Long minutes later, neither of them had moved a speck. The stage had emptied, the deafening applause finally drifting to nothing but indistinguishable shouts and murmurs as hundreds if not thousands of people clambered for the exits.
Daniel angled his head until it rested against the top of Thea’s. He inhaled deeply, drawing her essence deeper into the cracks of his soul. Cracks he hadn’t realized existed until unlocked by the phenomenal talent they’d just witnessed.
He thought she’d eventually pull away. Gain her feet, be keen to go. He knew he’d been deplorable company all evening.
But instead of making any move to join the noisy exodus, she only snuggled deeper into his side.
When had her arm curved around his waist? Her other hand come up to rest beneath his neckcloth? How long had her thumb rubbed a tender caress through his linen shirt, over his heart?
“I don’t mind if we wait here until the crowds dissipate.” Her quiet voice reached his ears. The gentle caress didn’t stop. “One time I overheard two ladies in the shop complaining that it took over an hour just to exit and that one of them was, horror of horrors…” Thea pitched her voice to a whispered nasally screech, “Groped most objectionably in the bargain!”
He laughed. A bone-deep, belly-shaking chuckle as he hauled Thea sideways onto his lap, cupped her cheeks in both hands, and wiped away the dried remnants of tears. Staring into her soft eyes, his laughter faded.
He should tell her, explain his mood.
The very atmosphere around them made him feel buoyant, as though the evening, and last few somber notes had lifted his spirit, lightened his load. Lessened the ever-present strain to the point where he felt like talking. Who knew when he might be so inclined again?
“There’s a t-task—” Damn. Take your time, Daniel. His grandfather’s voice, Everson’s too. There’s no reason to rush. “Task, an onerous one, I must see…to. Weighing on me and—”
And God, I need to see you smile.
Thea waited so patiently for him to mutter through. Stared at him so solemnly. Left off rubbing his chest to finger his newly shaved jaw with such a sense of discovery.
Had he really kept himself so closed off from her?
“In truth, I nn—” Need almost never tripped him up, never. Sod it—why now?
He had to tell her. All of it. “Explain!” burst out. “I like you, Thea, very much, and…because of that, nn—” Need to tell you why I’m such an ogre sometimes.
Goddammit. Why now?
As though she sought to interpret his butchered speech, her brow knit. “Are you pleased? Having me as your mistress?”
He gave a brief, wholly inadequate nod.
“Do you, ah, have any inclinations to end or alter our arrangement?”
Hell, no! An abrupt shake of his head had to suffice.
“You’re completely justified, I know, if that is your wish.”
He shook his head so hard his teeth rattled.
She still looked perplexed, so he tried again. “You d-d—” Don’t understand, damn me, I’m trying to tell you—
“’Tis all right” She shushed him with a hug. Her words brushed his ears like velvet. “I know speaking of finer emotions is difficult if not impossible for the masculine sex. Say no more. Your actions speak more clearly than any I’ve known before. You care about my happiness and that means the world to me. I care about yours too.”
After delivering that little, very welcome speech, she leaned back, eyes bright, her expression sweetly expectant. She was so understanding. So clueless. If she had an inkling—
Buxom Betsy bouncily brings brimming buckets of butter to bossy, blighted Bob. My ballocks are boiling for you.
“Been a bear tonight.” Hallelujah! “Forgive me?”
“Pffft. There’s nothing at all to forgive. You may not have been the soul of joviality but neither have you been mean or harsh.” She patted his cheek. “Just frowny.”
Which made him smile.
“Oh! You have a dimple. I don’t believe I’ve seen it before.”
“’Twas hiding.”
“It surely was.” She leaned forward to kiss the elusive dimple.
Daniel hadn’t the fortitude to tell her what he’d meant: he’d been hiding.
Still was.
Still intended to if she kept looking at him as she did when she pulled back. “Tell you what,” she posed, her eyes glittering emeralds as she stared at him. “For every frown I counted, I shall take a kiss. Voilà. They will be erased forevermore.”
Then by God, let them get started. “How many?”
“I do believe I counted seventeen frowns, eight scowls and two snarls.”
He couldn’t help it. Damned if he didn’t laugh again. Two snarls? I’ve been a grump indeed. “Seems I have much…to atone.”
“Seems I am due many kisses. Now do you simply want to jaw about them all night or start delivering—”
The little minx thought to turn bossy on him? How adorable.
Daniel’s mouth swooped to capture hers. He meant to tease, to tread lightly. He meant to nibble and savor. To suck gently upon her lips, entice her tongue out for a flirtation.
He did none of that. Pure want drove him now.
He thrust his tongue past her lips and hers slid forth to meet it. As they rubbed along each other, her fingers pushed through his hair, nails sank into his scalp.
His broad hand smoothed down her back to settle at her waist. His fingers clenched—just above the womanly flare of her arse.
Suddenly he was strangling to draw breath. A lingering swipe of his tongue along the roof of her mouth and he tore his head back. Gulped for air.
“One,” she said on an equally loud breath. “Sixteen more to go—”
With powerful motions of his legs, he scooted his chair backward until it thumped against the closed door, hid them deep into shadows. No one would interrupt what he’d needed all night. Her. Completely.
“Want you.” He sounded like a deuced caveman.
Her lips trembled
