Her respiration grew shallow as he stood gazing down at her, while her pulse pounded in a heavy, uncertain rhythm.
After a dozen heartbeats had passed, though, Lily had had enough. “Pray hurry and be done with it, my lord.”
He made a tsking sound. “Such impatience. A kiss should be savored, not rushed.”
“Yes, indeed,” Chantel agreed, her tone dreamy.
Lily gritted her teeth, willing herself to remain calm. Even so, her nerves were on fire by the time Claybourne’s mouth at last descended to hers.
It was the lightest of caresses. His lips barely moved against hers, yet the impact was searing. His kiss was warm, tender, magical…and oh so devastating, just as she’d expected.
Lily felt hot and breathless and dazed when he finally let up.
While she tried futilely to regain her wits, Chantel applauded his performance with delight. “That kiss was perfectly lovely, Lord Claybourne.”
“And quite romantic,” Fleur said with a sigh. “I think you should have another point added to your tally.”
“Fleur!” Lily protested. “It really was not so extraordinary.”
“I might be wounded, love,” Claybourne said, amused, “if I thought you believed that.”
She had only to look into those gold-flecked eyes, gleaming with wicked knowledge, to realize she hadn’t fooled him in the least. He knew very well that even a simple kiss from him was captivating.
“Well, it certainly was not worth a full point,” she complained.
The marquess eyed her thoughtfully. “What do you say we strike a compromise? I will relinquish any points for my kissing skills just now in exchange for a few moments of privacy with you.”
Lily narrowed her gaze on him. “Why do you want privacy?”
“Because as charming and lovely as your friends are”-he bowed gracefully to the courtesans-“their presence does put a damper on my courtship.”
“Having to be alone with you was not part of our game.”
“Very well, if you want me to accept another point-”
“No!” Lily exclaimed.
Rising, Fleur nodded as if coming to a decision. “I think you have earned the right to a little privacy with Lily, my lord. You may have five minutes with her, no more.”
“You cannot be serious,” Lily objected.
“Oh, but I can,” Fleur replied. “A measure of intimacy will go a long way toward loosening you up, my dear. And his lordship is just the man to do it. You will find very few gentlemen with his prowess. Moreover, if you become better acquainted with him now, you will be better informed to make a decision about wedding him.” Fleur’s mouth twisted as she contemplated Lily. “I happen to think you are a fool to resist his suit, my darling, but you are the one who must live with the consequences.”
“I agree, Lily,” Cha
ntel announced as she also rose. “If I were twenty years younger, I might try to steal him from you.”
“You may have him with my blessing,” she muttered under her breath.
When the two women had left the sitting room and shut the door behind them, Lily regarded the marquess nervously. “Just what do you think you are doing?”
“I intend to kiss you again. That brief taste wasn’t nearly enough. For me or for you either, I suspect.”
“It was more than enough for me.”
He smiled. “Then look at it as gaining more knowledge upon which to base your decision.”
She didn’t want any more knowledge of him! Certainly not the sensual kind of education he had in mind. Lily edged away from Lord Claybourne, determined to put some distance between them, but he reached out to lightly grasp her wrist.