The Kiss (8 page)

He’s just a man. The same as any man really with probably the
same likes and dislikes.
She sighed. Most men in Eva’s experience liked
skinny women, not ones with curves as outrageous as hers, which didn’t bode
well for her in terms of the whole personal maid thing.

She blushed, tore her gaze away form him and looked down the line
again. All the other females were smiling and preening and suddenly the
absurdity of the situation struck Eva full force.
This is ridiculous
standing here as if you’re on show!

Biting down on her lip Eva squared her shoulders. She might be
here to work but she wasn’t a bloody brood mare being paraded for the latest
stud! Yes he was as beautiful, if not more so than her Adonis supersized but
she’d be damned if she gushed over him like all the others.
Even though you
want to, damn do you want to.

As if reading her mind he walked directly over to her, stopping
mere inches from her face, before speaking. “Hi.”

Such a simple word but the effect on her was akin to a
sledgehammer. Eva’s mouth dropped open and a shiver raced down her spine. “Erm…
hi,” she replied back. Color flooding her face.

But there was clearly no need to be embarrassed, the moment she
spoke he smiled. That toe curling, stomach clenching smile and his gaze locked
her back to him. Eva’s nipples tightened to the point of pain and she took a
shaky breath.

“Of course,” he said, almost in a whisper. “Of course.”

Eva gaped at him, unsure what she was supposed to say. Of course
what? What he heck did he mean? The whole room was deathly silent, every pair
of eyes locked to them and Eva fidgeted slightly, confused and turned on all at
once.

After what seemed like an eternity he licked his lips and spoke
again. “This one,” he said to Grace, his eyes holding Eva to him, “she’s mine.”

Chapter
Twelve

The Winters Estate was covered in ice, the fields shining with
it, the tress dusted as if decorated by the very hand of God. The servants
shivered as they went about their work, mothers insisted their small children
stay inside lest they catch a chill, and the apothecary worked flat out to mix
concoctions for the numerous ailments afflicting the village.

Adam saw none of this. From his perspective such activity was as
far removed as the storm crowds gathering in the darkened sky. To him it was
all just blackness, blackness for so long and then searing blue. There was a
pattern to it, there had to be, but Adam had yet to work it out. Sometimes the
blue became grey and now and then the blackness was interrupted by little
pinpricks of light. The lights called to him in some way, the familiarity of
them jarring the confusion in his mind, but as soon as he thought he might
understand the blackness returned again, and anything he might have realized
was lost in those inky depths.

Now and then things flew across his vision but he didn’t know
they were, had no way to identify them. A memory stirred and suggested…
suggested something, but he couldn’t hold it for long enough to understand. It
teased the edges of his mind, playing with him and he wanted to scream in
frustration.

At times, when the bewilderment cleared ever so slightly, Adam
wondered if he was ill, fevered and dazed. If he was lying in his room
somewhere, maybe surrounded by the shattered crystal and brandy, or maybe in
his bed—warm and looked after. Grace and Finn at his side. This thought
comforted him, made he reach towards the light, away from the dark, but it
seemed there was no escape from it. Not yet. 

Adam wondered if he was losing his mind.

Sometimes he thought he heard noises, a woman weeping, a man
reassuring her, but the sounds came to him as if from underwater and he
couldn’t make out the words. Was it Grace and Finn, sat as his bedside,
encouraging him to get well, like he hoped? Or was it nothing more than a
remembered thought, a snatch of a dream?

Adam wondered how much more he could take. How long he would be
able to stand it.

“You have to set me free, you have to put a stop to this,” he
begged.

No one answered.

Chapter
Thirteen

Eva could feel, like little lasers, every single pair of eyes on
her. It was not a comfortable feeling, and when Grace came to stand beside her
she was beyond grateful to the older woman.

“Eva will take you to your room then,” she said.

With some difficulty Eva tore her eyes from
him
and looked
at Grace.

“The red room,” Grace said and Eva knew immediately which one she
meant. All the staff had all been given floor plans of the house and told to
memorize them—one of the few bits of work they’d actually been given. The red
room was on the same floor as Eva’s own room and it was the largest, most
luxurious room of all. She’d been in only yesterday and had gasped at its
beauty. A riot of silks and satins, it was a room made for indulgences.

Deep breath, calm down.

Eva exhaled shakily and nodded at Grace, trying without words, to
reassure her. She looked worried and Eva thought that must be because she was
concerned her guest, seemingly the most important one, would not be looked after
properly.

Looking away from Grace across to the other staff—Eva wanted to
look anywhere but at him—she caught Lily’s gaze. She couldn’t help but see the
shock stamped across the other girl’s elfin features, in fact most of the women
were looking pretty put out. The men however had turned their attention to the
women guests, eyeing them appreciatively.

Eva smiled tentatively but Lily glared back and Eva guessed she
wouldn’t be on the receiving end of anymore friendly chats with her.
Yep, he
picked me, so get over it.

She frowned. Eva could concede that Lily, from her perspective at
least had a point. If she’d had to pick the most striking of all the staff Lily
would win hands down. Eva was well aware that her commonplace dark hair could
not compete against the other girl’s golden strands and baby blue eyes. If
truth be told Eva couldn’t actually believe that he had chosen her. Okay, yes
he called her ‘this one’ but still.
Horribly nervous and horribly
excited at the same time, Eva was sure she’d probably spill his drink all over
him.

“Come with me, please,” he said and his voice was clearly a
signal for all the other guests to start laughing and chatting again. The foyer
filled with feminine giggles and male murmurs. He began walking towards the
stairs and Eva wasn’t sure whether to follow or not.

“Me?” she asked Grace in a whisper, who nodded and gave a small
push forwards.

Taking the hint Eva moved quickly, she could feel herself
blushing and she wanted to get away from Lily’s glares that were still scorching
her. He was waiting at the foot of the stairs and with some surprise Eva saw
that he was holding his hand out.
Shit, for me?

She looked back at Grace but she was already asking the next
guest to step forward, a startling curvy woman whose eyes were directly on
Ryan.

Eva looked at
him
instead, and he smiled again before
reaching quite deliberately for her hand. The moment their skin met was instant
and shocking; like an electric pulse across the surface and Eva’s immediate
reaction was to pull away.  She gasped but he held on tightly and began walking
up the stairs. Again Eva had no choice but to follow, her hand secure in his.

“What’s your name, lovely?” he asked.

Eva stumbled slightly on one of the steps at the sound of his
voice. It was musical and husky all at once and was having a strange soporific
effect on her. “Eva,” she replied.

He laughed softly and gripped her hand a little bit tighter. “Do
you know what your name means?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Tell me please,” he said. “If you would.”

“It means life,” Eva replied.

He paused at the top of the stairs and smiled at her. Eva’s skin
tingled from his gaze and she had to shake herself inwardly to get a grip.
What
the hell is he doing to me?

“Eva, Eva,” he chanted. “You have no idea how ironic that is, in
more ways that one. I can’t tell you how delighted I am to meet you at last.”

Puzzled Eva gazed up at him, trying once again to get her brain
back on all cylinders.  He wasn’t making sense but to be honest she didn’t much
care. His smile was like a siren’s song and shivers raced across her skin.
Bloody
hell.
 

“Did Grace tell you what your duties would be, Eva?” he asked as
he turned left, the way to the red room. His accent was strange and Eva
couldn’t place it, somewhere in England she guessed but where exactly she
couldn’t tell.

“Umm yes.”
Think, Eva, get it together.
“Cleaning,
waitressing, serving drinks, things like that.”

The nervousness made her voice come out in a strangled whisper.
He was so attractive, simply too attractive to be true
. And he’s holding my
freaking hand
. It was just surreal.

“Sounds dull doesn’t it?” he said. “Why don’t we forget all that?
All I really need, all I want, is your company.”

“What?”

He flashed a smile, which made her insides turn gooey and tugged
her along in silence until they were standing outside of the red room. Without
letting go of her hand he lifted a key from his pocket and opened the door. A
tingle of something—unease maybe—touched Eva. She couldn’t help but wonder how
he knew the way to his room, and if he did why had Grace asked her to show him,
and more to the point where had he gotten the key from?

“Come in please,” he said and pulled her into the room.

It was as beautiful as Eva remembered and her eyes went straight
to the flowers she had arranged on the bedside cabinet only yesterday. They
were roses, white and red to match the room. The lights must have been turned
on by someone and they gave the room almost a seductive air. Eva’s gaze fixed
on the huge bed, draped in red silk... waiting.

He turned to face her, one hand continued to hold hers whilst the
other shot out to shut the door. It closed with soft thud, leaving them
completely alone. She waited for him to say something but he didn’t, he just
continued to assess her with his eyes.

Eva bit down on her lip and tried to take steady, calming
breaths. She had never felt so nervous in her entire life. The adrenaline was
pumping through her body and once again her nipples were tingling.

The air around them was pulsing with what Eva suspected was desire,
and it was impossible to think properly around it.

You’re probably imagining it. He probably just wants a drink
made, a bath run or something
. But those thoughts fled as soon as Eva
realized his thumb was making little strokes up and down the side of her hand.

He lifted his other hand and fingered the curl which had escaped.

“Your hair is beautiful,” he said. “A beautiful color, the light
makes it shine in the most amazing ways, like chocolate. It was the first thing
I noticed when I came through the front doors. I saw it and had the most
overwhelming desire to touch it. Release it for me please Eva, let me see it as
it should be.”

“What?” Eva said for want of any other response, was he freaking
serious?

He sighed and reached round for her braid. In one swift motion he
pulled out the band holding it and freed her hair. As she knew it would if fell
in a shock of riotous curls. He smiled and pulled the curls into his hands.

Eva squeaked.

“Beautiful,” he said. “As I knew it would be, as you are.” He shook
his head slightly, seemingly bemused. “I didn’t expect this.”

“Expect what?” Eva asked, her words little more than a whisper.
Dear
God this can’t be happening.

“You.”

His hands moved from the curls and stoked slowly along the sides
of her face. Her skin tingled in the wake of his touch.

“An unexpected development but a welcome one,” he continued. “I
wonder what it means?”

“I... erm... I...” She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t
believe this was happening,
Is this gorgeous, correction, the most gorgeous
man I have ever seen seriously coming on to me?
It seemed he was and Eva
didn’t know what the hell to say, or do.

“Now, Eva,” he said playfully, pulling her out of her frenzied
thoughts. “What I have to wonder is whether the woman beneath the curls is just
as wild.”

Eva squeaked again. She had no experience of this, never before
had she been the object of such practiced seduction. She didn’t know how to
respond.

“Well, Eva?” he asked. “I have to say I suspect she is. No one
can have such a devastating smile and not be.”

She bit down hard on her lip but nothing happened, she was not
dreaming, this was real. What the hell was she supposed to do?

He sighed again and decided for her. Before she had time to even
consider his words he pulled her to him and then his mouth was on hers and
there wasn’t time to even protest. 

His lips were cold, maybe from being outside but they moved over
her with a sensuality that she could not help but respond to. His kissed Eva
with a thoroughness she had never experienced, almost like he was trying to
consume her. His lips coaxed hers, his tongue made patterns over her lips,
plunged into her mouth until she could do nothing but kiss him back.

He nibbled on her lower lip whilst his hands gripped her ass,
pushing her into him. Eva could feel his erection against her belly and desire
gripped her completely. She was turned on to the point of pain. Everything
inside of her was aching for him to touch somewhere, anywhere. But still a
tiny, rational part of her brain was disbelieving, even as his hands ran over
her hips, even as his tongue traced the outline of hers it refused to take it
in. This cannot be happening, it said, this cannot be real. But it was.