Joanna was relishing a quiet moment before she called it a night. Clara was already asleep, so Joanna was alone in the parlor. It was just after ten, so it wasn’t exactly late, but it was late enough that no one should be walking through her front gate.
“Is it Captain Ralston?”
From the frantic wagging of his tail, she had to think it was, and she raced over and opened the door without peeking out first.
“What are you doing on my stoop?” she asked him. “You’re not scheduled to return from London for several days. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
They froze and stared, a thousand delicious sentiments sizzling, then they moved at the same instant, practically falling into each other’s arms. He kissed her as if he’d been gone for years, as if he’d been drowning and she’d thrown him a rope.
He drew away, and without another word exchanged, he clasped her wrist and marched her up the stairs. She didn’t protest or drag her feet. It was occurring so fast that her mind couldn’t catch up with her body.
Her body was delighted to follow wherever he led. But her mind was shouting warnings—to remember herself, to slow down—but she didn’t really want to slow down. She might have been hovering up above, watching as some other woman behaved precisely as she shouldn’t.
It was a small house, and there were only two bedrooms. He glanced in the one on the right, saw Clara, and pulled her door shut. Then he went into the other one, and she went with him. She closed the door.
There was no key though, so she couldn’t lock them in. She didn’t imagine Clara would wake up and interrupt, but what if it happened?
Joanna would never be able to explain his presence.
He proceeded to the bed and flopped down onto the mattress. He tugged her down with him and rolled them so he was stretched out atop her. She’d never lain with a man before, so it was a heady, dangerous experience. She was being pummeled by sensations, all of them thrilling and hazardous to her equilibrium.
He kissed her forever, his fingers in her hair, his palms roaming over her torso. Occasionally, he caressed her breasts, and it produced such giddy joy that she was surprised she didn’t expire from happiness.
She was still wearing her clothes, and he hadn’t so much as shed his coat, so they were both covered from chins to toes, yet they might have been naked. The sparks they ignited were that potent.
Down below, she could feel his hardened phallus, and it indicated his lust was running hot. He was eager to mate with her. His hips were working with her own in a perfect rhythm that was like nothing else in the world. The ecstasy was overwhelming, and her resolve was slipping.
What if he pressed the issue a bit farther? Would she succumb?
She was terribly afraid she might.
Ultimately, he eased away, and he smiled down at her with such affection that it disturbed her. What was she supposed to do with that smile? How had she lived without it in the past? How would she live without it in the future, after he tired of her?
He started to chuckle, and she joined in.
“You’ve driven me mad, Joanna James,” he said. “You realize that, don’t you?”
“I have no idea why you’d accuse me. In my view of our relationship, I’ve scarcely encouraged you. I can’t fathom what’s fueling this desire.”
He slid onto his back, and she was draped over his chest, her ear directly over his heart.
“Please assure me that Clara sleeps like a rock,” he said.
“She does, but I have no key for my door. If she waltzes in, she’ll catch us.”
“I can’t apologize for this. Even if we’re caught, I won’t be sorry.”
He sighed with contentment, and she nestled with him, listening as his breathing slowed.
“Why are you home so early?” she asked.
“I missed you too much to stay in town. Can you believe it?” He laughed as if the admission was embarrassing. “I attended the theater with some friends, and after the play ended, they rushed off to carouse and gamble. They urged me to accompany them, but for once, that sort of revelry held no appeal whatsoever.”
“Maybe you’re finally growing up.”
“That’s one excuse, but the pathetic fact is that I wanted to be here with you, and I couldn’t figure out why I was there with them instead. It seemed as if I was mixed up about what mattered.”
“I’m glad you’re back.”
“Did you miss me too?” he asked.
“I’ve been absolutely bereft without you.”
She peeked up at him, grinning, and he scoffed. “You liar. You might have missed me just a tad, but I simply can’t picture you devastated over any situation.”
Her grinned widened. “You might be correct.”
He snuggled her down, and she closed her eyes and catalogued every detail so she’d never forget any of them. She couldn’t predict how many times she’d be with him like this, and she had to consider that each meeting might be the last one.
He could become bored with their dalliance, or fixated on another lucky girl, or be recalled to the navy without notice. She had to cherish each moment they could manage to sneak off together.
“What have you been doing while I was away?” he asked. “Describe every single minute.”
“My days are all the same, so there’s very little to tell. I brewed potions and delivered them. I walked Clara to and from school. I tended my garden and toiled away in my workroom. Has my tedious recitation put you to sleep?”
“No. How is my sister?”
At the question, she scowled. “Haven’t you been home yet?”
“No. I stopped here first. I was that excited to see you.”
“You rat. You can’t behave like this. What if you were observed riding by, but you never arrived at the manor? They’d sound an alarm.”
“I’ll go in a bit. I passed by your cottage on the way. You
