Emma didn’t say a thing, simply letting her eyelids flutter shut as his tongue traced the outline of her lips. That delicate touch proved to be Emma’s undoing, and her body responded shamelessly. She snaked her arms around the back of his neck and pressed her hips instinctively into his. Moaning slightly, she parted her lips, barely conscious of her own movements.

Alex took full advantage of her reaction and pressed his tongue into her mouth immediately, searching its inner depths. “God, you’re sweet,” he murmured huskily. He plunged back into her mouth, pressing and probing. Emma met this intimate caress with an ardor she had never dreamed she possessed, one hand grasping at the silken fullness of his thick hair, the other roaming over the hard muscles of his back.

Alex groaned as her touch ignited him. His mouth never leaving hers, he moved and covered her body with his own, pressing it hotly into the mattress. Emma moaned passionately at this new intimacy, and the sound increased his ardor. “Who’d have thought such a little thing would be so passionate?” he murmured as his lips softly trailed down her soft, white neck.

Emma shivered with desire. “What are you doing to me?” she asked huskily.

Alex’s chuckle came from deep in his throat as his lips returned to hers. “I’m making love to you, my sweet. And you feel like you do—” His hand snaked up to close over her breast, and Emma gasped at the stark heat that poured through the satin of her dress and burned her skin. “—because you want me every bit as much as I want you.”

“That’s not true,” Emma said shakily, but she knew she was lying even as the words tumbled from her mouth.

Alex’s lips moved across her face to nibble on her earlobe. “Ah, my dear Emma, have they turned you into a prim English miss already?”

Emma could feel his warm breath in her ear as he spoke, but nothing could have prepared her for the onslaught of desire she felt when his tongue suddenly darted out and began to caress her. “Ahh,” she sighed, unable to prevent herself from murmuring her pleasure.

Alex only grinned. “Don’t be ashamed of what you’re feeling, Emma. Never feel ashamed. It’s completely natural. There is nothing bad or evil about it, regardless of what society matrons may say.”

“I wasn’t exactly told such feelings were bad in and of themselves.” Emma’s voice shook. “I was just told they were bad unless you were married.”

Alex grimaced at the M word, and his desire receded slightly. “I wouldn’t look to me for marriage, if I were you,” he chided her gently.

“I wasn’t!” Emma retorted, pulling away from him.

“Good!”

“I would never marry you.”

“That’s very convenient for you because I don’t recall asking you to.”

Emma fumed. “I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man on earth!” She paused for a second as she pondered what was clearly an overused cliché. “Well, maybe if you were the last man on earth, but only then!”

Alex decided he loved her obvious common sense.

“But seeing as how you’re not the last man on earth,” Emma continued, “which is more than obvious considering the fact that I’ve got a whole ballroom full of eligible bachelors just downstairs—”

Alex’s mouth quickly drew together in a grim line.

“—I think you should leave right now.”

“I disagree.”

“I don’t care.”

“We seem to be at a standstill here,” Alex drawled. “I wonder who will win.”

“I haven’t any doubt of the outcome,” Emma said bravely. “Get out of my room!”

Alex raised his eyebrows at Emma’s ire. His seeming indifference only served to inflame her further. “Now!” she exploded.

Alex rose to his feet and straightened his coat. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned,” he commented caustically, “it’s never to argue with a screaming woman.”

Emma immediately pouted. “I wasn’t screaming. I never scream.”

“Oh?”

“I was merely raising my voice.”

“For your sake, I hope you weren’t screaming,” Alex said, “because the last thing we need is your family rushing in. Especially now that we’ve clearly established our lack of desire to be married to one another.”

“Oh, damn,” Emma sighed.

“Such language,” Alex chided, and then he realized he sounded just like his sister.

“Oh, do be quiet. The last thing I need is a lecture from you.” Emma sprang to her feet and smoothed the violet folds of her dress with her hands. “Do I look presentable?” she asked, her eyes wide with need for reassurance. “I don’t want to embarrass my family.”

“Quite frankly, you look like you’ve just been kissed. And rather soundly, too.”

Emma groaned as she rushed to her mirror to inspect the damage. Alex was right. Her face was flushed and tendrils of hair had escaped her barrette and floated seductively around her face. “Well, at least it shouldn’t be too difficult to fix my hair. Meg tried absolutely forever to get it to conform to the latest styles, but I finally managed to convince her that this was simpler, more comfortable, and more flattering.”

“Don’t tell me you actually have a maid named Meg.”

“Yes, well, it’s difficult to be overly creative when one has just gotten oneself whacked in the head.” Emma struggled valiantly to contain her thick hair in the barrette.