakfast cart and brought an end to their conversation.

Ailis appeared frustrated because she wanted to know his thoughts about her kisses.

He, on the other hand, was desperate to stop thinking about her sweet, supple mouth and how irresistible he found her.

How would he rank her kisses among those of the more experienced women he had seduced?

Easily at the top of the list, because hers were given with the fullness of her heart.

This was what he loved and also dreaded about Ailis. She was a lovely, sweet thing, and he felt the full impact of her kisses. They shot straight to his heart because she gave all of her heart in response. He did not think he would ever grow tired of kissing her.

But was he not making too much of it?

Perhaps kiss number five or six would turn him sour.

He reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and withdrew the bank drafts earlier written out, handing them to her. “Ailis, add these to the other donations safely stored in your reticule.”

She studied them a moment before looking up at him. “Both?”

He said nothing while Jane was obviously listening in as she set out their plates. He thought to send her away, but that would be worse for Ailis. Then Jane suddenly realized she had forgotten milk for Ailis’s tea and excused herself to retrieve it.

Alone with Jonas again, Ailis regarded him expectantly and repeated her question. “Both? But we’ve only gotten to number four and you have just given me the fifth of these bank drafts.”

He shook his head. “Hold on to it anyway. I fully intend to get to number five today.”

This seemed to please her. “Then we are proceeding to ten?”

“Yes, the charity donations shall remain as agreed upon, but you must promise me you’ll stop them if they are hurting you more than helping.”

“I am not going to stop them. Will you kindly stop worrying about me?”

But he could not.

What was it about Ailis that brought out his protective instincts? She was also bringing out his possessive urges. When had he ever felt possessive of any woman?

The answer was never. Quite the opposite—he was usually relieved to walk away.

But he felt differently about Ailis.

She was not his , even though he was apishly considering her as such during this string of kisses.

But what was to happen once they reached ten?

Did he want to make her his beyond them?