The last of her garments was her shift, and when she stood completely nude before him, Kate felt unsure and exposed. For a long moment, he spoke not a word. Her blush deepened as his gaze lingered on her, admiring her bare breasts, the thatch of curls between her thighs.
Her awareness and tension built, until she was hot with anticipation. “Now what?” she finally asked.
“What indeed?” His eyes knowing, he smiled sweetly—and even that taunting smile was sinfully appealing.
He moved closer, close enough that she could feel the heat of his body, another way of tempting her, she suspected. Every nerve in her body jangled at his nearness.
Kate stared at his mouth with yearning. The need to feel his sheltering arms again made her ache.
Then abruptly, Deverill turned and sauntered over to the wardrobe and pulled out a blanket, which he spread on the carpet.
“I will take the floor.”
His declaration startled her. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I’ll allow you to have the bed.”
“You needn’t be so chivalrous,” Kate protested.
“It is not chivalry but self-preservation. The temptation will be too great if I must sleep beside you.”
She felt marginally better, knowing she was tempting him also. “We have already been intimate. We might as well continue.”
“That is not a good enough reason.”
Her brow furrowed. “In the graveyard, you’d said I must want you for more than comfort. Well I do.”
“I am delighted to hear it. But I’ve taken a vow of celibacy.”
“I beg your pardon?” Kate stared, taken aback. “Whatever for?”
“First, there is a small matter of honor.”
Kate stifled an exasperated sigh. “I don’t understand. In England, you made numerous attempts to seduce me. Now you have grown a conscience?”
“But here, without the benefit of marriage, we would be living in sin.”
&n
bsp; That would be nothing new for her family, Kate thought. The Wildes were accustomed to sinning. The corner of her mouth curved sardonically. “Even my aunt Rachel did not object to an affair between us. In fact, she gave me some special sponges to prevent me from getting with child.”
“Did she, now?” Deverill’s eyebrow shot up at that revelation, but he shook his head. “My answer is still no. I decided you are right. We need time to create a deeper bond, without carnal desire clouding our judgment. Which entails keeping physical contact at a minimum.”
She was speechless. How could she win his love if he refused to touch her?
At her silence, he flashed her a faint smile that was rather infuriating. “You set the conditions for our betrothal, remember? You wanted to see if a deeper attachment was possible beyond the carnal.”
“Yes, but I thought since we made love last night…”
“You wanted to be wooed with romance, not seduction, so I will do just that.”
“But I no longer want only romance.”
“Well, I want our betrothal to be permanent, without conditions.”
“You know why I cannot agree to that.”
“So we are at a standoff. A pity. The floor looks rather hard.” He glanced down at his makeshift bed before contemplating her thoughtfully. “If you were to agree to wed me without qualification, I would gladly make love to you.”