TemptedByHisKiss by Tempted By His Kiss Read Free Book Online Page B

that does not take a chill come winter, not even along the coastline.”
    “True. But until two months ago I was living in Gibraltar, where it’s warm and sunny all year round.”
    He paused and angled his head in obvious surprise. “Were you indeed? Well, having been there myself, I can understand your difficulty adapting to this weather.”
    “So you were in Gibraltar, too. When, might I ask?”
    “Last year, but only for a couple of short weeks while I was awaiting orders.”
    A curious sensation spread through her at the realization that they had both been in such a distant locale at the same time. What would it have been like to have known him then? she wondered.
    “Odd to imagine we might have met there,” he observed, his words mirroring her thoughts. “Still, I suppose the likelihood was never great, despite our being in the same city.”
    She gestured with a gloved hand. “Yes, but far more probable, I should think, than the chance that we might encounter each other here in the wilds of England. And in the midst of a snowstorm no less. Fate is a very peculiar creature.”
    He cast her an appraising glance. “Ah, so you believe in Fate, do you? Destinies and tales foretold and all such mystical folderol? But then I should not be surprised to discover that you are of a romantic nature.”
    “I have never considered myself to be terribly romantic, but neither do I believe such matters are all nonsense, as you say. There is often more at work in situations than mere happenstance. A greater purpose, if you will.”
    He stopped and leaned toward her. “Is there indeed? And what greater purpose, do you suppose, led you to my doorstep?”
    She hesitated, catching her lower lip between her teeth as she considered. “I could not say for sure. Mayhap I was set in your path to test you.”
    “Test me how?” he asked, his words a low, sleek drawl.
    “By encouraging you to try a new routine, for one thing.”
    “You’ve certainly done that.”
    “And by coaxing you out of a measure of your reserve.”
    His dark brows drew close. “I am not reserved. I merely appreciate my privacy.”
    “And maybe by reminding you that your face will not crack if you smile every now and again,” she chided, softening her remark with a gentle grin.
    “Oh, so you have come to teach me to smile, haveyou? And what of yourself, Miss Amberley? What have you learned over these past two weeks?”
    She startled at the question. “What have I learned?”
    “Of course. If Fate is working its hand, mayhap it hoped to test you as well.”
    “I cannot think how.”
    “Can you not?”
    Just then the wind whipped hard, tugging a strand of her hair free of its moorings despite the protection of her bonnet. To her surprise, Lord Cade reached up and caught the errant lock between his thumb and forefinger. With a touch as gentle as a whisper, he slowly tucked the strand behind her ear.
    As he did, the edge of one gloved finger glided over the curve of her cheek, leaving what felt like a line of fire in its wake. In that moment, air seemed to still inside her chest, the quick beat of her heart chasing the last vestiges of cold from her body. She trembled, her lips parting as she waited in anticipation, though for what, she wasn’t entirely sure.
    Cade felt his muscles tighten, his gaze roving over her face before lowering to lips that looked as soft and succulent as a peach, ripe for the plucking. And ripe she was—fresh and lovely and undeniably innocent, despite her efforts to don a more worldly guise.
    In that moment, he lost himself, sinking deep into the translucent blue of her eyes, her cheeks flushed pink with cold, and perhaps something more. Maintaining an easy grip on his cane, he wrapped his hands around her arms—though whether to push her away or pull her nearer, even he didn’t know. Then, as if every sane, sensible thought in his head turned to ash, he bent and took her lips.
    She gasped, then sighed against him, the breathy