Page 162 of Rakes & Reticules
It wasn’t busy, being Wednesday, which Sam preferred. They strolled, her arm in his, and he thought they looked the perfect couple. Others passed them, smiled, and nodded as the pair spoke of books and music. They walked along the canal, and he told her the pelicans had resided there since Charles II. They talked of their favorite colors and smells and animals. The sun was setting when they made their way back to the curricle, and he hated for their time together to end.
Sam was happy with the day, felt he’d made progress with… Dottie. He liked the feel of her name on his tongue. That thought sent him in another direction, soft lips and…
He maneuvered her behind a cluster of trees, placing his hands on her arms. There were few people about, and they were in shadow. “Forgive me if this offends you, but I’ve wanted to kiss you for weeks. May I?” He waited, thinking he’d gone too far, when her blue eyes darkened with desire. She felt the same.
“Yes, but—”
He couldn’t wait, and stepped closer, breathing in her sweet scent. Orange? Cloves? She moved back, leaning against a tree trunk. Her eyes raked across his face, down his chest, and then she locked her gaze with his. Her chest rose and fell, her breathing coming in rapid bursts.
“Did I frighten you?” he whispered.
She shook her head, and his patience fled. Bending his head, he brushed her lips with his. A jolt shot through his body, desire flaring hotter than he’d ever known. He flattened against her, trailing kisses across her jaw, down her neck. He heard the gasp and smiled before claiming her mouth in a searing kiss. Her hands came around his collar, fingers scraping his scalp, signaling she was as hungry as he was.
Sam’s blood pounded in his ears as his tongue traced the seam of her mouth. She opened for him, and he entered that heavenly space, tongues clashing, dueling, leaving them both breathless. When he ended the kiss, he kept his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. “I knew it would be like this.” It had been better than his dreams. A blessing or a curse?
“I apologize for my… for…” His desire? His passion? But he wasn’t sorry.
She shook her head. “Don’t. We’ll spoil it.”
He nodded, and with a deep breath, he stepped away, tucking her arm in his once again as they made their way back to the path. Sam had a ridiculous smile on his face. He could feel it, and he didn’t care. That kiss. That kiss had been—
“So, do you have plans for the future, Dr—Sampson?” she asked breathily.
He reluctantly came back to earth and scrambled to gather his thoughts. “I have an office for my practice, but as I gain experience, I’d like to mentor young doctors at one of the hospitals. There are so many in need of medical care and so few good physicians. The medical field is changing, growing, and I want to be a part of it.” Did he sound pompous or passionate? He hoped the latter. “And you?”
“America. I’m saving my money and starting a new life in America.”
Sam’s stomach plummeted to his knees.
CHAPTERNINE
Why had she blurted that out? Aftersucha kiss?
She’d panicked.
Never had a kiss affected her like that. As a married woman, the marital bed had been pleasant, her husband’s attentions ardent, enthusiastic. But this… this was a brand-new, breathtaking experience.
Was this passion?
Dottie wondered how her legs held her up as they walked back to the curricle. She was sure if she let go of Sampson’s arm, she would crumple to the ground. When his lips touched hers, nothing had existed except his mouth on hers, his breath against her skin. It was frightening and deliriously wonderful.
Sampson helped her into the curricle and paid the boy. She heard him thank the lad for putting the top up, and the boy’s gasp when given a coin. Climbing in, Sampson clucked to the horses, his beaver hat back in place, his face a polite mask to any passerby. No one would ever know they had just shared an earth-shattering moment. For Dottie was no longer sure what love was. Her limited experience had not prepared her for the touch of this man, the genuine goodness she saw him in.
“So tell me, why America?” His soft voice had a new pitch to it. Hurt, perhaps?
“Why not?” She shrugged. “I thought the farther away I went, the easier it would be to start again.”
“Running from memories?”
The clack of the horses’ hooves echoed in a taunting rhythm against the cobblestone.
Tell him. Tell him. Tell him.
But the words wouldn’t come. Her feelings were too new, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about… anything. Him, that kiss, leaving England. She was so confused.
Sam bumped her shoulder with his, and there was a lighter tone to his words. “We can make new memories here, together.”
Dottie blinked back tears. Why couldn’t she have met him first? She was damaged goods now, and he deserved so much more. He pulled up on the reins, and she realized they were back at the tavern.
