Page 121 of Wicked Highland Heroes

“No.”

She snapped her head up and looked into his eyes. She suddenly felt weak as a kitten. This feeling, she decided, was going to be her undoing—and Lord Rushton knew it, and would relish her downfall.

She gave him a critical look. “If you think I’ll melt every time you look at me like that, you have quite another thing coming, my lord.”

“Do I, indeed?” he said. “I am a groom who has yet to be kissed by his wife.”

“You have kissed me on several occasions.” The memory of those most recent kisses in the hallway alcove sent butterflies skimming across the insides of her stomach.

“But you were not my wife and, in fact, madam, you have never kissed me.”

“If our families had given us a proper wedding, you would not have this complaint,” she said.

“I know how to solve the problem,” he drawled.

Eve knew exactly what he meant. She dropped the chessboard, seized his shoulders, and kissed him—hard. When she pulled back, there was an audible smacking sound.

Lord Rushton stared and Eve started to fear she’d displeased him. Then he said, “That was very nice.”

“Thank you.”

He blinked in obvious surprise. “Thank you?”

“Thank you, my lord?” she tried.

His mouth twisted into a wry grin. “Apparently, I am losing my touch.”

Eve snorted. “Hardly.” She pulled free of his hold and righted the table, then picked up the chessboard. She caught sight of the backgammon board on its side inside the table. “Do you play backgammon, sir?”

“I played when I was young.”

Eve heard the bemused note in his voice. Discussing backgammon was probably the last thing a rakehell like Lord Rushton thought he would be doing on his wedding night. The truth was, she was torn between kissing him again and wanting to run as far from him as she could.

“I loved to play when I was young,” she said.

“If I had courted you properly, would we have played backgammon?”

Eve looked at him and frowned. “That is an odd question.”

“This is an odd situation,” he replied.

“Many people marry as strangers.”

“True. But those are usually arranged marriages. The average couple generally has some mutual knowledge of one another beforehand. No one I know marries as a result of mistaken identity and a kidnapping to Gretna.” He rose and extended a hand to her. “Shall we begin?”

“Begin?”

“A courtship.”

She shook her head. “One game of backgammon does not constitute a courtship.”

“No, but it is a start. Come along.”

He smiled gently, his hand still extended, and Eve found herself placing her hand in his. Moments later, they sat on the floor in front of the hearth with the backgammon board and pieces in their starting positions between them. A decanter of brandy and two glasses were arranged beside the board.

He filled both glasses, then gave her one and took a healthy swig from his. “Drink a bit. It will warm you.”

Eve recalled Grace saying that one of his faults was that he drank a lot. “You say that often,” she said.