Page 9 of An Innocent Little Scandal (Sensual Scandals)

Olivia stilled, because suddenly—everything changed.

The moment began to sizzle with energy, the air crackling with awareness as he looked at her, his onyx eyes swirling with desire. It was then she realized that they were lying next to each other—alone—in a bed, and everyone at this inn thought they were husband and wife.

Time seemed to stop. She stopped breathing and his gaze dropped to her mouth.

Would it be so wrong of her to lift her head just a bit more and touch her lips to his? No one would have to know except the two of them.

Her eyes started to close of their own volition, as she drew closer to him…

The winter wind rattled the windowpane and abruptly brought her back to reality with a start, breaking whatever trance that had momentarily taken hold. It was enough for her to remember that Mr. Stone wasn’t just any man. He was to be the new estate manager at Marlington Hall, and if she wanted to keep her intelligence intact, she would do well to keep her distance.

“Good night, Mr. Stone,” she murmured, and then quickly turned her back on him before she could act on her earlier impulse, which was still pounding through her blood.

She screwed her eyes shut tightly and told herself that no matter how long it took, she was going to lie there until she went to sleep.

Chapter Four

Olivia woke the next morning to the sun shining through a gap in the curtains. She had no idea what time it was, and when she instinctively reached out a hand to the opposite side of the bed, her fingers curled in the sheets when she discovered it was cold.

It appeared Mr. Stone had been gone for some time.

She sighed and told herself it was for the best. She wasn’t embarking on this journey to begin a romantic affair. Her goal was to go home to Marlington Hall. Last night had been a temporary lapse in judgement, but today she was thinking clearly once more.

And yet…

The moment her eyes had met his in that magical moment, a decided curl of heat began low in her belly that spread throughout her limbs. She realized that she had never seen eyes that were so dark they were nearly black. At times, they swirled with a turbulent tempest like the waves of an ocean during a violent storm.

Olivia was still contemplating her unlikely traveling companion when there was a knock at the door. She quickly sat up and pulled the counterpane up over her chest, expecting Mr. Stone to cross the threshold.

However, it was the innkeeper who entered. “Good mornin’, madam and Merry Christmas,” she said brightly.

“Merry Christmas,” Olivia murmured, although she wasn’t feeling very festive at the moment. Another pang of longing for her sisters struck her, but she pushed it firmly aside. There would be plenty more holidays that she could spend with Isa, Minty, and Callie. She’d had to sacrifice this one in order to enact her plans to return to Marlington Hall.

As the lady gathered the tray she’d left the night before, Olivia couldn’t keep herself from asking, “Might you know where my… husband is?” She nearly faltered over such an intimate title, and yet, it made the swirling heat in her belly from the night before return with a consistent thrum.

“Indeed.” She smiled broadly. “He’s ’n th’ taproom breakin’ ’is fast. ’E said ye were sleepin’ so soundly tha’ ’e didn’t want t’ wake ye.” She looked at Olivia in a knowing manner, causing her face to warm. “Ye’re welcome t’ join ’im if’n ye’d like, or I could bring another tray up.”

Olivia got out of bed. “I should like to join him, I think.” While she normally eschewed crowds, she found that she was eager to see Mr. Stone again. If nothing else, just because she felt safter with someone around that she knew. She decided that he was a gentleman since they had shared a bed and he hadn’t tried to touch her, except to comfort her when she’d been upset.

“I’ll let ’im know.” The innkeeper shut the door on her departure as Olivia dressed in the same clothes she’d worn the day before, only without the bonnet or cloak. She glanced in the small mirror and cringed at the wrinkles but decided it would do for another day of grueling travel. Hopefully, they would be able to leave as soon as they ate.

After she brushed out her hair and pinned it into a simple chignon at the nape of her neck, Olivia headed downstairs. She blinked when she saw how busy it was, nearly every seat filled, but she noticed that there was one vacant seat—right across from Mr. Stone.

The plate before him was empty and he sat drinking out of a mug, a pensive look upon his face. He didn’t see her until she was practically standing in front of him. He blinked at her arrival and lowered his drink to the table. “Good morning,” he rasped, and she found that she was starting to enjoy the sound. “Mrs. Evans said you would be coming down.” He motioned to the chair across from him. “She found another chair, just for you.”

She inclined her head and sat down. “How kind of her.”

He inclined his head. “Indeed.”

They fell silent as a serving maid arrived with a plate of food and a glass of spiced ale. Olivia’s stomach rumbled as the scents of ham and eggs tempted her. She started to eat, but as the silence between them grew and the merriment around them rose, she began to grow anxious. Leaning forward slightly to ensure that he could hear her properly over the cacophony, she said, “Do you think we might be back on the road soon?”

He snorted. “Not likely.” His dark eyes flashed. “The storm has made it nearly impossible for travel. This entire inn is filled with people who have been stranded all through the night.”

Olivia glanced around and swallowed heavily, a sinking feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She turned back to him. “But surely we can’t be that far from Canterbury?”

He flicked his gaze back to his drink and lifted it to his lips for a slow swallow. It wasn’t until he set it back on the table that he said, “I fear we’ve only made it as far as Gillingham.”

Olivia’s spirits instantly deflated. She had hoped they might have made it further. “Is that all?” She put a hand to her forehead as she absorbed this news, and then dropped it back to her lap. “Perhaps we can continue on horseback…”

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