She turned to find Alex very close to her.
"You’re crying," he said, his voice rough with some
emotion she could not place.
"Of course I’m crying!" Joanna exclaimed. "I have had a
very bad week!" She flashed him a look. "Go away, Lord
Grant. Can you not take a hint? I really do not want to cry
in front of you!"
Alex ignored her words. His hand was on her waist, the
gentle warmth of his touch searing her through the silk
bodice of her gown. How had that happened? He was drawing
her closer, as though he wanted to comfort her. Joanna had
never equated a man’s physical proximity with reassurance
before; David had only ever touched her when he wanted to
make love to her. And surely Alex, of all people, cared
nothing for whether she was distressed or not. She felt
confused, disturbed. She was not sure what was showing on
her face. Alex raised a hand and brushed away the smudges
of her tears with the pad of his thumb. Her heart ached at
the tenderness of the gesture. She looked up to meet the
dazzling intensity of those grey eyes and then he was
kissing her, his mouth gentle and persuasive, and the sheer
surprise of it ripped through her and set her trembling.
"Open your mouth," he whispered and her mind reeled
shock whilst her lips parted in instinctive response to the
command and to the pressure of his. Alex coaxed them
further apart with sensual deliberation and she felt the
slow sweep of his tongue against hers. She could taste
brandy mingled with the salt of her tears. The heat
consumed her then, fierce, scalding her, leaving her
shaking and breathless. They fell apart and stood staring
at one another.
"What was that?" Jo found her voice first. "Comfort?"
"Scarcely that." For a moment Alex looked as stunned as
she felt, his expression taut and astonished, his grey eyes
mirroring her shock and confusion. Joanna felt a violent
wash of pleasure to see how shaken he was.
"That was not what I intended to do," he said slowly.
"I imagine not." Joanna bit her lip. She felt dazed and
heated, her stomach burning with a sensual and wicked
excitement. The air between them felt alive. From the room
next door came the roar of the boxing crowd as atavistic as
a beat in the blood. There was something equally primitive
in Alex’s eyes, but it did not scare her, it called to her.
