Page 16 of The Moonstone Hero
He stared back at her, his smile smug and conquering.
Lord, he was such an oaf. Did he have to be so obvious when gloating?
But he certainly knew how to kiss a woman. The impact of his kiss was still rippling through her body.
She cleared her throat. “I was just leaving, Elmer. Um, you caught me checking that his pillows were properly set at his back.”
Caden’s smile turned surprisingly gentle. “Ella, I enjoyed my time with you. Don’t forget the ginger cake tomorrow.”
She was still feeling those ripples as she nodded numbly. “What?”
His smile broadened. “The ginger cake, Ella.”
“Oh, yes.” She stumbled over her chair, quickly recovered her balance and righted herself, then hurried out.
What had she done?
“Dear heaven.” Every lesson ingrained in her as she prepared for her debut was this exact warning about never kissing a beau. Caden was not even a beau. Worse, he was a surly rake who knew how to make her melt.
Would he kiss her again?
She dared not allow it.
But what a splendid first kiss he had given her.
Did he suspect she had never been kissed before?
Her thoughts were in a whirl as she hurried out of the hospital building and scampered over to Mr. Bedwell’s mercantile, where the Moonstone Cottage caretaker, Mr. Hawke, was waiting in his wagon to drive her back to her Uncle Cormac’s home. Westgate Hall was on his way, and he often picked her up from there and dropped her off in Moonstone Landing, then returned her to Westgate Hall on the return trip.
“Lady Ella, is something wrong?” Mr. Hawke asked. “You seem flustered.”
“No, all is fine. Just trying to keep a list in my head of all the things I must do tomorrow. Lost in my own thoughts.” And those thoughts were all about Caden and the kiss they had shared today that still had her tingling and reeling.
Would he attempt to kiss her again tomorrow?
Dear heaven.
How would she respond if he did?
Chapter Four
Caden spent thefollowing morning exercising his limbs. Having to raise his arms, put weight on his injured leg—even turn his head right and left—was exhausting and painful. But he needed to get out of his sickbed and start walking around. With crutches, of course. He was not yet able to walk on his own.
But he needed to do something,anything, to stop thinking of Ella and how much he wanted to kiss her again.
What a fool he was to think one taste of her would ever be enough to satisfy him.
He ought to have been prepared for the impact to his heart. After all, he had spent an entire year in a hot, dusty garrison thinking about her to the point of obsession, worried he might lose her on the Marriage Mart. In truth, this had been his greatest fear, returning to England only to find she was married.
He had yet to calm down from the joy he felt in finding her unattached.
If he could have leaped out of bed and danced a jig, he would have done so. He was a cynical arse and had little faith in any higher being, but he once again gave silent thanks for Ella coming back into his life.
He had done the same at least a dozen times last night, thinking of her every time he awoke in a cold sweat and with tears in his eyes for his fallen men. Thoughts of her helped pullhim out of despair, for he had returned to England truly on the brink of madness. Seeing Ella again had sent his heart soaring.
His heart was still soaring, even though every bone in his body ached from this morning’s exertion.
He had overdone it and now smelled like a wet sock.
