Free Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster Page A

a sheet of the alphabet. I shall go over it with you. We might as well begin there for tonight. The basics of appropriate conversational topics seem to be escaping you entirely.”
    Blade didn’t complain. As she placed the paper on a small writing table between them, she dragged her chair closer. He hauled his alongside, and as she leaned forward, her shoulder brushed against his.
    She shot him a startled look. “That’s quite close enough.”
    “Can’t see the paper.” He squinted slightly.
    “You’re a blue blood.” As such his vision was preternaturally excellent.
    Teasing her was far more enjoyable than most of the interactions he’d ever had with women. Including the naked ones. It was so easy to fluster her.
    Honoria readjusted her chair, then used her cup of tea to anchor the top corner of the sheet. There were twenty-six squares across it, filled with thick, dark letters. In this state he could recognize most of them; it was only when placed in a jumble that he could not always pick out the meaning.
    “This,” she said, pointing at the first letter, “is ‘A,’ as in airship.”
    He liked watching her mouth form the shape of the words. The flick of her tongue as she pronounced each vowel and consonant. The wet gleam on her lips as she moistened them.
    She made him repeat the sound, which he did, perfectly. By the time she’d reached ‘F,’ she was frowning at him.
    “Are you paying attention?” she accused.
    “Aye.”
    “To the letters ,” she said. “Not my…my mouth.”
    “I know me letters,” he said. “When they’re like this.”
    An eyebrow arched. “Prove it.”
    “We’ve no ink,” he said, sliding his fingers over the edge of her armchair. He stroked her hand gently. “’Ow do I prove it?”
    Honoria tugged at his fingers, but he turned her hand over in his and exposed the bare skin of her wrist.
    “I’ve an idea,” he murmured innocently.
    With his fingertip he traced the first slashing line of the “A” across her smooth skin. The touch was deliberately light. Her lips parted and she gave a helpless little shiver.
    “Stop.”
    “‘A.’ For arm.” He returned to the start and began the soft, lush curves of the next letter. “‘B.’” His gaze traveled down her throat to her bosom, and he leaned closer, his voice lowering hypnotically. “For…brow.” A devilish little smile.
    Honoria’s eyes went out of focus as she stared at his mouth. Her breath came a little heavier and she wet her lips. “That’s quite enough.” But the words lacked force.
    “‘C.’” Another suggestive curve. “For cheek.” His breath brushed against her neck as he slowly leaned closer.
    Honoria trembled, like a rabbit trapped in the hunter’s hand, knowing that the soothing strokes of his touch were dangerous and yet not understanding how. He sensed the struggle within her; by rights she should pull away and slap him. With the melting softness in her body, she wanted to wait and see what else he could do. Curiosity would be her downfall. There was a passionate woman beneath the starch and tightly laced stays. But she could not be won by force, only by the sweet lure of desire.
    Blade brought her hand up, lowering his mouth to the inside of her wrist. Her pulse gave an erratic jolt and she sucked in a sharp breath.
    “‘D,’” he whispered, feeling the coolness of his breath stir across her skin. “For dimples. Me favorite bit.” Reaching out he started tracing the curve of the “D” across her wrist with his tongue. This close, he could smell the come-hither scent of her lush body.
    “Stop,” she breathed, her lips parted and quivering. A tremor ran through her entire body.
    He looked up from her wrist, his tongue swirling through the intricate points of an “E.” Their eyes met, hers wide and shocked. Blade stopped tracing the letter and suckled the tender skin into his mouth in a delicious parody of what he would do if the vein were cut open.
    It was too much for