“I do not want to,” he said and moved closer to her. Francesca took a step back.
“I thought I was a bad kisser.”
“You are,” he said as he put his hand on her cheek and caressed her face with his thumb.
“So why do you want to kiss me?” Francesca asked as she began to take shallow breaths. She was so nervous. Olivier dipped his head close to hers and pressed a small kiss to her lips.
“Let me teach you,” he said.
“I don't need you to,” she whispered.
“Oh, but you want me to,” he whispered back as he pressed another feather light kiss to her lips. “Follow my lead.” As Francesca opened her mouth to protest, he took advantage as he slowly sucked her lower lip in his mouth. Moaning in surprise, she grabbed his arms to support herself as she felt her legs shake. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her tightly against him, as he dipped his tongue in to explore her mouth gently. Tentatively copying his movements, she kissed him back as their tongues danced together. Deepening the kiss, he slid his fingers up to tangle in her hair as he held her against him.
“That was better,” he said as he broke the kiss. He found that despite her inexperience, he liked how her lips felt against his and how easily she melted against him. He wanted to kiss her more but he had to control himself as they were in the palace after all.
Francesca cleared her throat. “Goodnight,” she said and walked off as fast as her legs could carry her without breaking into a run. She was out of breath and her heart was beating fast. She hated how much she wanted to avoid him and kiss him at the same time. It was driving her crazy. This kiss was better than the last. He was so much better than her last boyfriend was. It made sense, Olivier was older and definitely more experienced. Either way, she wanted to get back to her quarters and forget that it had just happened again.
Chapter 11
For days, Francesca lingered in the palace hallways hoping to bump into Olivier. She knew it was ridiculous. He was too old for her but she could not stop thinking about him. After that last kiss they had in the hallway, she really wanted to see him again, but she did not want it to look contrived. And the more she wandered the palace, the more she felt as though she looked like a love struck teen girl.
She finally saw him unexpectedly six days later. She was sitting on a bench in the garden looking at the stars when she saw him approach her. She did not turn her head and pretended as though she had not seen him.
“I am aware that you have seen me already,” Olivier said as he sat down next to her.
“What are you talking about?” Francesca asked. She hated how obvious she was to him.
“It is a bit late to be outside is it not?”
“Not for star gazing,” she replied. “It is late for you be in the palace, is it not?” Not that she was complaining. She had given up on running into him around the palace. Had she thought that she would see him this evening, she would have dressed better.
“I had work to do.”
“You sure work a lot.” Francesca was not keen on small talk. All she could think about was the feel of his lips on her. She hated that she had turned into this kind of woman, but she could not help herself.
“I aim to do my job well.”
Francesca turned to look at him. He was looking into the distance. He turned his head and found her looking at him. “What is on your mind?” he asked her.
“Nothing at all,” she said and looked away. She did not have the courage to kiss him first. She wondered what was taking him so long to kiss her.
“It would seem there is.”
“Well there isn't. I shall retire to bed now,” she said as she started to stand.
“You want me to kiss you.”
Francesca whipped her head in his direction. How was it that he knew what she was thinking all the time? She thought she had trained herself to hide her emotions. “What? That is preposterous!” she lied. She tried to stand again, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.
“My dear, it so easy to read you. You betray your thoughts with your eyes.”
Francesca shook her arm free. “I don't know what you are talking about but I do not want to kiss you,” she said. She almost swore when she felt her cheeks heat up. She knew they were turning red.
“So you say. But if you want to kiss me, then do so.”
“I don't.” Even though she denied it, her tone betrayed her.
“Really?” Olivier was not convinced as he moved closer to her. His gaze darkened as he stared at her. He so badly wanted to touch her. He had mixed feelings about her as no woman had ever stirred his emotions this much in such a short time, not even his ex-wife. The first time he saw Francesca, he thought that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. As he got to know her, he found that she did not speak or treat him with much respect, which he found intriguing as no woman ever spoke to him that way before.