year earlier were already married or
engaged.
“If you had married in your first season, I would have lost
you forever.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.
His mouth was soft and strong all at once. When he backed
away after only a chaste kiss, her body leaned forward and she thought to beg
for more.
“I suppose that’s true. I will not make the same mistake
again. I am very fond of you, John. You seem very eager to marry me and you say
that you love me, which is more than I could have hoped for. I will marry you.”
He frowned, but lifted her hand and kissed the palm. The
kiss sent a series of vibrations that spread to every inch of her body.
Then he kissed her cheek and her mouth. His tongue traced a
path along the seam of her lips. She opened on a sigh and touched her tongue to
his. He groaned and pulled her close for only a moment.
His breathing was ragged when he released her and he brushed
a stray hair from her face. “I cannot tell you how pleased I am at your
decision.” He stood up and helped her to her feet.
When he leaned forward again, she expected a peck on the
lips and for him to say good night. However, his lips grazed her cheek and
landed on the sensitive skin of her ear. Every time he did this, her body
responded and she yearned for more. The whisper of air teased her. “I love you,
Emma, even if I have to love you enough for both of us.”
She still heard those words reverberating in her mind an
hour later when she stole into the garden for a short walk to clear her mind.
Two footmen flanked the garden door and she saw a third by
the side gate that led to an alleyway. She smiled at them and walked past.
Emma wished she could sleep as the rest of the house did.
John had kissed her good night at her bedroom door and likely thought she was
tucked in for the night. She’d never slept well. She and her father would often
meet each other in the garden while trying to walk off insomnia. Even in good
times, she had trouble turning off her busy mind.
These were strange times, both good and bad. It was odd, but
her stomach bubbled with excitement at the idea of her wedding day, but at the
same time, she couldn’t help fearing something terrible would go wrong. That
somehow her uncle would ruin everything and drag her and Oliver back across the
street. The thought and the cold of the winter night gave her a chill. She
pulled the wool wrap tighter around her shoulders. At least she’d had the good
sense to pull on her boots and hadn’t come outside in slippers.
Every moment since leaving her home, she’d been waiting for
him to appear. When she’d seen him at the ball, she’d thought, this is it, now
we will have to go back. But in the next moment, John was there protecting her.
In a world where women were powerless, it was good to have a champion.
“I was worried.” John’s voice cut through her reverie.
She turned to find him smiling at her from several feet
away. She had wandered into a maze of evergreen shrubs and lost track of time.
“Were you looking for me?”
He stepped forward and offered his arm. She took it, and
they continued down the path. “I knocked on your door to see if you were well,
since I know you do not sleep. When you didn’t answer, I checked the library.
You were not there and it almost sent me into a panic, but the footman informed
me you had headed out into the garden. You see, there are some benefits to
keeping one’s house at high military alert.”
“Now that you’ve found me, what will you do with me?” she
teased.
“I may kiss you senseless in a few moments, but first tell
me if you are all right?”
She sighed. “Oh, can’t we just skip to the senseless kissing
part?”
He stopped and turned toward her. The moon was waning, but
still full enough to allow them to see each other. “You are not all right, are
you? Is it the wedding?”
She touched his cheek. It felt warm under her freezing
fingers. “No, John, it is not the
engaged.
“If you had married in your first season, I would have lost
you forever.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.
His mouth was soft and strong all at once. When he backed
away after only a chaste kiss, her body leaned forward and she thought to beg
for more.
“I suppose that’s true. I will not make the same mistake
again. I am very fond of you, John. You seem very eager to marry me and you say
that you love me, which is more than I could have hoped for. I will marry you.”
He frowned, but lifted her hand and kissed the palm. The
kiss sent a series of vibrations that spread to every inch of her body.
Then he kissed her cheek and her mouth. His tongue traced a
path along the seam of her lips. She opened on a sigh and touched her tongue to
his. He groaned and pulled her close for only a moment.
His breathing was ragged when he released her and he brushed
a stray hair from her face. “I cannot tell you how pleased I am at your
decision.” He stood up and helped her to her feet.
When he leaned forward again, she expected a peck on the
lips and for him to say good night. However, his lips grazed her cheek and
landed on the sensitive skin of her ear. Every time he did this, her body
responded and she yearned for more. The whisper of air teased her. “I love you,
Emma, even if I have to love you enough for both of us.”
She still heard those words reverberating in her mind an
hour later when she stole into the garden for a short walk to clear her mind.
Two footmen flanked the garden door and she saw a third by
the side gate that led to an alleyway. She smiled at them and walked past.
Emma wished she could sleep as the rest of the house did.
John had kissed her good night at her bedroom door and likely thought she was
tucked in for the night. She’d never slept well. She and her father would often
meet each other in the garden while trying to walk off insomnia. Even in good
times, she had trouble turning off her busy mind.
These were strange times, both good and bad. It was odd, but
her stomach bubbled with excitement at the idea of her wedding day, but at the
same time, she couldn’t help fearing something terrible would go wrong. That
somehow her uncle would ruin everything and drag her and Oliver back across the
street. The thought and the cold of the winter night gave her a chill. She
pulled the wool wrap tighter around her shoulders. At least she’d had the good
sense to pull on her boots and hadn’t come outside in slippers.
Every moment since leaving her home, she’d been waiting for
him to appear. When she’d seen him at the ball, she’d thought, this is it, now
we will have to go back. But in the next moment, John was there protecting her.
In a world where women were powerless, it was good to have a champion.
“I was worried.” John’s voice cut through her reverie.
She turned to find him smiling at her from several feet
away. She had wandered into a maze of evergreen shrubs and lost track of time.
“Were you looking for me?”
He stepped forward and offered his arm. She took it, and
they continued down the path. “I knocked on your door to see if you were well,
since I know you do not sleep. When you didn’t answer, I checked the library.
You were not there and it almost sent me into a panic, but the footman informed
me you had headed out into the garden. You see, there are some benefits to
keeping one’s house at high military alert.”
“Now that you’ve found me, what will you do with me?” she
teased.
“I may kiss you senseless in a few moments, but first tell
me if you are all right?”
She sighed. “Oh, can’t we just skip to the senseless kissing
part?”
He stopped and turned toward her. The moon was waning, but
still full enough to allow them to see each other. “You are not all right, are
you? Is it the wedding?”
She touched his cheek. It felt warm under her freezing
fingers. “No, John, it is not the
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