Free Louisa Rawlings by Forever Wild Page A

at the back of her throat. She thought, What’s he waiting for? Not that she wanted him to kiss her, of course; she’d already decided that she wasn’t interested in him. But if he intended to do it, why didn’t he just get it over with? Then he grinned, that funny, crooked smile of his, and she felt herself getting hot under the collar. Danged if she was about to let him have the upper hand!
    She tried to look as indifferent as she could manage, with those eyes boring into her. “Don’t take all day, Mr. Bradford. I have better things to do than waste the time with you. Take your kiss if you must.”
    His blue eyes widened in surprise. “You’re a cool one. I take it this won’t be your first kiss.”
    Somehow that angered her more than anything else he had said. “Certainly not!” she snapped. “Now take your kiss, or let me go!”
    He gathered her more firmly in his arms and bent his head to her mouth. She closed her eyes, feeling the softness of his lips on hers as they moved gently back and forth and pressed against her closed lips. She felt weak and breathless, as though a tight band were wound around her chest. Zeb had never managed to make her feel like this.
    Abruptly, Drew raised his head and frowned. “Haven’t you ever been kissed by a man ?”
    “Wh-what?” She was still trying to catch her breath.
    “Honey,” he said gently, “a man expects you to act as if you’re enjoying it.” He smiled, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Otherwise, I might as well go and kiss one of Mrs. Sabattis’s flapjacks!”
    “Oh!” Her voice was an outraged squeak. “If you’re not every way the most conceited…”
    He laughed and pulled her hard against him, almost lifting her from the ground. His mouth closed over hers, stilling her words, stilling everything but the roaring in her ears, the wild pounding of her heart. She slid her arms around his neck and clung to him, and this time when his mouth moved on hers, she responded, straining against him with her lips, her arms, her breasts. He kissed her very hard for a moment, then lifted his head. She was glad he hadn’t released her from his embrace; her knees were so weak that she would have fallen.
    “That’s the sweetest kiss I’ve ever had,” he said.
    Eyes still closed, she sighed and leaned up against the wall, letting her hands fall away from his neck. But when she heard him laugh softly, she opened her eyes with a start, suddenly afraid he was mocking her. “Tarnation,” she said. “I don’t know why I just don’t kick in your shins for being so uppity!”
    He shook his head. “Only if you didn’t like my kiss.”
    Drat! She was blushing again!
    He frowned, studying her face. “Vermilion, I think.”
    “What?”
    “Vermilion. With a touch of madder lake. The color of your blush.”
    “Dang you, Mr. Bradford…!”
    She knew she was blushing again, and she didn’t even care. “Dang you… Drew! You better watch out, or I just might push you overboard!”
    He laughed and reached for the stone jug on the boathouse floor. “Come on, before they come looking for us.” He opened the door and laughed again, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
    He said, “ You’d better watch out. I’ll take another kiss when I can!”
     
     
    Willough Bradford peered out the window of the railroad car as the trees sped past. There was a small crack in the pane, a thin line that jagged across one corner of the window. It annoyed her. She knew that it would be repaired as soon as Daddy sent the car back to Saratoga, but it annoyed her all the same. This was Daddy’s private railroad car. His world. It should be perfect.
    She turned from the window and smiled across the dining table at her father. “Shall I have Keller bring you another cup of coffee, Daddy?”
    Brian Bradford leaned back in his red plush chair, unbuttoned his frock coat, and patted the buttons of his waistcoat. “No. I’ve had more than enough. That was quite a dinner. Now, if