Page 78 of A Momentary Marriage

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Her words sparked a brighter light in his eyes, and he kissed her again, his mouth hard and fierce and full of promise. When he straightened, he took a quick step back, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Blast. It’s a devil of a long time till night falls.” A rueful, vaguely puzzled smile flickered across his face. “You do the damnedest things to me.”

“Do I?” Laura grinned, her spirits soaring. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“I’m sure you are.” He leaned against the wall, gazing down into her eyes. “You delight in tormenting me.” His voice sounded amused, and the look in his eyes was still the one that turned her insides to mush.

“Tormenting you! I never—”

“Really?” James grinned. “What about those dresses you’ve been wearing the last week? The ones with the necklines down to here.” He reached out and ran a forefinger in a curve across the tops of her breasts. His eyes darkened. “And what about the times you leaned closer so I could see how utterly delicious you looked? How luscious you smelled.”

“I didn’t think you’d noticed.” Laura could not keep from leaning toward him. She would have liked nothing better than to let her body curve into his. Why did there always have to be so many people around? Anyone could come upon them—though at the moment, she wasn’t sure she would care.

“Not notice!” His eyebrows shot upward, and he let out a funny little groan of a laugh. “How could I not?” He toyed with one of her buttons. “I thought I would go mad from wanting you.”

Laura stared. “But you never said a thing. You never—why did you not kiss me?”

He looked, not at her, but at the button between his fingers as he said in a low voice, “I didn’t want to break trust with you.”

“James . . .” She took his hand between hers, touched.

He looked into her eyes. “I promised you. You told me how little you wanted to share my bed.”

“People change.”

“So I’ve heard.” His hand curled around hers and he raised it to his lips, pressing a kiss on the back of her hand. “I didn’t dare hope you had.”

“Perhaps I could make amends for your suffering.”

“Oh?” He didn’t let go of her hand, but pulled it against his chest, his thumb making lazy circles in her palm. “How is that?”

“We could take a walk to help pass the time.”

“That sounds . . . promising.”

“I could ask Cook to make a basket lunch to take with us.”

“So it would be a long walk. Even better.”

“A long walk,” she agreed, her smile inviting. “Down to the old castle, perhaps.”

“I like the castle.” His eyes danced.

“You could show me the ruins. We could take a blanket and have our lunch.”

“Hmm. I admit it sounds like ample recompense for my suffering. There’s just one thing . . .”

“What’s that?”

He wrapped his hand around her wrist and whisked her up the hall into his study. Closing the door, he put his hands on her waist, pulling her against him. “I think that first a small sample of your offering would be in order.”

“I have no objection to that.” Laura smiled and linked her arms behind his neck.

“Make that a large sample,” he murmured, and his mouth came down to take hers.

James gathered her up in his arms. Laura clung to him, lost in his kiss. When at last he lifted his head, his face was slack, his eyes dark with desire. He pressed her body into his, his hands traveling slowly over her, and nuzzled her neck. “In fact . . .” He roamed back up the tender skin of her throat, his lips evoking bright shivers all through her. “I believe we might not go to the castle at all.”

He reached back and locked the door. Then, sweeping her up in his arms, he strode over to the rug in front of the fireplace and set her down. His fingers went to the buttons at the top of her dress. Laura’s eyes widened. “James! Here?” She glanced around. “Now?”