For one suspended heartbeat, neither of them moved.
The fire crackled, the only sound between them, until Xavier's gaze dropped again to the curve of her lips. He reached up slowly, brushing a stray strand of hair from her cheek, his knuckles grazing her skin in a touch so light it felt like a promise.
Camilla's breath caught. "You should go back to the party."
"So should you." His voice was a low rumble, one she could feel in her bones. "But here we are."
She should have stepped away. Instead, she tilted her chin just enough that the space between them vanished. His mouth found hers in a kiss that began with aching slowness — a test, a taste — and then deepened, heat flaring between them like the fire behind her.
Her fingers gripped his shirt, the fine linen wrinkling beneath her hands as his palm slid to her waist, drawing her closer until her loosened bodice pressed against him.
"You're not like the rest of them," he murmured against her lips.
"Neither are you," she breathed, her pulse wild.
His other hand moved to the corset laces she'd been struggling with, and with a deft tug, he loosened them further. The sudden rush of air against her skin made her shiver.
"Better?" he asked, his voice teasing, but his eyes… his eyes burned.
"Much."
He kissed her again, deeper this time, one hand splayed across the small of her back, the other cupping her jaw as though he already knew she'd haunt him after this night.
A floorboard creaked in the hall.
They froze — not in retreat, but in awareness, every nerve alight with the thrill of danger. His thumb stroked her cheek once before he whispered, "Stay quiet."
"I wasn't planning on screaming," she teased, though her voice trembled.
His answering smile was wicked, fleeting. He pressed his forehead to hers, breathing her in, and for a moment they simply stood in the golden light, the entire world narrowed to the heat between them.
And yet, somewhere deep inside, Camilla knew that if either of them stepped away now, they'd never stop thinking about what might have happened next.