He stood so close to me, I held my breath. I wished he would close the remaining distance. But he stopped.
“I apologize. You are inexperienced, I should not take advantage of our time alone. We shall have plenty of time to get to know each other.”
I sucked in air as my heart sank. Tonight, was all the time I would have with the duke. I stared at his handsome face, the proud slant of his lips, and decided I would not be the dutiful sister today. No one could see us from our position and I assumed that the duke would keep silent whenever he found out who I was. It was unlikely that he wanted to be forced into a marriage with me so he would keep what I was about to do to himself.
I grasped his shoulder and closed the distance between us. Standing on my toes, I pressed my lips against his. For a moment he stiffened, his eyes widening at my forwardness, then his lips yielded and he moved against me. His arm slipped around my waist, lifting me against his body, as our lips moved together and his tongue probed my mouth. I sighed at the sensation of being kissed, his short stubble rubbing against my soft skin, the warmth of his exhales, the musky scent of his skin.
“Lovely,” he murmured, nipping at my jaw. “So lovely.”
My lips throbbed from the pressure of his kisses. His hand roamed the front of my dress, his fingers resting on the swell of my bosom.
- Excerpt from Beth Through Time by Harmke Buursma