Another wave of pure joy hit her, and more words came out, but she had no idea what she said. Violet heard one last
She was sobbing, her face wet, something inside her shattering and breaking open.
Daniel rose from her, triumph in his eyes, but his arms went around her, and he pulled her close. Daniel kissed her hair, soothing, holding her, warming her and keeping Violet safe from all harm.
Daniel held Violet as she shook like a terrified kitten. She was weeping, tears wetting his open shirt and bare skin. Daniel hoped to God he hadn’t just broken her.
As he stroked her hair, Daniel finished loosening it from its braid, and let the warm weight of it flow over his hands. It felt beautiful, as he’d known it would.
Daniel had sensed the moment Violet had relaxed into what he did. Her body, which had been stiff and resisting, had taken over, knowing what to do.
But now Violet continued crying, weeping as though she couldn’t stop.
“You all right, love?”
Violet looked up at him, her eyes streaming. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Tell me those are tears of joy. I won my wager, didn’t I?”
She wiped her eyes, her sobs easing. “I think so.”
“You
“The inn,” Violet said, her voice very quiet. “With you.”
He could like this. “Which part? Me stuffing all that breakfast into my mouth? Simple French country fare can be the best in the world.”
“In the bed.” Violet blushed, looking down. Violet, shy. This was new. “As we were. Except you were doing . . . what you just did.”
Heat filled Daniel’s blood. “I wanted to stay there all day long, you and me getting to know each other. Damn that we ever had to leave.”
“We could go back.” Her voice held hope.
Daniel pulled her closer. “’Tis not a bad idea. Perhaps we could make the journey tomorrow.”
Violet shook her head, regret in her eyes. “My mother and I have a performance tomorrow.”
“The day after, then. I’ll come steal you away again. Though we’ll have to go by train all the way—I don’t think Monsieur Dupuis will let me near another balloon anytime soon.”
“Can we truly? You’re not lying to please me?”
“Of course not.” Daniel put on his best shocked voice, learned from the pile of nannies the Mackenzies employed. “I’d give up everything to whisk you away again, this time to repose at our leisure. I’m sure the innkeeper and his wife would be pleased to see Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie back again.”
Violet’s eyes flickered, but she snuggled her head into his shoulder. “What will we do there?”
“All kinds of things, my Violet. Anything you want. Maybe I’ll show you just how many different ways a man can make a woman feel pleasure.”
“You would want to do that? I mean, I thought that men only sought . . .” Violet trailed off, as though unsure how to finish.
“Their own pleasure?” Daniel asked. “You’ve lived among Sassenachs too long. If a Scotsman tried to use a woman only for his pleasure, he’d get clouted about the head. Come to think of it, you clout pretty well yourself.”
“I said I was—”
Daniel pressed his fingers to her lips. “I was teasing. Not one more word about it.” He was glad to see, though, a sparkle of spiritedness return to her eyes. “I pushed you too fast and assumed you were hungry for the touch of Daniel Mackenzie. Never thought you’d try to kill me so hard, but I know now I frightened you.”
She nodded. “You did. I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“Are you still frightened of me? It’s all right if you are. I’m a terrifying man.”
Violet’s smile came. “Absolutely horrifying.”
“Good.” Daniel nuzzled her hair. “Because I’d like to keep on kissing you. This place has finally warmed, and I’m not ready for the city streets yet. Now, admit it, that was pleasure you were feeling, wasn’t it? Deep down, belly-clenching, blood-heating pleasure.”
She nodded. “I thought I was drowning.”
“You’re supposed to feel like that. As though your mooring has been ripped away, and you’re floundering in the water, not knowing if you’ll ever come up again. And not sure you want to.”
Violet nodded again, her hair moving on his shoulder. “Yes. Exactly like that.”
“You owe me a shilling.”
Another sparkle. “So, you were only after money, were you?”
Daniel pressed his hand to his heart, which was pounding. “You love to wound me, don’t you? I’m a master of pleasure. I’d give it for the fun of it, and damn the wager. But you’re not getting out of it that easily. I intend to collect.”
“Oh, do you? You’d rob a poor, defenseless Romany woman?”
Daniel liked how easily she fell into teasing with him. “You’re a fraud, Violet . . . whatever your name is.”
Violet only smiled again, keeping her secrets secret.
Daniel pulled her closer, sliding his hands around the black canvas bodice, which he itched to unlace. To hell with secrets, her past and his, pain and heartbreak. He had Violet with him tonight, hidden from the world. Here, Violet belonged to Daniel and he to her.
When he kissed her, Violet’s lips readily opened to him. They shared the warm, intimate kisses of lovers. Daniel had softened something inside her, broken a small chink in her wall. He’d break down the whole bloody thing if he had to.
Their lips moved together, mouths seeking and giving. Violet’s hand on his knee warmed him through the kilt.
When that hand slipped to land on Daniel’s aching, hard-as-a-rock cock, his entire world stopped.
Chapter 19
Daniel made himself go completely still. Violet was gazing at him in fear again, her hand frozen in place.
He knew any move might scare her away, undoing all the work they’d done here tonight. No matter how intensely Daniel wanted Violet, he had to leave what happened up to her.
“You do as you like.” Daniel smoothed a wisp of tangled hair from her face. “Just as you like.”
Violet kept her hand in place, neither exploring him nor pulling away. Indecision and terror chased each other through her eyes, but Daniel remained still. He was an expert on patience—horses needed patience, so did machines. Years with each had taught him much.
Violet kept her focus on his face, trying to read him as she always did. Her brow puckered as once again, she couldn’t.
Daniel wanted to tell her she couldn’t read him because he was open all the way down. Daniel didn’t have secrets—the only time he kept secrets was when truth would hurt someone. Otherwise, the depths of him were the same as his surface. Violet could look all she wanted, but she’d see only Daniel. He had nothing to hide.
Violet’s hand tightened around him through the kilt, her eyes stilling as she did so. Daniel swallowed a groan.
“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered.
