He had kissed her. Truly kissed her, the same way she sometimes caught Crispin kissing Gemma. A kiss filled with passion and desire, and her body felt like it was on fire as a result. “I’m sorry,” he said without looking at her, his shoulders lifting and falling on ragged breaths that were much like her own. “I should not have done that.” She got to her own feet, heat burning her cheeks. “Wh-why?” When he faced her again, he was expressionless. “It wasn’t proper.” She nodded. Of course he was right. That was the kind of kiss that got women into trouble. The kind which led to ruin and scandal and even forced marriages. And yet Edward’s dismissal of her, even couched in terms of her own protection, stung. He cleared his throat. “Despite my very bad behavior, I do want to know why you fear your father, why you think he is bound to sell you off to an unwanted suitor,”
