Page 419 of Conveniently Wed
He couldn’t help the pang of jealousy that shot through as she said good-bye and lavished hugs and kisses on her family.
When they stepped into the darkness, she grabbed his arm and slid her hand down to fold in the crook of his elbow. She gave a subtle squeeze and leaned in closer. They walked betweenthe trees in silence, though she could surely hear the pounding of his sorry heart.
A three-quarter moon floated on the edge of the horizon through lightly scattered clouds. The glow cast a silvery shine to the fluttering leaves above them, and a warm breeze lifted the wayward strands of her hair as they drifted up to kiss his face. He had to pull away from her and fist his hands at his sides in order not to cave into the urge to take her in his arms.
A soft sigh escaped her lips, and she muttered something under her breath.
“Did you say something, Kat?”
“I want to be your wife,” she whispered.
Did she mean what he thought she meant? His heart galloped like a thoroughbred. He stopped and turned toward her. “You are my wife.” The words caught in his throat on their way out.
She met his gaze and stepped a little closer. “I havenotbeen your wife. I don’t know what I’ve been, other than a burden to you.” Uncertainty filled her eyes. “You’ve been kind, gentle, and caring, in spite of my obvious fear. You’ve provided generously for me and my family. You’ve worked at getting to know me, and I thank you for that. But what have you gotten out of this arrangement?”
He stilled the flow of her words with the tip of his finger on her full lips. “Your company and our conversation has?—”
She pressed up against him, and it drove the air right out of his lungs.
“Will you kiss me, really kiss me?” Her large, hauntingly blue eyes met his with a boldness, then her lids drifted closed. She stood on her tiptoes to reach him, her lips just inches from his.
He couldn’t breathe. The invitation had the possibility of opening a thousand doors, and all he had to do was walk in. But did the innocent know what she was asking, and could he stop at just one kiss? Like being caught in an undertow with the powerto suck the life right out of him, he had to force himself to take in air.
He cautiously placed his hands on her shoulders. “Do you understand what you’re inviting?”
“Yes.”
Resisting her was not an option. If she was frightened, it didn’t show. He was the one trembling as he bent to meet her inviting lips. Fire burned in his bones, and he had to remind himself to take it slowly. When he lifted his lips from hers to draw away, she pulled his head back down, tightening her arms around his neck.
Need took over. He kissed her like a starving man given bread…her lips, her face, her eyes, the tip of her nose. He forced himself to slow down as his thumbs caressed her jaw and throat. He teased her mouth open, seeking out her response.
She mimicked touch for touch, but, when a sigh of enjoyment escaped her lips, he pulled away. The pull of her was growing too strong.
His voice thickened. “You’ve opened a door you’ll never be able to close.”
She offered a tempting smile. “Who says I want to shut it?”
He laughed at her boldness, but caught the look of shyness as she cast her eyes down. She shivered when he placed his arm around her waist and began walking to the house.
He had no idea if the kiss affected her even a smidgen as much as it affected him, but he wouldn’t rush. As much as he desired her, the hope that she would fall in love with him outweighed all, and he wouldn’t jeopardize that.
They reached the house, and he removed his arm, opening the door for her. After a quick glance his way, she headed for the stairs. His heart struggled to keep a steady beat as he followed.
At her bedroom door, she reached for the handle but didn’t enter. Instead, she turned her gorgeous eyes, bright withquestions, toward him. Her expression, soaked in innocence and invitation, swallowed him up. He couldn’t move, and they stood there, staring at one another.
Since she had started the kissing, dare he risk one more?
He stepped toward her and took her in his arms. As his mouth descended toward hers, a flash of fear registered. He reined in the acute temptation to throw caution to the wind and gave her lips a quick kiss. It would be so easy to get lost in her loveliness, but he stepped back, and his hand brushed a line down her soft cheek. “Good night, my love.”
The click of his bedroom door brought both relief and disappointment to Katie. Had she not made it clear that he was invited? Should she have walked to his door instead?
Yet, though the intensity of his kiss in the moonlight had shaken her, was she ready for more? She entered her bedroom. A mixture of feelings, none of which she could sort, washed through her. An odd flush of emotion and a flutter of something beautiful danced in the pit of her stomach. Yet, fear of another place and time still haunted her.
She was proud of herself for pushing through the fear, and his kiss had been quite wonderful, so much more than she’d imagined. Yet, did she have the strength to encourage more? Her legs quivered. Could she, like Ruth, lie down beside him?
The wardrobe door opened with a tug, and she removed the white cambric nightgown that had been made for her wedding night. She slipped it on, allowing the soft folds to fall around her. A peek into the full-length mirror revealed her form beneath the gown. Heat slipped up her neck at the thought of standing before Josiah in so little. She wished with all her heart she was so inlove with him that it would overshadow the embarrassment. If only she wanted him as much as he wanted her. The memory of that kiss and her response both frightened and beckoned her.
She walked to the adjoining door, the one she had never locked, and put her hand on the doorknob.
