Excerpt of Whisper Of Scandal by Nicola Cornick

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.