She reached forward and kissed him. Archie pulled back in surprise. She kissed him again, and this time he returned her kiss.
The kiss felt different from Harley’s. Archie’s kiss was insistent and probing, and a warmth spread between her thighs.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” he apologized, moving away.
Pandora picked up the bottle and poured another shot of whiskey. Archie glanced at her in surprise.
“You’re not a good drinker, Pandora,” he said gently. “Haven’t you had enough?”
Pandora swallowed the whiskey. She looked at him squarely. “What if I asked you to make love to me?”
Archie’s mouth dropped open. He gasped in shock. The fork fell on the floor, and he picked it up.
“What did you say?”
Pandora walked to the other side of the study. She turned and faced Archie.
“You heard me correctly. I want you to make love to me, tonight, while no one is here.”
Archie’s brow creased. He put the fork on the plate.
“It’s my fault; I’ve been acting maudlin all day,” he apologized. “What you’re asking is impossible. I’d never do anything to hurt you. And Harley is my friend.”
Pandora’s cheeks colored. In two days, she was getting married, and she’d never break her wedding vows. Tonight was her only chance to know what true passion felt like. Yet she couldn’t tell Archie that Harley was homosexual.
“I can’t tell you the reason, but it would mean so much to me,” she said.
Archie was so handsome. His blond hair flopped over his forehead, and the rolled-up sleeves of his white shirt displayed the golden hair on his arms. The muscles on his shoulders were tight, and his body was long and lean.
“You’re supposed to be getting married in two days,” Archie reminded her.
“I am getting married,” Pandora said firmly. “I would never be unfaithful to Harley.” Her eyes were wide. “It would only be tonight; I’ll never do anything like this again.”
Archie sipped his whiskey. When he gazed at her, she saw the longing in his eyes. It would only take one more kiss to put him over the edge.
She crossed the room and kissed him. His mouth was warm. He kissed her back and then pulled away.
“We can’t do this, Pandora. We’re both drunk and not thinking straight,” he begged. “I’d never forgive myself if you regretted it.”
Archie was right, it was madness.
But she didn’t want to stop. She wanted Archie to take her in his arms, to touch the places that would make her gasp with pleasure.
Didn’t she deserve one night of passion when she was about to marry a man who would never truly desire her? She wanted to surrender herself to Archie.
He stood so close she could smell his shaving soap. She reached up and kissed him again. This time he wrapped his arms around her. A groan escaped his mouth.
“Pandora, we have to stop,” Archie choked out.
She could tell by the heat in his expression that he didn’t mean it.
“It will be our secret,” Pandora promised.
Archie’s eyes traveled down Pandora’s body. His gaze was imploring. He leaned forward and kissed her. His mouth was hungry this time. His hands caressed her breasts. Her nipples stood on edge; a delicious tingling started between her thighs.
“Not here,” he whispered. “Let’s go up to my room.”
Pandora hadn’t been in Archie’s room in ages. It still had the same striped wallpaper and a sitting area near the fireplace. A desk stood by the window, and he had flung his overnight bag on the dresser.
Archie took her in his arms and kissed her. He fumbled with his shirt, and she stopped him and unbuttoned it. It felt strange and exciting to have her hands on a man’s chest. She opened his shirt and pressed her cheek against his skin.
Archie turned her around and unbuttoned her dress. Her slip fell from her shoulders, and she stepped out of her panties. She turned back so she could see his face. His eyes traveled over her naked body, taking in her small, pert breasts, the golden tuft between her thighs.
Finally, he took her hand and led her to the bed.
“Are you sure?” he asked when they lay down. She ran her hands along his well-muscled arms and the smattering of blond hair on his chest.
“Completely sure.” Pandora nodded.
Archie kissed her slowly. His kisses were probing; she felt them in her stomach, between her thighs. A moan caught in the back of her throat.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Archie whispered.
Pandora guessed that Archie sensed she was a virgin. It didn’t matter. Every part of her body was on fire; she wanted him more than ever.
“I want you,” she whispered. “Please, now.”
He kissed her again, harder this time. She was drowning in his kisses; she wanted them to last forever.
“I love you; I have always loved you.” The vow escaped Archie’s lips. But she decided she had imagined the words. Then he gently rolled on top of her. She felt a pleasure and pain that was almost too much to bear.
Her body arched to meet his, and she couldn’t remember feeling so light and free. Archie began to move, and Pandora rose higher, then tumbled down an invisible cliff.
Afterward, they sat against the headboard. Archie pulled the sheet around them.
“Are you all right?” he asked anxiously.
“I’m fine. More wonderful than I could imagine,” Pandora said truthfully.
Archie was silent. He touched her cheek and kissed her head.
“I’m lucky to have you in my life,” Pandora said.
She wiped a trickle of sweat from his chest. He turned to her and smiled his boyish smile.
“Tonight, I’m the lucky one,” he replied. “You’re a beautiful woman, Pandora. I’ll never forget this.”
Pandora thought of the perfectly planned life with Harley that lay ahead of her. It seemed so removed, as if she were gazing at a painting. But she was now ready. Nothing had changed, and she would move forward into her bright future.
Chapter Twelve
June 1927, Hyde Park, New York
Everyone warned Pandora that her wedding day would pass in a blur. She had not stopped thinking about her night with Archie, but now she would set the memory aside. Later, she would examine her feelings of guilt mixed with passion. But not now. She was determined not to miss a single minute of the day.
She woke up to the breakfast tray that Willie left at her door, with a note that the bride shouldn’t eat in the kitchen on her wedding day. Virginia joined her, and together they packed her suitcase for the honeymoon.
Before the service, a Rolls-Royce Phantom picked up Pandora and Willie and took them to the church. Milton had imported it from England. It was the same make of car that drove King George and Queen Mary and their children around at Buckingham Palace. Virginia’s jaw dropped when she saw it. Pandora would certainly make the wedding pages in the New York Times now.
Later, Pandora sat in a dressing room behind the chapel, enveloped by more chiffon than she had ever seen in her life. She couldn’t believe the day had actually arrived. When Adele gave her the diamond earrings she had worn on her wedding day as something borrowed and a sapphire brooch as something blue, Pandora burst out crying and ruined her makeup. Adele had to reapply Pandora’s powder and fix her lipstick.