“You think you are perhaps a lady of the night?” he asked. His eyes lifted to her face. He was no longer sitting back, but had straightened, moving almost to the edge of his chair without her noticing.

“Anything is possible,” she reminded him.

“So I am beginning to understand,” he said. One of his hands reached out and caught her chin. His fingers were firm without being forceful; she understood implicitly that she could move away now and he would not follow. But she did not move away.

Her heart was beating very quickly, so quickly that she thought he must be able to hear it pounding against her ribs. She had never felt like this before, certainly not when Philip had touched her. She thought she might explode from wanting but had no idea what she wanted. Abruptly he closed the distance between them, leaning forward to capture her mouth with his own. His lips were warm and hard, coaxing hers gently apart, turning the spark into a fire. And then just as suddenly, they were gone. He leaned back, releasing her, and she opened her eyes, not even having realized that she had closed him.

“You kiss like a virgin,” he said softly.