Chapter 2 Kiss Me

THE STRANGER had lingered on by her side in silence for so long and was beginning to make Emily nervous. When she had staggered into the library with the sole intention of crying her eyes out. She hadn't expected to find someone inside, let alone a gentleman who looked at her as if she was a beautiful woman.

Not that she didn't enjoy the prospect of being stared at by him or being considered pretty she relished every moment of it. Because It wasn't every day that men of the ton stared at her like that. She had always thought it had something to do with her face she was so certain it was her face. She hadn't the type of face men were enamoured by, or so one of them had told her at one time, the worst something about her height seems to put them all off, but as she watched the man in front of her stare at her as if she was a dashing woman, even with the knowledge of how tall she was. 

Against her better judgment, Emily's cheeks flushed hot red, and she quickly lowered her eyes to the account book laid in front of her, completely forgotten.

Honestly, who could blame her, not after what she had seen? The man had eyes, the mixture of green and brown, penetrating as if he could see right into her soul. His brows were arched in such a way that made it look like he was frowning, but at the moment it was settled into a flat line.

His nose was pointed and stood proudly on his face, awarding it with a sharp edge to it. And his lips, Emily swallowed. His lips were the type which made her remember she hadn't been kissed in her entire life before and would like to know what it feels like. 

Firm sensual lips pressed against her soft ones in the most endearing fashion. Emily supposed it would be wonderful. Not even the Gothic books she liked to read from her brothers' library had helped her understand what it should feel like. It was a thing she had always imagined. She wanted a first-hand experience. The young woman thought.

Staring at those firm lips again, the lower one jutting out most sensually, Emily felt her heart pound wildly at the silly notion that was finding its way up there. An idea born just by looking at those lips and knowing she might end up an old maid without having been kissed before or knowing what it felt like to be kissed by a hot virile man. One full of life.

“You ought not to be here, he said and stood from the desk. Looking a bit uncomfortable as the woman was staring at him. But didn't say anything as he had been doing the same thing a few minutes earlier.  

Emily squirmed in her chair as she thought about how to voice the dangerous thoughts that were roaming in her heart. He was moving forward, she noticed, had taken two lazy steps towards the door and if she wasn't fast, he would soon be leaving the library.

Quickly, she sprang up from her chair and turned to hold the edge of the desk in a tight grip. “Kiss me, she said, in a voice so small it barely could be heard. But was strong enough to travel across the thin air. It was aching and breathless and somewhat desperate. 

Hadn't Emily been watching him closely she would have thought he didn't hear her? When she had uttered that atrocious request, his back had been to her. He had stiffened, but alas it was only for the briefest of a moment because then, he had continued walking towards the door as if she hadn't said a thing.

Emily clenched her eyes for a moment and gripped her orange gown. It was already out, she had already made the atrocious request, there was no going back now. There was nothing left to lose. If she was going to shame herself, she might as well go all the way. So she had lowered her lashes and whispered,

“Kiss me.” 

With as much desperation and longing as she could muster. After all, it might be the only proper kiss she would ever receive before she retired to live as an old maid If she fails to secure a husband this season, which was already her fourth season.

Suddenly Cole stopped and craned his head back presenting her with his side features. “What did you just say?” He asked and turned properly to face her standing only but a few quick steps away from the door.

Eyeing the distance between him and the door Emily licked her lips nervously. Her green eyes, wide wavering between Cole and the door. She still couldn't believe he had stopped. She took a step forward passing her chair, by only a fraction. “I...” She swallowed and took in a huge breath. “I want you to kiss me.” She whispered.

At that, Cole closed his eyes and cursed himself. He should have just walked faster and stepped out of the room the first time he believed he might have heard her bizarre request. By God! He hadn't been sure. He must have been in a fit of madness to even think to confirm if he had heard right, and the devil be damned, he knew what he heard.

He heard her ask him to kiss her, in that childlike breathless voice of hers. By God, what red-blooded man wouldn't want to hear such request uttered from the lips of a woman, albeit one who wanted him, and not the other way round.

Honestly, he was tempted. He was, but he didn't think it was right. He wasn't the type who would normally pass off such an offer, but she looked so damn innocent standing there, and all he could think, was she wasn't ripe for this, and now she was licking her lips again. Oh God, Cole groaned, would she ever stop doing that, it made making the decision a bit hard for him.

“Stop what?” She asked.

Cole cringed, had he said that aloud? And then his attention shifted. She was doing it again, licking her lips, turning the poor thing into cherry red, albeit one he couldn't tear his eyes away from. He watched her open her plump lips and form the words that were his undoing. “Please.”

Clenching his hands, Cole eyed the woman before him and asked, “Why?”

Her eyes opened wider as if she wasn't expecting him to ask and Cole scoffed. As if he was going to kiss her without knowing why. She was a gently bred lady, one who shouldn't be asking for things like this.

In a jiffy, Emily rounded her chair and came to stand behind it.

“Why?” He asked again.

Emily clenched her eyes shut and burrowed her face near her right shoulder. “Because I hadn't been kissed before, she said, “and I shall like to know what it feels like.”

As soon as she finished saying those words, and opened her eyes, Cole was at her elbow. He snatched her away from the chair she was leaning on and held her shoulders, how is it that she hadn't been kissed before, whatever happened to the gentlemen that were living by her area, where they all blind?

Slowly, he brought down his lips on hers in a chaste kiss, he had intended to brush his lips over hers, but the moment he brought down his lips on hers, she had moaned and slammed her body against his. At that simple action, all honourable intentions flew from his head.

He cupped her face and deepened the kiss, eliciting a moan of pleasure from her lips. Cole felt his body tingle as fire coursed through him, and as his brain registered the fact that a woman's body was pressed up against him, he growled and drove his tongue into her mouth.

One of his hand raced up her body and came to rest on her jaw, angling her face so that she could receive more of his kisses. With his other hand, he pressed her to him and let his hand dance a slow circular dance on her back.

With his hands on her face, he pulled her face, an inch away from his, and stared at her wild dreamy eyes. Cole turned the chair that was backing him around and manoeuvred his way on it with Emily on top of him.

They were now facing the door with Cole's legs splayed out wide. Emily settled between his legs. Without wasting time he pulled her head down and kissed her senseless. There was no time for speech, only actions. He felt her quiver under the ministration of his hands and grip his hair roughly.

One of his hands came to rest on her shoulders, and he pushed her sleeves down a bit and kissed her there. She moaned and threw her head back. Cole cupped her face and kissed her, with his tongue, he traced her lower lips, urging her to open up. And when she did, he swamped down on her lips and devoured her. His hands creating havoc on her body, just when he was about to move down to her throat, an angry, piercing voice, filled with rage boomed into the room.

“You bastard!”

Turning his head Cole saw a blond burly man advancing towards him. He was ten feet away and closing the distance fast. His brows were knit together in a mask of utter fury, and his lips were set in an angry flat line. Cole had barely had time to thrust the woman away from him before the man's body crashed into his with such a force that they were both knocked down to the floor, and two strong punches connected with Cole's jaw, followed by a furious curse. “How dare you!”

“How dare you do this to my sister.” The blond said as he pummelled on Cole.

His Sister? Cole growled and flipped the man under him, awarding the man with two quick blows to the nose.

Oh, God! He had been tricked.

“No!” The woman cried. “Stop it, Lucas! He didn't do anything, it was all my fault.” She cried.

“Oh quit talking already, the damage has already been done.” A voice said from behind Cole causing him to freeze and stop his movement. Wait, was there another person in the room apart from the one he had just been pummelling.

Slowly Cole turned back and saw three more burly men with the same shade of eyes like the girl he had just ravished, one of them, a black hair was holding their sister, while the other, another blond was cracking his bones and shifting his weight from foot to foot, and the last one, Cole swallowed, the one with the scar across his right cheeks, with eyes ablaze with fury, was slowly advancing towards him.