The barking of a dog in a nearby yard pierced the air around them, breaking their intimate reverie.
Suddenly aware of their awkward position, they both roused themselves in a fluster. The gentleman made a move to stand up. Lisette, her cheeks burning, took a shaky breath as she rose on her elbows. Taking her gloved hand in his, he helped her to her feet. As she stood, he did not release her hand. Nor did she pull away from him. Something about him holding her hand felt natural and she did not want to let go.
“Are you quite sure you are all right?”
“Yes,” Lisette murmured in a whisper, but she was not all right. Far from it. She had never felt less like herself.
“I am terribly sorry,” he began again. “Forgive me. I did not see you.”
She had to tilt her head back to look up at him. Again she felt lost in those blue eyes. Was it a figment of her imagination that he had kissed her cheek? Had she dreamed that he almost kissed her lips a moment ago? “I did not see you either.”
He still held her hand, and he pulled her slightly closer. “Oh, but we have seen each other now.”
“Yes,” she breathed. The sound of his voice, low and husky, made her shiver with delight. “Now what?”
He smiled at her. It was as if the sun suddenly burst through the clouds. Lisette could do nothing but smile back helplessly in response.
“Now I believe we ought to introduce ourselves. I am Quinton Roxbury.”
Quinton Roxbury. His name repeated over and over in her mind. Who was he? And why should this man have such a tremendous effect on her? Quinton Roxbury. She suddenly had butterflies in her stomach. “I…” She had to pause a moment to recall her own name. “I am Lisette Hamilton.”
“Well, Miss Hamilton, please forgive my clumsiness. In my haste I seemed to have knocked us both off our feet. Are you sure you are not hurt?”
Lisette shook her head. No, hurt would not be the word to describe how she felt. Mesmerized. Enchanted. Awestruck. Those were better words.
“May I escort you home?”
Again, she shook her head. A strange sense of loss surged through her realizing that their astonishing encounter was coming to an end. She did not want him to leave. She glanced across at her hand, still clasped firmly in his. That reassured her somewhat.
He looked disappointed by her refusal. “No?”
“I am already home.” Lisette gestured to the tall white house just beyond the brick wall.
“Devon House?” he questioned, his brows raised. “You live here?”
“Yes.”
He smiled and then explained, “I was just there, meeting with Lord Waverly.”
“He’s my brother-in-law.” She felt a little better that Lucien knew him. He did not seem like such a stranger to her now. Not that he had right from the start.
“Well, I can at least escort you to the door.”
He released her hand and took her arm. As long as he was touching her Lisette did not care what he did. At this moment she would have followed him across London if he wanted. Instead she walked with him to the front of Devon House. Her heart fluttered against her chest at the feel of his strong hand on her arm. Good heavens! What was wrong with her?
“Once again, I offer my sincerest apologies for knocking you down, Miss Hamilton.”
“It’s quite all right,” she murmured, as they stood in front of the gate, noting with some satisfaction that he did not apologize for kissing her cheek. She stared into his eyes.
“I must be on my way,” he said.
“Yes, of course.”
“It was a pleasure running into you.” He laughed, deep and throaty, and her heart skipped a beat at the sound. He released her arm. “Good afternoon, Miss Hamilton.”
“Good afternoon,” she whispered while her eyes followed him as he walked away. She stood outside the gate, immobile. She did not even hear the footsteps coming up behind her.
“Lisette!”
She turned around at the sound of her name. Henry Brooks stood beside her. Henry. “Henry!”
“Who was that gentleman you were talking to?” His kind face stared at her in obvious concern.
Lisette blinked. “I don’t really know. I just met him.”
But she had the strongest feeling that this man had just changed her life.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kaitlin O’Riley is the author of Secrets of a Duchess, One Sinful Night, When His Kiss Is Wicked, and Desire in His Eyes. She first fell in love with historical romance novels when she was just fourteen years old, and shortly thereafter she began writing her own stories in spiral notebooks. (Fortunately for her none of those early efforts survive today.) She is still an avid reader and can actually boast that she has read thousands of romance novels. Kaitlin grew up in New Jersey in a family of girls, the inspiration for her Hamilton series, but now she lives in sunny southern California, where she is busy working on her next project, which happens to be a vampire novella! Please visit her at www.KaitlinORiley.com.
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
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Copyright © 2010 by Kathleen M. Milmore
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ISBN: 978-1-4201-1788-2
Desire In His Eyes Page 28