Charles pulled away, sensing her withdrawal. “Are you all right?” he whispered.

Ellie tried to remind herself how to breathe, and when she finally found her voice again, she said, “You've done this before, haven't you?” Then she closed her eyes for a moment and muttered, “What am I saying? Of course you have.”

He nodded, shaking with silent laughter. “Is there a problem with that?”

“I'm not certain. I have this feeling I'm some sort of…” Her words trailed off.

“Some sort of what?”

“Prize.”

“Well, you certainly are that,” Charles said, his tone clearly marking his statement as a compliment.

But Ellie didn't take it as such. She didn't like to think of herself as an object to be won, and she particularly didn't like the fact that Billington made her head spin so fast that when he kissed her she lost all sense of reason. She stepped quickly away from him and sat down in the chair he'd recently occupied. It was still warm from his body, and she could swear she could smell him, and—

She gave her head a little shake. What on earth had that kiss done to her brain? Her thoughts were skipping along with no sensible direction. She wasn't sure that she liked herself this way, all breathless and silly. Steeling herself, she looked up.

Charles raised his brows. “I can see you have something important to tell me.”

Ellie frowned. Was she that transparent? “Yes,” she said. “About that kiss…”

“I would be more than happy to talk about that kiss,” he said, and she wasn't certain if he was laughing or merely smiling or—

She was doing it again. Losing her train of thought. This was dangerous. “It can't happen again,” she blurted out.

“Is that so?” he drawled.

“If I'm going to marry you—”

“You already agreed to do so,” he said, his voice sounding very dangerous.

“I realize that, and I'm not one to break my word.” Ellie swallowed, realizing that that was exactly what she was threatening to do. “But I cannot marry you unless I have your agreement that we…that we…”

“That we not consummate the marriage?” he finished for her flatly.

“Yes!” she said with a relieved rush of air. “Yes, that's it exactly.”

“Out of the question.”

“It wouldn't be forever,” Ellie said quickly. “Just until I'm used to…marriage.”

“Marriage? Or me?”

“Both.”

He was quiet for a full minute.

“I'm not asking much,” Ellie finally said, desperate to break the silence. “I don't want a lavish allowance. I don't need jewels or dresses—”

“You need dresses,” he cut in.

“All right,” she agreed, thinking that it would be awfully nice to wear something that wasn't brown. “I do need dresses, but really, nothing more.”

He leveled a hard stare in her direction. “I need more.”

She gulped. “And you shall have it. Just not right away.”

He tapped his fingertips together. It was a mannerism that had already become uniquely his in her mind. “Very well,” he said, “I agree. Provided that you grant me a boon as well.”