"And did she reply to you?" Victoria asked him, meeting his gaze.
He reached out, smoothing the small worry line between her brows. "She did. In fact, she was more than forward with her responses."
"Do you think you would like to court her in town next year?" she asked, biting her lip.
Albert checked to see the location of the other guests and delightfully found this side of the hall now deserted. He leaned down, closing the space between them, and kissed her, stopping her from biting the sweet, plump lip of hers.
She melted against him, reaching up to run her hands into his hair. He loved the feel of her taking what she wanted, holding him close so she could kiss him back with as much fire as his own had been.
The kiss turned in an instant, demanding and hot. His tongue tangled with hers, their bodies thrust against each other, seeking contact and fulfilling a need that burned as hot as the sun. She tasted of champagne, a heady flavor intoxicating his mind. "Victoria, we should stop. We'll be caught," he said, taking her lips yet again, wanting to snatch her up and sit her on his lap.
Damn, he wanted to do a lot more than that to her. He wanted her in his bed now and forever.
"Do you think that Miss Thompson would kiss you so? Or that Lady Sophie would satisfy you as I do?"
"No, I do not. Nor do I think about them in such a way," he admitted, even though he knew he should not. He could not allow Victoria to believe that he, too, just like her brother, wished for them to be more than friends. For now, they needed to retain the teacher-student relationship they had settled into, if only to give him time to win her.
"You make me question my decisions, Albert. I do not know what I shall do when you're looking at me the way you are now."
He stared down at her. To him, Victoria was the most beautiful woman he had ever met in his life. He had based several characters on her and had wanted her with such fierce desire that sometimes sleep eluded him.
"I do not mean to make your life challenging. I know what you wish for in your future, and we have an agreement for lessons on etiquette and courtship. I should like to continue those. Come," he said, pulling her to stand. "Come inside and dance with me. There is to be a second waltz soon. I do not wish to dance with anyone else but you."
She grinned, allowing him to pull her up. She placed her hand atop his, and they started back indoors.
"I would like to dance with you too," he heard her say, and hope seized his soul.
Perchance there was a possibility for them if he stepped carefully about Victoria. The risk was certainly worth taking.
Chapter 27
Albert swept Victoria into the waltz, moving effortlessly around the throng of dancers partaking in the dance. She stared up at him, his sweet, handsome face lovely to gaze upon and admire.
An overwhelming deluge of emotions washed over her with how much she adored him. His friendship and honesty, his sweet, understanding nature. He made her question her dreams. If only he had courted her before Armstrong. The sting of that man's deception would never have happened. Perhaps then she would not be so wary of the marriage state. Or the fact that no matter how much you thought you knew someone, it could all be a mask—a lie.
Something told her, however, that marriage to Albert would be different, for he was different. But how could she be true to herself, give up what she longed for just because the man guiding her about the room made her want other things too?
She closed her eyes a moment, forcing her thoughts to clear. She would not debate her life right now, this instant. Instead, she would throw herself into the Camberley dance, this waltz, and enjoy herself until the sun broke on the horizon.
Albert pulled her close for a spin, his hand grazing the small of her back. His thumb brushed her spine, and she shivered, savoring his touch. The man had an uncanny ability to draw her in—a dangerous gift for a woman such as herself, set on her way and refusing to detour.
"Will you meet me later tonight? We could go over what you thought of my conduct here at the dance this evening. Guide me on what you think I could improve on if you like."
She grinned up at him, looking forward to when they would return home so she may be alone with him. Do what she so desperately wanted to do with him right now. Kiss him, tease him, learn new things with him from the sketchbook.
"I think you're doing very well already, my lord. You could, I suppose, hold me a little closer."
His gaze burned into hers, and heat licked up her spine. "Like this," he asked, pulling her the tiniest bit nearer to him. Her breasts brushed the lapels of his coat. She sucked in a breath, advancing closer still to tease her body the way she liked.
"Yes, just like that."
A muscle worked in his jaw. Victoria wanted to reach up and clasp his face, kiss him, no matter what scandal broke after the fact.
"Have you been studying the book?" he whispered, leaning down toward her ear. His warm breath tickled her, and she shivered. "Is there anything in particular that has caught your attention you would like to try? That you think my future bride would enjoy?"
There had been one drawing in the sketch that she had looked at and studied for many hours. That of a woman, kissing a man's erect shaft. Smaller illustrations
