For a second or two, he hadn’t known what to do, hadn’t wanted to take things further. Instead, he’d intended to keep the relationship between them from getting too serious, as he always did. Yet, with her lips against his so sweetly and gently, she’d swept him into a world of such pure bliss that his body had responded with a powerful urge, one that he’d been fighting all along and could no longer resist.
The truth was, he’d been denying himself since meeting her. Though he’d used incredible willpower—had tried to hold himself back, tried to convince himself he didn’t care, tried to keep the barriers he’d erected—he’d no longer been able to ignore the sharp yearning to have this beautiful woman for himself.
Need had welled up within him so forcefully that he’d lost his sense of reason. All his work to keep a tight rein on his emotions and protect Felicity from himself flew from his mind. He’d hesitated only a moment before greedily taking her offering, not wanting her to get away, not ready for her to release him before he had the chance to thoroughly explore her with a kiss.
He’d rationalized that one kiss wouldn’t harm either of them. One small kiss . . .
But he should have known it wouldn’t be one small kiss. Not after the past weeks of stuffing all his feelings for her into a compartment at the back of his mind. Instead, his feelings had come rushing out, crashing over him and enveloping him.
The cold snow against his back had soaked his clothing and should have chilled his flesh. And yet his body was hot, and his breath was still heavy in his chest with need still coursing through his blood.
Weston had taken off his hat and jabbed his hand into his dark hair. He was glowering down at Philip as if he intended to yank him to his feet and begin using him as a bullseye for target practice.
Wait. Weston was here.
Philip shifted his head to Weston’s horse a dozen paces away.
That meant the snow had melted enough that a horse could get around. Maybe not easily, but transportation was possible.
In fact, all throughout the day and even during their snowball fight and snow-angel making, a nagging in his conscience had told him that he was delaying unnecessarily, that he could probably go today. At the very least he had to make an effort to ride into town.
The truth was, the few days of being marooned at the boardinghouse were over.
Philip kept his grin in place and crossed his arms behind his head. “Nice of you to stop by and finally check on Felicity as I requested of you.”
Weston’s scowl deepened. “What are you doing here in Fairplay? Ain’t you supposed to be long gone?”
“It’s a good thing I didn’t leave. Someone had to be available to help Felicity survive the storm, especially since you didn’t come check on her.” His accusation was a low blow. The storm had been too dangerous for anyone to venture out. Even so, Philip couldn’t stop himself from riling up the man.
“Whoa now. I set out to her place several times.” Weston’s gaze shifted to Felicity, who still hadn’t budged from where she was sprawled over him. “But couldn’t make it more than a dozen steps before having to turn back.”
As though finally hearing Weston’s voice, Felicity glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes rounded at the sight of him, and she began to scramble off Philip. She pushed up, her face flushing and mortification filling her eyes. Whatever trance he’d held over her with his touch and his kissing, she was waking up from it and realizing the indecency of their situation.
He needed to move, needed to stand up, needed to help her. More than that, he had to admit to Weston that the kissing had been a fluke. That it hadn’t meant anything and that it wouldn’t happen again.
That was the truth. The kissing had been innocent, and there was nothing else going on. But even though the words pressed for release, Philip swallowed them, that strange need swelling up to prove Felicity was his and no other man’s. It was an irrational thought, but he couldn’t shake it.
Weston, ever chivalrous, reached out and carefully assisted Felicity to her feet, eyes radiating hurt and betrayal. “Has Philip been staying here this whole time?”
Felicity hesitated then nodded. “He arrived just as the storm was starting, covered in ice and half frozen. I couldn’t send him away.”
“Couldn’t? Or wouldn’t?”
“It was too dangerous. Too icy. We didn’t expect one night to turn into five.”
“You shoulda left.” Weston quickly shifted the blame and glared again at Philip, which was fine with him. He’d rather have Weston angry at him than at Felicity.
“I took you for a gentleman of honor,” Weston continued. “Reckon I was wrong, and you’re nothin’ more than a scoundrel and a scallywag. If you’ve hurt Felicity, so help me, I’ll send you out of town in a casket.”
“Nothing has happened between us, Weston.” Felicity’s cheeks remained flushed—from embarrassment or the pleasure of the kiss?
Philip mentally slapped himself. It didn’t matter if she’d liked the kiss. Or at least, it shouldn’t matter.
“I assure you,” Felicity continued earnestly, “nothing like this has happened before today—before now. Philip has been a true gentleman the entire time that he’s been here.”
“I ain’t a blind man.” Weston’s voice was unrelentingly hard. “Reckon what I saw makes things plenty clear that this fella ain’t a gentleman.”
Philip reclined and crossed his legs at his ankles now too. “And I also assure you that one of the top behaviors of any true gentleman is knowing how to kiss well.” It wasn’t, but he had to say something to defuse the tension. “And I have no doubt that if the situation had been reversed, you would have taken Felicity’s offer of a kiss just as readily as I did.”
Felicity’s offer of a kiss. The words hung in the air.
Weston seemed to make sense of what Philip had insinuated—that Felicity had been the one to start the kiss, not him. His dark eyes shot to her and filled with hurt. Was he thinking of how long he’d pursued her but how she’d never once initiated a kiss?
Philip hoped so and was ashamed to admit it.
Felicity squirmed and stared down at her wet boots.
Weston took a step back. “I can see plain as day that my help ain’t needed here. Reckon I’ll hop on out of the way.”
Felicity held her hand toward him. “Weston, wait. Please let me explain.”
“I don’t need an explanation, sweetheart. Clear as an empty whiskey bottle you don’t want me. I’m just a fool for letting myself have Cupid’s cramp as long as I did.”
“You weren’t a fool.”
“Yep, reckon I let my hankering get the best of me.”
“You’re a good man—”
Weston slapped his hat back on his head. “If I’m so blasted good, then why weren’t you able to start caring about me in all the months I’ve been trying to get my loop around you, but you could start caring about this fancy fella in no time at all?”
Weston’s question was a good one, and Philip wanted to hear Felicity’s answer. He settled back, his arms still behind his head, even though the snow was starting to penetrate past his desire and make him feel the cold.