Free Compromised by Christmas by Katy Madison Page A

regain normal feeling. But on
a deep level she had changed, and she did not ever think she could
go back.
    Max stepped back, his manner returning to that rigid
correctness that she now suspected was his way of shutting out
others.
    She squirmed out of the niche—there were too many
places in this house where a man could trap a woman. Only her
disordered thoughts reminded her that she had laid this trap, but
caught the wrong man. Mr. Breedon had either not noticed the
mistletoe or had not wanted to kiss her.
    Why had Max? He had forced her back under the kissing
bough when she was several feet away from the corner.
    "Was that a gesture of friendship?" she asked,
dropping her hand down to her side.
    "No. I . . ." Max raised his free hand and pushed it
through his wavy brown hair.
    "Was it to teach me a lesson?" She suffered a
moment's regret that she had not taken the opportunity to touch his
hair, but things had happened so fast, she had not thought of what
she could do. She should not play with fire.
    Max still stumbled with his words. "I . . . Miss
Winston, I . . ."
    His inability to find what he wanted to say suggested
he had been shaken in the same way that she had. What had they
done?
    "I apologize. That was most unhandsome of me."
    Hurt stabbed and cut her insides. Her emotions had
turned into delicate crystal easily shattered. "Are you apologizing
for kissing me?" Her voice crested up unnaturally.
    "Not for kissing you, per se. You were under the
mistletoe."
    "Not when you seized me and marched me back here."
She pointed to the niche. Her heart refused to slow its mad race.
"There."
    He stared at her. Did he regret kissing her? He had
spoken before he kissed her, but she had been so surprised by his
handling that his words hadn't registered.
    She folded her arms across her middle.
    He pushed his fingers against his forehead. "I
apologize for breaching the bounds of propriety."
    "Oh." She looked at the little cubbyhole set up for
the purpose of stealing kisses. Their exchange had been too heated.
"Perhaps I should have offered more resistance. I did not know. I
have never been--"
    "You did nothing wrong." He reached out and caught
her shoulders.
    She froze as his gaze dipped to her mouth and then
back up. Would he kiss her again? She could feel that welling
response, the weakening of her limbs as if she was about to turn
mindless. She sucked in a heavy breath.
    He dropped his hands and took a step back. "Should
you not be dressing for dinner?"
    "Yes, yes, of course." Roxana swirled, thinking she
could not make it to her room soon enough if she flew.
    "Miss Winston," Max called behind her.
    She did not stop. She had not known how being held in
his arms could approach wonderful heights. Yet, she could not fully
appreciate the experience. Not knowing would have been better,
because experiencing such kisses in her life was unlikely. And, oh
God, she was such a ninny to fall for the high-and-mighty duke who
would never forget himself so much as to truly compromise her and
had warned her he wasn't looking for a wife. Nor would she marry
any man, let alone a man who could control her with a touch, turn
her mindless with a kiss, make her forget her imperative plans with
a caress.
    Yet worst of all was his reaction that he had drawn
up stiff with regret. Pain swirled in her stomach. He had not meant
to kiss her so freely. That had been apparent in his dismayed
expression. She could not let it lay, but had challenged him. Would
she never learn to curb her tongue?
    *~*~*
    Max stared at Roxana's retreating back and wondered
what fever had invaded his brain. He'd never treated an unmarried
lady to such an unbridled kiss, let alone treated any woman to such
a kiss without a gentle seduction of hand kissing, touches,
indications of his intent. He had been close to allowing his hands
to roam lower, to capture and caress her curves in a way that
conveyed an intention to bed her.
    Had she sensed his slipping control when she pushed
him