“What do you mean by that?”

“Really, Alex,” Emma teased. “You do have a reputation with the ladies, you know.”

“One I’m fast losing due to you,” he muttered.

Not hearing him, Emma sailed right on. “No less than two dozen women have warned me about you.”

“I wish someone had warned me about you,” he sighed.

“What?” Emma asked, startled.

Alex leaned forward, his green eyes serious. “I think I’m going to kiss you now.”

“You—you are?” Emma stammered, feeling all of her self-confidence and composure drain right out of her.

Alex gazed over at her. Her bright hair had been tossed around by the wind and now framed her face with charming disarray. Her violet eyes were open wide and glowed luminously as they watched his approach. She wet her lips nervously, completely unaware of her own seductive powers.

“Emma,” he said hoarsely. “I think I have to kiss you. Do you understand that?”

Emma nodded uncertainly, barely aware of his words as her entire body seemed to catch on fire, ignited by the pulsating heat that rose from his powerful frame.

Alex’s eyes finally settled on her lush mouth, and his last rational thought was that nothing short of a natural disaster could prevent his kissing her now. And ever so slowly, he touched his lips to hers.

Chapter 12

Mesmerized, Emma could not tear her eyes off of Alex’s face as his mouth descended to rest on hers. The touch was fleeting, his lips lightly brushing hers. She felt paralyzed, barely able to breathe.

Alex lifted his head to look at her. Her eyes still open wide, she gazed up at him as if she’d never seen him before. “Emma?” he questioned, touching his fingers to her chin.

Emma continued to stare at him as he scanned her face with his brilliant green eyes. She fought the urge to reach up and brush a lock of tousled hair from his forehead. He was looking at her so tenderly, she thought that all she really wanted to do was burrow in the warmth of his arms and melt in his embrace. She knew he didn’t love her, didn’t intend to marry her. But she also knew that he did care for her and that he wanted her very much. And God help her, she wanted him just as badly. She had spent months trying to convince herself that there was nothing special about the strange, new feelings she felt whenever he was near. Alex had said he had to kiss her. It was finally time to be honest with herself. She needed to kiss him, too.

Alex could tell the moment her hesitation gave way to desire. Her eyes softened, and her tongue darted out to wet her lips. But before he could resume the kiss, she stopped him, placing her hand on his cheek and murmuring his name in a husky voice.

Alex turned his head slowly to kiss the palm of her hand. “What, my love?”

Emma’s voice was hoarse with emotion. “Will you promise me you’ll stop when we should stop?”

Alex looked at her intently, wondering if she understood what she was asking of him.

“I—I don’t have very much experience with this sort of thing, Alex.” Emma swallowed, trying to work up the courage to continue her request. “I do want to kiss you. I think I want it more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. But I may not know when we should stop, or how I should stop you. I am asking you to give your word as a gentleman to stop us before we do anything— irrevocable.”

Alex knew at that moment that she was his. He knew that he could make love to her right there on that very blanket, and she would do nothing to stop him. But he also knew that her mind did not want what her body so obviously desired. Alex looked down at her shining face and realized that there was no way he could live with himself if he took advantage of her trust. “I give you my word,” he said softly.

“Oh, Alex,” she moaned, her arms stealing around his neck as he bent down over her once again.

“If you only knew how long I’ve been waiting for this,” he murmured, his lips trailing hot kisses across her face and then down the side of her neck.

“I—I think I know exactly how long,” Emma returned shakily, her voice tremulous under the onslaught of his desire. As he slowly lowered her down onto her back, she sank her fingers into his thick hair, desperately pulling him closer to her. Something deep inside her seemed to know that this was the right man, and she just couldn’t seem to overcome the urge to get as close to him as possible. Unthinkingly, she pressed her body up to his, molding herself against his powerful frame.

To Alex, her innocent movement was like a torch igniting the spark that had been burning steadily inside him for months. “Oh God, Emma,” he groaned. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” He looked down at her. Her dark eyes were burning with newly discovered desire and also—trust. As he lost himself in those violet pools, Alex groaned again. “I can see you do not.”

Emma did not understand his cryptic comment. “Is—is something wrong?” she queried, worried that her lack of experience had caused her to do something that displeased him.

Alex leaned down and placed twin kisses on her eyelids. “Believe me, love, nothing is wrong.” He chuckled as he saw relief flood her expression. It warmed him to his very core that she was so concerned about pleasing him. “You seem to have a natural affinity for this sort of thing.” Privately, Alex was wondering how on earth he’d be able to force himself to stop as he promised Emma, but he did not voice that thought, fearful of breaking the sensual spell that had been cast over their secluded picnic.

Emma flushed with pleasure over his compliment. “I just want to—ohh!” she gasped aloud as Alex’s hand stole across her midriff and came to rest on her full breast. The heat of his touch was so searing she was surprised it hadn’t burned right through the fabric of her riding habit. Her eyes flew open and her lips parted in surprise at his bold caress.