He’d have to find a way to be aboveboard with her eventually, although he didn’t expect it would make much difference. She’d said all the explanation she needed was that he wanted to help out Phineas. That had been good enough for her.

“Go on now.” Steele’s fingers dug into his shoulder. “Give your wife a kiss, a nice one.”

“And a long one,” Astrid chimed in, much too eagerly.

“Astrid.” Greta cast the girl a mortified look.

Wyatt took a step closer to Greta. What was the best way to go about the business of giving her a kiss? Should he put his hands on her tiny waist? Or maybe on her shoulders? Or would she prefer he not touch her at all and just lean in?

When she glanced up at him, he was surprised that her eyes were filled with curiosity more than reticence. A woman as pretty as her had likely been kissed before. Maybe by Thomas. The man she’d planned to marry before he’d gotten killed in the war. It had been clear his death had been painful and that she hadn’t wanted to talk about it. How close had they been?

His attention fell to her lips. Slender like the rest of her, they were slightly open as though she was readying herself. Part of him resisted the notion of kissing this woman. But another part prodded him closer, urging him to do it, to prove to Steele and himself that he was up to the task of having a wife.

“Kiss her!” Astrid said again.

Greta dropped her attention to the girl, as though to issue another rebuke. In that instant, Wyatt swooped in and pressed his lips to hers, gently cupping her cheek to guide their kiss. At the softness of her mouth and the intake of her breath, every other coherent thought fled, and he couldn’t think of anything else except their connection.

He deepened the pressure, urging her to respond. For a second, she didn’t seem to know what to do, and then tentatively she let herself press back softly, curiously.

The movement awakened him, almost as if he’d been asleep, making him conscious of need pulsing through his body—need he’d kept as cold as a wagon tire.

He didn’t want that need awakened. Didn’t want to need a wife. Didn’t want to need anyone.

Though the kiss was thrilling, even pleasurable, he forced himself to break the contact and pull back.

She dropped her gaze as more pink infused her cheeks.