The second day of travel was shorter.
Beth sat swaying in the carriage across from Robert, watching him from the corner of her eye. She wanted to bounce on her seat for the whole ride, she was so happy. Not only had he agreed to the catalogue, he’d asked for her input in designs.
After an hour, her excitement waned, and she was bored. Yesterday’s ride had flown by looking at designs. If only she enjoyed needlepoint or could read in moving vehicles without feeling nauseous. Shifting again, she drew Robert’s attention.
“Is something the matter, Peaches?”
“Will you tell me more about your childhood, Robert? You know I struggle to sit still.”
“Hmm. I can do better. I shall give you a real contest to remain still. If you master it, you shall get a lovely reward in Peterborough. If you keep fidgeting, you shall earn a punishment.” His eyes glinted and his tone was bedroom-commanding.
Beth’s body awakened, warmth spurting in her belly with interest at what he had planned. Her mind, however, remained wary. “What is the game?”
He shook his head.
“Could you give me a hint of the reward at least? Please?”
“No hints.”
“Could we not simply converse?”
“’Tis too early to beg.” He laughed.
The dratted man was not giving her many options other than acceptance.
“Well?” He folded his arms across his chest. He always knew when she struggled to acquiesce to his demands.
“Right, then. I accept your challenge.” She lifted her chin in defiance.
His grin was evil as he dropped his arms to gesture. “Feet on my seat, one outside each of my knees.”
The pose was vulgar, but no one had ever accused her of being overly ladylike. Besides, no one could see them. That was the whole point of this trip.
She bent her knees and set her feet on the edge of his carriage bench, splaying herself open. Her breath caught. In the tight confines of the carriage, every part of her was accessible to him. How did Robert imagine these stances? His creativity shone through his work, but she had yet to unpeel the layers of his mind to understand what drove him and how his ideas developed. Knowing that would not prepare her for these titillating games, but it would allow her to find the best fit possible in a smith.
Her thoughts scattered when he smoothed his hands up her legs, taking her dress and petticoats along. He flipped the front of her skirts back toward her waist, so it fell away from her raised knees to puddle on the seat around her, baring her lower half.
She glanced at the open curtains on the window.
He arched a brow at her. “Anyone could ride by. I seem to recall you’re not averse to an audience.”
A shiver ran through her. In a dimly lit stable or a room at night was one thing, but this was the bright light of day. Still, the risk, however minimal, excited her further.
Nothing held her still except self-discipline. She would be the first to admit that particular trait was not one of her strengths. The dilemma kept her on the razor’s edge of torture and rapture.
His hands skirted up her arms, around her neck to brush her nape, then down to cup her breasts.
She shuffled her hands where they braced her from sliding forward on the seat by her sides.
“I haven’t even begun the contest,” Robert said. “Be still, so I may enjoy this delicious view.”
He must have seen her arms move, as her wrists and hands were hidden under her tossed-up skirts. Grateful for his reassurance that he liked what he saw, she sighed and tried to relax and await what he had in store for her.
For long minutes, he repeated the path of his hands—up her legs, sometimes inside, sometimes outside, then skipping to her arms before he got to the good parts. Up to her shoulders, then cupping her breasts through her dress.
I can sit still forever for his petting.
As though he had heard her thoughts, he changed course, rubbing a few strokes back and forth along the crease where her thighs met her belly. Then he withdrew one hand and dug into the traveling bag on the floor by his feet. A small handkerchief-wrapped ball was in his hand when it emerged. He opened it to unveil a small vial with a viscous light-yellow liquid.
