The mask of reserve had vanished entirely, and his eyes looked as warm as smoke. Did he truly find her beautiful? Against all caution, Natalie ached to believe that he spoke from the heart. That he felt as uplifted by their closeness as she did. As they gazed at each other, a powerful eroticism pulsed between them. She could no more resist its magnetic pull than she could cease breathing.

It seemed inevitable when he brought his head down to brush his lips over hers. A delicious little shiver coursed through her, and she closed her eyes to savor the sheer pleasure of his kiss. She hadn’t realized until that very instant just how much she’d been longing for it. His hands cupped her face as if she were precious to him, while his mouth glided lightly over hers. Though it held the tender testament of affection, the effect was also deeply sensual, tingling throughout the most hidden places of her body.

Heaven help her, the man was enticing. Nothing in her experience could match the bliss of this moment. It was hard to believe they had met for the first time only a few days ago. She felt as if she had known Hadrian forever.

All too soon, he broke the contact, and when she lifted her lashes, a molten silver blaze burned in his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat at that passionate look even as his hands dropped to her shoulders. His tense jaw and sudden stiffness of manner contradicted the naked desire on his face.

“Natalie,” he said in a gravelly tone, “it’s time for you to go.”

She blinked at him in confused dismay before understanding emerged from her passion-fogged thoughts. Of course. He’d witnessed the attack on her in the kitchen. He’d seen her weep uncontrollably. He’d listened to her tale of horror. It had been a night of raw emotions for her, and his innate sense of honor forbade him from seizing any advantage over her.

But she didn’t want to part from him. Not just yet. Not even in light of the peril he posed to her heart.

She lifted her arms to encircle his neck and rubbed her cheek against the raspy growth on his jaw. “Don’t be a gentleman, Hadrian,” she whispered. “At least not for a little while longer.”

The fire in his eyes burned brighter. His thumb tilted up her chin as he keenly studied her. Then he released a harsh breath. “God help me, you’re far too tempting.”

Without further ado, their mouths met again by mutual consent. This time, he kissed her with skillful mastery and unbridled passion. The knowledge of his desire for her was like a torch to tinder as liquid fire flowed through her veins, seeping into even the marrow of her bones.

He parted her lips and came inside to taste her deeply. The mating of their tongues felt remarkably enticing and even more seductive than the stroking of his hands over her face and hair. Having known only chaste pecks from long-forgotten suitors, she gloried in the new experience. It was as if Hadrian had awakened her dormant nature and filled her with a thirst for something more. Seeking that elusive prospect, she pressed closer to him, her fingers slipping into the rough silk of his hair as she returned his kiss with brazen eagerness.