Page 74 of The Moonstone Major
He did not remove any of her clothes after untying them, not the gown, nor the chemise or corset, because a naked Chloe was more temptation than he could resist, and he would have her beneath him on the bed and—sober this time—kissing every inch of her body.
“I’ll give you privacy in a moment. Take off your gown and everything else. Oh, let me get you a drying cloth, too. You’ll need to dry yourself off before you put on my shirt. I have a comb on the bureau. Use it for your hair.”
He fetched the cloth, handed it to her, and then grabbed a shirt and breeches for himself before starting out of the room.
“Where are you going?” she asked, finally managing to find her voice.
He cast her a wry smile. “Your old bedchamber. I’ll change in there. I’ll take your clothes once you have changed out of them and set them out to dry in the kitchen.”
“Why there?”
“Because it is the warmest room in the house.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
“We’ll be using the stove and the hearth anyway to heat up the meal Mrs. Hawke no doubt prepared for me. Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty for the both of us.”
“I can fend for myself with bread and cheese if there isn’t.”
“We’ll share whatever there is. I am not going to leave you to nibble on scraps while I eat a hearty repast. I’ll put on the kettle for tea.”
“I can do it.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Really?”
She sighed. “No. But I am willing to try. I’ve always wanted to learn how. If Mrs. Hawke was not around to do it for us when my sisters and I lived here, then Hen or Phoebe took care of the chore. They wouldn’t let me near the stove or hearth because they thought I was too young and might burn myself.”
“I’ll teach you once you are done changing.”
“Is that all you are going to say to me?”
He shook his head in confusion. “What else should I say?”
“I’m sure you are holding back an ‘I told you so,’ since you’ve accused me of being pampered and I have just proved you right. I don’t even know how to boil water.”
“I would never say that to you. I’m glad you have never had to endure hardship. I only wish I was in a position to provide for you in the same way your family has.”
He strode out and shut the door behind him, ignoring the heat now roaring through his body because seeing Chloe with her wet gown slipping off her shoulders and barely covering her breasts had his organs in spasms.
He went into her old bedchamber and took off his clothes, then put on the dry ones. A moment later, he heard Chloe clambering about next door and wondered what she was doing.
Since when had removing clothes been so noisy? Was she searching through his belongings?
He left his discarded uniform spread neatly over one of the wooden chairs in her old room and knocked at his bedchamber door. “Are you decent? May I come in?”
She opened the door and peered up at him with big green eyes. “Yes, however, I am not really decent. I was looking for a robe, but you don’t seem to have one.”
“Because I don’t use one. I don’t sleep in nightclothes either.” He was trying to appear unaffected, but she had combed back her long hair and tucked the strands behind her little ears. His shirt looked insanely alluring on her, and there was no mistaking she was naked underneath.
He cleared his throat. “My shirt fits you like a tent.”
“It falls to my knees. You can see my legs.”
“I’ve seen them before.” And if he wanted to be accurate about it, he could see all of her body outlined beneath his shirt. The fabric was not quite as thick as he thought, and her pert breasts were visible if one looked closely, which he did.
Dear heaven, he did.
He gathered his clothes and hers, and then headed downstairs to set them on pegs beside the hearth, which he now took a moment to light.
