softness, to rub her cheek against it like a kitten.
The fire was glowing, casting light and warmth throughout the room. It was almost too warm, yet still she held the cloak.
The air stirred behind her. Jonathan’s hands rested briefly on her shoulders. “Let me.”
She still wasn’t quite ready, but shrugged as he slipped it from her shoulders, revealing the plain dress she wore beneath. It was far more suited for the country than for Town. She wasn’t quite sure why she had chosen it, although it was a dress she could easily put on herself, since she had snuck out without a maid. And perhaps, just perhaps, she was hoping to harken back to the days when they had been young and full of—she wasn’t sure she could say love, but she did not have another word for it.
Long fingers stroked her neck, drawing her into the moment and sending shivers down her spine. His hands spread heat over flesh she had not realized was chilled, the rough calluses on the underside of his thumb delicious against her skin. They moved lower, rubbing the tops of her shoulders, easing the tension that had gathered there; a slow easy movement that took away all need for speech, took away everything but the need to give in, to rest against Jonathan. Her body melted, easing back until she found herself leaning against him, her head nestled beneath his chin, her back secured against his chest, and the upper swell of her buttocks pressed tight against—against a very rapidly increasing hardness. She shifted her hips in exploration and one of his hands slid down, stilling her.
“Not yet, my dear, I don’t think you want this to progress too quickly. Enjoy the moment for what it is, simple, easy, and so very sweet. The rest will come; there is no need to hurry.”
But she wanted to hurry, wanted to find out what she had been missing all these years—and yet she understood. She too wanted to stay in this moment, this moment when all was possible, where there was no pain, no disappointment, no worry of the future, this moment where there was only anticipation.
His fingers wrapped about the front of her hipbone, trailing so close to those private places that had already begun to quiver with that same anticipation, those places that sensed what was coming—even when she was not fully sure.
“Do you still trust me?” he whispered into her hair.
“Do I have a choice?”
“You always have a choice. Whatever happens this night it is all about your choice, about what you wish, what you want.”
His words stilled her mind and then sent it racing.
About what she wanted?
It was true she had begun this seduction, that it was what she’d wanted, but she’d never expected him to see it that way. What man cared about what a woman wanted? Papa didn’t. Mr. Meyers clearly didn’t. She couldn’t think of one man, in recent years, who had ever truly expressed a deep care about what she wanted.
Jonathan had cared. But that had been so long ago and she’d never really thought of him as a man. He’d simply been Jonathan. He’d had a category all to himself.
But now he was a man. There was no denying that.
He was a man.
A man who cared what she wanted, what she wished.
“You have become lost in thought. Are you debating if you trust me? If you do not, perhaps it is best that we end this.”
All her insecurities rose at once. “Do you not find me attractive? You keep stating how willing you are not to do this. Don’t men always want to do this? What is wrong with me?”
Chapter 5
Sarah watched as Jonathan shook his head and pressed his hips forward, letting her feel the full length of that tempting hardness. “I most definitely find you attractive, Sarah. I simply do not understand this sudden change in your feelings, in your willingness. What is so different now from five years ago? Why do you wish to do this with a man who is nearly a stranger?”
Was that a serious question? Her whole world was different from what it had been five years
The fire was glowing, casting light and warmth throughout the room. It was almost too warm, yet still she held the cloak.
The air stirred behind her. Jonathan’s hands rested briefly on her shoulders. “Let me.”
She still wasn’t quite ready, but shrugged as he slipped it from her shoulders, revealing the plain dress she wore beneath. It was far more suited for the country than for Town. She wasn’t quite sure why she had chosen it, although it was a dress she could easily put on herself, since she had snuck out without a maid. And perhaps, just perhaps, she was hoping to harken back to the days when they had been young and full of—she wasn’t sure she could say love, but she did not have another word for it.
Long fingers stroked her neck, drawing her into the moment and sending shivers down her spine. His hands spread heat over flesh she had not realized was chilled, the rough calluses on the underside of his thumb delicious against her skin. They moved lower, rubbing the tops of her shoulders, easing the tension that had gathered there; a slow easy movement that took away all need for speech, took away everything but the need to give in, to rest against Jonathan. Her body melted, easing back until she found herself leaning against him, her head nestled beneath his chin, her back secured against his chest, and the upper swell of her buttocks pressed tight against—against a very rapidly increasing hardness. She shifted her hips in exploration and one of his hands slid down, stilling her.
“Not yet, my dear, I don’t think you want this to progress too quickly. Enjoy the moment for what it is, simple, easy, and so very sweet. The rest will come; there is no need to hurry.”
But she wanted to hurry, wanted to find out what she had been missing all these years—and yet she understood. She too wanted to stay in this moment, this moment when all was possible, where there was no pain, no disappointment, no worry of the future, this moment where there was only anticipation.
His fingers wrapped about the front of her hipbone, trailing so close to those private places that had already begun to quiver with that same anticipation, those places that sensed what was coming—even when she was not fully sure.
“Do you still trust me?” he whispered into her hair.
“Do I have a choice?”
“You always have a choice. Whatever happens this night it is all about your choice, about what you wish, what you want.”
His words stilled her mind and then sent it racing.
About what she wanted?
It was true she had begun this seduction, that it was what she’d wanted, but she’d never expected him to see it that way. What man cared about what a woman wanted? Papa didn’t. Mr. Meyers clearly didn’t. She couldn’t think of one man, in recent years, who had ever truly expressed a deep care about what she wanted.
Jonathan had cared. But that had been so long ago and she’d never really thought of him as a man. He’d simply been Jonathan. He’d had a category all to himself.
But now he was a man. There was no denying that.
He was a man.
A man who cared what she wanted, what she wished.
“You have become lost in thought. Are you debating if you trust me? If you do not, perhaps it is best that we end this.”
All her insecurities rose at once. “Do you not find me attractive? You keep stating how willing you are not to do this. Don’t men always want to do this? What is wrong with me?”
Chapter 5
Sarah watched as Jonathan shook his head and pressed his hips forward, letting her feel the full length of that tempting hardness. “I most definitely find you attractive, Sarah. I simply do not understand this sudden change in your feelings, in your willingness. What is so different now from five years ago? Why do you wish to do this with a man who is nearly a stranger?”
Was that a serious question? Her whole world was different from what it had been five years
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