Emrys had slept with his fair share of women — and particularly with his fair share of married women — and never had he experienced this. She had essentially come right out and said he could have her. She had her hands on him, and he had his hands on her. And they were both still fully dressed, and hadn't kissed. What pretense were they keeping up at this point, when they were essentially cuddling on the sofa and she had just offered herself up to him? It wasn't as though she even had the innocence of a debutante to fall back on as an excuse, either; she knew exactly what she was offering, and had done so freely, and yet here they were still hovering just above the dive. Well, no more.

"I'm up for any challenge," he said, then closed the distance between them to press his lips to hers. His free hand went to her cheek to frame her face for the kiss, but only for a second before both hands moved to begin slipping her dress from her shoulders.