Until now.
Her senses swirled at the thought, and the feel of his lips, and the intoxicating fragrance of the flowers overhead blending with his spicy scent. Just when she thought her knees would give out, yet another couple came sauntering down the arbor.
Jason pulled back with a muttered oath. “What are all these people doing out here?”
“I imagine they’re wondering the same thing about us.” Cait rubbed the spot where the plate had jabbed into her abdomen. “Why don’t you put that down?”
“This?” An appalled look on his face, he held up the plate. “There are still three strawberries left.”
“You can get more inside.”
“Ah, but I want them outside.” His eyes glittered while a fingertip lightly traced her lips.
“Please, Jase.” She shivered, but not from the cold. “I don’t think I can stand up any longer. Not…not when you do that.”
“Hmm.” Looking over her head, he craned his neck to see the back of the garden. “I spy a solution. Come along.” And once more she found herself hurrying after him, holding his hand.
Through the arbor, a white wooden summerhouse shone in the moonlight. The only opening was in the back, so he walked her around, pulled her inside, and they were alone. Crickets chirped beyond the latticed walls, but other than that, the only sounds they heard were their own uneven breaths.
“Sit,” Jason said, waving her to the bench that ran along the circular structure’s walls. “Better?”
“Much. I was…feeling weak there, for a minute.”
“Good.” Grinning, he set the plate aside and sat close by her. “I hope to have you feeling weaker still in a minute more.” And he lifted her and sat her on his lap.
She gave a little start of surprise, then looked around, although she knew they were alone. “This feels wicked.”
“Mmm.” He gave her one slow kiss. “That’s the idea.”
It was wicked but nice. It gave her perfect access to his face, which she covered with little kisses. His lips drifted in the sensitive hollows beneath her chin and along her throat. She sighed happily. “Oooh, this is very wicked.”
Laughing low, he kissed a shivery line up her throat to her mouth, then settled softly on her lips. But then he stopped. “I’ve a craving for a strawberry.”
“What?” She tried to kiss him again, but he wouldn’t permit it.
“Hold still.” He lifted a berry and bit off half. When he offered her the other half, she shook her head. With a shrug, he finished it and swallowed, then brought his lips to hers, kissing her thoroughly until all the strawberry flavor was gone and her whole world tasted like Jason.
She wound her arms around his neck, but he stopped her.
“Not yet. Two left.” He took up the second strawberry.
She lurched forward and took it in one bite.
“Tsk, sweet. Now we’ll have to make the final one last that much longer.”
While Caithren held very still and uncertain, he drew the scratchy tip of the berry over her cheeks, her chin. And around to her back, where he traced a tickly pattern on the skin exposed by the deep curve of the dress’s low neckline.
“What am I writing?” When she shrugged, his face hardened in a mock frown. “Concentrate.”
Around, up, down…”Caithren!”
“Mm-hmm.”
A curve, up, down, a squiggle…”Jason?”
“Excellent. Now…”
A big, swooping line that enclosed all he’d written. Could it be…”A heart?”
“Brilliant. I shall have to reward you.”
But their names in a heart were reward enough. Could it mean—
He fed her half the strawberry, then ate the rest himself. “Now,” he murmured against her lips. He wrapped his arms around her to pull her close—
And another couple stumbled into the summerhouse, mouth to mouth, locked in a torrid embrace.
With a groan Caithren’s head dropped to Jason’s shoulder. He stifled a strangled laugh. The couple didn’t notice. They fell to the grass in the center and started tearing at each other’s clothing.
“Don’t they see us?” Cait whispered, stunned.
“Even if they did, I suspect they’re in no condition to care.” A regretful look on his face, he lifted her with a mighty heave and set her on her feet.
SIXTY-TWO
THEY RAN through the gardens, laughing all the way.
A few feet from the door, Jason pulled Caithren behind a hedge and turned her to face him. He adjusted the curls on her shoulders and kissed her on the lips. “There. You look perfect.”
Her gaze wandered down his body and back up. “You’ll do,” she proclaimed with another laugh.
He loved the way she could go from heated to heartfelt to laughing in a split second. Though that meant she could be as quick to anger as well, it was worth it. It was what made her Caithren. It was what made him want her. If only she could still want him after this night.
He knew he was hoping for the impossible. But all he could do was hope against hope…
He took a deep breath and opened the door to the music and the dancing and all the people who’d done their best—albeit innocently—to keep him from kissing Caithren this night.
Grabbing her hand, he strolled through the crowd, a single purpose in mind: to get her into his arms again.
“Cainewood! Haven’t seen you in ages! Will you introduce me—”
“Later.”
Later. Later. Later. Always one more interruption, one more excuse. It seemed an hour before they escaped out the front door and stood waiting for his coachman to bring the carriage around.
Jason drew Cait near. She nestled close. “Crivvens, it was hot in there.”
“Hot?” He took her lips in a fervent kiss. “How’s that for hot?”
She giggled. A sweet, sweet—bittersweet for him—giggle.
When the carriage arrived, they hurried inside, and he sat her back on his lap. She wiggled close, wound her arms around his neck, and fastened her lips on his. Then—bump!—the wheels hit a rut, and their noses mashed together.
“Sorry,” he whispered.
“Mmm,” she murmured, going again for his lips, but missing and grazing his cheek instead.
