But none of those questions made it past his lips. Instead, her hip brushed his and he reached for her waist, pulling her against his body. She pressed to him, molding her soft curves against his hard flesh.
“Tag,” she said, her voice catching.
He answered by dropping his head down and capturing her lips with his own. This kiss was not soft, like the last. He kissed her hard, molding their mouths together. Minnie responded by wrapping an arm about his neck, pulling him closer still.
Without thought, he slanted his mouth to push hers open and his tongue brushed hers. Her knees gave out and he tightened his grip on her waist. But as he repeated the motion, her tongue met his sending sparks of pleasure sizzling along his flesh.
She curled her fingers into his hair as the kiss lengthened, their tongues dancing together, their breath mingling. Tag had never kissed a woman with so much…fire. And Minnie returned every heated touch with equal amounts of burning passion.
“Minnie,” he begged as he finally lifted his mouth from hers. “Tell me what to do.”
“What do you mean?” she asked finding his mouth again.
He kissed her for several more seconds before he pulled back. “Do you feel some affection for me? Could you see yourself with me? Tell me that you do and then we can—”
“Do you have some affection for me?” she asked but he could already hear the change in her voice. Somehow the emotion had cooled.
He swallowed. “I don’t know yet.” She started to pull away but he held her firm. “Listen.”
She stilled. “I’m listening.”
“What Lady Abernath did to me. What my own parents…” He let out a groan of irritation. He was ruining this. “I can’t trust myself. I’m no good at choosing.”
She softened, then. Her body fitting to his, her hand cupping his cheek. “I understand. I really do. When Lord Charleston didn’t propose, it rocked my confidence to the very core. My mother’s threat is the only thing that’s started me moving again.”
“You understand me.” He drew in a ragged breath, dropping his forehead to hers. “I knew you did.”
“I do.” She lifted herself higher to kiss his lips, a lighter touch as her fingers ran along the front of his jacket. “Which is why I won’t tell you what to do. You’re one of the strongest men I know. You’ll figure it out for yourself.”
“What?” He’d wanted her to say the w
ords. Marry me, Tag. Marry me and I’ll erase all those mistakes from your past. Instead, she’d pushed the decision back on him.
“You heard me,” she replied. “Ada is right. Those types of questions are annoying.”
He pulled his head back. “Now you’re calling me annoying?”
She slid her fingers down his neck. His eyes drifted closed at the touch. Even now, he wanted her to touch him forever. “Let me ask you something. What would you have said if my response had been, ‘Yes, Tag. You should marry me.’” Her palms slid over his chest. “Would you have presented an offer to my family or would you have gone running the other way?”
His head reared back. “You think I was trying to trick you?”
“It’s an accusation you made against me just the other day.” She fisted the lapels of his coat in her hands.
He let out a deep guttural noise of dissatisfaction. “Well now I’m glad we’ll never know what I would have said. It’s clear, despite our passion, we can’t trust one another.”
“I suppose we can’t.” she answered but he heard her voice quiver. “I shouldn’t have come tonight.” She slipped from his arms and this time he let her go.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have.” He straightened, his hands clenching at his side.
She huffed then, pushing at his chest. “You asked me, remember.”
He winced, holding her hand against his jacket. “I did. You’re a very quick study of people and situations. I’d hoped to engage you in a conversation with Lady Abernath and get your opinion on her motives. Why is she trying to exact revenge now? What involvement did she have with Jack and Emily?”
Her fingers relaxed against him, flattening. “Let’s go then, shall we?”
“Go?” He paused, a vision of climbing into his carriage with her and driving away, flitting through his mind.
“To find our hostess. You’ve asked and so you shall receive.”